Mount Ida faces Board of Ed amid ire over sale to UMass

BOSTON — The Massachusetts Board of Higher Education was set to discuss the closure and sale of Mount Ida College Tuesday.

The plan has sparked anger from current students, faculty and even students at other schools.

Discontent over the proposed sale sparked a large, heated turnout at Tuesday's scheduled meeting.

It isn't just Mount Ida students who have concerns about the college closing, but UMass students as well. UMass announced plans to acquire the Mount Ida campus in Newton earlier in April, and UMass Amherst plans to use the campus for Boston-area career preparation programs for students.

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But that's not sitting well with some UMass Boston students, who say the deal comes amid unfair layoffs, program cuts and fee increases at their campus.

"What has happened to the students at Mount Ida is tragic," said UMass Boston undergraduate student president Katie Mitrano. "Students have been forgotten, students have been taken advantage of and they have been let down by grown-ups to quote the governor."

Meanwhile, Mount Ida students have questions about their future. While students were told they can transfer to UMass Dartmouth, that school is 50 miles away and doesn't offer the same programs.

"The fact that a month ago, I received a signed contract for next year was cruel," said Mount Ida professor Jeffery Marshall.

MORE: Mount Ida student worried about her career amid UMass acquisition

The State Board of Higher Education says they can't stop the deal, despite receiving more than 120 complaints.

"We could only start when this hot mess was handed to us. So I'd like to think we've done a lot in the last three weeks," said Chris Gabrieli, chair of Mass. Board of Higher Education. "This is a system failure that so many people were blindsided, this board included, and people were certainly misled - if not decieved."

The Attorney General's Office is now also looking into the deal.

Cox Media Group