Holy Names University to close after 154 years
Holy Names University will close after over a century of providing education.
May 22, 2023
Holy Names University, a private Roman Catholic college in Oakland, is soon to close. This 2023 spring semester is set to be the last in the 154 years it has been open.
The university, founded in 1868, announced the closing of the school last December. They stated on their website that they’d “struggled financially as it faced rising operational costs, declining enrollment, and an increased need for institutional aid.”
HNU had been struggling for years before they announced their closing. In 2018, they had established a plan to overcome “financial and environmental” hardships. And while there were aspects of the plan that helped make money, the plan overall did not change the fate of the university.
According to the HNU website, Steven Borg, board chairperson, explained, “There is not only $49 million in debt on HNU’s property, but as a 65-year old campus the costs of deferred maintenance and compliance upgrades could be over $200 million. That is a large undertaking for any college or university.”
While they attempted to look for partnerships, loans, or funding from other schools and sources over the past year in order to keep open, they were not successful in finding a viable option. Though the university is closing, they plan to keep the nursing program alive.
I’m very sad to hear of a prominent Catholic college closing. It shows the decreasing desire for Catholic higher education.
— Alexandre Fonseca ’25
As for the current students’ futures, students able to complete their degree requirements or are currently involved in the HNU nursing program will be able to graduate this spring.
All those who haven’t reached their requirements are welcomed to Dominican University of California, where they can seamlessly transition into the San Rafael campus and complete their studies. Dominican University of California plans to have staff from Holy Names on their staff.
Other programs, including the Kodály music program and Raskob learning institute and Day school, are currently looking to plan a partnership with another institution or function by themselves.
With another Catholic institution shutting down, many students and staff alike are incredibly disappointed. “I’m very sad to hear of a prominent Catholic college closing. It shows the decreasing desire for Catholic higher education,” Alexandre Fonseca ’25 said.
Ynez Manalo, religion instructor, also believes, “It’s sad because less students have the opportunity to have a Catholic education.”
It’s sad because less students have the opportunity to have a Catholic education.
— Ynez Manalo, religion instructor
Joshua Keeney, another religion instructor, stated, “I am disheartened to see so many Catholic schools close in the Bay Area because they have been beacons of elevated education and bastions of the Catholic faith since their inauguration in the 19th Century.”
The last HNU commencement is scheduled for May 13 for both graduate and undergraduate students, with the ceremony ending the school’s concluding year.
