LA PLUME – Keystone College and Washington Institute for Education and Research (WIER), a nonprofit organization formed to further and support higher education, announced on Aug. 16 that they signed a merger agreement which, when fully executed, will combine the operations of Keystone under a newly formed subsidiary of WIER, while allowing Keystone to continue operations under its current educational mission.
This formal agreement follows the letter of intent that Keystone announced in May and will require the approval of the College’s accreditor, the Middle States Commission on Higher Education (MSCHE) before fully going into effect. MSCHE has been notified of the parties’ intentions and additional submissions to MSCHE will be made to support their review of the proposal.
Previously, Keystone announced that it had submitted all requested documentation to MSCHE to ‘show cause’ as to why its accreditation should remain in place. That review will take place prior to and independently of MSCHE’s review of the merger agreement. Approvals from the Pennsylvania Department of Education and the United States Department of Education, as well as the Pennsylvania Office of the Attorney General, will also be necessary. During these review periods, which could extend into the spring 2025, Keystone remains accredited and will continue operation of classes, as well as all other college activities and intercollegiate sports, and will continue to accept and enroll freshman and transfer students for the Fall 2024 and future semesters.
The proposed merger agreement will cause Keystone College to become a nonprofit subsidiary of WIER, with the day-to-day operations of the College and its academic mission remaining essentially unchanged. Additional details of the agreement will be made available after reviews by the necessary accrediting and regulatory agencies.
In March 2024, after two years of discussions, Keystone and WIER mutually agreed to discontinue previous arrangements for a potential alliance. Talks between the two organizations resumed later in the spring and led to the current agreement.
“We are extremely fortunate to have secured this new agreement with WIER as it offers Keystone College a viable and more secure future, something that was uncertain earlier this year,” said Keystone President John F. Pullo, Sr. “This commitment from WIER is a vital component in support of our continued conversations with Middle States as we work closely with them to retain our accreditation by reassuring them of Keystone’s stability. We believe it also offers a more definitive message to the entire community, especially prospective Keystone students, that Keystone remains open and will continue to build upon our 156-year legacy.”
“The entire College community is grateful to WIER for the shared commitment to Keystone’s future,” Pullo continued. “WIER embraced Keystone’s mission when we started our conversations two years ago. While we mutually decided in March to abandon the previous agreement, we also agreed to continue our discussions. Those talks solidified our collective determination to secure a path forward for Keystone.”
Pullo noted that the terms and conditions of the new agreement are better suited to achieving the combined objectives of growing the College and providing a high-quality educational experience to an even broader community of learners.
“American higher education is losing too many institutions like Keystone, which historically serve students for whom a college education changes their entire family’s trajectory. While we are dedicated to enhancing that mission, with WIER’s support, we are equally driven to being innovative with respect to the educational opportunities needed for today’s students in all areas, including online, international, and certifications,” Pullo added.
