Presentation College is closing the doors at its Aberdeen campus.
The campus will cease operations after the summer semester, according to a press release from the college.
Three teach-out agreements with other higher educational institutions are in place to help students continue their degrees. An online nursing program will continue to be offered through Iowa-based St. Ambrose University.
Employees will be provided staggered end dates and final compensation "based upon their responsibilities," the release said.
“After careful evaluation of the sustainability of the College’s academic programs, and a thorough review of alternatives, the Board of Trustees and Presentation Sisters reluctantly decided to close the physical campus and implement Teach-Out programs as the most responsible way to steward students’ pathways to completing their degrees,” said Sister Mary Thomas, president of the Presentation Sisters Corporate Board. “We understand and share the heartbreak by our students, faculty, staff, alumni, and Aberdeen community, and we will work closely with them to succeed through this transition.”
The board began a year-long evaluation of the college's sustainability just before the COVID-19 pandemic began. Officials said the study identified many challenges to Presentation's growth, including its rural location and dependence on tuition revenue and gifts. The impact of COVID exacerbated these challenges.
The private college was founded in 1951 by the Presentation Sisters, a Catholic religious institution, with a focus on its nursing program. Other academic programs were added later.