A spherical of layoffs on the California Institute of the Arts (CalArts) this summer season is elevating alarms at one of many best-known arts colleges within the nation because the establishment grapples with rising prices.
The Santa Clarita-based non-public arts college laid off 9 administrative workers in July, together with 5 unionized employees and 4 non-union employees, claiming in a schoolwide message that CalArts wanted to chop bills within the face of a projected $15 million deficit.
“The 9 employees positions, in addition to a few dozen vacant employees positions, are being eradicated as a part of a vital workforce discount, which is able to allow CalArts to deal with a structural deficit, prioritize student-facing companies, and higher align our staffing with present and projected enrollments to proceed offering distinctive academic alternatives to our college students,” a CalArts spokesperson instructed Hyperallergic.
However school and employees members are questioning the administration’s resolution, arguing that the layoffs might hurt the varsity’s means to coach and nurture the subsequent era of artists.
“Everybody was upset on this having to occur in any respect once we’re working so onerous to attempt to higher serve the inhabitants,” Emily Lytle-Painter, an online and digital media producer at CalArts and union member, instructed Hyperallergic. “After we have been making an attempt to enter discussions with the administration, we felt like there have been different avenues.”
Tensions between CalArts workers and faculty management have been simmering since final fall, when dozens of college and employees determined to kind a union after enduring what they described as years of stagnant wages, elevated workloads, and minimal advantages. In December, CalArts school delivered a letter to President Ravi Rajan asserting their intention to prepare with United Auto Employees in a unit that may signify roughly 600 employees. They held elections in March and ratified the union a month later.
On the identical time, the varsity had been scuffling with enrollment, which declined by about 12 % because the pandemic, from 1,532 college students in 2019 to 1,353 college students in 2023 (tuition surpassed $60,000 per yr in 2025–26).
In an April 2024 interview, Rajan instructed Inside Increased Schooling that CalArts was “fiscally sound.” However the college proceeded with a number of funds cuts to scale back its working prices, together with tighter spending controls, hiring delays and journey limitations, and changes to admissions and monetary assist packages. These measures, Rajan stated in a schoolwide message, saved the varsity $5.5 million.
This spring, CalArts sought to scale back its headcount and despatched voluntary separation and early retirement notices to between 50 and 60 school and employees, union leaders estimated. However solely 32 workers, together with 22 school and 10 employees, took the varsity’s supply and Rajan moved forward with layoffs regardless of vociferous objections from the union.
“I acknowledge how painful this information is,” Rajan wrote in a July 15 letter to school and employees reviewed by Hyperallergic. “These usually are not simply summary positions—they’re roles held by our colleagues, teammates, and buddies. I’m immensely grateful for his or her contributions and conscious of the burden of this second for our group.”
When the varsity introduced layoffs, union leaders bargained with the administration for 3 months of severance, as a substitute of two weeks of pay per yr of service; three months of COBRA insurance coverage; and precedence rehiring in any vacant positions over the subsequent two years for anybody who was laid off.
“Everyone seems to be understandably unhappy and frightened, and there’s a common feeling of getting to maneuver ahead with what we now have,” Lytle-Painter stated. “I personally was actually happy with our bargaining group with the ability to discount for elevated advantages for these affected by the layoffs. That’s a part of why we now have a union.”
Thomas Leeb, an adjunct school member within the College of Music and union member, stated he’s approaching the subsequent tutorial yr that begins on September 8 with combined feelings.
“Numerous institutional data has left with the voluntary separation program, and that’s unhappy and it hurts. On the identical time, there’s a little bit of optimism,” Leeb stated, referencing the newly fashioned union. “Somebody I spoke to who has been at CalArts for 25 years stated that is the primary time he felt protected.”
Editor’s word 8/30/25 11am EST: A earlier model of this text said that 12 staffers have been laid off. The story was up to date to notice that 9 staffers have been laid off and 12 vacant positions won’t be stuffed. CalArts responded after publication.
