UArts had explored a possible merger with Drexel two years ago — but it didn’t materialize

Drexel University and the University of the Arts about two years ago explored a partnership that could have included a merger, but it ultimately went nowhere.

Drexel president John A. Fry said UArts only wanted a partial partnership, and Drexel did not think that was enough.

“They were collegial talks,” Fry said, “but we weren’t headed in the same direction.”

» READ MORE: Temple University is exploring a potential merger to save University of the Arts, chairman says

If things had gone the other way, there’s no telling what it could have meant to the nearly 150-year-old arts university that closed for good on Friday, in the wake of financial woes. Temple University last week signed a nondisclosure agreement with UArts to explore a possible merger, but those types of arrangements typically take at least a year.

Where UARTs would be if it were under Drexel’s direction now is uncertain.

David Yager, who was president of UArts at the time of the talks with Drexel, did not respond to a request for comment.

» READ MORE: The University of the Arts is closing June 7, its president says

Fry said UArts wanted an “arms-length type of relationship.”

“We didn’t feel comfortable with that,” Fry said. “Our advice to them was if you are going to do this, you need to do this totally. We were looking for full engagement, not partial.”

A merger, he said, was one of the possibilities. Joint programs and joint degrees were another, he said. But he said the two universities parted the discussions in a friendly way.

» READ MORE: Drexel and Salus Universities have decided to proceed with a merger

Drexel has acquired other entities under Fry’s tenure as president, which began in 2010. In 2011, the university announced a merger with the Academy of Natural Sciences. Last year, Drexel announced it would proceed with a merger with Salus University, a small, private health sciences university based in Elkins Park. The two institutions are awaiting approval from the Middle States Commission on Higher Education, the accrediting body.

Fry said he was stunned to learn that UArts was closing so abruptly. Drexel quickly mobilized to see how it could help, reaching out to UArts leadership and Middle States, he said. The university was one of the first universities to become a designated school for UArts students and is listed as such on Middle States’ site.

Among other local institutions are Temple, La Salle, St. Joseph’s, Rowan, Thomas Jefferson and Pennsylvania State Universities, Delaware County Community College, Moore College of Art and Design, and Ursinus College.

“We worked through the weekend (after the closure was announced) to finalize a Teach-Out Agreement with UArts carefully identifying educational equivalent programs at Drexel for UArts,” Drexel said.

More than 200 UArts students have participated over the last week in virtual sessions that Drexel has held for families, the school said. The university also has held 40 one-on-one sessions with students.

Drexel is planning an immediate decision day for the students this week and will extend its 50% tuition discount program to them, the university said. The university in 2022 announced the tuition discount guarantee for those who meet admission requirements and have an associate’s degree from a Pennsylvania or New Jersey community college.