Roosevelt University Faculty and Administration,

The Acting class of 2023 has concerns about moving forward while the COVID-19 pandemic continues to affect our learning environment. 

After recent town hall meetings and discussions with faculty, we understand that the majority of our classes will be moved online for the fall semester (Gen-Ed: online and F2F, Theatre Acting: remote, Theatre Academic: some remote, some possibly F2F, Theatre Choral/ensemble Singing: remote). While we understand the necessity for online learning and flexibility in these unprecedented times, we are forced to take issue with certain aspects of the “plan.”

I: All of the classes in our conservatory curriculum have the option of being taken online. If the few classes that have a possibility of meeting face-to-face end up that way with no online alternative, we will be forced to pay for housing in Chicago on top of our already steep tuition. It is simply not realistic to expect students to take out a lease on a room we’ll only use to attend online classes. 

A: If the majority of our classes can be taken online, we request that they all be adapted. It is more beneficial to us as students to learn from our homes and have the opportunity to find work and make money for the coming year as opposed to losing money on Chicago real estate. 

B: With the elimination of the two-year on-campus housing contract, there is little benefit to the university in forcing students to find Chicago housing. As the majority of apartments in Chicago are actually less expensive per month than student housing, many returning students will not live on campus.

II: With the past semester of online learning, we noticed (by no fault of the faculty) a decrease in the quality of our education. It is impossible to receive proper performing arts instruction on an online platform. It is a discipline that demands human contact, and we, as a class, understand that COVID-19 has made that impossible. 

A: As our major is not conducive to online learning, we cannot justify the $25,000 tuition per semester. Many of us have lost jobs due to the pandemic. Our parents have had to cut their hours. We understand that the university is feeling the financial strain of the past months, but so are we. The tuition we paid last year was for in-person instruction, and we cannot be expected to continue to pay such a steep price for half the education. 

B: As earning an online acting degree is not realistic, few online acting BFA programs exist, but the tuition of online programs that offer a BFA are generally much lower what we pay at CCPA (Acadamy of Art University: $13,073.50 per semester, SCAD: $18,787.50 per semester). We request that a decrease be made in tuition as long as online learning persists. 

C: We request that there be a public breakdown of what our tuition money is put towards. More transparency is necessary for cooperation. 

D: There is a history in the structure of all BFA programs, Roosevelt included, that excludes POC from being able to apply, audition, or be admitted. Fees for applications, auditions, and travel are steep, and due to even deeper systemic racism in the country, many POC cannot afford them. The current tuition rates do not allow many students, especially POC, to graduate. This, in turn, influences what the theatre industry looks like as a whole, and it discourages diversity on stage. After seeing the incoming freshmen class, we are disheartened to see that little has changed at Roosevelt. Theatre training needs to be more accessible, and this can start at CCPA.

This class is devoted to CCPA, and we desperately want to continue our education here. While we cannot speak for our peers in the Musical Theatre and Dance Concentration majors, we expect their support. This past semester (and those in the foreseeable future) have not gone according to plan for any of us, faculty included, and you have asked us to be flexible. Now, we are asking the same of you. If these requests are not met, many of us will not be returning to CCPA in the fall. This is not a threat; it is a sad reality. We hope that things will only get brighter from here, but we must be realistic. 

Sincerely,

CCPA Acting Class, 2023

P.S. We need this message to be received by the correct administration. We understand that there are a lot of factors that must come together to make a change. If this doesn’t end up in the right place, we’re asking for your assistance in getting it there. Thank you.