Dive Brief:
- Oak Point University, a healthcare-focused institution in Chicago, will shutter next month, giving students little forewarning.
- Lewis University in Romeoville, Illinois, said Wednesday it established a teach-out agreement to accept students of the closing university, and all credits earned toward a degree at Oak Point will transfer.
- In recent years, Oak Point has faced declining enrollment and increased monitoring from the state nursing board and its accreditor.
Dive Insight:
Therese Scanlan, president of Oak Point, informed the campus community that the college would close April 19 in an email Wednesday, NBC Chicago reported.
“It comes in response to a series of factors that have affected our University. Despite the tireless efforts of our faculty, staff, and the unwavering support of our alumni and friends, the challenges we face are beyond what we can surmount in our current form," she wrote.
Oak Point did not respond to a request for comment Friday. Its public contact form has been closed, and its social media pages appear to have been deleted.
The institution, previously known as Resurrection University, offers undergraduate degrees in fields like nursing and radiography, as well as a nursing graduate program.
In 2023, the Higher Learning Commission, Oak Point’s accreditor, said that too few of the university’s students passed a national nursing exam — a fact that could put its licensure status at risk.
In Illinois, colleges that offer practical nursing programs must have at least 75% of their students each year pass what’s known as the National Council Licensure Examination, or NCLEX.
From 2019 to 2022, Oak Point’s pass rate fell below 75%, dropping as low as 62% in 2021, according to the Illinois Department of Financial and Professional Regulation. The department subsequently put Oak Point on probation.
Oak Point also failed to publish its accreditation probationary status with the Illinois nursing licensing board, HLC said at the time. It ultimately raised its pass rate to 81% in 2023.
The university experienced a dramatic decline in enrollment since the pandemic. In fall 2022, it had 429 students, down from 860 in fall 2019, according to federal data.
David Livingston, president of Lewis, called Oak Point's decision to close painful and said his university is dedicated to providing displaced students with a smooth transition.
“Lewis University is especially well positioned to serve in this role because of the significant overlap between our mutual nursing and healthcare programs and the fact that our Oak Brook campus is only a few blocks away from their Oak Brook location,” Livingston said in a statement.
Lewis will keep students' tuition the same, and it will also house Oak Point's student transcripts.
