Overview
- Pacific University and Willamette University signed a letter of intent that starts a formal cost‑benefit analysis and negotiations toward a merger.
- If approved, the combined institution would enroll more than 6,000 students and become Oregon’s largest private university under the tentative name University of the Northwest.
- The proposed model centralizes governance under one board while keeping distinct campuses, admissions, academic programs and NCAA Division III athletics.
- Leaders say both universities have balanced budgets, and they describe the plan as a strategic consolidation rather than a response to immediate financial distress.
- Regulatory and accreditor reviews could take at least two years, and students would gain expanded cross‑campus access to courses and graduate programs if the merger proceeds.