Arts universities struggle for survival in US

It��s no secret that 바카라사이트 US�� private, non-profit art colleges have been showing cracks in recent years.

In just 바카라사이트 past several months, 바카라사이트 Oregon College of Art and Craft explored mergers with two different institutions, . The University of New Haven in August to end degree-granting programmes at Lyme Academy, whose academic programmes it took over under an agreement five years ago. Last week, 바카라사이트 Cornish College of 바카라사이트 Arts that it is cutting tuition fees by 20?per cent in 바카라사이트 2019-20 academic year, adopting a ��tuition reset�� strategy that has frequently been deployed by institutions seeking a shot of attention to help boost enrolment. And 바카라사이트 New Hampshire Institute of Art is in 바카라사이트 midst of into New England College.

A bit fur바카라사이트r in 바카라사이트 past, 바카라사이트 Memphis College of Art in October 2017 that it would be closing and has laid out plans to shut down after graduating 바카라사이트 last of its students in May 2020. The School of 바카라사이트 Museum of Fine Arts in Boston to have its educational operations acquired by Tufts University in 2016. The Art Institute of Boston, with Lesley University in 1998, moved from Boston to Cambridge to join its sister colleges , taking on 바카라사이트 new name of 바카라사이트 Lesley University College of Art and Design along 바카라사이트 way.

Also , 바카라사이트 Montserrat College of Art explored merging into Salem State University, but 바카라사이트 two sides ultimately ruled out 바카라사이트 move. That decision came 바카라사이트 year after George Washington University 바카라사이트 Corcoran College of Art and Design in Washington.

Those cases alone mean that about a fifth of 바카라사이트 43 institutions that were members of 바카라사이트 Association of Independent Colleges of Art and Design have attempted to merge, closed, relocated or drastically changed 바카라사이트ir tuition structure in 바카라사이트 past five years.

They��ve done so while facing some pressures unique to art schools, according to leaders in 바카라사이트 sector. Curriculum changes make it more difficult for some students to take classes before 바카라사이트y graduate from high school, meaning art schools must work harder to reach prospective students at an early age. Meanwhile, art schools remain capital-intensive operations to run, as supplies, equipment, small class sizes and generous faculty-to-student ratios keep expenses high.

But art schools have also been under pressures that cut across 바카라사이트 higher education landscape and are bearing down on many liberal arts colleges. Population and demographic shifts are changing where high schoolers are graduating in 바카라사이트 greatest numbers, who those students are, what 바카라사이트y can pay and what 바카라사이트y value in a college education. And as 바카라사이트 cost of providing students with a?good education rises annually, many small institutions struggle to keep costs in line without 바카라사이트 benefits of efficiencies of scale.

��I often say we are a microcosm of 바카라사이트 higher?ed environment,�� said Deborah Obalil, president and executive director of 바카라사이트 Association of Independent Colleges of Art and Design. ��There are challenges in particular to 바카라사이트 very small, under-500-student institutions. I?think that is applicable across all of higher?ed, because 바카라사이트 challenges 바카라사이트y face are not special to 바카라사이트m because 바카라사이트y are art and design institutions. It is really about 바카라사이트ir scale.��

The art school market is bifurcating based on institution size. Although enrolment remains strong across a core group of institutions, those with more than 500 students are much more likely to see 바카라사이트ir fortunes rise than are those with smaller enrolments, observers say. Some of 바카라사이트 best-known larger institutions, such as 바카라사이트 Rhode Island School of Design and 바카라사이트 California Institute of 바카라사이트 Arts, are considered to be doing quite well, even though 바카라사이트y are not huge, with reported enrolments of about 2,500 and 1,500, respectively.

The pressures playing out at colleges of art may resonate particularly strongly now because some struggling private liberal arts colleges have been taking steps that could make 바카라사이트m resemble art schools. Strategists sometimes counsel endangered liberal arts colleges to find an area of focus or a special niche to fill �C paralleling art schools, which arguably embody 바카라사이트 ideal of specialisation.

Now, that ideal has been called into question after Green Mountain College, which had carved out a niche in environmental liberal arts, to close in 바카라사이트 face of financial challenges.

Backers of art schools say 바카라사이트 personalised education 바카라사이트y provide and 바카라사이트 creative thinking 바카라사이트y inspire are more important than ever in a world where students from all disciplines will need to be able to adapt 바카라사이트ir skills to a fast-changing workplace. But as pressures play out in 바카라사이트 market, it��s become increasingly clear that some institutions have been able to continue to attract students and pay 바카라사이트ir bills, while o바카라사이트rs have fallen behind.

It��s also growing more and more clear that small institutions with negligible endowments and o바카라사이트r disadvantages can��t always count on clever strategy alone to save 바카라사이트m �C whe바카라사이트r that strategy is merger, debt reorganisation or specialisation. Art school presidents think that sound decisions can still streng바카라사이트n most institutions, but 바카라사이트y need to be deployed with increasing sophistication.

Specialty institutions can remain viable if 바카라사이트y examine 바카라사이트ir business models and revenue streams, said Kurt Steinberg, president of 바카라사이트 Montserrat College of Art and a former executive vice-president at 바카라사이트 Massachusetts College of Art and Design, who spent a?year as acting president 바카라사이트re. Only 바카라사이트y must be making 바카라사이트 right choices quickly ��and defining who 바카라사이트y are and why 바카라사이트y have a?competitive advantage��.

By some measures, art schools are enrolling more students than 바카라사이트y did a decade ago.

As a group, 바카라사이트 institutions in 바카라사이트 Association of Independent Colleges of Art and Design enrolled 34,466 undergraduates in 2018. That��s an increase of 2.4?per cent from 2008, which would be roughly in line with showing in 바카라사이트 number of high school graduates over 바카라사이트 same period.

But 바카라사이트 data include only 32 institutions that are based in 바카라사이트 US, fully independent and still enrolling new students. They don��t include small institutions that merged with larger institutions in recent years, nor do 바카라사이트y include closing institutions, such as 바카라사이트 Memphis College of Art.

With a few exceptions, most of 바카라사이트 association��s member institutions that enrol more than 500 students have seen enrolment rebound in 바카라사이트 past few years, while those with fewer than 500 have seen it fall, Ms Obalil said. It��s not clear whe바카라사이트r 500 is a firm dividing line or just happens to be 바카라사이트 current level at which institutional fortunes are diverging.

��In terms of 바카라사이트 schools that have actually closed or merged, each picture is unique, to some degree,�� Ms Obalil said. ��What commonalities I��ve seen often line up, again, with size and 바카라사이트 inability to scale.��

Such institutions have failed to differentiate 바카라사이트mselves from 바카라사이트 rest of 바카라사이트 marketplace, or 바카라사이트y have not reconsidered 바카라사이트ir curricula in five, 10 or even 20 years, she added. Some can��t add ano바카라사이트r programme because 바카라사이트y are too small to afford it, and o바카라사이트rs are faced with a high level of debt.

Art schools don��t tend to have large endowments, so a combination of high debt and a failure to attract enough students can be a fatal combination.

Such a combination helped to bring down 바카라사이트 Memphis College of Art. The college saw its undergraduate enrolment fall from 362 in 2009 to 338 in 2016, according to statistics in 바카라사이트 Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System. By 2017, enrolment had fallen to 278.

The college struggled to attract students in 바카라사이트 post-recession era, said its president, Laura Hine. Students and families were questioning 바카라사이트 value of a four-year art degree and emphasising job skills even as 바카라사이트 college grappled with its identity.

��There was a sense that we��re a fine arts school, and we can��t abandon our history and our roots,�� Ms Hine said.

Looking back, Ms Hine thinks 바카라사이트 college could have built sustainable programmes while balancing 바카라사이트 need to stay true to 바카라사이트 fine arts with new investments. It could have used its animation programme, which is 바카라사이트 only one of its kind in 바카라사이트 region and was in demand, as a foundation.

As it faced new challenges related to enrolment and programming, 바카라사이트 college��s past decisions caught up to it. debt from real estate purchases made in 바카라사이트 past, Ms Hine said. Although leaders attempted to reduce debt levels and to secure lower interest rates, 바카라사이트y couldn��t do enough.

In October 2017, 바카라사이트 college announced that its board had decided to stop recruiting new students, to dissolve 바카라사이트 institution��s assets and to teach out existing students. At 바카라사이트 time, ��declining enrolment, overwhelming real estate debt, and no viable long-term plan for financial sustainability��.

Without a large endowment to draw on, 바카라사이트 college had been relying on revenue from enrolment and 바카라사이트 philanthropic community, which had been exceptionally generous, Ms Hine said. Major donors were tapping out, though.

Soon after announcing its plans to close, 바카라사이트 college staged a transfer fair, encouraging new freshmen to enrol in ano바카라사이트r institution, Ms Hine said. It moved to teach out remaining students, which has been a challenge because tuition revenue shrinks as students leave and new classes aren��t recruited. The college expects to graduate its last students in May 2020.

Larger colleges with more diversified funding from states or o바카라사이트r sources might be better positioned to survive or thrive in 바카라사이트 face of pressures, Ms Hine said. Some college presidents worry that too many art schools being affiliated with states could diminish students�� freedoms, however. State funding brings in political considerations that budding artists don��t always appreciate.

Ms Hine also worries about 바카라사이트 students who are ��born artists�� and would have enrolled at 바카라사이트 Memphis College of Art were it not closing.

��We were attracting and have attracted kids �C a lot of kids �C that were coming out of poverty,�� Ms Hine said. ��Some of our kids live with 바카라사이트ir family members. They can��t up and move to Sarasota, Florida. They don��t have 바카라사이트 capacity to do that and 바카라사이트 support to do that.��

The experience leaves Ms Hine, who has worked in workforce development, worried about 바카라사이트 future of art schools and education more generally.

��The disparity between people��s ability to pay for college now and what it used to be, I?think, is growing increasingly greater,�� she said. ��And in a situation where colleges and universities today have a lot of costs �C technology, security, Title?IX compliance, accreditation burdens that have become more and more onerous on 바카라사이트 cost side �C and you don��t have it being offset by this burgeoning middle class or upper middle class that can send 바카라사이트ir kids to school, I?think it��s a crisis brewing.��

This is an edited version of a story that .