Time to celebrate as The Mount has become a university

As of Jan. 1 College of Mount Saint Vincent was renamed the University of Mount Saint Vincent. On Jan. 22, the university will announce the news to the world with a celebration.

The qualifications for a university were revised in 2022 by the New York State Board of Regents. The old regulations stated a university must offer degrees in two or more fields as well as doctoral programs in at least three fields.

The amendment statement reads, “University means a higher educational institution offering a range of registered undergraduate and graduate curricula in the liberal arts and sciences, including graduate programs registered in at least three of the following discipline areas: agriculture, biological sciences, business, education, engineering, fine arts, health professions, humanities, physical sciences and social sciences.”

President Susan Burns said that when the guidelines where changed the Mount already qualified for university status but they prolonged the name change because they wanted to confer with the community.

“For our research we surveyed our current students, our alums, our trustees, our friends of the college and so forth,” said Burns.

“We found that there was an overwhelming support and understanding that by changing from college to university status it would enhance our reputation and our marketability and opportunities for the university both nationally and internationally.”

According to Burns, the school is really looking to expand into the international community for their higher education offerings and their rebrand will include marketing abroad.

It is worth mentioning that according to the federal student aid webpage, most international students are not eligible for financial aid and as such they pay the full price tag of tuition,  bringing more money into schools. 

University of Mount Saint Vincent is among others in the state to upgrade their status from college to university. Included on the list are Molloy University, Mercy University, Empire State University, State Universitty of New York at Oswego, and State University of New York at New Paltz.

“I think the Mount has had a strong reputation for many years and we’ve received recognition for the work we’ve been doing,” Burns said referring to the last year which brought many accolades for the school.

Last year the New York Times Magazine ranked the school fourth on their list of Top U.S. Colleges with the greatest economic diversity. At the same time, they were listed first on the U.S. News and World Report’s list of top performers for social mobility in the Northeast.

Burns believes that on top of the recognition they are already receiving their newfound university status allows them to expand into a broader market. The school’s focus on expansion has been ongoing and this is one in a number of changes occurring.

Beginning in fall of 2024 the school will accept 100 students into their Seton College. That will mark the return of the school’s associate degree program. Seton College will offer four distinct paths to an associate of arts degrees in liberal arts, medical, business, and social sciences. The opening of this program is made possible through a partnership with the Come to Believe Network. The nonprofit “assists higher education institutions in developing and launching two-year programs that provide pathways for underserved students to receive four-year degrees” according to a statement released by the Mount. 

Prior to their name change, in November 2023 the school partnered with Saint Joseph’s Medical Center to name the Saint Joseph’s School of Nursing at Mount Saint Vincent. This partnership is supported by a $2.5 million donation from the hospital and will help bolster the school’s nursing eduction initiatives.

In more recent news the Mount has partnered with Open Unviersity of Malayasia. The school released a statement about the partnership on Jan. 8 stating: “Together, the two universities will join forces to share students, resources, faculty members, and programs both old and new — creating a global exchange of information and sparking new ideas and objectives.”

When asked about any other partnerships or plans in the works, President Burns says to “stay tuned.”