Dive Transient:
- Gannon College and Ursuline Faculty have inked a definitive settlement to merge by Dec. 15, 2026, the universities introduced Thursday.
- Each establishments’ boards of trustees authorized the deal final month after signing a letter of intent within the fall. The merger of the 2 Catholic faculties might be topic to regulatory sign-offs, and the events anticipate to obtain accreditor approval in June.
- After an 18-month transition interval, Ursuline might be renamed the “Ursuline Faculty Campus of Gannon College.” The smaller establishment will function beneath Gannon however preserve its personal distinct educational applications, athletics and services.
Dive Perception:
The Pennsylvania-based Gannon and Ohio-based Ursuline — positioned about 95 miles aside — stated their mixture would create “the biggest Catholic system of upper training alongside Lake Erie.”
The 2 have been in merger talks since final spring. In September, they introduced their letter of intent to mix beneath the Gannon identify. On the time, they stated the ensuing larger training system would have 6,000 college students and 1,300 staff.
By then, the due diligence course of to vet the mixture had began. In keeping with the Jan. 2 announcement, a “vital quantity” of due diligence has since been accomplished — sufficient that “each establishments are assured within the path ahead.”
Merging with Ursuline, a liberal arts-focused faculty, would increase Gannon’s educational portfolio, which incorporates engineering, enterprise, well being professions and training, officers stated in September.
Staff from Gannon and Ursuline have established 13 integration groups and are working to “decide one of the best methods to mix the strengths of each establishments.” Their focus consists of collaborating round areas corresponding to know-how and lecturers, based on institutional management.
“We consider you will need to retain the college’s identification at the same time as we transfer — collectively — in a brand new path,” Gannon President Walter Iwanenko stated Tuesday in a press release. “Ursuline’s legacy will proceed, simply as Gannon’s legacy will proceed. The aim is to protect and strengthen our establishments to construct a greater future for each.”
Gannon is by far the bigger establishment, with 4,548 college students in fall 2023 — up 6% from 5 years in the past — in comparison with Ursuline’s 923, based on federal knowledge.
Ursuline President David King, who joined final summer time from Jap College, stated within the Jan. 2 launch that his establishment had choices for its future path due to its strengths. Whereas its enrollment has declined lately, Ursuline nonetheless managed to e book a small funds surplus within the fiscal 12 months ending June 2023 — not like many different establishments which have sought working companions.
“We selected this pathway as a result of it preserves our mission and can provide new and expanded alternatives for our college students,” King stated. “There’s a deep reservoir of alignment between our two establishments that’s exceptional.”
The announcement famous that Ursuline college students wouldn’t see any change in tuition, monetary support and scholarships or in educational and athletic applications.
