College of Charleston, MUSC Talk Merger

Talk of merging the College of Charleston and the Medical University of South Carolina stretch back decades.

The idea first received serious study in the 1980s. More recently representatives of the the two institutions participated in meetings led by Charleston Mayor Joe Riley that focused on the city's need for an integrated and comprehensive research university to help sustain Charleston's continued growth.

College of Charleston President George Benson stressed that the current discussions are in a preliminary stage in a statement sent to media outlets Tuesday afternoon.

"I want to be clear that the current discussions are preliminary," Benson wrote. "Any serious consideration of a merger would require careful and significant study, as well as opportunities for all of our stakeholders to provide input."

Benson issued the statement after the Post and Courier reported on the meetings Riley led(subscription required) with the college presidents.

Filling in some details about the discussions thus far, Benson's statement reads in part:

As you know, the College and MUSC already enjoy a very collegial and cooperative relationship. Students, staff, and faculty at both institutions are engaged in a variety of joint initiatives and academic activities that benefit both our campuses and enrich our entire community. MUSC President Ray Greenberg and I have met quarterly for many years for the purpose of continuing to grow and strengthen the collaboration between our universities.

Recently, a small committee from both the College and MUSC met to discuss the possibility of increased collaboration between our two institutions. In addition, Charleston Mayor Joe Riley recently convened several meetings of local community leaders to discuss Charleston’s need for a comprehensive research university to support the city’s continued development and growth.  The College and MUSC were represented at the meetings called by Mayor Riley.

In any discussions of collaboration between the College and MUSC, it’s natural that the concept of a merger would be one consideration. There have been at least two serious studies of merger in recent decades — one in the early 1980s and another in the late 1990s. While neither of these efforts resulted in a merger of the institutions, both discussions produced outcomes that helped improve collaboration between the College and MUSC.