By Paula Pyzik Scott
A Town Hall session regarding the recently announced merger of Bluffton University and the University of Findlay began a community conversation about how and why this change is taking place. Some key details were revealed and concerns from the larger university community including former faculty and alumni were expressed.
Bluffton University President Dr. Jane Wood and University of Findlay President Dr. Catherine Fell sat side by side at Yoder Recital Hall on March 26 to field questions submitted in advance and from the audience. Persons with statements to make were asked to submit them in writing. Individuals were limited to one question with the initial expectation that the event would be one hour. Instead an intermission was taken and all questions were addressed.
The focus of this article is to review the specific questions asked at this meeting. A larger presentation on the merger is available at www.findlayblufftonfuture.com/
Early in the dialogue, Wood said bluntly that “Findlay isn’t buying Bluffton” like an orange or an eggplant. The possibility that Findlay would sell off Bluffton University assets is not part of the plan. Fell explained that the merger would make both campuses “more powerful for moving into new markets.”
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