Ursuline College, a private school in Pepper Pike, announced a new partnership Monday with Gannon University in Erie, Pennsylvania that could result in the merger of the two schools.
The two religious higher education institutions said in a joint press release that the partnership is pending due diligence from both sides but, when all's said and done, could result in a single institution with 6,000 students, 1300 employees and campuses in Ohio, Pennsylvania and Florida, where Gannon has a campus. The move would make the combined schools the "largest Catholic university system in the region."
The news comes as small colleges and universities across the country are closing or facing the prospect of down-sizing significantly as enrollment has trended downward over the last decade or more. In Northeast Ohio, Notre Dame College in South Euclid closed its doors this spring.
“The landscape in higher education, particularly private liberal arts schools, is changing rapidly. Our leadership has taken a proactive approach to embark on a new path that educates our students for generations to come and preserves our traditions and mission,” Ursuline President David King said in the press release.
The release noted Ursuline - which was founded in 1871 - had been looking to "partner" with a larger institution, while Gannon had been looking to expand; the Ursuline Sisters of Cleveland, which sponsors the college, also wanted to find a partner who would "preserve their legacy as the number of Sisters has declined," the release explains.
“We believe this is the best way to extend the life of the college and continue Ursuline’s legacy so that it can continue to educate students in the Catholic tradition, as it has done for more than 150 years,” said Sister Laura Bregar, president of the Ursuline Sisters of Cleveland.
The process of merging the institutions could take between a year and a year and a half, the release explains. It explains there will be "no immediate impact on programs, courses or athletic teams, tuition or scholarships," or employment and pay, at Ursuline.
While Ursuline College was founded as a women's college, it currently accepts women and men. Still, the merger won't change its stated focus of educating "women and underserved/under-resourced students," an FAQ about the merger on the Ursuline College website explains.
The college had about 950 students in fall 2023, down about 120 students from 2019, according to annual Institute of Education Sciences data. The FAQ hints that a merger was likely necessary to keep the college open.
"Welcoming students from nearby Notre Dame College showed Ursuline College the stress students experienced when their school closed," the FAQ reads. "Ursuline College leadership has never seen closure as an option. We proactively sought a mutually beneficial partnership that preserves our traditions, enhances our students’ experiences, and offers expanded opportunities."
