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Another pair of Iowa private universities is expecting to merge in the coming years, with Morningside University announcing its intent to acquire St. Luke’s College-UnityPoint Health.
The Sioux City universities Tuesday announced plans to merge St. Luke’s College into Morningside through a “strategic acquisition,” according to a news release, where St. Luke’s will keep its name and be known as a Morningside location.
With the current timeline, approvals for the acquisition are set to come through by the end of the upcoming fall semester, after which St. Luke’s will continue to operate independently until it comes fully under the Morningside name by the end of 2026, according to the release.
“St. Luke’s College – UnityPoint Health is proud of our legacy of educating nurses and healthcare professionals,” said Jane Arnold, market president of UnityPoint Health-Sioux City, in the release. “This new collaboration with Morningside University will strengthen educational and employment opportunities for future healthcare professionals here in our community for many years to come.”
St. Ambrose University in Davenport and Mount Mercy University in Cedar Rapids have already completed the first step
in a strategic merger
, in which Mount Mercy will retain its campus and namesake but come under the ownership of St. Ambrose.
According to the release, current St. Luke’s students will receive teach-out plans to ensure they can complete their studies with little disruption. Those enrolling in the institution in the future will be able to participate in Morningside athletics and other extracurriculars, as well as use its campus housing.
St. Luke’s tuition and fees will remain at current rates through the 2026-27 academic year, the release stated, but financial aid will be “assessed on a case-by-case basis and will be dependent on what types of funding the student has been receiving.”
As for faculty, the release stated the institutions will form an evaluation process to “align staff and faculty roles with their evolving responsibilities.”
Health care degree programs will expand through the merger, the release stated, adding associate and bachelor degrees in nursing, associate degrees in radiologic technology and respiratory therapy and a program for imaging science modalities to existing bachelor degrees in radiologic technology and respiratory therapy and a certificate in medical laboratory science.
Jackie Barber, dean of the Morningside school of nursing and health sciences, said in the release she and others are excited to be able to expand their programs and bring in talent from St. Luke’s to study. The release stated Morningside will lease lab and teaching spaces from UnityPoint Health to maintain these programs.
“We are excited to welcome the students of St. Luke’s College into the Morningside University family,” Morningside University Interim President Chad Benson said in the release. “This is a pivotal moment for our nursing program, and we look forward to building on the strong foundation already established.”
This article first appeared in the
Iowa Capital Dispatch
.
