Students, alumni and staff were out all day and night on Friday protesting as the University of the Arts shut down for good. NBC10’s Aaron Baskerville has the latest.
Friday was the day that the University of the Arts was scheduled to close for good. According to the school's website, they have officially closed.
School officials laid off hundreds of teachers and staff in a webinar meeting.
Many students and faculty weren't going down without a fight as the future was unclear for the school and for hundreds of students.
While many were still demanding answers from administrators, others were working behind the scenes to try and find ways to save the historic institution.
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Students, alumni and arts supporters were continuing to rally around the University of the Arts on Friday.
"It’s criminal. It’s heart-wrenching and maddening at the same time. My heart bleeds for everybody in this community and at the same time I am mad as heck," Luci McClure, mother to a UArts student, told NBC10.
It was exactly one week ago that university leadership announced their intention to shut the doors. They cited a lack of funds and the loss of their accreditation which left many blindsided.
"I was shocked. I was sad about the loss of this beautiful community and I was anxious about the future and what does that mean for my future?" UArts film student Michael Pacio Ximil said.
Students have been left to figure out what happens next with basically no help from the university.
"I saw the article and I just came and I sat on the steps and called my mom and I was like 'I don’t know what else to do,'" UArts acting major Stevie Reynalds told NBC10.
This week, we have seen a canceled informational town hall, the resignation of UArts president Kerry Walk as well as threats of lawsuits by teachers and an investigation by Philadelphia's City Council.
"I honestly can’t understand how 146 years can be thrown away like that. 146 years gone in seven days," Reynalds said.
Schools like Moore College of Arts and Design and Temple University have reached out to students offering opportunities to transfer.
Some students say they even toured Moore today in an effort to gather more information.
While some are forging a new path ahead, others were committed to saving the place they call home.
"It’s a tough lesson but a lot of students are learning what it means to be able to advocate for yourselves so that’s something that’s really important too," Ximil said.
On Friday, a spokesperson for Pa. Gov. Josh Shapiro spoke with NBC10 and shared a statement that read, "While many questions around this abrupt closure remain, our Administration is focused on ensuring these students are protected and we believe it is critically important for them to be able to continue their education. We appreciate Temple's efforts to step up in this difficult moment and will continue working together as we move forward."
School leaders held webinars on Friday where they officially laid off hundreds of teachers and staff members. We were told that no one was able to ask questions during the meetings.
"If you are in this meeting today is your last day," an official told one group in the meeting.
In one webinar, a small group of about 77 workers was told they would be kept on to work for a little while longer to assist with building maintenance and other tasks, including helping students transfer their credits to other schools.
