SAN FRANCISCO—On Wednesday, July 22, the San Francisco Art Institute announced it would reinstate its degree programs for the upcoming academic year after reaching an agreement over contracts with faculty and staff.
In spring, the institute announced that as a result of economic difficulties that were augmented by the pandemic, they were not going to offer degree classes for the upcoming academic year, only continuing education and exhibitions. In their recent announcement, after raising some funds and meeting with the Faculty Union of the SFAI, they were able to establish a budget to keep their tenured professors. The budget was approved by the SFAI Board of Trustees on July 2.
“The core faculty are the heart and soul of the SFAI community, and the Board is delighted that these disputes have been successfully resolved. We look forward to welcoming back some of our degree-candidate students, as early as this fall. Most of our classes are likely to be online in fall semester, with on campus instruction resuming in the spring, pending the status of COVID-19 restrictions,” said SFAI Board Chair Pam Rorke Levy.
The institute said letters were recently sent out to those degree-candidate students asking them to consider their return to the school.
“It was the sincere interest in returning (openly voiced by some students) that inspired the school to reopen in fall,” expressed the the Faculty Union OF SFAI in a public post.
According to the SFAI, in response to the former suspension of the degree programs, a “Committee to Reimagine” the institute comprised by faculty, staff, students, board members and administrators was developed. The announcement indicated the committee will focus on building a sustainable model for the school and exploring new education models in the arts.
