Dear Members of the Lesley Community,
We are very pleased to announce that the Lesley University Board of Trustees, working with our president and the senior administrative team, has taken steps to acquire five Episcopal Divinity School (EDS) buildings and property to complete our Brattle Campus. As many of you are aware, we have had a very productive partnership with EDS since 2008 and have worked closely and collaboratively with their leadership following their July 2016 decision to close their Cambridge degree-granting program. Through our original condominium arrangement with EDS, we owned seven buildings and half of Sherrill Library on the Brattle Campus. We are now purchasing the remaining third of the condominium.
The purchase became final on July 18, 2018 and includes the remaining fifty percent of the Sherrill Library building, St. John’s Chapel, Wright Hall, Burnham Hall, Reed Hall and 4 Berkeley St. This strategic acquisition creates a campus for Lesley that will provide over time—as we raise money and develop the buildings and campus—space for teaching and learning, interdisciplinary work, integrated student services, and facilities that support new and existing academic programs, as well as student activities, performances, and more.
Completing our Brattle Campus also coincides with the development of our ten-year strategic plan, “Lesley 2030.” Later in this academic year, with input from our community, we will build a comprehensive plan for our entire Cambridge campus. While specific uses for each of the newly purchased buildings are yet to be defined, the completion of the Brattle Campus allows us to think about our entire Cambridge campus in different ways. Among many possibilities, the additional space will create a more visible presence for our College of Liberal Arts and Sciences and allow us to develop vibrant student spaces, broaden student services, provide needed space for our current programs and room for new ones. The purchase will also enable us to organize the university in a way that increases efficiency, effectiveness, integration and collaboration.
This exciting moment in Lesley’s history builds on our continued commitment to developing the university. Just as the acquisition of University Hall, the purchase of our original buildings on the Brattle Campus and 3 and 5 Phillips Place, and the development of the Lunder Arts Center have enabled us to realize our mission during the past decades, we believe this expansion will also be transformative for the university and the students we serve.
We view the purchase of this property as a long-term investment in Lesley’s future. It is a unique opportunity that will be funded through a blended approach that includes the use of the endowment, borrowing, the sale of non-essential existing properties, and fundraising. Future partnerships and rental or leasing arrangements may also help offset the costs. This purchase is not funded through our operating budget.
Lesley University has a long and rich history. It is our intention that this be another significant moment in our history—one that allows all of us together to continue to engage in innovative and transformative work in service of our students, our communities, and the world.
Sincerely,
Hans Strauch, Chair of the Board of Trustees, Lesley University
Jeff Weiss, President, Lesley University