Paier College of Art in Hamden announced it is moving to Bridgeport as part of a campus co-location setup with Goodwin University, and will change its name to Paier College.
Paier College will remain an independent institution and plans to transition its operations to the University of Bridgeport campus over the summer in advance of the fall semester, according to Paier.
“As we evaluated the best path forward to achieve our long-term goals, it became clear that changing our name to embrace the growth of our programs and relocating to Bridgeport would offer the greatest benefits to our current and future students and faculty,” Paier President Joseph Bierbaum said.
Under a memorandum of understanding signed last June, Goodwin, Fairfield-based Sacred Heart and Paier College would have co-located programs on UB’s campus and purchase all of the school’s property and programs. They also agreed to honor credits earned by students at each other’s schools, creating a university park setup.
The deal originally had Sacred Heart buying three buildings and UB’s post-graduate education and engineering programs, along with its chiropractic and nutrition certificate programs. However, Sacred Heart stepped away from the project in October and Goodwin is buying those buildings and programs.
Under the arrangement, Paier will occupy the Arnold Bernhard Center for Arts & Humanities and the Cooper Hall Dormitory along with two additional buildings on the southwest side of the campus, according to the college.
The New England Commission of Higher Education (NECHE) and Goodwin announced in December that NECHE approved “a substantive change proposal that will result in a change of ownership for University of Bridgeport.” Under current plans, the University of Bridgeport will maintain its name and operate autonomously and have its own president and board [installed by Goodwin], but will fall under the umbrella of Goodwin.