Money makes the world go round; the lack of it has a way of bringing everything to a grinding halt. As artists, people living in the United States, and the School of the Art Institute of Chicago community members, the looming presence of money is nearly constant. The cogs of capitalism are inescapable, no matter how many punk rock anthems we blast through our headphones during late nights in the studio.
It is no secret that SAIC’s budget is short $7.7 million this year. The loss of overnight access was just the beginning of effects our community is reckoning with as a result of this budget deficit.
As we at F Newsmagazine were working on the final stages of this December issue, 20 SAIC staff members were laid off. The announcement was sent in an email to faculty and staff on Nov. 12, with the subject line, “Financial and Staffing Update,” from President Jiseon Lee Isbara, Provost and Senior Vice President of Academic Affairs Martin Berger, Vice President of Financial Analysis and Planning Cathy Carlson, and Executive Vice President for Finance and Administration Alex Holt. This change was not announced to students, alumni, or parents.
One day after the announcement, Art Institute of Chicago Workers United sent a response to their union members. Six of the staff members who were laid off were in the union, and 14 were not. “While we appreciate the transparency, this does not make layoffs any easier,” the email states.
“This was an extremely difficult decision, and we are deeply saddened by the impact this will have on the individuals who are leaving us,” reads SAIC’s email, which notes that these 20 positions account for less than 5% of the total staff at SAIC.
When asked about why the administration’s email was only sent to faculty and staff, Vice President of Marketing and Communications Bree Witt replied, “The student experience is unchanged.”
Five percent of the staff impacts everyone on campus, including students. Student organizations such as Free Radio, ExTv, and us at F News have lost faculty advisers. The Video Databank, which has existed since 1976 and is one of the biggest archives of video art in the world, lost three of its senior staff and faces restructuring. The Center for Teaching and Learning has been frozen and absorbed into the dean’s office. These are only a handful of examples of the rippling effect the layoffs have caused across the school.
Everyone on F News’ staff is still processing the announcement that our design adviser was laid off. The layoff took place within a week of our final production for this issue. These layoffs came without warning. Our design adviser was a vital part of the work we do here at F News. She brought real-world journalism experience and career development into our student newsroom every week.
As of this writing, the design adviser position, which has been part of F News for 40 years, no longer exists. With less than a week until press, our editorial adviser was left to absorb the design adviser’s manifold responsibilities. Our student experience has been drastically impacted. We will miss the design adviser’s guidance tremendously.
The Nov. 12 email says, “Importantly, we do not anticipate further school-wide staff reductions this fiscal year will be needed to address the school’s current budget situation.” But many people in the SAIC community that F spoke to this week said they are already wondering if lecturers and adjunct faculty will be next on the chopping block.
As SAIC’s newsmagazine, we are committed to covering the staff layoffs that occurred in November, as well as any in the future. We are committed to seeking transparency in the decisions the school makes to cover its deficit. We are committed to this community.
We are working on in-depth coverage of the layoffs that will be published on our website, as well as comprehensive reporting on the state of SAIC’s budget. We will continue to publish online during winter break, so bookmark our website.
Cuts like this may happen again. If and when they do, they must be treated with care. Yes, only 20 staff members were cut, but their loss will be felt by our entire community. All parts of this decision-making process — from the cuts themselves to the announcements — must be intentional, kind, and transparent.
If you have information or feelings you want to share with us about SAIC’s budget concerns, the recent layoffs, or forthcoming announcements, please reach out to us at [email protected].
— F Newsmagazine Editorial Board
