Support UArts Faculty & Staff Amid Closure

I am a former faculty member and program director at the University of the Arts. On Friday May 31, my phone started to blow up with texts of the Philadelphia Inquirer article announcing the university’s imminent closure. I was just on campus earlier this month to see the excellent work of some of my former students. This is devastating. The faculty and staff at UArts are some of the most dedicated, passionate and overworked I have ever met. In spite of ongoing institutional challenges, they have stayed on to support the incredible students (the best I have ever taught).

Hundreds of faculty and staff members have dedicated their careers to supporting the students and mission at UArts and are now left completely unsupported due to the announced closure of the University as of June 7th. That’s just 8 days after the announcement in the newspaper from which they learned of the university’s fate.

100% of these funds will go directly to the United Academics of Philadelphia’s Solidarity Fund, which addresses needs and financial burdens arising from emergency hardship. Contributions from the GoFundMe will be contributed to the Solidarity Fund and earmarked for UArts Union Faculty and Staff. UAP will then disburse funds to union members via an application process to be determined shortly.

In labor, unions cannot and will not accept any financial support from employers, employer-side labor relations experts, advisers, or consultants, nor can they accept any contributions from anyone who is an agent of an employer or who is acting in the interest of an employer. Contributions from such individuals should not be made through this GoFundMe and will not be accepted if they are.

I encourage anyone who wants to support UArts faculty and staff members and their families to contribute!

And if you can’t support financially, please spread the word and please encourage folks to hire these incredible folks, almost all working artists.