CCA is experiencing the same trends that are impacting all of higher education and art schools more specifically. The National Student Clearinghouse Research Center reports that, across the nation, enrollment has declined by more than 4% over the past two years.

The majority of CCA’s revenue comes from student tuition. We are careful about setting rates that are on par with the market and CCA’s offering as a college. Affordability is a core commitment for CCA, so any increases in tuition are accompanied by increases in financial support for our students.

Funds for Double Ground are restricted to that project, so we are able to keep construction on track and on budget in ways that do not affect the operating budget. Additionally, completing the Double Ground project will allow us to move staff and programs out of non-adjacent spaces that are owned or leased by CCA, freeing up those funds to be used elsewhere in support of the College's mission.

No. These adjustments are being made to balance the budget based on current enrollment. CCA’s financial outlook is positive, based on enrollment projections in line with the balanced budget, CCA’s investments and facilities.

It would be disingenuous to say “yes” as there is no way to predict exactly what will happen in the future relative to the economy or enrollment. Having said that, these reductions are based on CCA’s financial model and our best sense of enrollment trends, so we feel confident that we are being precise in the level of reductions required to balance the FY24 budget. Our focus is on maintaining a balanced budget, keeping our costs aligned with our revenues. This is the way to keep CCA strong for the future.

It is not necessary to reduce the faculty headcount. The size of our faculty adjusts annually via retirements and new hires in line with enrollment and the scheduling of classes. We will continue to hire ranked and adjunct faculty as needed.

The search for CCA’s next president will continue, led by our search firm, Isaacson, Miller, and a committee made up of staff, faculty, and board members. Our leadership team is committed to the college’s financial, operational, and strategic sustainability and success.. This includes a structure that supports both the Presidential and CFO transitions.

We are confident in the leadership team stepping in to lead the work of the CFO as an interim solution during this transition. The interim CFO and COO will provide clear and frequent communication updates about the process to ensure that all staff and faculty are up-to-speed on key milestones over the coming weeks. The structure will provide the strategic oversight and management that are so essential to CCA.

We remain committed to our mission and goals, and as we reduce budgets, we will do so in ways that preserve our commitment to student enrollment — attracting talented students and retaining them with our distinctively CCA in-class, in-studio, residential college experience. Though difficult decisions will need to be made in the short-term, we are committed to creating a structure that meets our strategic vision and mission moving forward to meet the evolving needs of our students and industry.

We expect that the process of identifying the staff positions to be eliminated will take place over the next 45 days. An update will be shared mid-April, with the hopes of sharing outcomes of these reductions in May. Managers will also be invited to sessions that will provide more information and resources to share with their teams. Please visit CCA’s Portal page for more information and updates as they are available.