Home / Inside Ursuline / Strategic Partnership / FAQs
Added July 1, 2025
What does Change of Control mean?
The Higher Learning Commission鈥檚 (HLC) approval of a merger is considered a Change of Control or a change in the structure and governance of an organization. As it pertains to 快播成人网 and Gannon University, this step in the merger process means Gannon University has replaced the Ursuline Sisters of Cleveland as the sole member of 快播成人网 Corporation. As a result, 快播成人网 is now sponsored by the Catholic Diocese of Erie.
A new nine-member transitional board has replaced Ursuline鈥檚 previous board of trustees and will oversee the College until the official merger in December 2026.
快播成人网 Board of Trustees
路 Teri Herrmann Corletzi, UC鈥�90, Board Chair, COR Capital
路 Sister Laura Bregar, OSU, UC鈥�81, MA鈥�99, President, Ursuline Sisters of Cleveland
路 Ernest J. DiSantis Jr., JD, GU鈥�70, President Judge, retired, Erie County Court of Common Pleas
路 William R. Edmondson, Vice President of Enrollment, retired, Gannon University
路 Sarah Ewing, PhD, Provost and Vice President for Student Experience, Gannon University
路 Walter Iwanenko, Jr., PhD, President, Gannon University
路 Jennifer Lundy, EdD, Vice President for Finance and Campus Operations, Gannon University
路 Cynthia Moore-Hardy, FACHE, Retired President & CEO, Lake Health
路 James A. Scozzie, PhD, GU鈥�65, Senior Vice President, retired, BioEnterprise Corp. of Cleveland
What changes will take place at Ursuline and Gannon now that the Change of Control has taken place?
There will be more noticeable presences and visits from both Gannon University and 快播成人网 leaders on each other's campuses. This includes visits from Gannon President Walter Iwanenko, as well as increased engagement from Ursuline leaders at Gannon. The goal is to foster deeper collaboration, mutual learning, and shared initiatives. Opportunities will include joint Town Halls and expanded avenues for cooperative programming and dialogue.
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础诲诲别诲听January听2, 2025
What is the significance of the Definitive Agreement?
Unlike the Letter of Intent (LOI), which was signed in September between Gannon University and 快播成人网, the Definite Agreement is a legally binding agreement.
What is contained in the Definite Agreement?
The Definitive Agreement legally documents the objective of the merger. Under this agreement, 快播成人网 will be renamed the 快播成人网 Campus of Gannon University, while maintaining normal operations at its Pepper Pike campus. The merger respects and upholds key priorities outlined by 快播成人网, including:
路 Preserving its Catholic tradition.
路 Partnering with a financially stronger institution committed to investing in Ursuline鈥檚 long-term success.
路 Continuing operations at the Pepper Pike campus.
路 Building on Ursuline鈥檚 strengths in healthcare and related fields, leveraging its strong partnerships with major Cleveland healthcare institutions.
路 Honoring the Ursuline name and identity.
路 Maintaining its focus on women鈥檚 education and dedication to serving underserved and under-resourced communities.
路 Sustaining Ursuline鈥檚 Intercollegiate Athletic Programs.
This merger aims to create a stronger, unified regional Catholic institution while respecting 快播成人网鈥檚 legacy and mission.
Are the Ursuline Sisters no longer part of 快播成人网?
The Ursuline Sisters were looking for a new partner to serve as a sponsor for 快播成人网. Essential to the search was an entity that ensures Catholic higher education would be maintained when the Ursuline Sisters no longer exist. The sisters will still remain integral to 快播成人网 Campus of Gannon University.
Will there be any changes immediately?
No. Both the Erie and Pepper Pike campuses will operate as usual while our 13 integration teams consisting of faculty, staff and leaders from both institutions continue to collaborate to make recommendations on how each area can best build on each other鈥檚 combined strengths.
How will the leadership structure change at 快播成人网 under the Definitive Agreement?
Upon approval of Change of Control from accreditors in June of 2025, operationally, nothing will change. The most visible change will be in governance. At that time, the 快播成人网 Board of Trustees will relinquish their duties. Governing 快播成人网 will be a new nine-member transitional Board with six members from Gannon and three members from Ursuline. This board will govern until the full merger, by Dec. 15, 2026. At this time, there will be one board.
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Added September 16, 2024
Why is 快播成人网 partnering with Gannon University?
The landscape in higher education, particularly private liberal arts schools, is changing rapidly. Our leadership has taken a proactive approach to embark on a new path that educates our students for generations to come and preserves our traditions and mission.
Gannon University has a complementary mission, Catholic traditions, and student-focused values. With a strategic goal to create the premier Catholic higher education system along Lake Erie鈥檚 shores, Gannon sees 快播成人网 as a valued partner with nationally recognized programs and an incredible campus.
Can you tell us more about Gannon University?
Erie, Pennsylvania and Cleveland, Ohio are Rustbelt cities, a comfortable 1.5-hour drive from each other. Gannon University is a Catholic, diocesan university with campuses in Erie, Pennsylvania, and Ruskin, Florida, offering online and traditional associate, bachelor鈥檚, master鈥檚, and doctoral programs to more than 4,700 academically talented and diverse students.
Gannon University is dedicated to excellence in teaching, scholarship, and service. Inspired by Catholic Intellectual Tradition, the University offers a comprehensive, values-centered learning experience that emphasizes faith, leadership, inclusiveness, and social responsibility.
Will 快播成人网 be closing?
No. The campus will be maintained.
What is the financial benefit of this partnership?
The partnership between Gannon University and 快播成人网 is financially beneficial and strategic for both institutions. For 快播成人网, joining forces with Gannon ensures continued access to resources, programs, and support, securing its future and allowing it to thrive in a competitive higher education landscape. For Gannon, the expansion into Northeast Ohio enhances its regional presence and student enrollment, providing long-term growth opportunities.
Will 快播成人网 have a new name?
快播成人网鈥檚 name and history will be recognized and preserved.
Will there continue to be two Boards of Trustees?
This area and others will be determined during the due diligence process.
Added July 1, 2025
What happens between Change of Control and Full Merger?
Until the merger in December of 2026, 快播成人网 remains an independent institution, accredited by the Higher Learning Commission (HLC) and authorized by ODHE to operate in Ohio. Gannon University, accredited by the Middle States Commission for Higher Education (MSCHE), will obtain operating authorization from the Ohio Department of Higher Education (ODHE). At merger, MSCHE will accredit the combined institution, approve Ursuline鈥檚 campus as an additional Gannon location, and the U.S. Department of Education will recognize them as a single entity authorized for federal financial aid.
In the interim, integration continues through shared services agreements, academic articulations, and gradual institutional merger, with regular communications to faculty, staff, alumni, and students about news, updates, or changes.
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Added January 2, 2025
What are the next steps in the partnership process?
Our application to HLC for Change of Control, for which the Definitive Agreement is required, will be reviewed, and voted upon in June 2025. If approved by the HLC, a Change of Control will take effect with 快播成人网 becoming part of Gannon University.
The agreement will still require approval by the Departments of Education in Pennsylvania, Ohio and at the federal level. This process takes place over an 18- to 24-month period. During this time, integration in each area will take place incrementally and at the recommendations of each institution's own staff, faculty, and leadership.
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Added September 16, 2024
What does the Letter of Intent mean?
The announcement of an LOI (Letter of Intent) signals a public phase of the discussion and a time of exploration, during which we will gather additional due diligence information, prepare more detailed financial pro-formas, and map academic programs, negotiate key terms of a definitive agreement with the Ursuline Sisters of Cleveland, and establish collaborative working groups at both institutions.
How will Ursuline and Gannon partner?
Gannon will replace the Ursuline Sisters as the sole member of the 快播成人网 Corporation. Subject to regulatory and accrediting approvals, 快播成人网 will become part of Gannon University based on the terms of a Definitive Agreement that will be developed.
What is a Definitive agreement?
A definitive agreement is a binding contract that states the final terms and conditions of transactions between two organizations.
What is the timeline of the approval process?
The official transaction must follow the regulatory requirements of state and federal departments of education and accrediting bodies (Middle States Commission on Higher Education and Higher Learning Commission). The process can take between 12 and 18 months or longer.
How long has this partnership been in the works?
快播成人网 and Gannon University have been in discussions since the spring. Early conversations were kept private out of respect for both communities and until the boards of both institutions decided to move forward to further explore this partnership.
What was the alternative?
Welcoming students from nearby Notre Dame College showed 快播成人网 the stress students experienced when their school closed. 快播成人网 leadership has never seen closure as an option. We proactively sought a mutually beneficial partnership that preserves our traditions, enhances our students鈥� experiences, and offers expanded opportunities.
Added July 1, 2025
What does it mean that 快播成人网 is now sponsored by the Catholic Diocese of Erie?
A sponsor is a steward, accountable to the church for the organization鈥檚 Catholic identity and ministry, as well as its financial health and property ownership. As the name implies, 快播成人网 was sponsored by the Ursuline Sisters of Cleveland. The College will now fall under Gannon University鈥檚 sponsorship, which is through the Roman Catholic Diocese of Erie.听
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Added September 16, 2024
Will this newly formed strategic combination still be a Catholic institution?
Yes. Gannon University, like Ursuline, is rooted in Catholic tradition under the Catholic Diocese of Erie. While the Ursuline Sisters of Cleveland will continue to serve as a part of the Pepper Pike campus, where their traditions and mission will continue to impact lives, the partnership would be under the Catholic Diocese of Erie.
Why are the Ursuline Sisters no longer leading 快播成人网?
The Ursuline Sisters of Cleveland founded 快播成人网 in 1871, after arriving in Cleveland in 1850. In 1970 they gifted 66 acres to 快播成人网 and sold the existing buildings to the college for $10 while retaining reserved powers and maintaining sponsorship of the College. The Sisters have supported the college in its pathway to change and as part of the strategic partnership process throughout the subsequent decades, and that continues today. The Sisters see alignment between their mission of transforming lives through contemplation, justice, and compassion and the missions of both Gannon and 快播成人网. Both Ursuline and Gannon are committed to respectfully honor and continue the traditions set in place by the Ursuline Sisters.
Will Gannon University replace the Ursuline Sisters as the sole member of 快播成人网 Corporation and if so why?
The Ursuline Sisters have been the sponsor of 快播成人网 for 153 years, but with the declining number of sisters, they have been looking for a suitable sponsor to carry on the tradition of Catholic Higher Education into the future. They believe Gannon University in the Catholic Diocese of Erie is a good fit to do this.
So, yes, Gannon University will become the sole member of the 快播成人网 Corporation if a definitive agreement is reached. The Sisters are fully supportive of this move because it means that the Catholic heritage will be preserved with the Catholic Diocese of Erie serving as the new sponsor.
Does this mean Ursuline Sisters are releasing ownership of its campus and property?
Yes, the Ursuline Sisters made the decision that the campus property and all the 快播成人网 assets and liabilities would eventually become property of Gannon University if a definitive agreement is reached. They made this decision to ensure that Catholic higher education will be maintained even when the Ursuline Sisters of Cleveland no longer exist.
Will our undergraduate campus change from a women-focused school and campus to a co-ed model?
We are a co-ed campus already; our intention is to continue our commitment to serving the women and underserved/under-resourced students. At Gannon University, the student body is 65% women, the leadership team is 50% women, and all three deans are women.
Added January 2, 2025
Will athletics merge?
The athletic programs will continue at each campus, including with its respective team mascot and colors. Both will continue to play in their respective conferences, the Great Midwest Athletic Conference (GMAC) for Ursuline and Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference (PSAC) at Gannon University. Both are part of the NCAA Division II.
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Added September 16, 2024
How will our athletic teams and scholarships change? Will we still be Division II and be in the GMAC?
We understand there will be many questions about the future of athletics and its individual programs. Like 快播成人网, Gannon values athletics as part of the student experience. Gannon is a NCAA Division II school that has had tremendous success, including sending at least four teams to the NCAA鈥檚 Elite 8 just this past year. There are no current plans to merge any athletic programs or make any immediate changes, at either institution given the different locations, legacies, and conferences. In time, options will be explored with the engagement of all staff, coaches, and students.听
Added April 21, 2026
What diploma will be issued upon graduation?
Diploma type is determined by the official degree conferral date in relation to the merger of 快播成人网 and Gannon University.
路 Prior to the merger being finalized: 快播成人网 diplomas will be issued.
路 Following the merger and prior to the first Gannon University commencement after approval: Diplomas will read 鈥溈觳コ扇送�, Campus of Gannon University鈥� with Gannon University as the degree-granting institution.
路 Beginning with the first Gannon University commencement following the merger: Diplomas will be issued as Gannon University credentials with the 快播成人网 campus designation.
All diplomas reflect the accredited institution authorized to confer the degree at the time of award.
Why will diplomas reference Gannon University?
After the merger, Gannon University becomes the accredited degree-granting institution. Diplomas will be issued under Gannon University while still recognizing 快播成人网鈥檚 academic legacy.
Can participation in a Gannon University commencement ceremony be expected after the merger?
Opportunities for participation in commencement ceremonies will be communicated following finalization of merger details.
What will the transcript reflect during and after the merger?
Students enrolled at the time of the merger will receive a single combined 快播成人网 and Gannon University transcript reflecting all coursework, with a notation of the merger.
Will the transcript indicate attendance at 快播成人网?
Yes. Transcripts will reflect 快播成人网 enrollment through campus designation and academic record history.
Will academic progress or degree requirements change?
No. Academic progress and degree requirements remain unchanged and transfer in full through the merger.
How will transcript requests be handled after the merger?
Transcript ordering instructions and access will be available through the University website after completion of the merger.
Who should be contacted for questions or assistance?
The 快播成人网 Registrar鈥檚 Office remains the point of contact at registrarsoffice@ursuline.edu.
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Added January 2, 2025
How will students benefit from this merger?
This merger is intended to grow the Pepper Pike Campus and offer students in Erie and Pepper Pike more opportunities. This will potentially include a mix of virtual and in-person classes to provide programs not currently available on each campus. Integration teams from both institutions will collaborate over the next year to develop recommendations on implementing these changes, with shared experiences such as study abroad and travel opportunities anticipated to begin as early as Spring 2025.
What name will be on future diplomas?
Nothing will change on the diplomas until 2027.
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Added September 16, 2024
What changes can we expect for our academic programs, tuition, and transfer credits?
For now, nothing will change 鈥� not tuition, not diplomas, not scholarships. After the successful completion of due diligence and needed regulatory approvals, we can explore how to optimize our student experience by expanding their opportunities and making any transition 鈥� in processes, in programs 鈥� as seamless as possible.
How will this impact our academic programs in our School for the Arts, Sciences and Professional Studies?
These programs are vital to our mission and overall student experience. We do not see any changes soon. The partnership creates opportunities to expand the number of program offerings, enhance our value-based curricula and broaden the students鈥� overall learning experience.
How does this impact our nursing programs and the rest of the Breen School of Nursing and Health Professions?
This partnership further strengthens Ursuline鈥檚 nationally recognized and highly ranked nursing programs and affiliations. Gannon is also known for its health programs. The integration of complementary programs at Ursuline and Gannon will expand opportunities for students at both institutions. It will also open doors for new opportunities to build and expand our healthcare footprint in two additional states 鈥� Pennsylvania and Florida at Gannon鈥檚 Ruskin campus.
How does Gannon University support the LGBTQ+ community?
Like 快播成人网, Gannon University provides many resources and initiatives to support its LGBTQ+ students, faculty and staff. In addition to an active Diversity, Equity and Inclusion office that promotes diversity and intercultural understanding, Gannon offers the听GU LGBTQ+ club听to provide an environment of support and camaraderie. For the past year, Gannon has also offered a Safe Zone training for employees on both of Gannon鈥檚 campuses.
Added January 2, 2025
What will this merger mean for alumni at Gannon University and 快播成人网?
Gannon University merged with Villa Maria College in 1989. St. John College鈥檚 Nursing Program merged with 快播成人网 in 1975. As a result of Gannon and Ursuline combining, all alumni associations will continue.
Will donors be able to designate their giving to the 快播成人网 Campus in Pepper Pike?
Yes. Honoring donor intent is important to Gannon University, which respects the historic and lifetime donors of 快播成人网 and its connection to the supporters of the Ursuline mission dating back to the 1800s.
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Added September 16, 2024
Will I be able to direct my donation to the Ursuline campus?
We understand the emotional connection we all have to our institution, and we will seek ways to enhance that, not minimize it. Regarding philanthropic support, integrity is important to Ursuline and Gannon. Any restricted contribution will be honored for its original intent.
