Wells College in Aurora, which closed last year, announced yesterday it has reached an agreement to give its records, endowment money, and some historical materials, including its beloved Minerva statue, to another college in the Finger Lakes region.
Wells announced its records, materials and funds will be given to Hobart and William Smith College in Geneva. Last fall, 67 Wells students transferred to HWS, the largest cohort of Wells students to go to any single institution.
The agreement is subject to approval by a court and the New York Attorney General’s Office. Wells College trustees are now seeking a buyer for the campus.
More about the agreement-
Under the agreement, HWS would retain Wells’ student, employee and financial records and maintain, as much as possible, some specific materials and cultural history of the closed college. Hobart would not be responsible for Wells’ financial or other liabilities, and would not own Wells’ charter, accreditation or campus.
- Name the lawn at its Houghton House arts campus the Wells Green
- Relocate Wells’ to-be-repaired statue of Minerva, long a symbol of the college’s mission and history, to Hobart’s Houghton House arts campus
- Steward alumnae and alumni events as part of Hobart’s Office of Advancement
- Adapt the Wells Book Arts Center to Hobart
- Appoint two Wells-affiliated community members for two seats on Hobart’s board of trustees.
- Most of the college’s endowment funds are donor-restricted for purposes such as scholarships, faculty endowed chairs, academic programs and capital improvements. When the money is transferred to HWS, it must be used for the same purposes.
More from Hobart and William Smith Colleges.
