As you may be aware from communications to Academic Council and the recent all-hands meetings on Feb. 12 and March 19, 2026, despite the two different voluntary separation plans offered to faculty and one to staff, operational cuts, nine staff layoffs (of which five were UAW) in the summer of 2025, Special Faculty reductions, and the ongoing and forthcoming leadership restructuring which should result in another $1 million in savings, there still exists a structural deficit at CalArts. Therefore, CalArts must pursue additional measures to ensure the fiscal health of the Institute and its ability to continue to serve its students, faculty, staff, and the community.
On April 1, 2026, CalArts emailed CU-UAW to inform them of the faculty renewal/nonrenewal decisions due by May 1, 2026, per the faculty handbook. As with the staff layoffs, faculty retirements and resignations have allowed CalArts to limit the number of nonrenewals as much as possible. As CalArts communicated, it is estimating that there will need to be about six to eight nonrenewals. It is anticipated that a small number of these nonrenewals—about one to two—may also be based on the recent prohibitions against remote learning (note, as a general matter, the faculty handbook also expects in-person teaching), communicated to faculty via email on March 4, 2026, and previously also to Academic Council. Another small handful will have renewals for two years instead of three due to their program’s vitality concerns.
CalArts expressed that it intends for the criteria of nonrenewals to be based on what is provided in the faculty handbook, as has been set per the Academic Council/Faculty Senate, and for the processes in the faculty handbook to be followed, including that faculty who have a nonrenewal notice have another teaching year; what has been the status quo for decades
CalArts and CU-UAW met to discuss these topics on April 8. CalArts further expressed that the nonrenewals were based on the faculty handbook, primarily Criteria 5-Other Considerations Affecting Reappointment, which include “[l]ong range program evaluation, including program direction and needs, and projected enrollment…” The nonrenewals will be selected from the programs marked as moderate to high levels of concern, as per the program vitality data shared with Academic Council in October 2025 and the executive committees of each school, and, soon, UAW; as will any contract reductions.
Where there is more than one faculty in the programs identified and selections need to be made among them, considerations of the other factors for renewal (Effective Teaching, Professional Achievement, Service to the Institute and Community, and Adherence to Institutional Professional Standards) will be used to evaluate selections. (See Faculty Handbook p. 24-25.)
CalArts answered many questions to CU-UAW about the methodology of selections. CalArts stated CU-UAW can offer other considerations for selections. CalArts reaffirmed that faculty can utilize the grievance process set in the faculty handbook for such decisions they would like to appeal.
There were a small number of questions posed by UAW that CalArts will answer after the session. CalArts and CU-UAW will schedule a further meeting.