SFAI, Bring Our Teachers Back!!
While the San Francisco Art Institute was in a budget surplus and was expecting more surplus, the SFAI Administration "led" by Chris Bratton laid off 9 tenured faculty members -- our teachers!! The SFAI Administration claimed "financial exigency" in the layoff notices, a claim that seems bogus now that we know about SFAI's financials and SFAI's boastful announcement of its new "School of Design." A Grievance Committee unanimously concluded that the layoffs violated the faculty contract in multiple ways and recommended reinstatement of our teachers. In response, Bratton said he would reinstate the professors if SFAI received over $400,000. (What a shameful use of intimidation, force, and undue power.) Well, we learned that the faculty offered on more than one occasion to take salary and benefit cuts. However, Bratton has not reinstated our teachers yet. Also, SFAI students continue to give SFAI millions of dollars in tuition (about 80% of SFAI's revenue).
We continue to demand that the SFAI Administration respect its students and its teachers and that our laid off teachers be reinstated and brought back into our classrooms and our studios.
The video above Abuse of Power is by Marynell Maloney.
A CALL TO ACTION
PRESERVE QUALITY EDUCATION, AND DEMAND JUSTICE AT THE SAN FRANCISCO ART INSTITUTE
SFAI Executives are pushing through a dramatic and costly scheme that directly impacts SFAI students, the SFAI classroom, its teaching environment, and SFAI's reputation. Part of this scheme includes the purging of tenured faculty from the campus. The affected faculty -- artists and scholars -- have served from 10 to over 30 years at SFAI. In addition to the concern that many students and alumni have for the affected faculty members as individuals, concerns have been raised about the specific ways in which SFAI Executives implemented their purge-by-layoff of nearly 25% of tenured faculty, and the impact the layoffs will have on curriculum, class size and class offerings. Specifically, concerns have been raised that the layoffs disproportionately affect those who have been vocal critics of SFAI's current administration, that the layoffs were carried out without discussion or transparency, and that the manner in which the layoffs are being carried out violates several provisions of the faculty contract. Concerns also have been raised that the layoffs may likely result in increased class size and cut courses. SFAI Executives claimed "financial exigency" as a pretext for the purge-by-layoff but a recent report from an expert accountant concludes that SFAI is not in such exigency.
SFAI is reporting budget surplus, continues to enjoy steady revenue from enrollment, and expects budget surplus in the future. SFAI Executives also plan to launch an extravagant School of Design. Despite mandatory contractual obligations to put a hiring freeze on any new faculty and to provide priority re-hiring and re-assignment to the laid-off tenured faculty, SFAI Executives have arranged to hire numerous visiting faculty (who receive no benefits). SFAI Executives failed to consult SFAI students and alumni about their questionable scheme, which is so costly as to negate the claim of financial exigency. Unfortunately, based on these acts and decisions, it appears SFAI Executives are engaged in harsh tactics that contravene the spirit of community, fair play, labor & social justice that its students and alumni expect and demand.
SFAI students and alumni have been actively engaged in raising awareness to these issues, and will continue to do so, despite acts by the SFAI Administration to restrain speech on campus.
It is time for direct action. It is right to demand justice and quality education at SFAI.
SFAI Student & Alumni Action Group/Concerned Students & Alumni of the San Francisco Art Institute
