The School of Visual Arts (SVA) in Manhattan has quietly reduced staff, citing “financial challenges” that have also allegedly resulted in cancelled courses and budget shortfalls. 

The recently organized SVA faculty union told Hyperallergic that they believe approximately 30 individuals were laid off, based on informal discussions among colleagues. The school has not responded to multiple requests for comment from Hyperallergic to confirm the number of workers affected.

On Tuesday afternoon, August 5, the school’s president David Rhodes announced the news in a brief all-staff email, which was reviewed by Hyperallergic.

“We made the very difficult decision to reduce staff at the School of Visual Arts due to financial challenges,” Rhodes wrote. “Those affected have been notified, and we are providing support during this transition.”

“We are deeply grateful for their contributions, and for your dedication and resilience as we weather these very challenging times in higher education,” Rhodes concluded.

While the email did not include specific details, such as which departments were affected, the faculty union told Hyperallergic that they believe reductions took place across the school, including undergraduate and graduate programs, the library, support staff, and other areas.

The cuts at the arts and design school come barely two months after nearly 1,200 faculty members — most of whom are contracted adjuncts lacking job security and benefits — officially unionized under United Auto Workers (UAW), a national labor group that also represents instructors at Columbia University, New York University, and the Parsons School of Design. At the time, the SVA union said it was prioritizing scheduled pay increases aligned with inflation, compensation for out-of-classroom labor, job security, and expanded benefits.

Justin Elm, a main organizer for SVA Faculty United – UAW, told Hyperallergic that although the school’s staff and faculty are employed under different contracts, the challenges they face are “closely linked,” emphasizing a critical need for them to stand together.

“Faculty have been hit by significant course cancellations due to low enrollment and budget shortfalls,” Elm said. “Losing a class is not the same as being fired, but it represents a direct loss of wages, benefits, and stability, with no guarantee of being able to teach the course again in the future.” (Hyperallergic has contacted SVA for comment in response to the claims about cancelled classes and enrollment declines.)

SVA’s combined undergraduate and graduate student enrollment for last fall was at 3,812, according to the school’s 2024 statistics, a decrease from 4,016 the previous year.

“SVA Faculty United – UAW remains committed to the school’s long-term success,” Elm told Hyperallergic. “But we are deeply disappointed that the administration has chosen to address financial challenges by laying off staff, cancelling classes, and placing the burden squarely on its most valuable asset: its workers.”