Facing financial troubles, Vermont-based Marlboro College has announced a merger with the University of Bridgeport in Connecticut, the school said in a release.
On Thursday, the administrators from both institutions announced the merger to deepen connections between professional programs and the liberal arts.
Over the years, the college has been witnessing a decline in student enrollment prompting its Board of Trustees to consider an alternative to closure and a way to financially secure the school’s future. In the past few months, the college was coordinating with dozens of potential partners after a Request for Partnership Vision was sent to more than 70 colleges and universities.
In light of yesterday's news, here is a broader perspective on Marlboro's planned merger. Your continued support of this distinctive college means everything. https://t.co/yHWBYqBctK pic.twitter.com/4JDMJjjT2e
— MarlboroCollege (@MarlboroCollege) July 26, 2019
“This partnership of two mission-driven schools embodies a remarkable complementarity, joining UB’s strengths in engineering and the health sciences with Marlboro’s strengths in the arts and sciences and self-directed learning,” said Kevin Quigley, president of Marlboro College.
The University of Bridgeport offers various bachelors, masters, Ph.D. and Ed.D. programs within its three colleges.
After the merger, the university will rename the College of Health Sciences, the College of Engineering, Business, and Education, and the College of Arts and Sciences, to the Marlboro College of Arts and Sciences and retain its faculty, students, and campus.
“At a time of hyper-competition and swift change in higher education, our two unique institutions are demonstrating a new paradigm for colleges and universities of the future,” said university president Laura Skandera Trombley.
“In strategically combining the shared values, strengths, and resources of the University of Bridgeport and Marlboro College, we are proactively ensuring an extraordinarily enriched academic experience for current and future generations of students.”
Lately, many colleges and universities across the nation have either closed or are currently on the verge of closure due to a steep decline in enrollments and weak finances. Earlier this month, Midstate College announced its closure due to declining enrollment over the years.
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