The School of the Art Institute of Chicago announced it has eliminated dozens of staff positions due to “pandemic-related additional expenses.”
According to a July 2 email to students, faculty and staff, the college eliminated 65 full-time staff and 12 part-time and special services staff as of July 6. Twenty-six contract workers were also eliminated, and 30 vacant staff positions will not be filled. No teaching positions were eliminated. In the email, the college said “reduced revenue and increased costs” made for an unbalanced budget for the 2020 fiscal year.
The temporary closure of the Gene Siskel Film Center, increased expense to transition courses online at the end of the spring semester and decreased revenue from residential and summer tuition made for $8.4 million in increased costs and lost revenue.
The 2021 fiscal year is projected to bring a $25 million revenue shortfall due to an estimated 15% enrollment decline and “ongoing costs to address COVID-19,” according to the email. Staff positions were eliminated to try to get ahead of the looming financial impact.
In a July 7 webcast, SAIC President Elissa Tenny addressed the workforce reduction. “This is the first such pervasive decrease in staff in living memory,” she said. “It’s certainly a significant moment in the life of our institution.”
“Given the challenges, despite every effort to preserve every job at the School, we simply could not avoid a workforce reduction,” the college said in a statement. “Every department across the school has felt the impact.”
One former staff member who wishes not to be named, was informed their position had been eliminated at a Google Hangouts virtual meeting a few weeks ago. “Termination was immediate,” the former staffer said.
SAIC will give former staff whose positions were eliminated a severance package of four weeks pay or more, based on years of service. Former full-time staff will have health care benefits through the end of September.
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