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A planned merger between National University of Natural Medicine and Bastyr University is off, with the two institutions unable to reach an agreement, The Portland Business Journal reported.
The two universities had announced in May that they planned to merge by next year.
“We shared early in the process that we were exploring a combination, but after initial exploratory research was completed, the boards of both institutions decided the best way to promote the growth and success of the profession was to remain autonomous,” NUNM president Melanie Henriksen wrote in an email, according to the Journal.
NUNM and Bastyr will continue to “pursue opportunities for collaboration,” according to a frequently asked questions page on NUNM’s website offering insights into the merger talks. The failed merger is not expected to result in job cuts.
Bastyr is based in Seattle, while NUNM is located in Portland, Ore., a city that has seen numerous challenges for local institutions, leading to the closure of Marylhurst University in 2018, Oregon College of Art and Craft in 2019 and Concordia University in 2020. Last week Multnomah University in Portland announced it is merging with Jessup University in California.
