There has been an increase in higher education serving institutions closure, especially after COVID-19 pandemic. Al Día News previously reported that the University of Sciences merged into Saint Joseph’s University, making a proper announcement in June 2021, and most recently Chatfield College. The college will shift its focus from being a two-year Catholic institution to assisting disadvantaged students by providing career counseling, financial support for collegiate endeavors, and finding other forms of financial assistance. 

In a statement released Monday, Fall 2022 will be the final semester for academic classes at Over-the-Rhine campus in Cincinnati and St. Martin campus in Brown County, Ohio. 

“We have always operated on the principle that we are successful if our students end up in a better place than where we met them. Even with this transition, that is still the heart of our mission. It’s part of a 177-year legacy started by the Ursulines of Brown County,” said Chatfield College President Robert Elmore. “There are ways for us to deliver on this mission for many years to come, but to do that, we must make a change and adapt to today’s declining enrollment and demographic trends.”

The transition to a nonprofit agency will start in January 2023, and will begin with only three full-time employees, according to Chatfield in a statement.