Goodwin Completes Bridgeport Acquisition | Inside Higher Ed

Goodwin University announced Monday that it has completed its $32 million acquisition of most of the academic programs and real estate of the University of Bridgeport.

The University of Bridgeport, a private nonprofit institution located in Bridgeport, Conn., will keep its name and continue to operate as an independent institution — with its own leadership and Board of Trustees — under the ownership of Goodwin University. Goodwin is a private nonprofit institution located in East Hartford, Conn.

The first order of business for Bridgeport’s new Board of Trustees was to appoint Danielle Wilken, former provost and dean of faculty at Goodwin, as Bridgeport’s 12th president.

“I am honored to have the opportunity to lead UB in this next chapter as we help our students grow both personally and professionally to achieve their goals,” Wilken said in a press release. “I look forward to working with members of our faculty, staff and the City of Bridgeport to continue to make UB a supportive and diverse learning environment that serves the needs of our students and the community.”

The deal to acquire Goodwin was first announced in the summer of 2020 and originally involved Sacred Heart University, Goodwin and the Paier College of Art, each of which were to take on several University of Bridgepoint programs.

Sacred Heart University later pulled out of the arrangement, leaving the remaining partners to reshuffle the deal. Earlier this year, Paier said it was changing its name to Paier College and it planned to relocate to Bridgeport in anticipation of the deal winning regulatory approval.