Dear administration,

Regarding the series of emails detailing the school’s course of action in the event of a strike. We as students, would like to reach out to voice some of the concerns we have raised about reimbursement and student resources that were not addressed in the previous emails.

Firstly, while we are relieved to hear that the campus and student services will remain open in the event of a strike, we do not appreciate the insinuation that our education will not be disrupted if our teachers were to halt instruction.

All of us work incredibly hard to be able to call ourselves ArtCenter students and receive the level of education that ArtCenter is known for. We feel that that is not possible by participating in self-guided work following the course syllabus guidelines as suggested. These statements of receiving the same level of education with the absence of instruction is a slight to the faculty who are the backbone of our learning, and neglectful to the time with our professors we as students pay to receive. Insight from the professors in the form of critique or guided instruction is integral to the ArtCenter learning model. Many of us came to ArtCenter specifically for the professors, who are known as skilled professionals in their industries. They teach us with their unique stories and lived experiences, preparing us to enter the industry we study for. Not only do they give us lessons and feedback based around our course objectives; they teach us how to carry ourselves as professionals entering the working world. Some of them are role models to us. We value our professors as teachers, professionals, and as people.

That being said, we would also like to acknowledge the lack of mention of our push for a promise of adequate reimbursement. We pay a significant cost per class for instruction from the appointed faculty. While we are receiving credit for this class we do not feel we are receiving the services we are paying for if we rely on self-guided study, substitute teachers, or TA instruction.

Students understand and are empathetic to the importance of organizing and our teachers’ rights to do so. We want our teachers to be provided with an environment conducive to their success because in turn, we succeed with careful guided study. We often find that the administration is using us as a safety net to advocate against the concerns of our teachers stating “...many of you are concerned about how to maintain a positive relationship with each of your instructors” (Anne Burdick) This feels as if the administration is deflecting the concern over the potential shift in their governance model onto the student's individual relationships with faculty. Nowhere is this concern of maintaining a positive relationship supported or echoed among speakers of the student body.

We’d like to remind everyone that ArtCenter runs on students. Artcenter students work hard and are serious about their education, and that hard work has given ArtCenter the professional industry reputation we are all so proud of. We understand that the administration also recognizes this, in a quote by Buchman and Hofmann ArtCenter is referred to as having a “culture that we all value and makes our institution special” (Buchman and Hofmann). This being a mutual understanding, we ask that our concerns be addressed in order to maintain this atmosphere.

The student experience at ArtCenter is wildly unique compared to other institutions in California. For one we do not have access to adequate meal or housing plans. Many students may be receiving financial assistance or scholarships for other portions of their education, leaving some students to deal with unstable living situations. Conversely, we have seen the cost of our tuition rise in recent years to the point where some students have expressed concerns about the financial plausibility of maintaining their status as ArtCenter students.

The undergraduate tuition and fees have increased from $36,480 in 2013 to $49,942 in 2023. The rate of tuition increase is 38.8% over the past ten years. This increase rate is higher than California’s average of 16.73%. In stark contrast to these rising student-incurred costs, over the past five years, we have seen a significant decrease of approximately 5% in spending on student services which is being felt by the entire student body.

Where is our money going? Certainly not dorms, housing, student resources, or faculty. Why are we having to ask time and time again for ArtCenter to take action for student betterment? During these anxious times for the student body, we ask that these negotiations proceed quickly and acknowledge our concerns so that we can move forward with the quality of learning we have signed up for and see the improvements in our student services and facilities reflective of the increased tuition costs.

The overarching unifying factor is that at the end of the day, we as a student body are pro-student and therefore pro-faculty because faculty provide the support and educational experience that we deserve and pay for.

Do better for us.

ArtCenter Student Voices