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Holy Names ClosIng: Holy Names University in Oakland To Close After Spring Semester in May 2023
Students will have the option to continue studies at Dominican University of California and graduate on-schedule. Where possible, Dominican will also ensure that members of HNU’s faculty and staff are considered for similar roles at its San Rafael campus
Oakland—Oakland’s 154-year old Holy Names University (HNU) has struggled to remain open as it faced rising operational costs, declining enrollment, and an increased need for institutional scholarships. Both COVID-19 and an economic downturn disproportionately impacted HNU students. The college announced today it will cease operations in May 2023 after the completion of the spring semester.
HNU has worked tirelessly to find pathways to help continue its mission, but was forced by financial circumstances to cancel its NCAA sports programs as of the end of spring season, issue WARN ACT notices to staff beginning December 1, and give layoff notices to 32 employees effective at the end of January/early February.
“We have been doing our best to find a partner to keep the university functioning and continue HNU’s mission,” said HNU Board Chairperson Steven Borg. “While we’ve had interest in long-term collaboration from potential partners, we do not have the type of interest that would sustain HNU in continuing to offer its own programs and services, so we are forced to make the difficult decision to close and designate a transfer institution in the best interest of our students.”
“First and foremost, ensuring HNU students will be able to continue their academic path forward is our top priority,” Borg added. “We are also doing everything in our power to support our faculty and staff during this period of uncertainty.”
HNU students who can complete their degree requirements by the end of the spring semester or are currently progressing in HNU’s graduate nursing programs will be able to graduate from HNU.
HNU and Dominican University of California have formalized an agreement by which academic programs at HNU will transfer seamlessly to Dominican after the spring term and accreditation body approvals. Students will have the option to continue their studies at Dominican and complete their degree requirements on-schedule. Where possible, Dominican will also ensure that members of HNU’s faculty and staff are considered for similar roles on its San Rafael campus.
Working together, HNU and Dominican will be announcing specific pathways for students to complete their degrees at Dominican. HNU is in discussions with other institutions on sustaining the Kodály Music Program. The Raskob Learning Institute and Day School will either operate independently or in partnership with a new institution after this school year.
In the Fall 2022 semester there were 520 undergraduates and 423 graduate students currently enrolled at HNU. This number for spring 2023 has significantly declined as students struggle to make tuition payments or are uncertain about the university’s future. Currently 449 students total are registered for the Spring 2023 semester.
“Like many colleges and universities nationally, HNU has faced many headwinds including increasing operational costs, declining numbers of high school graduates nationally and economic shifts leading to declining enrollment. HNU had a strong 5-year strategic business plan and secured long-term financing, but the COVID-19 pandemic accelerated and exacerbated existing challenges, and disproportionately impacted the students HNU serves, many from under-resourced communities or who are first-generation college students,” Borg said.
“Increasingly college costs have become a challenge for many students and their families. HNU, which extends significant institutional aid, is dependent upon tuition and residence hall revenue. After extensive analysis, the Board of Trustees determined in November 2021 that finding a merger partner was the surest way to sustain the University mission,” Borg added.
The Board of Trustees has been focused on that work for a year, but after a national search there was limited interest, as other colleges and universities deal with similar issues, but also, as Borg explained “there is not only $49 million in debt on HNU’s property, but as a 65-year old campus the costs of deferred maintenance and compliance upgrades could be over $200 million. That is a large undertaking for any college or university.”
Though the opportunity to preserve HNU did not materialize, Dominican has agreed to serve as HNU’s designated transfer institution, providing a home for continuing students and some faculty and staff. HNU students who are not able to finish their degree requirements by the end of spring semester will receive a detailed transfer plan to make the transition of academic programs and students as smooth as possible to Dominican or elsewhere.
Stay tuned.
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