Dear friends of Mercyhurst, You probably know that Mercyhurst College, an institution that has been a vital part of the Erie community since 1926, is undergoing a monumental change—namely, transitioning from a college to a university since the Pennsylvania Department of Education (PDE) accepted our application for university status this February. As I reflect on how this process started, I’m reminded of the Mercyhurst motto of “Carpe Diem.” These two simple words inspire us to seize opportunities each and every day, whether it’s adding a new, state-of-the-art facility to campus, welcoming world-renowned experts to our faculty or adding exciting new programs to our academic offerings. In the past few years, this same spirit guided us to pursue the incredible opportunity to become a university. It was a big decision—but one that students, faculty, administrators, staff, alumni, trustees and community members wanted to work toward being that Mercyhurst already functions much like a university by offering associate degree programs at three branch campuses, seven graduate degree programs, online classes and off-site graduate certificate programs. These reasons, along with the fact that a “college” typically refers to a high school among our sizable international student population and that this designation will let us grow in many ways, led us to collectively submit an application to the PDE. You may be wondering what this means for Mercyhurst and its place within our community and our world. Before I answer that, I want to assure you that the core identity of our school will not change. We remain dedicated to preserving our strong liberal
arts foundation, providing each student with a high level of personalized attention and promoting the Mercy values on which we were founded. We will also remain engaged in our community and continue to offer a variety of athletic, educational and cultural events, often at no charge, to the public. What this transition will usher in is an opportunity to expand our degree offerings, increase our reputation both here and abroad, and be known for what we really are: an institution that has grown far beyond a simple four-year undergraduate college. Knowing this is big news to digest, we created this booklet to help you get a better idea of how this transition will play out. I hope it answers all of your questions and sincerely hope we’ll see you on campus during our celebration this fall. Feel free to visit mercyhurst.edu/university to learn more—and, as always, Carpe Diem. Best wishes,
Thomas J. Gamble, Ph.D. President