University of the Arts hires consulting firm Alvarez and Marsal to handle closure
PHILADELPHIA (CBS) — The board of trustees for the University of the Arts says it has hired Alvarez and Marsal, a Philadelphia consulting firm, to handle its closure. Meanwhile, students, staff and faculty at UArts still don't have a clear picture of what's next after the resignation of President Kerry Walk.
The university has not rescheduled an informational town hall for students, nor have officials set a time to begin negotiations with United Academics of Philadelphia, the union representing faculty and staff.
On Monday morning, Judson Aaron, the president of the board of trustees, sent faculty and students an email saying they have hired Alvarez and Marsal to help develop next steps.
The email reads:
"Last week's announcement of the imminent closure of University of the Arts on Friday, June 7, 2024 was devastating for every member of this community. With the resignation of Dr. Kerry Walk from the role of President, the Board of Trustees has engaged Alvarez & Marsal, a firm with deep experience advising and managing educational institutions through complex challenges. They will help us urgently address the needs of our students, faculty and staff as we work through this process.
Our next steps include developing a teach-out plan to enable our students to seamlessly continue their degrees at other high-quality institutions. We also remain committed to taking whatever actions are feasible to support our incredible faculty and staff through this challenging time.
We understand how painful and difficult the past few days have been, and the Board is dedicated to do all we can to support our beloved UArts community as we move forward. We recognize that you have many questions, and we will share more information as this process continues."
CBS News Philadelphia reached out to Alvarez and Marsal as well as UArts' press team, and have not heard back.
The union said it has not received any direct contact from the Board of Trustees, and all meetings to negotiate the collective bargaining agreement have been canceled by university officials.
On Wednesday morning, faculty and staff planned a march from Hamilton Hall to Conrad O'Brien, the former law office of Judson Aaron.
Temple University, Drexel University and the Moore College of Art and Design have issued statements over the past week offering UArts students paths to transfer in the wake of the closure.