Johnson & Wales to close campuses in Florida and Colorado
Johnson & Wales University Campus in North Miami, Florida. (Photo: Google Earth)
PROVIDENCE, R.I. - Johnson & Wales University will close its Florida and Colorado campuses at the end of the next academic year as it pivots away from its image as a hospitality and culinary school to expand its academic offerings, the Rhode Island-based school announced Thursday.
“We are excited about maintaining our roots in culinary and hospitality but also growing beyond that to attract a broader reach of students, students who are interested in many other areas," Chancellor Mim Runey said.
The university’s trustees decided that the North Miami and Denver campuses were not financially sustainable.
The coronavirus pandemic may have accelerated the decision to close the campuses, but was not the deciding factor, Runey told The Providence Journal.
When the Florida and Colorado campuses close in the summer of 2021, students will have the option to transfer to the flagship campus in Providence or the Charlotte, North Carolina campus.
In order to broaden its academic offerings, Runey said the university plans to bring on several new deans and seek accreditation for some departments, including engineering and design, the arts, and health and science.
The school continues to work on its fall pandemic learning plan.