As the wave of closures of small liberal arts colleges across the United States continues, merging with a larger institution is increasingly seen as an attractive alternative. Some in higher education believe that a merged institution will preserve much of what is good of the smaller institution, while closure is merely oblivion. But, as a longtime faculty member at an institution that is currently in the process of a merger with a much larger institution, I find myself asking, “Are the outcomes of closure and merger actually different?” The answer may be no, if care is not taken to preserve the mission and identity of the smaller institution.
