Wells College Closure

A $12.5 million campus deal now faces pushback in court, according to The Citizen. The Cayuga Nation and a losing bidder want a judge to block the proposed sale of Wells College to the Hiawatha ... more

Wells College has agreed to sell its Aurora campus for $12.5 million to the Hiawatha Institute for Indigenous Knowledge, according to The Citizen. The deal includes campus buildings, dorm furniture, and library materials (excluding rare ... more

Gov. Kathy Hochul has signed a bill to help communities like Aurora recover after local colleges shut down, according to The Citizen. The new law allows the state to offer technical help with workforce planning, ... more

Wells College had been preparing for its shutdown since September 2023, months before its April 2024 closure announcement. According to The Citizen, court records show the college quietly explored contingency plans, including partnerships with other ... more

A partnership between Grande Venues and the Hiawatha Institute for Indigenous Knowledge has submitted a $10.7 million bid to purchase the former Wells College campus in Aurora. Their revised plan includes an Indigenous college and ... more

As Wells College approaches a full-year since shutting down due to financial hardships, The Cleveland Commission for Wells, an alumni-led initiative, has opened up about its plan to reopen the school and return it to ... more

Following Wells College’s abrupt closure in May 2024, two distinct proposals have emerged to repurpose the historic campus. Initially, the Hiawatha Institute for Indigenous Knowledge submitted an independent bid aimed at transforming the site into ... more

A new proposal seeks to transform the historic Wells College campus into a dynamic educational and residential community, integrating an International Baccalaureate (IB) boarding school, an Indigenous college, and a senior living community. The plan ... more

The Landmark Society of Western New York has unveiled its 2025 "Five to Revive" list, highlighting historic properties in need of preservation and investment. Among this year's selections are Wells College in Cayuga County and ... more

The Hiawatha Institute for Indigenous Knowledge has officially submitted a bid to purchase the former Wells College campus in Aurora, New York, with the goal of establishing an Indigenous college dedicated to preserving and sharing ... more

The Wells College campus, listed for sale in November after the school announced its closure, has attracted serious interest, according to CBRE representatives. According to new reporting by The Citizen, the firm noted over 60 ... more

Wells College has accused the village of Aurora of obstructing its closure process by proposing local landmark status for three college-owned properties, according to new reporting by The Citizen. Aurora residents and preservation advocates argue ... more

Wells College will host a presentation on January 21 at the Morgan Opera House in Aurora to discuss plans for selling its 127-acre campus. The event, led by college officials and real estate firm CBRE, ... more

Contingent faculty members at Wells College, represented by SEIU Local 200United, have filed an unfair labor practice charge against the college with the National Labor Relations Board. The charge comes after the college’s administration allegedly ... more

Peachtown Elementary School has formally requested Wells College to donate the campus cottage it has rented since 1992, as the college prepares to close and liquidate its assets. According to The Citizen, the school's petition ... more

Hobart and William Smith Colleges (HWS) are preparing to welcome 98 transfer students this fall, including 67 from the recently closed Wells College in Aurora. Following Wells College's closure announcement in May, HWS quickly mobilized ... more

With Wells College set to close this year, Aurora is planning for the future of the village and its land. The Citizen reports the village is revising zoning laws and addressing short-term rental regulations to ... more

The Minerva statue, a cherished symbol of Wells College for 156 years, was damaged Wednesday while being moved indoors to protect it from theft. The college announced the move but later reported that the statue's ... more

As the New York State Attorney General's Office decides the future of Wells College's properties, an online petition is calling for the land to be returned to the Cayuga Nation. The petition, titled "Revitalize Wells ... more