Rider University Ends Chinese University Partnership

David Keddie/Wikimedia Commons

Rider University in Lawrence Township, N.J., will not renew its partnership with Sanda University in Shanghai after the current agreement expires on Nov. 1, NJ.com reported. 

Participation in the program has declined in recent years, a university spokesperson told NJ.com. Rider’s accreditor, the Middle States Commission on Higher Education, in June approved the request to end the program.

“The decision has no bearing on Rider’s accreditation status,” the spokesperson said. Middle States put Rider on probation in October due to financial issues.

The Sanda-Rider Cooperative Program was founded in 2005 and offered dual degrees in international business. The spokesperson did not tell NJ.com how many students are currently enrolled or what options they will have to complete their degrees. Rider joins a number of American universities—including the University of California, Berkeley, and the Georgia Institute of Technology—that have ended their partnerships with Chinese institutions in recent years.