By Brooke Schultz

DOVER — Entering the last quarter of the anticipated acquisition of Wesley College, Delaware State University has not yet “made any decisions around who from Wesley will be coming over,” said DSU President Tony Allen.

“Our primary goal has been to assess our educational offerings and what we know Wesley’s offerings will add to the university,” he said. “From there, we are now determining what that incremental need for staff and faculty are and we know that will be substantive.”

The acquisition was first announced over the summer, with DSU planning to transition Wesley into a “themed campus,” focusing on health and behavioral sciences. Dr. Allen said the university will consider staff and faculty across disciplines.

But everything hinges on approval from the Middle States Commission on Higher Education, he said.

“While we’ll have a go forward view of who from our Wesley colleagues we would like to continue with the university” there is no specific timeline until the commission approves that acquisition, he said.

When the faculty does make the transition over to DSU, Dr. Allen said that DSU has a tenure and tenure-track process. The process is based on three pillars, he said, noting scholarship and research; teaching and instruction; and service that advances the institution’s mission.

“Our selected Wesley colleagues who meet those standards ... they can be confident that our normal processes will be followed and they receive fair consideration as a result,” he said.

DSU is going through a similar process with staff members, he said, noting further determinations will be announced publicly.

The university is putting up a webpage with information about the acquisition, he said, and held a forum with Wesley earlier in the academic year. They plan upping communication on the transition in the next month, he said.

As the institutions approach the acquisition date — slated for the summer — Dr. Allen said that DSU must earn the students’ choice.

“I do feel confident that we’re going to earn their choice to choose DSU,” he said, noting the cost of education will be significantly less than Wesley and there will be added academic opportunities. “But I don’t believe it’s a foregone conclusion.”