WARN notice is filed; hundreds to be laid off
Cabrini University will be laying off hundreds of workers prior to its takeover by Villanova University.
It’s not clear how many of them will be hired by Villanova.
The school filed a WARN — Worker Adjustment and Retraining Notification — notice with the Pennsylvania Department of Labor & Industry informing the state of the closure and that it will lay off hundreds of employees.
The school is laying off 363 people, including 64 full-time administrators; two part-time administrators; five full-time facilities employees; 113 parttime adjunct faculty members; 49 full-time faculty members; 15 part-time seasonal employees; 99 student workers; five part-time support staff members and 11 full-time staff members.
The school at 610 King of Prussia Road in Radnor Township will close on June 30 and the layoffs will take place between May 17 and Aug. 30.
The WARN Act is federal legislation that offers protection to workers, their families and communities by requiring employers to provide notice 60 days in advance of a covered-business closing and covered-business mass layoff. There are some exceptions to the 60-day requirement. The WARN notice was dated March 27.
“After more than six decades of providing an Education of the Heart inspired by Mother Cabrini and the Missionary Sisters of the Sacred Heart of Jesus, Cabrini University will graduate its final class in May 2024,” the university said in a note on its website.
Founded in 1957 by the Missionary Sisters of the Sacred Heart of Jesus, Cabrini University is a Catholic institution that offers more than 50 undergraduate majors and minors, as well as online and hybrid graduate, doctoral, and professional studies programs.
Villanova University and Cabrini University, along with the Missionary Sisters of the Sacred Heart of Jesus announced in November that the organizations had reached a final agreement for Villanova to assume ownership of the Cabrini campus after the conclusion of this school year.
“It was important to honor the work of the Missionary Sisters of the Sacred Heart of Jesus by continuing to foster what St. Frances Xavier Cabrini called ‘education of the heart’,” Helen Drinan, Cabrini University president, said in a news release in November. “We feel confident that our agreement with Villanova will preserve the Cabrini legacy and that our work to educate both minds and hearts will be carried forth. The Cabrini University impact does not end when our doors close.”
Villanova will maintain the Cabrini name for the 112-acre campus. Completion of the transaction is contingent on a number of regulatory and other approvals.
Villanova said it will also preserve Cabrini’s legacy through a variety of initiatives, including creating an institute/center on immigration; incorporating the work of Cabrini’s Wolfington Center into existing Villanova programs focused on developing students as advocates for social change; and establishing a “Cabrini Scholars” scholarship program in conjunction with the program that currently exists with Cabrini High School in New Orleans.
Villanova will also provide resources to commemorate, celebrate and document the history and artifacts associated with Mother Cabrini and the Cabrini campus. Additionally, two designated representatives from Cabrini, including at least one representative from the Missionary Sisters, will serve on the Villanova board of trustees for up to two successive terms of five years.
“Villanova’s and Cabrini’s shared faith, common values and corresponding missions allowed for a strong alignment of two like-minded institutions,” the Rev. Peter M. Donohue, Villanova University president, said in the November news release. “This agreement provides an opportunity for Villanova to honor the legacy of Mother Cabrini and Cabrini University, while furthering our commitment to advancing Catholic higher education.”