Merger Talks For St. Joe’s And University Of The Sciences
On Wednesday (February 10), The Inquirer reported that “St. Joseph’s University and the University of the Sciences announced Wednesday they are considering a merger to help both institutions grow and thrive in an increasingly challenging higher education market.
Under the proposal, which was revealed to staffs of both schools in an email at noon, the 200-year-old USciences, formerly Philadelphia College of Pharmacy — the nation’s first pharmacy college — would become part of the larger St. Joseph’s, a 170-year-old Jesuit institution.”
Also on Wednesay (February 10), Phillyvoice wrote that “The merger would bring the USciences into the fold of St. Joseph’s University, which would retain its name while honoring elements of USciences’ history.”
Phillyvoice reported that Paul Katz, President of University of the Sciences, initially approached St. Joe’s president, Mark C. Reed about combining the two schools.
From 1927 until 2005, St. Joe’s overlooked Lower Merion from its 54th and City Avenue campus in Wynnefield. But in 2007, St. Joe’s acquired the Episcopal Academy in Merion and Hawk Hill was expanded onto our side.
Currently St. Joe’s has 4,299 undergraduates and 2,480 graduate students. The University of the Sciences has 1,461 undergraduates and 914 graduate students.