By DAVID DUPONT
BG Independent News
Bowling Green State University will not pursue taking over ownership of Mercy College of Ohio.
Instead the university is taking a new tack to build an alliance with the health science college.
In a letter Friday afternoon, BGSU President Rodney Rogers stated: “We have identified a more effective path forward with Mercy College remaining in operation. Because of this, we will not complete the transfer of operations at this time.”
In September, officials at BGSU, Mercy College, and Mercy Health announced plans for the operations of Mercy College to be transferred from Mercy Health to BGSU.
That transfer was due to occur this summer.
In his letter, Rogers states that the university has been working through a complicated process of realizing that plan. “Through our due diligence, we have been working on complex transitions, along with regional political concerns.”
While the ownership was to have transferred in summer, officials expected the actual merging of the two operations to take as long as another three years.
Changes made by Higher Learning Commission presented new possibilities of moving ahead with an alliance that would not require the transfer of operations to BGSU. Instead Mercy College would continue to remain as part of Mercy Health.
That strategic alliance, the statement explained, would:
· Provide the clinical pathway for future BGSU nursing students
· Offer concurrent enrollment at BGSU and Mercy College
· Offer dual degrees
· Develop new, joint health care programs that are in high demand
· Share resources, such as learning management software and data-driven student retention tools
· Expand professional development options for faculty and staff
· Expand student life opportunities at BGSU for Mercy students
The letter also states that Mercy and BGSU are committed to exploring the construction of a joint facility somewhere between the two campuses.
“It’s our shared goal to build upon the strengths of our organizations to better meet the educational needs of our students and the growing workforce demand for health care professionals in Ohio and across the nation,” Rogers wrote.
The Mercy College acquisition came about in the wake of the end of a consortium arrangement with the University of Toledo. Both BGSU and UT saw the need to increase the number of nurses they graduated, and that was not possible within the consortium.
By taking over operations of Mercy College, BGSU was looking forward dramatically increase the number of nursing students.
Rogers concluded: “We are confident this strategic alliance will help us accomplish our goals of providing outstanding academic health care programs to prepare our students to create public good.”
Rogers’ letter follows:
Dear Faculty and Staff,
I want to update you on our progress in developing a closer relationship with Mercy Health and Mercy College of Ohio. It’s our shared goal to build upon the strengths of our organizations to better meet the educational needs of our students and the growing workforce demand for health care professionals in Ohio and across the nation.
Our original effort focused on transferring the ownership of Mercy College to Bowling Green State University this summer. Through our due diligence, we have been working on complex transitions, along with regional political concerns. Additionally, recent changes from the Higher Learning Commission allowed us to broaden our discussions and explore new opportunities to build upon our relationship. We have identified a more effective path forward with Mercy College remaining in operation. Because of this, we will not complete the transfer of operations at this time.
We are finalizing a strategic alliance that will:
· Provide the clinical pathway for future BGSU nursing students
· Offer concurrent enrollment at BGSU and Mercy College
· Offer dual degrees
· Develop new, joint health care programs that are in high demand
· Share resources, such as learning management software and data-driven student retention tools
· Expand professional development options for faculty and staff
· Expand student life opportunities at BGSU for Mercy students
We are excited about the opportunities ahead. This approach reduces operational complexities and allows us to focus our efforts, energy and resources on preparing our students through quality academic programs.
To best position our students for success, BGSU and Mercy Health have committed to exploring the co-development of facilities for education in the health sciences at a location between our campuses.
We are confident this strategic alliance will help us accomplish our goals of providing outstanding academic health care programs to prepare our students to create public good. I will continue to update you on our progress.
Regards,
Rodney K. Rogers, Ph.D.
President
