Bloomfield College, a private liberal arts school that serves mostly Black and Latino students, is officially merging with Montclair State University in a move that will save the struggling college from shutting its doors.

Under the deal, which received bipartisan support in the Legislature, 90% of faculty and staff at Bloomfield College will be asked to remain in their roles and the school’s president, Marcheta Evans, will serve as chancellor. The merger took effect on July 1, after Gov. Phil Murphy signed off on enabling legislation.

"This merger ensures that our commitment to the academic and economic success of young people from traditionally underserved communities will not only continue but will be enhanced,” Evans said in a statement on Wednesday. The school serves about 1,300 students.

Bloomfield College was cash-strapped and facing closure due in part to enrollment declines that were exacerbated by the pandemic. The college put out a call for help in 2021, which caught the attention of the state’s second-largest public research institution.

"We will seek to create a new national model for how institutions can come together to better serve their communities," Montclair State University President Jonathan Koppell said in a press release. "The future of higher education is collaboration, not competition, and we hope this will serve as an example of what is possible when institutions of all shapes and sizes work together."

The merger was also approved last month by the Middle States Commission on Higher Education that accredits colleges and universities. Officials said administrators will work toward integrating the schools, including reviewing the future of all academic programs. Current students at Bloomfield College will be able to complete their existing majors and programs, Montclair State said.

Bloomfield College, established in 1871, is New Jersey’s only four-year institution that carries the U.S. Department of Education’s designation of being a Predominantly Black Institution, a Hispanic-Serving Institution, and a Minority Serving Institution, which is a legacy the merger is intended to protect. The college will also continue its athletic programs and compete as the Bears for at least the next year.

The college will be renamed the Bloomfield College of Montclair State University.