Marygrove College to Close + Future Plans for Campus Site

[Rogobob77]

Marygrove College to close in December:

https://www.detroitnews.com/story/news/ ... 433257001/

https://www.freep.com/story/news/educat ... 429771001/

https://www.crainsdetroit.com/education ... -september

Sounds like the campus will still be used for K-12 programs, as previously announced. I wonder if this creates an opportunity for Detroit Mercy to somehow partner with the newly purposed institution, although hard to envision given the school is eliminating its education programs.

Link to an older thread from this message board that adds some additional context:

viewtopic.php?f=6&t=3939&p=62615&hilit=Marygrove#p62615

In hindsight, Marygrove should have merged with the University of Detroit and Mercy College back in 1990, which was part of the original plan until they decided near the end of the process to go it alone.

[Rogobob77]

After having time to reflect on this news for a couple hours, I am left with the sinking feeling that this latest development perhaps represents a missed opportunity for the University of Detroit Mercy. If the University could have added Marygrove to the fold through a consolidation process, the product might have possibly resulted in the following positive outcomes, and maybe others I’ve neglected to see:

1. Retaining Marygrove’s faculty from their only remaining (and historically one of its strongest) core academic program, Detroit Mercy in its new form could have reinstated elementary, secondary and special education programs at both the undergraduate and graduate level. (UDM recently announced it is phasing out all these programs which in my view are essential components to a comprehensive university.)

2. UDM would have experienced an immediate influx to the school’s alumni base and established a new portal to a number of potential future donors. (And maybe in the process gained a handful of new Titan fan converts to boot.)

3. UDM would have absorbed Marygrove’s current student base (small that it is), but more importantly would have remained an option for potential future students who want to pursue an education degree and/or teaching certificate in the Detroit area.

4. UDM would have acquired a beautiful second campus in the Live6 area, and likely the Kresge Foundation would still be agreeable to contributing $50 million to the effort, a sum that would go a long way in paying for maintenance and operating costs. There are already plans underway (with funding in place) for a walkway to be developed through the Fitzgerald neighborhood that will serve as a pedestrian link between the UDM and Marygrove campuses.

5. UDM would finally have had its own prime performing arts stage, something the University has lacked throughout the entire 40+-year history of the Theatre Company. At a minimum, it would cost $5 to $10 million to build something comparable on the current UDM campus. Here’s a link showing the theater facility: https://marygroveconservancy.org/wp-con ... ?sfns=xmwa . I believe that there is also a practice golf facility on the Marygrove campus, something that could have been utilized by the Titan men’s and women’s golf teams.

6. UDM would have had an opportunity to develop a unique partnership with the academic powerhouse University of Michigan, who were already on board with such an arrangement with Marygrove.

7. UDM would have been a major player on the ground floor with the plans to build an exemplary K-12 educational center on Detroit’s west side.

8. It would have provided an opportunity to take another look at branding the newly augmented University (involving Jesuit, Mercy, and IHM partners) based on lessons learned over the past couple of years.

[Rogobob77]

From Daniel Howes in the Detroit News:

“New model for Detroit public education cushions Marygrove blow”

https://www.detroitnews.com/story/busin ... 435369001/

Sounds like Oakland U could join with U-M in partnering with the K-12 programs that will run at the Marygrove campus.

[Rogobob77]

An article from earlier this year that provides some info on the plans for the high school that will be located on the Marygrove campus:

https://chalkbeat.org/posts/detroit/201 ... marygrove/

[Rogobob77]

An article from Crains about Oakland U exploring offering programs on Marygrove campus:

https://www.crainsdetroit.com/education ... ?sfns=xmwa

[Rogobob77]

For those who never have been on Marygrove’s campus, some nice photos in this article:

https://www.nailhed.com/2019/06/doing-h ... ml?sfns=mo

[Rogobob77]

A website outlining a vision for the “Marygrove Conservancy”

https://marygroveconservancy.org

Detroit Mercy’s President Garibaldi is one of the eight members on the organization’s Board of Directors.

[Rogobob77]

“Plans unveiled for early childhood center at Marygrove”

https://www.detroitnews.com/story/news/ ... 717747001/

[Rogobob77]

Another article on the early childhood center that will be located on the Marygrove campus:

https://www.modeldmedia.com/devnews/Ear ... ial+change

[Rogobob77]

Recent article in Crains Detroit Business provides some additional details about plans for the Marygrove campus:

https://www.crainsdetroit.com/education ... -marygrove

[Rogobob77]

“New high school is first step in larger Marygrove College project”

https://www.freep.com/story/news/educat ... 152841001/

[Rogobob77]

“What you need to know about the closing of Marygrove College”

https://www.modeldmedia.com/features/ma ... s+medicine

[Rogobob77]

”Marygrove Conservancy taps Racheal Allen, Tom Lewand for leadership roles“

https://www.modeldmedia.com/features/ma ... 31220.aspx