Northeastern University announces merger with New York’s Marymount Manhattan College

Schools

Northeastern will gain a satellite campus on the Upper East Side following its merger with Marymount, a small liberal arts school known for its performing arts programs.

In this Jan. 31, 2019 file photo, pedestrians walk near a Northeastern University sign on the school’s campus in Boston. AP Photo/Rodrique Ngowi, File

Start spreading the news — Northeastern University is heading to New York, New York.

The Boston-based university has entered into an agreement to merge with Marymount Manhattan College, a small liberal arts college on New York City’s Upper East Side, school officials announced Wednesday. Marymount will join Northeastern’s global network of 13 campuses as “Northeastern University – New York City.”

“As always, our guiding principles for building the Global University System remain,” Northeastern President Joseph E. Aoun wrote in a letter to the university community. “Enhanced mobility for undergraduates; industry-aligned lifelong learning opportunities; and unparalleled opportunities for faculty to globalize their teaching and research.”

By continuing to expand its global footprint, Northeastern is “differentiating ourselves at a time of great uncertainty in higher education,” he added.

Aoun cited “a very strong demand for lifelong learning in New York,” noting that the city is rich in educated professionals “seeking opportunities to reskill and upskill themselves to meet the employment opportunities of tomorrow.”

Marymount’s enrollment currently hovers around 1,400 undergraduates. According to Aoun, Marymount students will transition into Northeastern programs at no additional cost once the merger goes through. While the governing boards at Northeastern and Marymount have approved the merger, state and federal regulatory approval is pending, he added.

On a webpage dedicated to the finer points of the merger, Marymount cited the significant enrollment and financial challenges facing small, private liberal arts colleges throughout the country.

“Recognizing the significant headwinds facing small liberal arts colleges, MMC’s Board decided to pursue this path to ensure the continuation of MMC’s student-centered approach to education for generations to come,” Abby Fiorella, chair of Marymount’s Board of Trustees, said in a statement.

Northeastern will assume all of Marymount’s assets and liabilities, in addition to offering the college’s full-time faculty one-year contracts with the option to be considered for tenured, tenure-track, and non-tenure-track positions, according to Marymount.

Peter Naccarato, the college’s interim president, described Marymount and Northeastern as “natural partners.”

“The institutions reflect each other in many ways, including how we foster meaningful engagements with our communities and create opportunities for our students to take advantage of the resources of world-class cities to find an edge in career and life,” Naccarato said in a statement.