Above: Dr. Amy Novak, president of SAU and Dr. Todd Olson, president of MMU. Photo courtesy of St. Ambrose University Communications and Marketing.
If you’ve ever wondered whether it is possible to achieve the small school feel with all the perks of a bigger university, look no further than St. Ambrose’s new partnership with Mount Mercy University, a vision unveiled by both organizations at faculty and student forums.
On May 6th, 2024, Dr. Amy Novak, President of SAU, announced a new initiative that will begin as soon as next semester called Education Together.
SAU sophomore and Student Body Vice President, Jack Day, says he has a positive outlook on working with Mount Mercy. “This new partnership will benefit our university in several ways. There will be improved accessibility to undergraduate courses as well as additional graduate programs…On top of that, as with any partnership, the two universities and their students will be able to learn and grow together, whether that is joint Campus Ministry retreats or service trips, joint leadership work between student governments, expanded internship opportunities, or something else!”
In partnership with the president of Mount Mercy, Dr. Todd Olson, Dr. Novak says this new program will allow collaboration between the two universities in many ways. They say the biggest draw is that students of both universities will eventually be able to take certain online and hybrid classes offered by either school.
“In the current higher education environment, this type of work represents a bold and proactive approach to capitalize on the current academic and financial strength of both Mount Mercy and St. Ambrose,” Novak stated.
First-year admissions counselor, Emily Hannon said, “Both MMU and SAU will be able to offer students access to our most popular majors and degrees, and expanded experiential learning opportunities so students can land great careers.”
Organizers say that this collaboration, which has been in the works for over a year, will allow for much more than shared classes. Students, traditional and non-traditional alike, can expect reduced time in degree completion, moving seamlessly from undergraduate to graduate programs at either institution, and having better opportunities to get into classes they would have otherwise been waitlisted for.
A Wednesday, May 8, forum with student leaders from various campus organizations, Novak shared more about the benefits of joining forces with Mount Mercy. It turns out the benefits don’t stop with finance or academics.
Students discussed other possibilities in athletics and fine arts, and how having additional students, perspectives, and resources could be an advantage for students of either university.
Day emphasized the fact that this program is still under development. “I think students in general are still very curious about this. Even more-informed student leaders like myself and others who were in that meeting on Wednesday are curious to see how things unfold. Hopefully as soon as this summer, though, we know some more specifics!”
Hannon is equally excited to see how this partnership will take shape over time. “As an admissions representative, I’m looking forward to sharing these benefits with prospective students, and I believe they will positively influence their decision-making process, reaffirming St. Ambrose University as a top choice.”
For those worried about how St. Ambrose will maintain its unique identity during this time of combining with Mount Mercy, never fear, the schools will remain distinct and individual.
“We’ll still play each other in sports; it’ll still be the Fighting Bees and the Mustangs forever,” affirmed Olson to St. Ambrose student leaders.
While St. Ambrose will remain the Fighting Bees and Mount Mercy University will remain the Mustangs, the phrase “Fighting Bees and Mustangs” will certainly take on a new meaning as Education Together takes shape over the next few years.
Click here for more information regarding the partnership between St. Ambrose and Mount Mercy:
https://www.sau.edu/about-us/education-together
https://www.mtmercy.edu/edutogether/index
Click here to see what the Mount Mercy Times wrote about the new partnership:
