Ten full-time faculty members who came to George Washington University when it took control of the Corcoran school were told Monday that their one-year contracts would not be renewed.
The cuts come as enrollment dropped 24 percent since the university assumed control of the school in August of 2014, after a District judge approved a plan for the financially struggling institution that also gave the National Gallery of Art custody of the Corcoran Gallery of Art collection.
Enrollment was 294 for the academic year that just ended, more than 100 students fewer than the fall of 2014, the first year under GW, when enrollment was 404. A university spokeswoman said enrollment figures for next year are not yet available.
The 10 faculty whose contracts will not be renewed will receive a one-year severance package and are being recommended for emeritus status with the university, officials said. They may return to teach specific courses in the future, they said.
Corcoran Director Sanjit Sethi announced the cutbacks in a letter sent to students Monday. At the same time, he announced that Mel Chin will be the inaugural William Wilson Corcoran Visiting Professor of Community Engagement, a new position funded by the Trustees of the Corcoran. Chin will spend the 2016-17 year teaching and working with “Corcoran students and faculty to design and execute a project that engages the Washington, D.C., community,” according to the university website.
Sethi said he wanted to update students about the school’s plan, especially since many have expressed concern about its future. “I am working to create a dynamic school that involves creativity and community engagement and having this visiting professorship is something I’m enthusiastic about,” said Sethi, who became the school’s director in October.
The court-approved breakup of the Corcoran called for the National Gallery of Art to take custody of the 17,000-piece collection in the fall of 2014. Since then it has added 8,301 works to its permanent collection. The remaining 8,000 pieces are supposed to be distributed to other nonprofits, with priority given to those located in the District.
The deal gave George Washington control of the school, the Flagg-designed building near the White House and a Georgetown building that it sold last year. The Flagg building will be closed until September for the first phase of a three-year renovation, university officials announced last week.