The University of the Arts closes in Philadelphia while Roots Picnic returns with star-studded lineup
- University of the Arts in Philadelphia announces closure due to budget gaps, following PAFA.
- Roots Picnic makes a comeback in Philly with headliners Jill Scott and Andre 3000.
- Philadelphia's art education landscape faces significant changes with closures of leading institutions.
Philadelphia is hosting the Roots Picnic again this year. The headliners are Jill Scott and Andre 3000. At the same time, students and parents at the University of the Arts (UArts) are getting ready for a town hall meeting. The university announced it will close because of money problems. UArts is the second art school in Philadelphia to say it will close in 2024. The Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts (PAFA) also said it will shut down in 2024-25. The Middle States Commission on Higher Education (MSCHE) said it will take away UArts' accreditation starting June 1. This happened because the university didn't tell MSCHE about its sudden closing. UArts is now the second art school in Philadelphia to close this year. MSCHE decided to remove the accreditation because UArts didn't follow the Commission's requests for reports and plans. The university must now tell everyone about the situation. UArts shared on Facebook that it will close on June 7, 2024. They will have town hall meetings for students, faculty, and staff to answer questions. The university needs to submit a plan by June 7 so students can finish their education. If they don't follow these rules, MSCHE may take more actions. MSCHE pointed out problems with UArts' money, education quality, and student experience. State Representative Ben Waxman also talked about the university's closure. MSCHE said UArts didn't communicate well and didn't get the right approvals for closing.