Urbana University to close due to coronavirus challenges, low enrollment

URBANA — Urbana University will close after the current spring semester, due to challenges brought on by the coronavirus pandemic and years of low enrollment. "The global coronavirus pandemic has added a level of stress and uncertainty to Urbana's prospects that make it impossible to sustain," the university said in a news release Tuesday. The private university in Champaign County is a branch campus of Franklin University in Columbus, where academic programming from Urbana will be moved. The Urbana campus currently serves 1,254 students, the university's news release said. The majority of those students — 75 percent — are enrolled in programs such as College Credit Plus, in which high school and middle school students can earn college credit, and their instruction does not occur on the Urbana campus. The remaining 350 residential and commuter students will be able to complete their academic programs online through Franklin University. Those seeking to transfer will be assisted in doing so. "Our highest priority is to ensure students experience a seamless transition of their academic studies and that our branch campus employees have the resources to make their transition as well," Franklin University President David Decker, said in the news release. "As institutions of higher education across the country struggle to identify ways to stay open, we will do all we can to help students identify the best alternative forward to fulfill their education goals in an affordable manner." The closure affects 111 full-time employees, the university said. "A number of full-time employees" will be offered employment at Franklin University, but officials did not specify how many. Those who will not continue at Franklin will be offered severance packages. ——— ©2020 The Columbus Dispatch (Columbus, Ohio) Visit The Columbus Dispatch (Columbus, Ohio) at www.dispatch.com Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.