Medaille University will close on Aug. 31, after a plan for acquisition by Trocaire College fell through, Buffalo News reported.
"Because the integration will not occur, and due to the financial instability of the institution, the Medaille University Board of Trustees has voted to close Medaille," Interim President Dr. Lori Quigley announced Monday.
Neither school can share details on why the plan for Trocaire to acquire Medaille's assets and keep its programs alive fell through, Quigley said.
In recent years, Medaille suffered from sharp enrollment declines, only worsened by the COVID-19 pandemic. In Fall 2012, it had 2,600 students. During the recently completed school year, it had approximately 1,600.
"Medaille has been under significant budgetary constraints over the last several months due to several factors, including declining enrollment, outstanding liabilities and other challenges that are affecting colleges and universities across the region, state and nation," Quigley said.
The school will work to help students transfer and help faculty and staff find new employment. Students on track to complete required credit hours and graduate on or before Aug. 31, will still be able to complete coursework and earn degrees from Medaille, according to the school.
"The Medaille University closure has the potential to impact my graduation timeline, my college basketball career, as well as my financial ability to continue pursuing a higher education," said Xaneya Thomas, president of the Medaille student government association. "This closure forces myself and a large population of the student body to search for schools in hopes that said schools meet both our academic and financial needs."
