Dive Brief:
- Drexel University announced the closure of its Sacramento campus Thursday, saying it would stop accepting new students but phase out its programming so current students can graduate.
- University President John Fry told the Drexel community that the institution could best serve students by focusing on degree programs in Philadelphia and online, as well as new global partnerships.
- The Sacramento Bee reports that the Pennsylvania university initially hoped to expand its graduate degree programs onto land in Roseville, about 20 miles from Sacramento. The University of Warwick in England is now moving forward with plans for a future campus on the same lot.
Dive Insight:
Drexel University is not the first to try to reach far-off students with satellite programs. Many go overseas to reach new markets, but the Sacramento Bee also points to the University of Pennsylvania Wharton School of Business’ San Francisco campus as a similar Pennsylvania-to-California track. Drexel, however, seems to have concluded online degrees are a sufficient way to reach students who can’t make it to the flagship campus, and it obviously hopes to explore more global partnerships, rather than bi-coastal ones.
In a time of increasing competition for students, universities must focus on what they can do best. Drexel’s pivot will help it move in a new direction and give university leaders an opportunity to re-prioritize.