November 13, 2024
ERIE, Pa. (Nov. 13, 2024) – Gannon University in Erie, Pa., and Ursuline College in Pepper Pike, Ohio, have received a joint $100,000 grant from the Transformational Partnerships Fund.
Ursuline and Gannon announced in September they would enter a strategic partnership that would create the largest Catholic institution on Lake Erie. Both schools are now in due diligence phase of the process and expect to sign a definitive agreement in mid-December. The funds from this grant will be used to support the partnership.
“We have been very impressed with Ursuline President David King and Gannon President Walter Iwanenko, and with the deliberate, student-centric approach that Gannon University and Ursuline College are taking. We are delighted to support this partnership,” said John MacIntosh, managing partner of SeaChange Capital Partners, which manages the Transformational Partnerships Fund.
The Transformational Partnerships Fund supports colleges and universities interested in exploring partnerships that could fundamentally improve how they operate and serve students — especially students of color, students from low-income families, and other underserved populations. The fund makes grants that can be used to hire experts in law, finance, governance, human resources or other related fields. For more information about the Transformational Partnership Fund, see https://www.higheredpartnerships.org/.
“We are pleased to have received this funding,” Dr. King said. “This support will help us navigate this important stage of the process as we remain focused on the student experience and academic excellence.”
Dr. Iwanenko added, “We are thankful for the Transformational Partnerships Fund – for our endeavor and for their ongoing support of higher education.”
Once a definitive agreement is signed between the two institutions, it will require the approval of various accreditation boards. Full integration of the schools, which will take place over the next year, is expected to provide growth, enhanced programs, and more opportunities and resources for students on all three campuses. Gannon also has a campus in Ruskin, Fla.
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ABOUT URSULINE COLLEGE: Ursuline, which was founded in 1871, is a historically women’s college for all that educates male and female students for service, leadership, and professional excellence through an array of undergraduate, graduate and degree-completion programs in the liberal arts, nursing, and professional studies. At Ursuline, women-focused programs and a growing portfolio of graduate and degree-completion programs foster lifelong learning. The college is home
to the Breen School of Nursing and Health Professions, a National League of Nursing Center for Nursing Excellence, and offers 12 intercollegiate sports, including 11 competing at the NCAA Division II level.
ABOUT GANNON UNIVERSITY: Gannon, which will mark its 100th year in 2025, is a Catholic, diocesan university with campuses in Erie and Ruskin, Fla., that offers online and traditional associate, bachelor’s, master’s and doctoral programs to more than 4,500 academically talented and diverse students. Inspired by the Catholic Intellectual Tradition, the university offers a comprehensive, values-centered learning experience that emphasizes faith, leadership, inclusiveness and social responsibility. The university has 24 intercollegiate teams competing at the NCAA Division II level.
More information can be found at ursuline.edu and gannon.edu.
