Dear ACPHS and RSC Community Members:
We hope your fall semester is off to a wonderful start. Now that we’ve all had time to get
settled, we wanted to provide an update on the merger.
In our last update, we shared details about the signing of the transaction agreement, which
builds on details outlined in the memorandum of understanding and was approved by the
trustees from both colleges in April. Transition teams were established, and liaisons were
appointed from each campus to collaborate around merger-related topics. Many teams
collaborated throughout the summer months, while others, particularly those involving faculty
or student input, are just starting their work.
This week, we’ve taken another important step forward in the process by submitting
documentation to the Middle States Commission on Higher Education (MSCHE). The anticipated
date for Middle States Commission on Higher Education and New York State Education
Department approval is Summer 2026. The merger will then go through federal review, with an
anticipated launch of Fall 2027.
Working on the transition: On September 17, our ACPHS and RSC cabinets met to discuss
several high-level topics, including where our missions intersect. There are many synergies,
including strength in social mobility and return on investment, commitment to research and
service learning, a shared belief in the power of experiential learning, and a focus on people,
culture, and remaining student-centered. This exercise helped us explore several key areas for a
strategic vision for the future.
The teams: The number of transition teams is growing as we move through the process. There
are now liaisons from both colleges working together on the following teams:
There is still so much to be decided. While plans take shape, we want to reiterate that we know
our strength lies in our people, and we will seek to retain as many employees as needed to
continue to best serve our students. As we have stated, we are committed to providing timely
and transparent updates as the work of the transition teams continues.
As we work through a vision together, the future is so exciting, as shared by an ACPHS and
Russell Sage student in this video about the merger. The merger will create one of the region’s
largest private higher education institutions, with approximately 4,000 students and the
broadest catalog of programs in the health professions, pharmacy, and biomedical sciences,
and strong programs in education, business, criminal justice, the sciences, pre-med, pre-health,
and arts and humanities. You can read more about the merger process and timeline on our
merger website homepage, which will be updated as new information becomes available.
Please know that if there aren’t constant updates, it’s because our teams are hard at work as
they navigate a very complex process, and there aren’t yet decisions to share. We hope you can
join us at one of our upcoming Joint Merger Update Sessions for Employees on October 30 and
November 5, (hybrid sessions will be held at each college). The content will be the same at both
sessions, and both presidents will present. You are asked to use this link to register (link
removed for web posting) so we can accommodate parking. Zoom details will be provided
before each session.
ACPHS/RSC Merger Update Sessions
We look forward to seeing you at one of the upcoming merger update sessions. We thank you
for your continued support and for all that you do for our students and college communities.
Sincerely,