A proactive approach to challenging times in higher ed: St. Ambrose University, Mount Mercy University intend to combine

By Barb Arland-Fye
The Catholic Messenger

St. Ambrose University in Davenport and Mount Mercy University in Cedar Rapids believe their formal agreement on strategic combination could serve as a model for other Catholic institutions of higher learning. The two universities, located about 85 miles apart in eastern Iowa, signed the agreement Aug. 1 during a news conference on the Mount Mercy campus.

Presidents Amy Novak of St. Ambrose University and Todd Olson of Mount Mercy University said they hope the agreement, and the rigorous preparations that follow, will lead to their universities’ union by mid-2026, with the approval of regulatory agencies. At that point, St. Ambrose would become the nonprofit parent organization of Mount Mercy.

In the interim, the first stages of regulatory approval could happen in spring 2025, followed by a transition period during which St. Ambrose would continue to operate Mount Mercy as a separate university maintaining its own degree authorization, accreditation and federal student financial aid preparation.

At the end of that transition period, the two universities will combine under St. Ambrose with distinct campuses, educational offerings and intercollegiate athletic programs in Davenport and Cedar Rapids. Mount Mercy will retain its name, becoming the Mount Mercy Campus of St. Ambrose University.

“We are thrilled to have the affirmation of both Boards of Trustees who share our commitment to changing the future of Catholic higher education for the better,” Novak said. “St. Ambrose and Mount Mercy are better together and our campuses will grow in vibrancy. We know our planned combination will create a positive and lasting impact for students, our universities and local communities.”

“This shared vision supports the legacy and rich traditions of Mount Mercy and St. Ambrose while ensuring our students will have access to quality undergraduate and graduate programs for years to come,” Olson said. “I would like to thank President Novak for her partnership in bringing this important and groundbreaking agreement to life.”

In May, the two universities announced an academic agreement that would allow students to take a range of courses from either institution, beginning this fall.

‘It makes sense’

St. Ambrose is the diocesan university of the Diocese of Davenport and Mount Mercy, founded by the Sisters of Mercy, is located in the Archdiocese of Dubuque. The Catholic Messenger asked Archbishop Thomas Zink­ula, who leads the Du­buque Arch­dio­cese and previously led the Daven­port Dio­cese, for his perspective on the two universities’ agreement.

“At a very challenging time in the history of higher education, it makes total sense for two Catholic universities in eastern Iowa, with similar missions and values, to collaborate rather than to compete head to head, which is a zero sum game,” Archbishop Zinkula said. “The strong, cooperative leadership will capitalize on the strengths of both institutions, maximize efficiencies, and be creative and innovative. This is just the beginning; a successful outcome will require a great deal of work and sacrifice. But the joy and energy generated by this endeavor is palpable. Therefore, the future looks bright for the strategic combination of the two institutions.”

Sister Patricia Flynn, RSM, vice president of the Sisters of Mercy of the Americas, is equally enthusiastic. “The Sisters of Mercy in Cedar Rapids have been committed to Mercy Catholic higher education for almost 100 years,” she said. “We embrace a new partner — St. Ambrose University — and an exciting future where our shared values and dedication to excellence will bring enhanced opportunities to students, faculty, staff and the wider civic community. We are grateful for the vision, courage and perseverance that has brought all of us to today and will continue to create the path forward.”

Novak and Olson began working together more than a year ago in response to challenges facing higher education. “The reality of the demographics in our region (the population of youths of traditional college age has shrunk), affects not only Catholic schools and other private schools but public schools as well,” Novak said. That reality was the impetus for pursuing creative approaches in the sustainability of private and public institutions of higher learning, she told The Catholic Messenger.

St. Ambrose University reported total enrollment of 2,703 (full and part-time, graduate and undergraduate) students in the 2023-24 academic year. A St. Ambrose University representative said enrollment is trending lower than five years ago, but that trend appears to align with the national enrollment cliff numbers they are watching.

Mount Mercy University reported total enrollment of 1,449 (full and part-time, graduate and undergraduate) students in the 2023-24 academic year. A Mount Mercy University representative said that like most institutions, the university has seen a decline in enrollment numbers post-pandemic. The university’s 2024-25 numbers are looking positive as the first day of classes approaches, the representative said, and reflect some of the best enrollment numbers in recent years.

New opportunities

Combining the best of both universities through this strategic combination likely will result in the loss of some positions on both campuses, Novak told the Messenger. Contraction is happening in higher education. “Our goal is to minimize that contraction and build more efficient universities and leverage the strength of each institution, which could lead to expansion of resources,” she said.

For example, St. Ambrose and Mount Mercy each have graduate programs that the other institution does not offer (11 at St. Ambrose and 9 at Mount Mercy). Creating a new graduate program from scratch is an expensive and lengthy process, Novak said.

Combining resources also broadens opportunities to collaborate with businesses in the Eastern Iowa corridor, which have expressed enthusiasm for the partnership of the two universities.

“This strategic combination will enhance the educational offerings in the healthcare field,” said Dr. Timothy Quinn, president and CEO, Mercy Medical Center Cedar Rapids. That potentially opens up “the pipeline for more locally focused and locally educated healthcare employees, but also help meet the workforce needs of our entire community, fostering growth and innovation in our region.”

“Healthcare remains challenged to find enough resources to meet our needs,” said Casey Greene, president of UnityPoint Health-St. Luke’s Cedar Rapids. “Similar to our Nursing partnership with Mount Mercy, we look forward to future opportunities to collaborate with St. Ambrose in other specialties such as Physical Therapy, Speech Therapy, Occupational Therapy, Social Work and more. We look forward to working with both institutions in the future to meet the healthcare needs of our community.”