To Whom It May Concern,
I am writing on behalf of myself and many other members of my Post-Bacc Certificate in Studio cohort to relay a concern we have regarding the rollback of studio access.
When choosing the School of the Art Institute of Chicago, myself and many others considered the 24-hour studio access in the heart of Chicago to play a massive role in our decision to attend. On Aug. 15, 2025, an email was sent out without any previous warning on the updated studio hours, after we had already financially committed to attending the school. These updated studio hours removed approximately 1,000 hours of access this semester.
Though we understand the financial impact of the “One Big Beautiful Bill Act,” we also understand that SAIC is made up of faculty and students who chose this school because of its community-centric values. We believe there is a disconnect between this administrative decision and the environment the school aims to cultivate.
This revision of expenses resulted in the dramatic reduction of one of the most important resources to our artistic progression. We are now expected to continue in our studies and squeeze in independent work with the same enthusiasm while paying the same amount of tuition. This is extremely frustrating to say the least.
We believe in the importance of 24-hour studio access to the artistic practice, the value of the relationships that form in these productive spaces, and the integrity of SAIC as an educational entity in an increasingly anti-academic society.
We are concerned by the lack of transparency around this decision and about what this means for the future of our time at this institution.
We would like the following questions answered:
- How does the organization plan on reimbursing the students who chose SAIC in part due to the 24-hour access to a downtown Chicago studio?
- If the organization does not plan on reimbursing the students, what strategies do they have in place to give the students an equivalent value to these estimated 2,000 hours (2 semesters) lost?
Gratefully,
Mills Hutchins
Carlea Kiddoo
Ezra Brown
Gabriel Piemonte
Sarah Ferrara
Rohini Namdeo Bhadarge
