On April 25 the Lewis community received some good news. Lewis University is planning on merging with St. Augustine College in Chicago.
St. Augustine College was founded in 1980 as the first Hispanic bilingual higher education institution in the Midwest. The merger won unanimous approval from the University’s Board of Trustees and the Christian Brothers Midwest District.
With the new merger, Lewis is hoping to provide access to a Lasallian education to a wider range of students. St. Augustine students will benefit from the program options in the bilingual format built upon the expertise of Lewis University.
Students at Lewis will not experience a disruption in their schedules or routines however new opportunities for those from St. Augustine will arise.
The plan is to begin planning and implementation activities while continuing to operate as individual institutions until the regulatory agencies approve the merger. The university’s goal is to begin operating as a unified Lewis University by spring 2024. Once the merger is complete, St. Augustine College students, faculty, and staff will be apart of Lewis University within the university’s new division called “St. Augustine College at Lewis University”.
Assistant Director for Advising Liseth Chavez comments on the news.
“The merger between Lewis University and St. Augustine is a continuous reminder that the spirit of Association should always be at the forefront for more students to have equitable, accessible and enriching college experiences” said Chavez.
Both of the schools in combination offer over 125 degree programs, have multiple locations, and have a combined operating budget of $170 billion with a $100 million endowment.
Photo Credits: Lewis University
