Ursuline College, a historically women’s college in Pepper Pike, Ohio, and Gannon University in Erie, Pennsylvania, have signed a letter of intent to enter a strategic partnership, ultimately combining into one institution.
“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,” said David King, president of Ursuline College.
Gannon University currently has campuses in Erie, Pennsylvania, and Ruskin, Florida. Once the merger is completed, the new institution will enroll about 6,000 students and employ 1,300 staff and faculty across its three campuses in Ohio, Pennsylvania, and Florida. Both Ursuline and Gannon have stated there will be no immediate impact on academic programs, athletic teams, tuition, scholarships, or staff and faculty employment as the merger is finalized.
Currently, Ursuline College is sponsored by the Ursuline Sisters of Cleveland, who will need to approve the agreement before the strategic partnership is fully executed. Like Ursuline, Gannon University is a Catholic institution, and representatives from the Ursuline Sisters of Cleveland have expressed support in aligning the two schools due to their shared missions.
The next step in the Ursuline-Gannon merger is a due diligence phase in which both schools with gather information for a definitive agreement that can be presented to several regulatory boards and accreditors for final approval. At the same time, representatives from both schools will work to identify the best way to combine their operations. According to Ursuline College, the process could take up to 18 months.
“This is an important moment for both of our institutions,” said Walter Iwanenko Jr., president of Gannon University. “Today, we are joining our stories. One will not erase the other. Instead, together, we will begin crafting the next version of ourselves.”