Pine Manor College and Boston College have signed a Memorandum of Understanding that will integrate the two institutions in a common mission to serve underrepresented, first-generation, low-income students.
Under the agreement, Brookline-based Pine Manor College, renowned for serving underrepresented populations, will join forces with Boston College, a Jesuit, Catholic university with longstanding success in educating immigrant and first-generation students, in an educational partnership of mutual benefit that will accelerate and expand Pine Manor College’s mission.
The agreement will establish the Pine Manor Institute for Student Success, endowed with $50 million from Boston College, which will fund outreach and academic support programs for underserved, low-income students. It will be guided by the legacy and ideals of Pine Manor College, whose motto “Educating with Purpose” aligns with Boston College’s motto “Ever to Excel.”
Key offices at Boston College engaged in supporting low-income students, including Learning to Learn, Options through Education, and the Thea Bowman AHANA and Intercultural Center, will be placed under the umbrella of the Pine Manor Institute for Student Success. The Institute will also link students to such BC campus programs as the Monserrat Coalition, the Volunteer and Service Learning Center, Appalachia Volunteers, and 4Boston.
Pending approval by accreditors and appropriate state agencies, Boston College will assume responsibility for Pine Manor College along with its assets and liabilities. Pine Manor College students will be able to remain at their school in a “teach out” agreement for a period of up to two years. Students currently deposited or enrolled at Pine Manor College will be able to continue their Associate of Arts or Bachelor of Arts degree programs in classes taught by Pine Manor College faculty on the Pine Manor College campus. Boston College will subsidize Pine Manor College’s cost of operations to support the “teach out.” Pine Manor College students who gain admission to Boston College’s Woods College of Advancing Studies can finish their Bachelor of Arts degree at Boston College. All Pine Manor College students will continue to receive the financial aid necessary to meet their cost of attendance.
According to the MOU, Pine Manor College faculty and staff not engaged in the continued functioning of Pine Manor College can apply for positions at Boston College. Pine Manor faculty and staff not retained will be eligible for outplacement assistance and severance. In addition, Pine Manor College alumnae will be engaged in fostering knowledge of the history and contributions of Pine Manor College.
“Boston College and Pine Manor College are joining forces to advance the crucial mission of expanding educational opportunities for traditionally underserved and underrepresented students,” said Pine Manor College President Thomas O’Reilly. “Boston College brings strength, stability, outstanding programs and faculty, and a proven track record in serving this important demographic of students. Pine Manor College brings a distinctive educational model of proven success for underserved, underrepresented first-generation students owing to outstanding faculty and staff, programming, and a commitment to social justice. It is a win-win for both institutions that will help preserve the mission and heritage of Pine Manor College through the Pine Manor Institute for Student Success at Boston College.”
“These two schools have been neighboring institutions for more than a century, and each recognizes the vital importance of educating the whole person and building a more just and humane society,” said Boston College President William P. Leahy, S.J. “Pine Manor College’s focus on helping underrepresented and underserved students obtain college degrees clearly fits with Boston College’s origins and continued commitment to recruiting and graduating talented students of various backgrounds and interests who face challenges in their pursuit of higher education. This agreement reflects the changing realities in American higher education, and offers possibilities and opportunities for Pine Manor College, Boston College, and our world.”
Pine Manor College is a private four-year liberal arts college situated in the Chestnut Hill section of Brookline, only a few miles outside of Boston. For more than 100 years, Pine Manor College has provided a student-focused education and tailored mentoring grounded in the liberal arts tradition through four core areas of study in Healthcare and Biomedical Sciences, Business and Management, Early Childhood Education, and Humanities and Social Sciences.
Boston College is a private, Jesuit, Catholic university located in Chestnut Hill. Founded in 1863, Boston College is one of the nation’s best liberal arts universities, offering undergraduate and graduate programs through its eight schools and colleges: the Morrissey College of Arts and Sciences; Carroll School of Management; Lynch School of Education and Human Development; Connell School of Nursing; Woods College of Advancing Studies; Law School; School of Social Work; and School of Theology and Ministry.
Jack Dunn | University Communications | May 2020