Allyson Lund / Arizona Sonoran News

The University of Arizona on Nov. 20 stopped accepting new students into the studio art minor in a move that has left current art students feeling blindsided and concerned about the university’s academic priorities.

The School of Art says the program is not discontinued, but “paused” to address enrollment bottlenecks and ensure current majors and minors can graduate on time, according to Associate Director Gary Setzer.

“Our majors and minors that we currently have are having a lot of trouble getting classes,” Setzer said. “We want to respect the minors and majors we already have, and we want to serve them as best we can. So we’ve decided to pause on the minor for a while.”

Students already declared in the studio art minor will be able to complete their requirements, according to both advisors and faculty. New applicants will be unable to declare the minor until the pause is lifted.

The School of Art is currently reviewing the minor’s structure and exploring options to simplify requirements and expand flexibility for students, though no official changes or timeline have been announced, Setzer said.

The announcement reached students informally and inconsistently as some found out through advisors, while others heard through peers. Many said they learned of the change mid-semester without broader messaging from the school.

“I didn’t get an email. Maybe I did, couldn’t really tell you,” said senior psychology major and studio art minor Mackenzie Scully. “I was told by someone in my art class, and I don’t think it was really well known. If I was a freshman coming in expecting to do that, I don’t know if I would have known.”

Scully, who hopes to become an art therapist, said she chose the minor because of her passion for art and the flexibility it gave her. She said the decision may cut off opportunities for students who want to combine art with another field.

“It’s really impossible to double major in art and something else because the studio art classes are three hours long minimum,” Scully said. “For someone that wants to pursue art but also something else, it’s nearly impossible unless you want to do a fifth year.”

She described her reaction as “really sad” and “disappointed,” adding that although she will still be allowed to complete her minor, she worries about what future students will lose.

“It affects my spirits, my creativity, the outlet for other people,” Scully said. “I’m feeling bad that people will have fewer opportunities to explore the classes they would like and explore their passions.”

While some students assumed the pause reflected budget cuts or shifting financial priorities, Setzer said the change was not financially motivated.

“To my knowledge, we’re doing great,” Setzer said. “Discontinuing the minor is not a financial decision in any way. We only have so many seats and so many instructors. You think if there’s a need you could just continuously add more classes, but the university doesn’t work that way.”

Setzer emphasized that the School of Art, along with many other schools of the university, is still operating under instructional constraints shaped during the COVID-19 era, when course offerings were reduced. Despite increased interest in studio art, the school cannot expand classes without additional budget authorization.

“We’ve not been given the go for that,” he said. “But I feel very secure about the future of the School of Art.”

Setzer, who joined the UA in 2007, said the studio art minor has been created, dissolved, and reinstated multiple times in response to enrollment and capacity. Although the school cannot commit to an estimated timeline, he hopes the minor will return once staffing and course availability stabilize.

“I look forward to its return,” he said. “I think having the minor guarantees that you’ve got those other schools of thought coming through the system. It changes the nature of the classes and what can happen.”

Some Fine Arts students think the pause reflects what they view as a broader shift in university priorities toward colleges such as Eller. 

“I would say that there is a ton of favoritism,” Scully said. “I think a lot of people come to UofA for business school and the addition and some of the money they are given is not necessarily needed. It’s just a little extra.”

Scully added that she and many other students believe art programs already face challenges because “art is always the first to go versus business or finance,” especially in periods of financial scrutiny faced by the university as a whole. 

However, Setzer pushed back on the notion of instability.

“There’s no pending doom, and I feel very secure about the future of the School of Art and the College of Fine Arts," he said.

He said the value of arts programs extends far beyond financial metrics or worries of the student body. 

“Imagine a world without culture, without paintings, without music, without film,” Setzer said. “I really believe in art school. It’s a utopia of sorts, a wonderful soup. All the weirdos come here in the best way possible.”

Scully said she hopes the university recognizes the importance of creative opportunities on campus.

 “I’m thankful I got to do it,” she said. “I just hope that future students still have a way to explore art, because everyone deserves that.”

Arizona Sonoran News is a news service of the University of Arizona School of Journalism.

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