Dive Transient:
- Lewis College, a Catholic establishment in Illinois, will take over St. Augustine Faculty, one other non-public nonprofit establishment within the state, the universities introduced Tuesday.
- The establishments’ respective governing boards unanimously accepted the deal, which remains to be topic to state, federal and accreditor approvals. St. Augustine officers stated they count on the merger to formally wrap up by the tip of this yr and that the 2 establishments will function below the Lewis identify by spring 2024.
- Each schools stated college students ought to see no disruption whereas they watch for the regulatory inexperienced gentle.
Dive Perception:
The universities forged the merger as a means for Lewis — which at 6,500 college students is the eighth largest non-public nonprofit faculty in Illinois — to achieve extra bilingual learners and Hispanic college students within the higher Chicago space, the place St. Augustine relies.
St. Augustine, based in 1980, was the primary bilingual greater schooling establishment within the Midwest.
Nevertheless, like many small non-public nonprofits lately, it has suffered continuous enrollment declines, dropping from greater than 1,500 college students in fall 2010 to about 730 in fall 2021, in accordance with the most recent accessible federal information.
A number of different small schools introduced within the final couple of months they’ll both shut or merge, usually citing challenges recruiting college students and managing pandemic-induced monetary stress.
In comparison with St. Augustine, Lewis is a bigger establishment. It was based in 1932 as Holy Title Technical Faculty, an completely male establishment that opened with 15 college students.
Not till the Sixties did Lewis begin shifting into the Lasallian custom. Lasallian establishments are affiliated with the De La Salle Brothers, a Roman Catholic spiritual educating order.
Lewis additionally skilled fast progress, reaching 2,000 college students by 1970. Round this time, the college thought-about a merger with what was then the Faculty of St. Francis, one other Illinois establishment now often known as the College of St. Francis.
Now Lewis is the one increasing with its acquisition of the St. Augustine campus. Lewis has three different campuses, together with one in New Mexico.
“Our two establishments are well-matched in mission and values,” David Livingston, Lewis College’s president, stated in a press release. “We fill a singular area of interest inside greater schooling, serving college students from all walks of life with inexpensive packages that ship a liberal arts core and an emphasis on profession and workforce preparation.”
Of their statements on the merger, each establishments drew consideration to Chicago’s fast-growing Hispanic and Latino inhabitants. Latino individuals will comprise greater than 30% of the area’s inhabitants by 2040, in accordance with the Chicago authorities.
“And but solely about 30 p.c of Hispanic adults in Illinois have a school credential,” St. Augustine officers stated. “By equipping our college students for fulfillment in immediately’s market, we could be essential in constructing an equitable, economically thriving Chicagoland.”
