Under a new partnership between
Metropolitan State University of Denver (MSU) and Colorado Heights University (CHU), MSU will acquire significant portions of the historical Loretto Heights campus in southwest Denver from Colorado Heights University. The partnership will help position MSU Denver for challenges in the future and renew its focus on international education and serving underrepresented students.
"This was a values-based decision for CHU," explains MSU Denver President Stephen Jordan. "Our two institutions have a mutual respect for each other's role and mission. CHU was especially supportive of our 2012 decision to offer a special tuition rate for undocumented students. We are extremely grateful and honored to have been selected by CHU for this remarkable opportunity and collaboration."
Under the partnership CHU will continue to offer its programs and expand them to help bring more international students into MSU Denver. CHU also will become an exclusive ESL provider for MSU Denver to help attract more international students.
The universities will strive to fulfill CHU's and Loretto Heights' missions to educate a globally diverse student population and local residents. As such they will explore options for developing 18 acres of the campus as an international business park that would be an experiential learning site for students. They also plan develop an alliance of international universities.
"It is only fitting that in the University's 50th year, and a few months after the 50th anniversary of the Higher Education Act, that we begin taking steps to chart our future," Jordan says. "This partnership with CHU is a significant way for MSU Denver to firmly plant one foot in our heritage and the other in our future."
The transaction is expected to close with MSU Denver taking ownership of the property by July 1, 2016. It anticipates offering some MSU classes there as early as fall 2016.
Contact Confluence Denver Innovation & Jobs News Editor Chris Meehan with tips and leads for future stories at chris@confluence-denver.com.
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