The Autumn 2016 issue of In Trust, recently sent out to subscribers, features a special section on mergers, partnerships, and alliances. This special section features an interview with Tom Ingram, president emeritus of the Association of Governing Boards of Universities and Colleges, on how to conduct a merger.

Additionally, the issue highlights eight schools in various stages and iterations of mergers or partnerships:

1. One school exited the Graduate Theological Union to form an agreement with the University of San Diego.

2. A seminary in South Carolina merged with a university in North Carolina, allowing the seminary to gain financial stability while the university acquired a new campus in another state.

3. A Mennonite Brethren seminary and university merged quickly in 2010 and have since had to work out the details of their agreement.

4. A seminary and a Christian college, with complementary missions and close proximity, entered into a natural marriage.

5. Two Lutheran seminaries with a long history are currently in the process of consolidating. Their respective presidents offer a reflection on the process so far.

6. Two theological institutions are offering a joint D.Min. program, despite the distance between the two schools.

7. In Calgary, two colleges (one with a seminary, the other without) have merged and built a new home for undergraduates and seminarians alike. 

8. In Richmond, Virginia, two theological schools merged way back in 1995. Their federation has been an ongoing process for the last 20 years.

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For even more on this subject, check out past In Trust articles that detailed various types of mergers and how to pursue them: "Due diligence" and "Forging partnerships." (You will need to log in to access these articles.)