On January 13, 2026, President David C. Howse, the 10th president of California College of the Arts (CCA), announced that CCA has entered into an agreement with Vanderbilt University to acquire the school. Under this agreement, CCA will gradually wind down operations and close by the end of the 2026–27 academic year. Vanderbilt will also take ownership of CCA’s Oakland campus, though specific plans for the site have not yet been announced.
The California College of the Arts (CCA) Oakland campus, established in 1922 on the former Treadwell estate, became the school’s longtime hub for arts education, featuring historic buildings like Macky Hall and the Carriage House. Over the decades, the campus expanded its programs and facilities, serving generations of students and the wider Oakland community. Today, the site is vacant and slated for redevelopment, with landmark structures preserved as a reminder of CCA’s century-long impact on the city’s cultural and educational life.
Emerald Fund had previously secured approvals to redevelop CCA’s 4-acre Oakland campus, with plans for hundreds of homes, public open space, and some very low-income units. Construction hasn’t begun due to current market conditions. The firm has long supported a mixed-use vision that preserves historic buildings, but has not commented on Vanderbilt’s recent acquisition.
Why This Step Was Necessary
Declining enrollment and structural financial challenges made independent operations unsustainable, despite support from donors, trustees, and state funding. According to President Howse, Vanderbilt’s partnership offers a way to protect CCA’s mission and maintain a creative presence in Oakland for future generations.
Students on track to graduate by 2026–27 will be able to do so at CCA. For those who need additional time, the college is working with accredited institutions to provide transfer and completion pathways. This ensures studies continue without interruption. Updates on teach-out plans, academic guidance, and support services will be shared on the CCA Portal.
Vanderbilt may feel too academic for many student artists, however, in addition to pre-med and economics, Vanderbilt does offer formal academic programs in visual art, cinema/media, theater, art history, and music, plus lots of hands‑on opportunities for creative expression — both for majors and non‑majors.
Vanderbilt also plans to establish undergraduate and graduate programs, and operate a CCA Institute, including the Wattis Institute of Contemporary Arts, maintaining archives and fostering ongoing engagement with CCA’s alumni and the broader community.
Howse insists that the agreement is a decisive step to safeguard CCA’s legacy.
These efforts may honor CCA’s mission while ensuring a lasting impact in Oakland, although, for now, the future of the campus remains uncertain as Vanderbilt considers its next steps.
More details can be found online at: https://portal.cca.edu/transition/community.
