Students Thrive at Point Park Following Schools' Sudden Closures Tuesday, April 29, 2025

Last summer, two Pennsylvania higher education institutions abruptly closed their doors, leaving thousands of students stranded.

On Friday, June 7, Philadelphia’s University of the Arts (UArts) filed for bankruptcy and announced its closure. Point Park administration immediately leapt into action, meeting over the weekend in order to put together a transfer package for affected students.

Marlin Collingwood, vice president of enrollment management, led the effort.

“The news broke on Friday night, and by 7 a.m. the next morning, I had an email from a parent saying, ‘Can you please help us?’” Collingwood recalls. “By Tuesday, we were ready to launch this effort to say, ‘We’ve got your back.’”

The transfer offer included automatic acceptance and free housing for one semester. As a further help to the impacted students, Point Park guaranteed the students would pay no more in tuition and fees than they were paying at UArts. The student accounts office also worked individually with UArts students who had already paid their tuition to help them figure out the finances on a case-by-case basis.

“We wanted to take some of the stress out of it for them,” Collingwood said. “These students and families were blindsided. They had no idea this was coming.”

Meanwhile, Point Park worked with UArts to establish a teach-out agreement — a contract between schools that will allow a student to finish their program of study at another school. Finally, Point Park created five special visit days for UArts students over the summer to see the campus in person. Ultimately, 32 students made the decision to transfer to Point Park.

In the midst of this, on June 10, Pittsburgh Technical College (PTC) in Oakdale also announced its immediate closure. Point Park was quickly approved as a teach-out school, and, in addition, agreed to house and maintain all of PTC’s records. From PTC, 14 students transferred as on-ground students, and another 22 will complete their degrees with Point Park online.

“It’s a great testament that we all worked together to try to make something that would work for these students,” Collingwood said.

Read on to hear from four of these students, who share their own stories about what it was like to make Point Park their home in the wake of their school’s closure.

Eddison Toby, dance major with a concentration in modern

Eddison Toby was preparing to move from Georgia to Philadelphia to begin his academic journey at the University of the Arts when he learned of its abrupt closure.

“In that moment, I broke down with devastation and an overwhelming feeling of disappointment and sadness,” Toby said. After a few days of brainstorming how he could continue on his college pathway, he remembered that one of his mentors was an alumna of Point Park University and began the transfer process.

Though he would sometimes wonder what it would have been like if he’d been able to go to UArts, his transfer experience to Point Park has been smooth. “It all depends on how you navigate the new school and how much you apply yourself and put yourself out there,” he said.

Toby describes himself as a social person, so finding community has been an important part of his settling in at Point Park. He offers this advice to students in a similar situation: “It will be scary at first, but everyone’s path is different. Find people to uplift you and show you that you’re meant to be wherever you are on your journey.”

Daniel Rice, animation major

Daniel Rice had already completed his first year of UArts when the news came. Like Toby, Rice describes the experience as “devastating.”

“Everything in my life at that time felt so uncertain,” he said. Having a path forward at Point Park put his mind at ease. “To finally land in a spot where I feel good and am back on track just means the world to me.”

Though Point Park is a teach-out school in animation, that doesn’t mean there haven’t been some bumps along the way. Some of Rice’s classes at UArts didn’t have equivalents at Point Park. But in those challenges, Rice saw Associate Professor and Director of Animation Program Jonathan Trueblood step in and settle the issue.

“I've found the support of my friends that I've met over these last two semesters, as well as the professors in the animation department who have recognized my talents and given me valuable experience and career advice,” Rice said.

“Overall, I feel as though I've been able to make a name for myself in the community and find a group of friends after feeling lost for so long.”

Brianne Cupp, multimedia major with a visual communication concentration

Brianne Cupp of Canonsburg had already completed an associate’s degree at PTC and was returning for her bachelor’s when the school closed. Learning that Point Park was offering automatic acceptance, she and her parents quickly “hopped on that wagon,” she said.

Cupp had intended to major in Information Technology at PTC, but at Point Park, she shifted to a multimedia degree, which she describes as “a blessing in disguise.”

“The media classes allowed me to learn more than what I learned in technology classes,” Cupp said.

For Cupp, the entire experience has been a blessing in disguise: “My experience here at Point Park as a transfer student has been the best. I have been given more opportunities here than I could have imagined, and I am taking advantage of all of them. I have been introduced to many different clubs and activities. I am now in two clubs and one student advisory board for the School of Communication. Being a member of these clubs has given me more connections and lasting friendships.”

Like Rice, Cupp has experienced both a strong peer community as well as support from her professors and adviser.

“They have made this transition to Point Park very easy for me,” Cupp said of her professors and adviser. “They are very approachable, and I can't thank them enough for all they do for me.” 

Jeffrey Hoak, graphic and interactive design major

Jeffrey Hoak of Latrobe felt adrift when PTC announced its closure. “The school’s sudden shutdown and cancellation of ongoing classes put me in a difficult situation as I tried to figure out my life and whether the education I wanted would actually happen. Luckily enough, Point Park came to my rescue, offering me many ways to be able to get my education and still have a lot of what I did at PTC transfer over.”

Hoak said the ability to keep his original major, graphic and interactive design, was a huge factor in deciding to enroll at Point Park.

Like the other students, he finds the professors at Point Park to be exceptionally supportive. “I have encountered some of the best professors, who are always willing to help at any time,” Hoak said.

Last week, these and all the students who landed at Point Park after their school’s closure wrapped up their first year. Eleven months ago, the plans for their lives were upended, and the future was uncertain. But these four ended the year with a lot of optimism.

Hoak says it best: “Overall, my first year at Point Park has been a good experience, from being in the bustling Downtown of this beautiful city, the overwhelming support from the staff, and the wonderful education. I would recommend this school to anyone interested in continuing their education.”

More About: graphic design, transfer, dance, modern, multimedia, animation, Downtown Pittsburgh