Breaking news: Marymount to close
Fordham U. Will Close Its Marymount College Campus, 5 Years After Taking Over the Women's Institution
The Chronicle of Higher Education
By PAULA WASLEY
Fordham University has announced that it will close Marymount College, its women's campus in Tarrytown, N.Y., in June 2007 because of dwindling enrollment and financial difficulties.
Marymount, like Fordham a Roman Catholic institution, was already struggling when it agreed, in 2000, to be taken over by the university in order to mitigate the prohibitive costs of operating a small campus.
But, according to the chairman of Fordham's Board of Trustees, John N. Tognino, "it is no longer academically or financially feasible" for the college to continue as a separate entity.
Marymount College to close
By ALISON BERT
abert@thejournalnews.com
THE JOURNAL NEWS
(Original publication: October 7, 2005)
TARRYTOWN - Marymount College of Fordham University - one of a small and dwindling number of all-women's colleges - will be phased out and closed in June 2007.
The decision, made yesterday by the Fordham board of trustees, shocked and angered much of the college community. Freshman Jennifer Pitt of Cortlandt Manor had tears in her eyes after the Fordham University president shared the decision with students.
"It's just like a family tradition," said Pitt, 18, whose older sister graduated from Marymount two decades ago. "I chose this school because it's an all-girls school, the heritage of it, the small classes. It's everything I ever wanted. They said we could go to Fordham, but that's just too big for me."
While upperclassmen will be able to graduate from Marymount, freshmen and sophomores will have to complete their degrees at one of the other undergraduate colleges of Fordham. Fordham officials said they could pay the same tuition to study on the Bronx and Manhattan campuses or at the Westchester division of the Fordham College of Liberal Studies, already housed at Marymount.
"We're deeply saddened by the decision, but it is the decision we felt had to be made, " said the Rev. Joseph M. McShane, president of Fordham. "We remain committed to our students, and we hope that they will cherish the Marymount tradition all their lives and at the same time be proud members of the Fordham family."
Board President John Tognino said it was no longer "academically or financially feasible" to operate Marymount, which was taken over by Fordham in 2002. Fordham officials said they invested in the college, subsidized tuition, enhanced programs and stepped up recruiting to no avail. They found it troubling that 45 percent of freshmen choose not to return.
"The students themselves have been sending a clear signal," said Tognino.
"I think everybody's hearts dropped," said freshman Leanne Malara, 18, of Mahopac, who chose Marymount because she heard women get better jobs when they go to women's colleges.
English Professor Leo Cooley, president of the faculty union, said he was going to try to negotiate continued employment for all full-time faculty at Fordham after 2007. Some staff will remain on the Marymount campus, which eventually will accommodate other Fordham programs.
The Chronicle of Higher Education
By PAULA WASLEY
Fordham University has announced that it will close Marymount College, its women's campus in Tarrytown, N.Y., in June 2007 because of dwindling enrollment and financial difficulties.
Marymount, like Fordham a Roman Catholic institution, was already struggling when it agreed, in 2000, to be taken over by the university in order to mitigate the prohibitive costs of operating a small campus.
But, according to the chairman of Fordham's Board of Trustees, John N. Tognino, "it is no longer academically or financially feasible" for the college to continue as a separate entity.
Marymount College to close
By ALISON BERT
abert@thejournalnews.com
THE JOURNAL NEWS
(Original publication: October 7, 2005)
TARRYTOWN - Marymount College of Fordham University - one of a small and dwindling number of all-women's colleges - will be phased out and closed in June 2007.
The decision, made yesterday by the Fordham board of trustees, shocked and angered much of the college community. Freshman Jennifer Pitt of Cortlandt Manor had tears in her eyes after the Fordham University president shared the decision with students.
"It's just like a family tradition," said Pitt, 18, whose older sister graduated from Marymount two decades ago. "I chose this school because it's an all-girls school, the heritage of it, the small classes. It's everything I ever wanted. They said we could go to Fordham, but that's just too big for me."
While upperclassmen will be able to graduate from Marymount, freshmen and sophomores will have to complete their degrees at one of the other undergraduate colleges of Fordham. Fordham officials said they could pay the same tuition to study on the Bronx and Manhattan campuses or at the Westchester division of the Fordham College of Liberal Studies, already housed at Marymount.
"We're deeply saddened by the decision, but it is the decision we felt had to be made, " said the Rev. Joseph M. McShane, president of Fordham. "We remain committed to our students, and we hope that they will cherish the Marymount tradition all their lives and at the same time be proud members of the Fordham family."
Board President John Tognino said it was no longer "academically or financially feasible" to operate Marymount, which was taken over by Fordham in 2002. Fordham officials said they invested in the college, subsidized tuition, enhanced programs and stepped up recruiting to no avail. They found it troubling that 45 percent of freshmen choose not to return.
"The students themselves have been sending a clear signal," said Tognino.
"I think everybody's hearts dropped," said freshman Leanne Malara, 18, of Mahopac, who chose Marymount because she heard women get better jobs when they go to women's colleges.
English Professor Leo Cooley, president of the faculty union, said he was going to try to negotiate continued employment for all full-time faculty at Fordham after 2007. Some staff will remain on the Marymount campus, which eventually will accommodate other Fordham programs.