Mercyhurst plans to close its North East campus and relocate its academic programs to the Erie campus by June 2021, according to an announcement made by the university Thursday morning.

The transition will not affect current North East students, and students new to the North East campus in 2020 will be transitioned to Erie to complete their degrees. After 2021, all students enrolled in the programs will be permanently based out of Erie.

The university said it also plans to work with real estate professionals to fill its North East facilities.

Mercyhurst said it plans to make a multi-million dollar investment in facility improvements, equipment and technology as it streamlines its health care education and move its nearly dozen degree programs to the Erie campus.

It plans to renovate the university's Wayne Street Complex to support the occupational therapy assistant, physical therapist assistant, and respiratory therapy programs and upgrade the Audrey Hirt Academic Center, which will house the nursing programs and simulation laboratories.

Programs at the Corry and Booker T. Washington campuses will not be affected. The Municipal Police Academy will remain in the Janet L. Miller Building on Route 89 in North East.

More than 500 students enrolled at the North East campus for the 2018-19 school year. It has more than 4,100 alumni.

The campus specializes in one-year certificate and two-year associate degree programs, including business, culinary arts and nursing. It also operates a police academy.

The 84-acre campus was founded in 1991 as an "opportunity and career college" dedicated to providing post-secondary education for capable learners who seek to learn job-entry skills, according to Mercyhurst.

It was previously home to the College of Our Lady of Perpetual Help, also known as St. Mary's Seminary, for 110 years before the seminary closed its doors in the mid-1980s and sat empty for five years.

Interview with Mercyhurst leaders

Mercyhurst University also shared the following frequently asked questions:

What does this announcement mean for current students on the North East Campus?

Mercyhurst is committed to maintaining high academic and student life standards for all students throughout the transition of academic programming. Students currently enrolled in programs housed on the North East Campus will continue taking classes on the North East Campus for the duration of their enrollment, receiving uninterrupted access to the campus’ academic resources, support services, and amenities. Some currently enrolled students may take select classes on the Main Campus.

What does this announcement mean for prospective students on the North East Campus?

Students planning on enrolling in programs on the North East Campus before Fall 2021 will do so with the expectation that they will complete one year of study on the North East Campus and one year of study on the Main Campus. Additional guidance and advising resources will be offered to help students navigate their transition to classes on the Main Campus. Students planning to enroll in Fall 2021 or later will complete all coursework on the Main Campus as Mercyhurst University students.

What does this announcement mean for current students on the Main Campus?

Traditional undergraduate and graduate students on the Main Campus will notice little—if any—change to their Mercyhurst student experience during or after the academic program consolidation. The vast majority of students in our one- and two-year programs are nontraditional, adult-age students who commute to campus.

What new programs will be offered on the Main Campus?

In addition to health care programming, Mercyhurst is transitioning all one- and two-year associate degree and certificate programs from the North East Campus to the Main Campus. Programs located at the Corry and Booker T. Washington campuses will be unaffected by this change. The Municipal Police Academy will remain at its current location in the Janet L. Miller Building on Route 89 in North East, Pennsylvania.

What are the renovation plans on the Main Campus?

Mercyhurst’s Wayne Street Complex will be renovated to house the classroom and laboratory space for the Occupational Therapy Assistant, Physical Therapist Assistant, and Respiratory Therapist programs. The Audrey Hirt Academic Center, already home to the Department of Nursing, will be renovated to house the RN programs and high-tech nursing simulation laboratories.

The Department of Interior Architecture & Design currently in the Wayne Street Complex will be relocated to a newly renovated dedicated space in a more centrally located building.

Why is Mercyhurst making these investments now?

Over the past four years, Mercyhurst University has enjoyed record enrollments and fundraising, established transformative community partnerships, and engaged in various million-dollar capital projects. From this position of strength, we are fortunate to be able to make these significant investments in our allied health and nursing programs at a dynamic moment in higher education.

In addition, this is an excellent time to strengthen and grow health care programming. According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, the health care industry is expected to add four million new jobs in the U.S. through 2026. Regionally, health care providers partnering with Mercyhurst have expressed a vital need for nurses and allied health professionals. We are excited to be able to offer increased educational opportunities for students interested in entering the nursing and allied health professions.