Marymount California University (MCU) has announced a merger with Saint Leo University (SLU), a private Catholic college in Florida.
MCU President Brian Marcotte has agreed to integrate the 53-year-old institution into SLU after the board of trustees approved the proposal, taking on the SLU name under the merger.
According to Marcotte, merging with SLU will allow for “even greater ways” to fulfill its mission of bringing students the best campus experience. He explained that the merger would offer more academic programs, facilities, internships, and student-centered activities.
“Our students will still be able to enjoy all the benefits of our beautiful campus, residential villas, athletic programs and more, while having access to significantly more academic programs and new learning opportunities made possible by this partnership,” he said in a press release, adding that both MCU and SLU have a strong commitment to student success.
SLU President Jeffrey Senese believes that merging the two universities will benefit both institutions and their students. He said SLU is looking forward “to making an even more meaningful impact on Catholic higher education from coast to coast.”
Providing ‘Values-Based’ Education
SLU is one of the largest Catholic institutions in the US, offering more than 50 undergraduate programs to around 18,000 students.
MCU is a private liberal arts university in Rancho Palos Verdes, California.
Both SLU and MCU profess a commitment to helping students acquire skills for lifelong learning through “values-based education.”
SLU will have to seek approval from the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges to make the merger official. A plan to give new students at MCU an opportunity to consider additional degree programs is also in the works.