Cornish at SU is Here

A new era of arts education in Seattle has arrived.

Cornish College of the Arts at Seattle University is now official, marking an exciting new chapter combining Cornish’s century-long legacy of innovation as an independent arts college with Seattle University’s deep commitment to academic rigor and educating the whole person.

This past March, the boards of trustees and presidents of Seattle University and Cornish signed the agreement to establish Cornish College of the Arts at Seattle University, with all of Cornish’s assets transferring to Seattle University, including its South Lake Union campus.

“This is a historic day for two legendary Seattle institutions,” says Seattle University President Eduardo Peñalver. “The combination of Cornish with Seattle University preserves the Cornish legacy for future generations and will transform arts education in Seattle, opening up exciting interdisciplinary opportunities for students and faculty on both campuses.”

Key to launching Cornish at Seattle University was a sense of continuity to ensure students continue receiving the high-quality arts education they expect, while enhancing their student experience with all SU has to offer. Cornish College of the Arts at Seattle University will be led by Dean Brian Harlan, who previously served as Provost and Vice President of Academic Affairs at Cornish.

The vast majority of full-time faculty and staff at Cornish received job offers to continue at Cornish at Seattle University and the majority of those accepted. Adjunct faculty hiring will happen over the summer, with additional part-time and seasonal staff expected to be hired over the summer as well.

A class of 430-450 students is expected to enroll at Cornish at Seattle University in Fall 2025. Of the 437 students enrolled at Cornish in Spring 2025 who were not graduating, 91 percent opted to continue to pursue their degree at Seattle University.

“Our first task will be integrating the arts programs on both campuses,” says Dean Harlan. “This will be a faculty-led process beginning this fall. With so many expert faculty collaborating on this work, I expect the focus not to simply be on how we functionally fit together but also use this opportunity to build on the distinctions of each program so that something new emerges.”

Seattle University is well-positioned heading into the next phase of integration to carry the Cornish legacy forward and enhance arts education by offering greater opportunities for interdisciplinary learning and more. This includes the Seattle University Museum of Art, a teaching museum that will house the masterpiece-studded Hedreen art collection—the largest gift of art ever to a U.S. university. Seattle University is also moving toward a unified academic calendar on the semester system for all students as the Seattle University School of Law and Cornish College of the Arts at Seattle University already operate on the semester system.

“This is a truly transformative day for our students and our shared future,” Seattle University Provost Shane P. Martin says. “As two distinguished institutions come together, we unite the strength of a nationally recognized arts college with depth of a Jesuit education. This marks the beginning of a bold new chapter for Seattle University, one that ensures our students will benefit from world-class, interdisciplinary experience that blends creativity, critical thinking and purpose.”