Marian Court College to close

SWAMPSCOTT – Marian Court College, which last month handed out its first-ever four-year degrees, has announced that it is closing as a result of “insurmountable financial challenges,” said President Dr. Denise Hammon.?As a highly tuition-dependent education institution, Marian Court can no longer maintain our operations given declining enrollment numbers,” said Hammon.However, Hammon said, Salem State University has agreed to accept all students from Marian Court interested in going.?We appreciated that Dr. (Patricia Maguire) Meservey will accept all Marian Court students,” Hammon said. “We have some students who are going for their associate?s degrees, and others their bachelor?s in criminal justice or business.?It?s been a wonderful partnership that we?ve had with Dr. Meservey,” Hammon said.?We are proud to have been founded by the Sisters of Mercy and that every member of our faculty and staff have lived the Mercy mission every day. As an institution we are proud of our students as they also embody the Mercy charism.”The college will close its doors on June 26 unless it can get enough money to meet its financial obligations, Hammon said. The school also needs to allow for the completion of the current academic session.?It is with great sadness that I have had to make this announcement to faculty, staff and students,” Hammon said. “We are a small college with a big mission, both in the Catholic community and beyond.?We had such high hopes for the fall,” she said.Marian Court was established as a two-year college in 1964 and held its 50th graduation ceremony last month, with 67 graduates, including 41 who were awarded the school?s first four-year degrees, in business and criminal justice.?We are so proud and grateful for our faculty, administration and staff?s commitment and passion for providing quality education to students, 98 percent of whom are first generation in the United States,” said Hammon.?We know that as they transition to other educational opportunities, they will bring the spirit of Marian Court with them.”