Laureate Education Announces Transfer of Ownership of Walden University
Dear Walden University Students,
Laureate Education, the parent organization of Walden University, has announced an agreement to transfer the ownership of Walden University to Adtalem Global Education. You can read the press announcement here. The Board of Walden University, the governing body of the University that is charged with maintaining its accreditation and academic standards, supports the decision of Laureate Education to transfer ownership of Walden University which requires regulatory reviews and approvals, including that of the U.S. Department of Education and the Higher Learning Commission. We expect the review and approval process will take between 12 and 18 months.
I want to make sure you know that this announcement does not change anything about your educational experience at Walden: both Walden and Adtalem have made it a priority that you continue to have the same strong academic programs and experience you have come to expect from our university. The transfer of ownership does not affect your financial aid or Walden’s Title IV financial aid authorization. Walden will retain its current accreditations with the Higher Learning Commission, as well as all of its current programmatic and national accreditations. There will not be any changes in your curriculum or additional time to graduation due to the change in ownership.
Once approved, Adtalem will complete its acquisition of Walden University as an institution with all programs and assets, and Walden University will continue as a stand-alone institution owned by Adtalem. Walden will retain its same name, current students will continue in their degree programs, and the university will continue to provide outstanding student-centered services and support.
Adtalem Global Education is the parent organization of Chamberlain University, Ross University School of Medicine, Ross University School of Veterinary Medicine, American University of the Caribbean School of Medicine, Association of Certified Anti-Money Laundering Specialists, Becker Professional Education, EduPristine, and OnCourse Learning. They have 6,700 employees and operate 26 campus locations.
One area where there is strong alignment is in health sciences, particularly nursing. With this transfer of ownership, Walden joins Adtalem’s extensive network and becomes part of a family of on-ground and online educational institutions.
Walden and Adtalem also share a mission of providing access to education that transforms lives, careers, and communities. Both Walden and Adtalem have a long-standing commitment of serving lifelong learners who can, in turn, make real and lasting change that improves the world. And, Walden and Adtalem believe that education empowers students to achieve their goals, find success, and drive positive social change in our global community. Because of this, I believe that together Walden and Adtalem will build on a shared commitment to deliver the highest quality education and student support services.
Your continued success is the single most important thing to all of us at both Walden and Adtalem. To assist with a smooth transition, the upcoming weeks will include opportunities for you to learn more. You have my commitment to communicate consistently and with transparency throughout the transition. If you have questions in the meantime, please reach out to your academic advisor or contact [email protected]. If you are interested in becoming a Walden University student, our Enrollment Specialists stand ready to answer any questions you may have and look forward to hearing from you.
All of us at Walden are pleased that this agreement will provide you – and the entire Walden community – with continued access to innovative and rigorous higher education opportunities with an organization that shares our values, mission, and focus on providing adult learners with the quality education needed to achieve career and life-changing goals.
Sincerely,
Dr. Ward Ulmer
President
Walden University
Contact Walden
- Current and prospective students can email questions to: [email protected]
- Media inquiries can be sent to: [email protected]
FAQ - What it Means for Walden Students
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Walden University and Adtalem share a mission of providing access to quality higher education with a focus on service to communities and the underserved. We both believe that education empowers students to achieve their goals, find success, and drive positive social change in our global community.
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Adtalem has let us know their intention is to have the school continue as Walden University, which is of course a name with a 50-year reputation for quality, access, and social change.
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Walden’s accreditation with the Higher Learning Commission remains in place, as does all our current programmatic and national accreditations. Our accreditations are granted based on the quality of our programs, the academic excellence of our faculty, and the focus we have on our students—not on whether we are owned by Laureate Education or Adtalem.
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There will not be any additional time to graduation due to the change in ownership. As always, graduation depends on each individual student’s pace of study and progress through their program.
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After the completion of the transfer of ownership, your degree will still be granted by Walden University.
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Nothing—the change in ownership structure will have no impact on Walden’s currently enrolled students.
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As always, currently enrolled students will continue to follow the degree requirements for their program as outlined in the Walden University catalog for the academic year in which they were admitted. While the catalog notes that the university reserves the right to change any offering or requirement, neither Walden nor Adtalem have indicated they intend to do so as a result of this transfer of ownership.
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Institutions of higher education make decisions to add to and phase out courses, programs, degrees and certificates based on the needs of businesses and the demands of students all the time. Walden has added programs and degrees and phased out others throughout its 50-year history. In purchasing Walden, Adtalem is making a significant investment to acquire our university because of the strength of our entire university, the quality of our programs, and the focus we have on the success of our students. Maintaining this strength and quality of all our programs, degrees and certificates are essential priorities for both Walden and Adtalem.
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The cost for the 2020-2021 academic year is already set. Tuition and fees are always subject to change, but there is no explicit decision to change the tuition and fees as part of this agreement.
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The transfer of ownership of Walden University from Laureate to Adtalem will not affect its Title IV financial aid authorization.
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Walden University students will continue to be Title IV eligible.
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Yes, our intention is for Walden to continue to proudly be a B Corp™ after the transition of ownership. A Certified B Corporation® is a company that has completed a certification process conducted by a U.S. based nonprofit, B Lab®, which determines if a company has met rigorous standards of social and environmental impact, accountability, and transparency.
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