St. Gregory's, state's only Catholic university, to close at end of semester

SHAWNEE — St. Gregory’s University students were called to an emergency meeting Wednesday afternoon and told the school will close at the end of the fall semester.

“With great sadness, the Board of Directors of St. Gregory’s University voted today to suspend operations effective at the close of the fall semester 2017,” the Rev. Don Wolf, board chairman, said in a statement posted Wednesday on the university’s website.

“Our main concern at this moment is for our students, staff, and faculty who will be profoundly impacted by this decision. The University is working with several colleges to facilitate student transfers in an attempt to minimize disruption in our students’ lives. Please keep them in your prayers,” Wolf said.

The board made “the difficult, but necessary,” decision following the denial of a loan application to the U.S. Department of Agriculture, according to the announcement. “Without this component in the financial plan, the ability to sustain the university at this point is not possible. The Board of Directors continues to work actively to resolve financial difficulties and to explore possible partnerships in order to move forward.”

Established in 1875, St. Gregory’s is a private liberal arts college and Oklahoma’s only Catholic university.

Read more: http://www.tulsaworld.com/homepagelatest/st-gregory-s-state-s-only-catholic-university-to-close/article_393e01b4-bcff-5b3b-91ea-a0fff166defc.html