Mills College and Northeastern University have discussed a program that would bring as many 300 students to the Oakland campus this year as part of the schools’ plans to combine.
Mills President Elizabeth Hillman wrote in a letter Tuesday that the schools hope to reach a formal agreement over the summer, with Mills faculty set to begin planning discussions with their Northeastern colleagues and develop transition teams to identify key issues.
In March, Mills announced it would no longer accept first-year students this fall due to financial challenges. The college expected to grant its final degrees in 2023.
But in June, Mills officials announced the college had entered discussions to align with the Boston-based school, allowing the possible conferral of degrees from Mills College at Northeastern University if an agreement were reached.
Hillman said that the two schools will, in the coming weeks, will discuss educational opportunities within the Northeastern University fold.
That could include a first-year, gender-inclusive program for 200-300 students to learn from Mills faculty this coming academic year. Mills officials will also share a plan for an institute, aimed at serving as a "hub of support for transformative teaching and learning, research and career development" for women, non-gender binary people and others from historically marginalized racial and ethnic communities.
As for current students, Hillman said college officials are trying to provide them with degree completion pathways, transfer opportunities to Northeastern or other California-based schools and access to Northeastern’s co-ops and experiential learning opportunities.
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