School of Visual Arts Shutters Its Curatorial Practice MA Program

"After 14 years, the School of Visual Arts (SVA) in Manhattan will terminate its master of arts degree in curatorial practice when program founder and chair Steven Henry Madoff retires in May 2027. The two-year program, which enrolled 14 first-year students last fall, is no longer fielding applicants as indicated in a notice on the department's website."

"According to Madoff wrote in a faculty-wide email that when he mentioned his intent to retire at the end of the next academic year to SVA President David Rhodes, the latter opted to terminate the degree track altogether. He also made note of the school's current 'financial challenges' - an ongoing problem that led to a layoff of 30 faculty members last August."

"We have proposed a 'lookaround clause' that would require the School, in the event of a department or program closure, to seek to fulfill affected faculty members' baseloads by offering them courses they are qualified to teach in other departments, directly addressing situations like the closure of this master's program."

The School of Visual Arts in Manhattan will close its master of arts degree in curatorial practice following the May 2027 retirement of program founder and chair Steven Henry Madoff. The two-year program enrolled 14 first-year students last fall and is no longer accepting applicants. SVA President David Rhodes decided to terminate the degree track entirely when Madoff announced his retirement plans. The school faces ongoing financial difficulties that previously resulted in layoffs of 30 faculty members in August. Program faculty members, predominantly adjunct workers who unionized in May, may be affected by the closure. The union has proposed a clause requiring the school to offer affected faculty members courses in other departments.

Read at Hyperallergic