2 Iowa Catholic universities are merging, offering a model for Catholic higher ed's future

CEDAR RAPIDS, Iowa (OSV News) -- St. Ambrose University in Davenport and Mount Mercy University in Cedar Rapids have reached a major milestone in their journey to fully combine, which their presidents believe serves as a model for Catholic higher education.

The two universities are located about 85 miles apart in eastern Iowa.

Presidents Amy Novak of St. Ambrose and Todd Olson of Mount Mercy signed their historic agreement June 27 during a news conference in Mount Mercy's University Center Commons.

Witnessing the signing were board members, faculty and staff of both institutions, alumni, Archbishop Thomas R. Zinkula of Dubuque, Bishop Dennis G. Walsh of Davenport, other clergy and Sisters of Mercy, whose religious community founded Mount Mercy.

"We are here to celebrate the successful completion of Step 1 in a two-step process that will bring our two historic Catholic universities into one shared circle of mission, vision and service," Novak told the gathering. "With the conclusion of this first step, St. Ambrose University now serves as the corporate owner of Mount Mercy University. This action is not a diminishment of one university or the other, but rather, a bold affirmation that together we are stronger."

The two universities anticipate fully combining in summer 2026, pending approval of the U.S. Department of Education.

St. Ambrose University, founded in 1882, and Mount Mercy, founded in 1928, share roots and similar missions as two long-standing independent, private and not-for-profit Catholic universities.

Cost savings and more efficient operations are expected if the strategic combination is approved, ideally allowing both institutions to continue to serve their student populations, communities and region for many years to come.

St. Ambrose University's enrollment for 2024-25 was 2,498 total students. The university offers 58 academic programs. Mount Mercy University's enrollment for 2024-25 was 1,402. The university offers 57 undergraduate programs (46 majors; 11 offered as minors only) and nine graduate programs.

Acknowledging the challenges facing higher education -- such as a shrinking population of traditional college-age students -- Novak and Olson chose to take a proactive approach.

"What we're doing is highly unusual," Novak said. What's the "secret ingredient" that makes it work?

"First of all, you always start conversations at Perkins (Restaurant). Secondly, you make sure there's plenty of cottage cheese and pineapple, we both like that. It's a real Midwestern thing," she quipped. "And lastly, you enter a conversation in a place of humility and respect."

Buttressing their collaboration are more than 20 integration teams represented by faculty, staff, students, alumni members and community leaders. Diocesan leaders also are crucial partners because St. Ambrose is the Davenport Diocese's university.

"So many of us have persevered -- have labored together, and we know that God is laboring with us as we craft a new and exciting and sustainable future for Catholic higher education in eastern Iowa and beyond," Olson said.

"As we now move toward Step Two, a full institutional combination following federal approvals, we remain rooted in the belief that our combined strength can more powerfully serve students, uphold our Catholic identity, and extend mercy and justice to the margins of our society," Novak said.

"Last August, we stood together in this room and made a commitment to travel this road together. Now, nearly a year into that promise, we have crossed a transformative bridge -- and Mount Mercy has become a vital part of St. Ambrose," Olson told the gathering. "As we join together, we keep our mission and our students at the center of our vision and our plans."

The integration of the two universities also provides new opportunities for meeting the needs of health care, business, education and public life.

"A number of initiatives are being launched that we believe position this part of Iowa to be a foothold, a stronghold if you will, for Catholic higher education," Novak said in a promotional video aired during the news conference. "This is a model of how Catholic higher education could strengthen itself across not just the ecosystem of eastern Iowa, but across the larger region and probably across the country."

The celebration began, appropriately, with Mass on the feast of the Sacred Heart of Jesus in the Chapel of Mercy on Mount Mercy's campus.

"It is so fitting that we come together today and begin in this place -- that both grounds us and energizes us as we prepare to journey together," Olson said before Mass, at which Archbishop Zinkula presided and Bishop Walsh concelebrated. Six priests representing both universities also concelebrated.

Archbishop Zinkula, who previously led the Davenport Dio­cese, described the integration process as beginning with courtship, which led to the universities' engagement last year and now, marriage this year.

Bishop Walsh, who gave the homily, connected the readings for the day with the union between St. Ambrose and Mount Mercy. Catholic education, rather than being "the mere education of workers … is the human formation of persons -- made in the image and likeness of God -- a God who loves us," Bishop Walsh said.

"It is the unrelenting pursuit of the truth. It is knowledge informed by faith -- not in contradiction. Who will help humanity to find its heart again, unless the Church is the one to proclaim it in all of her ministries, missions and apostolates? The Cath­olic voice is a necessary one in higher education. It is worth preserving," Bishop Walsh continued.

All involved in the integration have put forth extraordinary effort to "preserve Catholic higher education in Iowa," the bishop said. "Bureaucracy does not make it easy. The commitment of men, women, religious, faculty and staff have gone to extraordinary lengths to preserve a Catholic voice in education. … How would the world know of the extraordinary love of Jesus Christ if it were not for the church and her institutions to proclaim it."

Strategic combination is "a great way to support students in a much more holistic model," said Sarah Rissler, director of Student Success for St. Am­brose Uni­versity. "We're able to support their interests in Cedar Rapids and in the Quad Cities."

Following the news conference, she headed out to meet with one of her colleagues employed on the Mount Mercy campus in tutoring support.

"There's just so many opportunities, I feel, to support students where they're at, with what they need, and with their changing goals as they're coming into adulthood," Rissler told The Catholic Messenger, Davenport's diocesan news outlet. "At such a transformational time for students, we want to be able to provide transformational experiences."