Chapman, Western Universities End Merger Talks
Chapman University in Orange and Western University of Health Services in Pomona have ended plans for a merger because of disagreements over issues such as the proposed name and governing structure of the new institution, the Los Angeles Times reports. The proposed merger was first announced in February 2003, after which both schools formed task forces to decide how best to complete the merger. According to the Times, Chapman President James Doti said the proposed merger was appealing to him because of the prospect of bringing Western's nationally accredited health science programs under Chapman's control at a time when the health industry is growing, while Philip Pumerantz, Western's president, said merging with Chapman would have improved Western's financial base. Chapman has 3,500 undergraduate and 1,350 graduate students, and Western has 1,500 graduate students. According to the Times, both presidents said their institutions would "rebound easily" (Rubin, Los Angeles Times, 3/19).
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