The presidents from the University of Albany and the Albany Law School are working to build a stronger relationship between the two institutions, according to the Albany Business Review.
The law school, in Albany, is private and has seen its enrollment drop to 617 students from 821 students just ten years ago. Long-term faculty members have been offered buyouts in an effort to cut costs at the law school.
A joint letter was sent to faculty and staff of both schools by University of Albany president Robert Jones and Albany Law School president Penelope Andrews. The letter told faculty members that they are working on creating an operational alliance between the two schools.
“In addition to forward-thinking academic programs our institutions can share, we believe that there are potential operational synergies to consider,” the presidents wrote in the letter, but they did not elaborate on what the alliance could bring either school.
There is one joint program already in operation at both schools, which offers students a master’s degree in business administration and a law degree. There is another joint program that gives students the chance to earn a bachelor’s degree and a law degree in just six years. The students spend three years at each school.