An Important Clarification for the Alverno Community
Alverno College is not part of an acquisition involving Alvernia University and Marian University. We are an independent institution, and we are focused on serving our students and fulfilling our mission as a Catholic, Franciscan women's college in Milwaukee.
Frequently Asked Questions
No. Alverno is not part of an acquisition with either institution.
There is some natural confusion. Alverno and Alvernia have similar names and Franciscan roots; Marian University in Fond du Lac is a small Catholic University in Wisconsin. Alverno College has no relationship with these institutions.
They are separate institutions with no shared ownership or governance. Both were founded by Franciscan sisters, which is why their names and heritage may seem similar. Each university's name is rooted in La Verna, the sacred Italian mountain where St. Francis of Assisi received the stigmata, expressed through the related forms “Alverno” and “Alvernia.”
No. They are independent institutions, both Catholic and in Wisconsin, with no shared governance or ownership.
Alverno is not planning to merge, and our focus is on our mission and students. Alverno has been open that, like many small private colleges, it has faced financial pressure, and we are addressing it through a focus on financial sustainability.
We don't know and won't speculate. We are correcting the record where we see confusion.
Your support continues to go to Alverno College and our students.
Please contact those institutions directly.
Contact Info
Marian University: info@marianuniversity.edu
Alvernia University: news@alvernia.edu
