Concordia College New York Announces Closure

 The Board of Regents of Concordia College New York posted an announcement this morning that the institution will close this fall.

A joint statement with Iona College is also posted indicating that  Iona will acquire Concordia’s Bronxville campus and provide continued education for Concordia’s students through a teach-out plan, enabling most students to continue their degrees to completion at Iona. 

In the joint statement Iona says that it plans to "...utilize the Concordia campus to develop a leading school of health sciences, furthering Iona’s strategic investments in the field, and continuing Concordia’s legacy of excellence in health sciences education."

Concordia College New York traces its founding to 1881 when classes started in St. Matthew's Lutheran Church New York City. The institution's first location was in Hawthorne, NY before land was purchased for present site in Bronxville, NY. Concordia is affiliated with the Lutheran Church-Missouri Synod.

If you are interested in recent trends for closures, mergers, and acquisitions access College Closures since 2009 in the index at the right of any College History Garden page. There are separate tabs for non-profit closures, for-profit closures, and one for mergers and acquisitions. Each tab includes basic information for the institutions, i.e., Carnegie Classification, sector, accrediting agency, and the IPEDS unitid.

NPR and Planet Money Highlight College Mergers and Acquisitions

NPR & Planet Money offer a relatively short podcast episode posted January 25, 2021, "The College Buyout Boom," highlighting a number of recent mergers or acquisitions.  The segment explores some of the key forces driving these changes and features an interview with a senior student at Mount Ida College reflecting on her surprise when she received the news.

You can read more about the closure of Mount Ida that was announced in early 2018 via an earlier College History Garden post, "Mount Ida College Trustees Announce Closure."

If you are interested in recent trends for closures, mergers, and acquisitions access College Closures since 2009 in the index at the right of any College History Garden page. There are separate tabs for non-profit closures, for-profit closures, and one for mergers and acquisitions. Each tab includes basic information for the institutions, i.e., Carnegie Classification, sector, accrediting agency, and the IPEDS unitid.

Virginia Business College Set to Open on Campus of former Virginia Intermont College

 

Virginia Business College is a new nonprofit higher education institution that will begin offering classes in February. VBC is located on the campus of the former Virginia Intermont College in Bristol, VA. 

You can read more in "Virginia Business College receives state’s approval" by David McGee and published by the Bristol Herald Courier on January 22, 2021. 

It is interesting to note that McGee provided extensive coverage of Virginia Intermont's struggle and ultimate closure during 2014. He was recognized by his peers with a first-place award from the Tennessee Press Association in the Best Education Reporting in 2015. An earlier College History Garden post provides more information on the award and links to a number of McGee's articles, "Reporter Receives Award for Reporting on Closure of Virginia Intermont College."

Beal College Announces Name Change to Beal University

Beal College in Bangor, Maine announced that it is now Beal University.

The institution was founded as Bangor Business School in 1891 by Mary E. Beal. There have been a number of name changes as it became Beal’s School of Shorthand and Typing in 1903, Beal College of Commerce in 1922, Beal College School of Business in 1929, and then, Beal Business College.

Visit the History of Beal College page for more information, including a timeline with key dates in the institution's history.

Individuals can also consult the Index of Colleges and Universities that have Closed, Merged, or Changed Names to see more information on institutions that have closed or changed names. There are separate pages for each of the states and the District of Columbia.

Middlesex County College Announces Name Change

Middlesex County College in Edison, NJ changed its name to Middlesex College in January 2021. The institution was founded in 1964 and reports recent enrollment of 10,885.

Individuals can consult Index of Colleges and Universities that have Closed, Merged, or Changed Names see more information on institutions that have closed or changed names. There are separate pages for each of the states and the District of Columbia.

Special Digital Exhibits at the University of North Texas

The University of North Texas Libraries offers a digital exhibit, "UNT: The First 50 Years," that offers photos and explanatory text on the origins of the institution as a Teachers College, Academics, Athletics, Traditions, Student Life, Campus Buildings, and Student Publications. The exhibit was created by Special Collections faculty and students.

The University Archive pages also offer access to a rich array of resources including a compilation of blog posts, "125 Year Archival Retrospective," that explore institutional history through memorable people, events and traditions spanning from 1890 to the current day. Each post includes historical photographs, documents and memorabilia from the Archive.

Faith Baptist Bible College Celebrates Centennial

Faith Baptist Bible College & Theological Seminary is celebrating the centennial of its founding this year. 

The centennial web page includes planned events, a timeline, names of presidents, and several historic photographs.

The institution was founded as Omaha Bible Institute in 1921 and is now located in Ankeny, Iowa.

Omaha Bible Institute changed its name to Omaha Baptist Bible Institute in 1953 and was affiliated with the General Association of Regular Baptist Churches. 

The institution changed its name to Omaha Baptist Bible College in 1960 and moved to Ankeny in 1967 as Faith Baptist Bible College.