Seattle University will take over the Cornish College of the Arts in a agreement announced Thursday.
“Seattle University joining forces with Cornish will combine two storied Seattle institutions of higher learning into one,” Seattle U president Eduardo Peñalver said in a statement. “It will create incredible new opportunities for our students to expand their educational horizons and for faculty to pursue innovative interdisciplinary collaborations. This is definitely a case of ‘one plus one equals three.’”
The “modern, progressive, and global Jesuit Catholic university” on the southern edge of Capitol Hill says it is working on a final deal to acquire the college as it undertakes “a thorough due diligence review of Cornish’s finances, holdings and assets, operations, compliance and legal obligations.”
The takeover comes as Cornish officials have said enrollment at the arts college has continued to fade, falling to just under 500 students. Last month, CHS reported on Cornish’s sale of its final physical connection to Capitol Hill as it agreed to sell the historic Kerry Hall studio and performance space to Seattle Theater Group for $6 million.
The addition of Cornish to the Seattle U family won’t change the direction of the arts college’s hopes for growth in South Lake Union. The schools said Thursday the plan is “continuing to educate students at its South Lake Union campus.” Continue reading