Bluffton University and the University of Findlay on March 20 announced plans to merge the two institutions.

Findlay President Katherine Fell and Bluffton President Jane Wood announced they have signed a memorandum of understanding declaring the intention to become one higher education community on two campuses. The decision was made by votes of each institution’s Board of Trustees. The merger is anticipated to be completed by fall 2025.

Findlay intends to remain affiliated with the Churches of God, General Conference, and Bluffton intends to remain affiliated with Mennonite Church USA.

Students and employees would benefit from access to expanded resources on both campuses located 20 miles apart in Northwest Ohio. A goal of the proposed merger is to innovate in response to the changing climate of higher education while honoring individual campus traditions.

Pending NCAA approval, Findlay will continue to participate in NCAA Division II as the Oilers, while Bluffton will continue in Division III as the Beavers. This is a model other schools are following successfully.

“We’re all aware that higher education is facing significant changes and challenges,” Fell said. “These times call upon us to be innovative and forward-thinking. From a vantage point in the future, we will look back at this moment in the history of higher education as one that required new approaches and bold actions. I believe this merger will prove to be both.”

Wood said: “Our early interactions have made clear that we share a commitment to preparing generations of students to find and live out their callings. By combining the best of pre-professional and liberal arts programs, our institutions will become even better at equipping future students to discover and to research what will ultimately bring meaning and purpose to their lives. We are stronger together.”

Regulatory approvals for the merger are estimated to take 12-15 months.

Findlay offers more than 88 bachelor’s degrees, 11 master’s degrees and five doctorate degree programs from a 403-acre campus. It has an average annual enrollment of 3,500 students, including nearly 400 international students.

Bluffton has an average annual enrollment of 700 students on its 65-acre campus and offers more than 90 majors, minors and interdisciplinary programs for undergraduates, as well as graduate programs in business, education, nutrition and dietetics, organizational management and social work.

More information is at FindlayBlufftonFuture.com.