Philly Councilmember Mark Squilla Demands Clarity on UArts Closure-What’s The Story?

Philadelphia City Councilmember Mark Squilla is calling for an investigation into the abrupt closure of the University of the Arts (UArts). He introduced a resolution last week that passed in City Council to hold hearings about the shocking shutdown of the renowned arts university. In this article we talk about Philly Councilmember Mark Squilla Demands Clarity on UArts Closure.

“It’s up to us as elected officials to call for hearings to get to the bottom of what is really going on,” Squilla said. “How do we protect both the students and the staff and the people working there but also protect the city as a whole? UArts is a big institution in Philadelphia and we have to do everything in our power to save it and make sure that the process that was taken was done appropriately and all the answers that we’re receiving are the correct ones.”

Total Shock at Sudden Closure

According to CNB NEWS, Squilla said he was in “total shock” when the news about the school’s closure was announced last week. He said the city will be looking into other opportunities, including the possibility of merging UArts with other universities in Philadelphia and working with state and federal partners.

“We really need to hold people accountable,” Squilla emphasized. “We really need to look at the challenges it’s created for the students and the staff and make sure we can provide them the answers they deserve in this difficult process.”

Lawsuits Filed Against UArts

Earlier this week, two lawsuits were filed against UArts, including one from a group of faculty members represented by the labor union United Academics of Philadelphia. The school had abruptly announced last week that it would be closing permanently on Friday. University President Kerry Walk then resigned on Tuesday, just days before the scheduled closure.

UArts also canceled a town hall meeting on monday as students demonstrated on Broad Street, searching for basic answers about the sudden closure of their school. As students and staff continue to seek information, the Middle States Commission on Higher Education indicated that the reason UArts is set to shut down is because of financial issues and cash flow problems.

Employees Seek Answers

“I just want to know what happened and I want to know my employment status is,” said Jean Murphy, an employee at UArts. “I want to know when my paycheck will come. I want to know if I will get paid out for my vacation.”

Councilmember Squilla said he will do everything in his power to save UArts and support the students and staff during this difficult time.

Full Support to Save the Arts University

“We’re with the UArts community here. UArts is a treasure. Being a student there is something we want to protect in Philadelphia, and give them every opportunity to pursue their artistic dreams in this city,” Squilla stated. “The people who work at UArts, many have spent their whole careers there and we want to make sure they are also protected. By slowing this process down and not just accepting the school’s answers, I think as an elected body we can do more and hopefully put protections in place.”

Squilla emphasized the need to find out exactly what happened at UArts and why such an abrupt closure decision was made without advanced warning or transition plans. He promised to leverage the power of City Council to save the iconic Philadelphia arts institution. I sincerely hope you find this “Philly Councilmember Mark Squilla Demands Clarity on UArts Closure-What’s The Story?” article helpful.