Dive Temporary:
- Gannon College and Ursuline School have inked a definitive agreement to merge by Dec. 15, 2026, the universities introduced Thursday.
- Each establishments’ boards of trustees authorised the deal final month after signing a letter of intent within the fall. The merger of the 2 Catholic faculties will likely be topic to regulatory sign-offs, and the events count on to obtain accreditor approval in June.
- After an 18-month transition interval, Ursuline will likely be renamed the “Ursuline School Campus of Gannon College.” The smaller establishment will function beneath Gannon however preserve its personal distinct tutorial packages, athletics and amenities.
Dive Perception:
The Pennsylvania-based Gannon and Ohio-based Ursuline — positioned about 95 miles aside — stated their mixture would create “the most important Catholic system of upper schooling alongside Lake Erie.”
The 2 have been in merger talks since final spring. In September, they announced their letter of intent to mix beneath the Gannon identify. On the time, they stated the ensuing larger schooling 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 response to the Jan. 2 announcement, a “important 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 develop Gannon’s tutorial portfolio, which incorporates engineering, enterprise, well being professions and schooling, officers stated in September.
Workers from Gannon and Ursuline have established 13 integration groups and are working to “decide the perfect methods to mix the strengths of each establishments.” Their focus contains collaborating round areas resembling expertise and teachers, based on institutional management.
“We consider it is very important retain the college’s identification at the same time as we transfer — collectively — in a brand new route,” Gannon President Walter Iwanenko stated Tuesday in a press release. “Ursuline’s legacy will proceed, simply as Gannon’s legacy will proceed. The purpose 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 because of its strengths. Whereas its enrollment has declined in recent times, Ursuline nonetheless managed to guide a small finances surplus within the fiscal yr ending June 2023 — in contrast to 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 outstanding.”
The announcement famous that Ursuline college students wouldn’t see any change in tuition, monetary help and scholarships or in tutorial and athletic packages.
