On May 11, 2026, CalArts and the faculty bargaining units continued negotiations regarding the terms of faculty contract nonrenewals. The Institute provided additional context on institutional enrollment targets and historical data, noting that enrollment planning accounts for multiyear factors such as attrition and leaves. The union maintained its request for program-specific enrollment data to inform ongoing discussions.
The union presented a counterproposal regarding severance terms, including tiered provisions based on years of service, as well as language related to grievance access and priority hiring rights for faculty completing their final contract year. CalArts indicated that additional time is needed to review these provisions with academic leadership. Both parties agreed to coordinate additional meeting dates for the following week to continue discussions.