For the 2009 - 2010 academic year, the Administration of the San Francisco Art Institute plans to decrease the number of tenured faculty by about 25%.  The affected faculty have taught at SFAI for 11 to 31 years, are covered by union contract, and, based on SFAI's publicly-available financial records and representations to the City and the public, SFAI is financially stable.  However, the SFAI Administration intends to implement its dramatic plan, which we believe will have adverse consequences.   

Under the plan, SFAI will become even more dependent on a contingent, temporary workforce:

And, SFAI's core academic mission may be undermined. 

"The mission of the Art Institute is to provide a rigorous education in the fine arts and preparation for life in the arts through an innovative, intensive studio program, a vital liberal arts experience and engagement with the world at large."

We are concerned that SFAI, to a certain degree, has lost sight of its mission.  For example, last week, we reviewed financial information that SFAI submitted to the City.  We learned that SFAI may be using substantial amounts of tuition money annually (about $500,000) to fund its Exhibitions & Public Programs, which SFAI states "attract and engage tourists and residents ..."  Students and alumni did NOT intend for their tuition money to be used to attract and entertain tourists.  We paid to get a rigorous education. 

The core mission of SFAI is education.  An outstanding school of higher education is founded on the dedication of its students and on the teachers who make long-term commitments to teach them and are given the resources to do their best.  Students appreciate and benefit from the presence of a significant number of tenured faculty.  The Concerned Students and Alumni of SFAI request that the SFAI Administration withdraw its plan to cut tenured faculty.