D.C. Colleges Mourn Kennedy Center Takeover

"President Donald Trump's takeover of the institution involved replacing its board, taking over as chairman, firing the center's president and attempting to change its name to add his own. In the wake of those actions, a number of organizations have canceled programming at the Kennedy Center-including local colleges and universities and the American College Theatre Festival, the nation's largest gathering of collegiate theater artists."

"In December, shortly after Trump announced his preferred name for the center, ACTF wrote in a Facebook post that its National Committee had voted to 'suspend' their affiliation with the Kennedy Center 'due to circumstances and decisions that do not align with our organization's values.'"

"American University suspended a joint fellowship that allowed students in its arts management master's program to work at the center. According to Abraham, the university's performing arts department 'started to be concerned about the continuity of those joint fellowships at least a full year ago, and made the decision to not move forward with any of the appointments this particular academic year.'"

The Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts has historically served as a premier venue for collegiate performing arts programs in Washington, D.C. After Donald Trump took control of the institution, replacing its board, becoming chairman, firing the president, and attempting to rename it, numerous organizations have withdrawn their involvement. The American College Theatre Festival, the nation's largest collegiate theater gathering, suspended its affiliation citing misalignment with organizational values. American University similarly suspended its joint fellowship program for arts management students. These actions represent a significant shift in the center's relationships with the academic arts community that previously benefited from its resources and performance opportunities.

Read at Inside Higher Ed | Higher Education News, Events and Jobs