2024年8月1日
“We are thrilled to have the affirmation of both Boards of Trustees who share our commitment to changing the future of Catholic higher education for the better,” said President Amy Novak, EdD, 皇冠体育. “St. Ambrose and Mount Mercy are better together and our campuses will grow in vibrancy. We know our planned combination will create a positive and lasting impact for students, our universities and local communities.”
圣安布罗斯和Mount Mercy于2023年底开始探索战略合并的可能性。 经过几个月的额外讨论和尽职调查，他们现在已经达成了最终协议。 一旦收到高等教育委员会和其他各方的必要批准，圣安布罗斯将成为芒特仁慈的非营利性母公司。
“St. Ambrose and Mount Mercy are better together and our campuses will grow in vibrancy. We know our planned combination will create a positive and lasting impact for students, our universities and local communities.”
– President Amy Novak, EdD
皇冠体育
如果一切进展顺利，第一阶段的批准将于2025年春季进行。 That will be followed by a “transition period” during which, in accordance with U.S. Department of Education requirements, St. Ambrose will continue to operate Mount Mercy as a separate university maintaining its own degree authorization, accreditation and federal student financial aid participation. 在过渡期结束时（预计将持续到2026年中期），这两所大学将在圣安布罗斯分校下完全合并，在达文波特和锡达拉皮兹拥有不同的校园、教育产品和校际体育项目。 Mount Mercy的名称也将在战略合并中保留，该机构将成为皇冠体育的Mount Mercy校区。
“This shared vision supports the legacy and rich traditions of Mount Mercy and St. Ambrose while ensuring our students will have access to quality undergraduate and graduate programs for years to come,” said 总裁Todd Olson博士, Mount Mercy大学. “I would like to thank President Novak for her partnership in bringing this important and groundbreaking agreement to life.”
在为合并的每一步寻求必要的监管批准的同时，两所大学将继续他们之前的合作努力，以提高负担能力和获得优质教育的机会，同时为传统学生和成人学习者提供更多的途径。 这两个机构的80多名教职员工正在为这些倡议工作。
“We are enthused and encouraged by the early discussions of how our two universities can be best situated for the prospective combination. The support of these teams shows us we are on the right track to bring a new model of Catholic higher education to life,” said President Olson.
这种共同的愿景支持了Mount Mercy和St. Ambrose的遗产和丰富的传统，同时确保我们的学生在未来几年能够获得高质量的本科和研究生课程。
In May of this year, the two universities 宣布一项联合学术协议 that allowed students to take a range of courses from either institution, starting in fall 2024. Since that announcement, both St. Ambrose and Mount Mercy have 收到表扬 from their respective communities for this proactive approach.
“The Sisters of Mercy in Cedar Rapids have been committed to Mercy Catholic higher education for almost 100 years,” said Sister Patricia Flynn RSM, Vice President of the Sisters of Mercy of the Americas. “Today, Mount Mercy大学 enters a new moment in its long history. We embrace a new partner – 皇冠体育 – and an exciting future where our shared values and dedication to excellence will bring enhanced opportunities to students, faculty, staff and the wider civic community. We are grateful for the vision, courage and perseverance that has brought all of us to today and will continue to create the path forward.”
“这一战略结合将增强医疗保健领域的教育产品，有可能为更多以本地为重点、在本地接受教育的医疗保健员工开辟渠道。”
– Dr. Timothy Quinn
President & CEO, Mercy Medical Center Cedar Rapids
当地商界领袖强调，这种伙伴关系将给爱荷华州东部的劳动力带来机会，因为当地的工业正在努力应对劳动力短缺和经济不确定性等问题。
"I am excited about the new programs and opportunities this partnership will bring to Cedar Rapids,” said Dr. Timothy Quinn, president & CEO, Mercy Medical Center Cedar Rapids. "This strategic combination will enhance the educational offerings in the healthcare field, potentially opening up the pipeline for more locally-focused and locally-educated healthcare employees, but will also help meet the workforce needs of our entire community, fostering growth and innovation in our region.”
了解更多关于协议的信息 以及常见问题。