July 20, 2022

San Francisco Art Institute to Close After the USF Merger Deal Falls Through

A After a failed merger with the University of San Francisco, the San Francisco Art Institute will no longer offer courses or degrees. The institute has been in financial trouble since 2020, when it was involved in merger talks with other local institutions, including the University of San Francisco, which announced in February that it had "signed a letter of intent to explore integrating operations and academic programmes in the arts to elevate the next generation of artists."

The university's president, Reverend Paul Fitzgerald, stated at the time, "Our shared goal is for the two institutions' undergraduate and graduate art programmes to merge, and to create a world-class arts education program—unique in higher education—that will benefit our students through newly developed and collaborative opportunities." However, "after five months of extensive exploration and discussion about a possible integration of arts education programmes for undergraduate and graduate students, the University of San Francisco has informed the San Francisco Art Institute that a full integration of the two universities is not feasible due to financial and other considerations," the university said last week.

…after many years of austerity measures, challenging fundraising campaigns, and various on-and-off merger and acquisition negotiations by a committed board and administration, SFAI is no longer financially viable and has ceased its degree programmes as of July 15, 2022…

"We had hoped for and invested in a more expansive outcome at the conclusion of due diligence and after many months of excellent collaboration between faculty and staff," Father Fitzgerald explained. Today, the university remains committed to expanding and growing its arts programme in line with university strategic initiatives and priorities."

"After many years of austerity measures, challenging fundraising campaigns, and various on-and-off merger and acquisition negotiations by a committed board and administration, SFAI is no longer financially viable and has ceased its degree programmes as of July 15, 2022." SFAI will remain a non-profit organisation to protect its name, archives, and legacy, " a San Francisco Art Institute statement said.

Posted in Collaborations and tagged Collaborations, San Francisco Art Institute, SFAI, University of San Francisco, USF, Merger
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