School of Visual Arts Faculty “Blindsided” by Course Cuts Amid $22M Deficit
The SVA faculty union called on leadership at the New York institution to work with its community to address the impact of budget reductions.
The faculty union at the School of Visual Arts (SVA) in New York City says some of its members were “blindsided” by the cancellations of courses and programs as the school pursues budget cuts amid a $22 million structural deficit, the largest in its 79-year history.
On July 1, nearly a year after 30 SVA employees were laid off due to “financial challenges,” the school's interim president Christopher J. Cyphers said in an all-staff email that the school will introduce measures to reduce operating costs. He cited multiple factors, including “the ongoing dismantling of education and the arts by the federal government,” a 40% drop in enrollment since 2019, and a dwindling international student population, which in fall 2025 made up 45% of the undergraduate student population and 53% of the graduate cohort.
In an August 7 statement on Instagram, the faculty union said that even department chairs were unaware of the cancellations of "a slew of courses and dozens of foundation blocks, regardless of the number of students enrolled."
