Episcopal Divinity School: Difference between revisions

In 2016, the school's board of trustees decided that the school would cease granting degrees after the end of the 2016–2017 academic year.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://eds.edu/news/eds-stop-granting-degrees-2017 |title= EDS to Cease Granting Degrees at End of 2016-17 Academic Year |website=Episcopal Divinity School |date=July 21, 2016 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171206160548/https://eds.edu/news/eds-stop-granting-degrees-2017 |archive-date=December 6, 2017}}</ref> After several months of evaluating how it could continue to support the school's mission of theological education, the board of trustees decided to affiliate EDS with [[Union Theological Seminary (New York City)|Union Theological Seminary]] in New York City and sell its Cambridge campus.<ref name="eds-union-affiliation">{{cite web |url=http://www.eds.edu/news/eds-union-affiliation |title=Episcopal Divinity School Votes to Pursue Affiliation with Union Theological Seminary in New York |website=Episcopal Divinity School |date=February 24, 2017 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171206160327/https://www.eds.edu/news/eds-union-affiliation |archive-date=December 6, 2017}}</ref><ref name="eds-union-agreement">{{cite web |url=http://eds.edu/news/eds-union-agreement |title=Episcopal Divinity School to Affiliate with Union Theological Seminary |website=Episcopal Divinity School |date=May 19, 2017 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171206161932/https://eds.edu/news/eds-union-agreement |archive-date=December 6, 2017}}</ref> All of EDS' current students were transferred to other institutions, and contracts with all faculty and staff were ended. Despite being heralded as a "relocation," not a single human being from EDS in Cambridge was employed at Union. The City of Cambridge had expressed interest in reusing the campus for affordable housing. However, under the terms of a contract approved by the EDS board in 2010, Lesley University co-owned the campus and EDS could not sell the property without its permission.<ref name="Camb Day partially occupied">{{cite news|last1=Levy|first1=Marc|title=Eagerness to build housing misses key fact: Divinity school acreage is partially occupied|url=http://www.cambridgeday.com/2017/06/20/eagerness-to-build-housing-misses-key-fact-divinity-school-acreage-is-partially-occupied/|access-date=6 December 2017|publisher=Cambridge Day|date=20 June 2017}}</ref> In 2018, Lesley purchased the rest of EDS's former Cambridge campus, making Lesley the sole owner.<ref>{{Cite news | url=https://www.bizjournals.com/boston/news/2018/07/23/lesley-expands-cambridge-footprint-buying-rest-of.html | title=Lesley expands Cambridge footprint, buying rest of Brattle campus | first=Max | last=Stendahl | website=Boston Business Journal | date=2018-07-23 | access-date=2019-01-08}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=https://bostonrealestatetimes.com/lesley-university-expands-brattle-street-presence-with-purchase-of-historic-episcopal-divinity-school-buildings/|title=Lesley University expands Brattle Street presence with purchase of historic Episcopal Divinity School buildings|date=2018-07-19|website=Boston Real Estate Times|language=en-US|access-date=2019-01-08}}</ref> As of March 31st31, 2023 the Episcopal Divinity School still owns a former annex at 7 and 9 Phillips Street in Cambridge.{{Citation needed}} The move to Union, and thus New York, occurred despite the proximate location of the long-standing [[General Theological Seminary]] there. Students who enrolled in the EDS at Union Anglican studies program earned a Master of Divinity degree from Union which fulfilled requirements for ordination in the Episcopal Church.