MILWAUKEE — Cardinal Stritch University students will toss their caps in the air at graduation this May for the last time. The university announced it will permanently close at the end of the semester.

Cardinal Stritch University released the information via a YouTube video.

“I am here to report that the sisters of St. Francis of Assisi have accepted the recommendation of the university’s board of trustees to suspend and cancel all educational services, activities and programs effective May 22, 2023, and begin the wind-down process of the university operations after the current spring semester,” Dan Scholz, Cardinal Stritch University president, said in the video.

Scholz said that while everyone is “devastated by this development, this decision was necessary.” He said other options had been explored.

“I wish there was a different path we could pursue,” he said in the video. “However, the fiscal realities, downward enrollment trends, the pandemic, the need for more resources and the mounting operational and facility challenges presented a no-win situation.”

Scholz said the university still plans to hold a commencement ceremony for the May class of 2023. Commencement will take place on May 21 at the Wisconsin Center in Milwaukee, as originally planned.

Academic services will be provided through Cardinal Stritch University to students who are close to completing their degrees. However, this will only be offered to a limited number of students.

Scholz said Cardinal Stritch University is “finalizing partnerships with local colleges and universities” for current students to continue their college careers.

“In the end, it was determined that we could no longer continue to provide the high-quality educational experiences our students rightly deserve. Now, our attention will turn to helping our students, supporting our faculty and staff and doing the best we can at winding down operations at our beloved university,” he said.

Scholz said the university will work with new students, who are not enrolled, to “transition to another school.”

“For our faculty and staff, we will continue to offer our employee assistance program, and will work closely with them on employment matters,” Scholz said.

Watch the full video below:

Cardinal Stritch University was established in 1937 by the Sisters of St. Francis of Assisi. According to the school's website, 100% of their undergraduate students receive financial aid. 

There are 1,068 undergraduate students at the school, with a student-teacher ratio of 9:1. The campus is about 10 minutes from downtown Milwaukee, but also offers online classes. 

The university will post updates about its closure, here.