SHU, 2 Other Schools Taking Over University Of Bridgeport Campus

BRIDGEPORT, CT — The University of Bridgeport as it exists today will soon be a thing of the past. The school Tuesday announced a partnership that will see Sacred Heart University, Goodwin University and Paier College of Art take over its campus under the name Bridgeport University Park.

“Higher education is in turmoil right now,” Goodwin President Mark Scheinberg said at a news conference Tuesday, attended by Gov. Ned Lamont and streamed live on Facebook. “… You can’t go it alone.”

Scheinberg said the University of Bridgeport has no immediate financial problems, but noted the steep cost of running an institution of higher learning before explaining how the four colleges would share the University of Bridgeport’s campus on the city’s South End to save money.

Some programs will likely be combined or move from one school to another, and new programs will also be introduced, according to a news release from the University of Bridgeport. Sacred Heart, Goodwin and Paier will acquire many of the University of Bridgeport’s current offerings. The colleges will serve students separately but in a centralized setting, allowing them to move from one school to another when appropriate.

“You get them all at the University of Bridgeport,” Lamont said. “… It’s a new form of education.”

Sacred Heart President John Petillo confirmed that for his Fairfield-based institution, the Bridgeport partnership will allow programs and faculty to expand to compliment existing options.

“This collaboration is not a salvage operation,” he said.

Goodwin, based in East Hartford, is known for its healthcare and manufacturing programs, and will likely provide offerings in those disciplines at the Bridgeport campus, according to the news release.

Program options are still being determined, with more information to be released in the coming days, according to University of Bridgeport spokeswoman Susan Andrews.

The transition won’t be immediate. The University of Bridgeport will continue to operate independently under its Board of Trustees, with the timeline of the plan dependent upon approval from accrediting organizations. Whether the university will remain independent in the long term is uncertain, Scheinberg said.

“In some form or format, University of Bridgeport will continue to exist,” he said.

Current University of Bridgeport students will be able to finish their intended courses of study on time and with comparable financial aid packages, according to the news release.

“We are taking this step-by-step, with open conversations with accreditors at the state, regional, and national levels,” Stephen Healey, interim president of the University of Bridgeport, said in a prepared statement.

Bridgeport Mayor Joe Ganim, a University of Bridgeport graduate and ex officio member of the school’s Board of Trustees, said discussion about the campus’s new concept began with the university board.

“We’re here to announce a future,” Healey said. “We’re here to claim it.”