How Much Did Coronavirus Disruptions Affect 2 Closing Colleges? – Inside Higher Ed
The San Francisco Art Institute will not admit any new students. MacMurray College will close its doors permanently. Both cite the coronavirus outbreak as contributing to financial challenges that were already growing.
Two colleges — the San Francisco Art Institute and MacMurray College — announced last week they will suspend admissions or close entirely at the end of the semester, adding to a growing list of institutions that are halting operations amid the new coronavirus outbreak.
As with all college closures and wind-downs, the details of each case are different. But each can provide additional insight into how at-risk institutions will be forced to react to a suddenly stressed environment.
SFAI will not admit any new students and is considering suspending regular courses and degree programs at the end of the spring semester. That decision will be made in coming weeks, said Pam Rorke Levy, chair of the institute’s Board of Trustees.
The institute had been in talks with nearby universities about a possible merger deal, but those negotiations fell apart when the coronavirus outbreak spread to the West Coast and college leaders were pulled back to focusing on their respective campuses.