On April 22, 2025, President Ravi Rajan sent an email to CalArts’ faculty and staff with information and context regarding the Institute’s structural deficit. Immediately following, CalArts emailed the union (UAW) to discuss two anticipated actions it anticipated taking to address the structural deficit.
- Regular and Technical Faculty appointment periods will not exceed three years until projected enrollment improves. This action required finalization by April 29, 2025, so that it could be communicated in a timely manner to affected faculty in accordance with Section V and Section V(B)(5) of the Faculty Handbook and CalArts’ past practice.
- The proposal of a Voluntary Separation Program based on years of service, and a Bridge to Retirement Plan based on years of service plus proximity to retirement. CalArts provided the unions (UAW and CWA) with its proposal on each plan. As requested by UAW, CalArts management met with UAW and the present bargaining committee on May 1, 2025, to bargain over the proposals. CalArts management will meet with CWA on May 2, 2025, to do the same. CalArts intends to offer the same plans to both unionized and non-unionized employees (non-unionized and challenged employees received an email on May 1 explaining this).