Rider Calls Off Choir College Sale; Campus Moves To Lawrenceville

Rider University and Kaiwen Education will not move forward with the proposed $40 million sale of the Westminster Choir College, university officials announced on Monday. Instead, the choir college will become part of the university’s existing Lawrenceville campus in September 2020.

Rider will continue to operate Westminster Choir College, the Westminster Conservatory and the Westminster Continuing Education programs in Princeton during the upcoming 2019-20 academic year, according to university officials.

“Throughout this process, we have continually sought to preserve and enhance Westminster’s legacy as a world-class institution, and we made every effort to maintain the College in Princeton,” Rider University President Dr. Gregory G. Dell’Omo said. “Given the enormous complexity of the transaction, it became increasingly clear that partnering with an outside entity, even one as well-intentioned as Kaiwen, was not feasible on a viable timeline.”

The two entities will explore the possibilities of an alternative relationship, officials said. They will work together over the next three years on academic and artistic initiatives under a formal agreement.

Monday’s announcement ends a lengthy and comprehensive process that sought a buyer to operate Westminster on its campus in Princeton.

Last week, the Westminster Foundation announced their opposition to moving the campus to Lawrenceville, and Foundation attorney Bruce Afran said that unless Rider brings an end to the sale process the lawsuits will expand with tenured faculty joining as plaintiffs.

Read more here: Westminster Foundation Opposes Selling Or Moving Westminster Choir College

In 2017, Rider commenced an intensive worldwide search for a partner for Westminster Choir College that began with 281 potential suitors and review of 13 formal proposals of interest, five of which expressed interest in Rider’s preferred option of maintaining and operating Westminster in Princeton. No U.S. higher education institution expressed interest in operating Westminster in Princeton, university officials said.

The search came at the recommendation of a Special Committee the Rider Board of Trustees convened to study ways to strengthen the University, which included the potential consolidation of the two campuses.

Read more here: Rider Sells WCC To Chinese Company For $40 Million

Recognizing the strong traditions and history associated with the Princeton campus, the university chose to search for a suitable partner that would preferably commit to operating Westminster in Princeton, officials said.

“The Board and the administration appreciate the special connection that Westminster has to Princeton, which is why we went to extraordinary lengths to seek a future based in that community,” Rider University Board of Trustees Chairman Robert S. Schimek said. “Now that it is clear that transferring Westminster Choir College to an external partner is not possible, it is our continuing responsibility to enact a plan that serves the best interests of the entire University. It is not financially feasible to allow Westminster to continue on its present course as a separate, fully operational campus seven miles apart from Rider’s Lawrenceville campus.”

Officials said that the Board of Trustees has returned to the Guiding Principles that have shaped the decision-making process since the beginning of the Special Committee's study. Those principles include achieving financial stability for Westminster and Rider and preserving the College’s mission, culture and reputation.

The new plan paves the way for a fully integrated campus and “robust” Westminster College of the Arts that goes beyond the consolidation option proposed by the Special Committee in 2016, officials said.

The Westminster College of the Arts encompasses Westminster Choir College in Princeton and the School of Fine and Performing Arts in Lawrenceville, as well as the Westminster Conservatory, which will continue to operate in multiple locations.

Rider and Westminster will continue to explore options for maintaining a footprint in Princeton, dedicated in part to the activities of the Conservatory, with possible academic and artistic opportunities for students, officials said.

“The plan has the potential to realize the goal of a strong and thriving Westminster College of the Arts that builds on both existing and proposed programs and facilities and most effectively serves 21st century students,” Westminster College of the Arts Dean Dr. Marshall Onofrio said. “It is my hope that students, faculty, staff, and alumni will unite around this opportunity and participate in creating a new chapter in Westminster Choir College's illustrious history.”

The decision also comes after the State Attorney General’s Office raised some questions about the sale of the choir college to Kaiwen Education.

Questions from the Attorney General centered around the reasoning for the sale, how the sides arrived at the price, Rider's efforts to sell the college to another education institution, why Rider would sell to a newly incorporated non-profit entity in New Jersey and steps Rider took to ensure Kaiwen would continue Westminster's educational traditions and curriculum, among others.

The attorney general's office also questioned what Rider would do with the money it makes off the sale and how the sale is in the best interests of the students and faculty. Read more here: State Raises Concerns Over Rider's Sale Of Choir College

Despite its world-class reputation, Westminster Choir College has faced deficits throughout its history, including the era that preceded and led to its merger with Rider in 1992. Since then, Rider has made significant investments in Westminster Choir College, including improvements to facilities, support for performances and tours, and significant financial aid for students, officials said.

“Rider has never wavered from its commitment to supporting and sustaining Westminster Choir College since the initial merger in 1992,” Dell’Omo said. “The new plan to integrate the two campuses represents another investment in the future of the college that we believe will also accelerate reinvestment in Rider and create a very strong, resilient and cohesive university.
“In the coming weeks, administrators, faculty and staff will begin working on the specific tasks that will culminate in the move of Westminster Choir College to the Lawrenceville campus for the fall 2020 semester.”

See related:
Rider Could Lose Millions On Westminster Sale, Report Says
Union Challenges Layoffs After Sale Of Westminster Choir College
Rider's Sale Of Choir College Delayed: Report