Academy of Natural Sciences and Drexel University reach tentative terms on the Academy’s future

After the threat of a possible split, the Academy of Natural Sciences and Drexel University reached a tentative agreement that will continue their affiliation and maintain Drexel’s financial support of the Academy, multiple sources confirmed Wednesday. It will also give the university control over its major decision-making.

Also on Wednesday, Drexel and the Academy appointed Patricia “Trish” Wellenbach to temporarily lead the Academy, serving as its senior adviser. She is deputy mayor to Philadelphia Mayor Cherelle L. Parker’s administration and previously president and CEO of the Please Touch Museum. Wellenbach is on loan from the city and will not receive any compensation from Drexel or the Academy for her new role.

The announcement comes one day after Drexel and the Academy said they would close the Academy’s museum effective Sept. 30 and that Academy CEO Scott Cooper would be stepping down immediately. Sept. 27 will be the last day the museum will be open to the public.

Though not part of the new terms, the goal now is to relocate the Academy’s collections and sell its 1876 building at 19th and the Benjamin Franklin Parkway, which has numerous deferred maintenance needs, said a source close to the talks between Drexel and the Academy who asked not to be identified.

» READ MORE: The Academy of Natural Sciences is closing its museum after nearly two centuries

The new “nonbinding” terms of the letter of intent maintain Drexel’s financial support of the Academy, modify the governance structure, and preserve the right of the Academy board to de-affiliate from Drexel and find a new partner or partners for its collections should it wish to do so.

The terms cover issues such as selection of an interim leader and a permanent leader of the Academy and budgeting, according to a source close to the talks. While Drexel and the Academy will engage in a collaborative process to find a new leader, the final decision will rest with Drexel, the source said.

“It’s fair to say all decisions of importance have to be approved by Drexel,” the source said, including the budget, which is about $25 million annually.

Under the affiliation agreement in 2011, Drexel provided substantial financial support to the Academy and covered its deficits. That will continue, and Drexel also will cover the costs of relocation of the collection and other transition expenses, the source said.

» READ MORE: Drexel and the Academy of Natural Sciences are close on deal to continue the Academy’s operations and keep it in Philadelphia, Pa. leader says

Academy board chair Suzanne Biemiller did not respond to messages seeking comment.

Of the new terms, another Academy board member said:

“I’m hopeful that something positive will come of it. The goal is to find a way to keep the Academy in existence and achieve its mission, so I think it’s a solid resolution,” said the board member, who asked that their name not be used.

Like most letters of intent, the agreement is nonbinding until the two sides come to a complete binding agreement, the source said.

The Inquirer reported in April that Drexel was seeking to totally take over the Academy or end the partnership. The terms signed Tuesday were brokered by former Comcast executive and U.S. Ambassador to Canada David L. Cohen at the behest of Gov. Josh Shapiro.

The leaders of Drexel and the Academy signed the terms sheet on Tuesday, Cohen said. But there are significant ongoing issues for the Academy and Drexel to work through, he added.

“They include the responsible move of the collections, and a variety of other transition activities,” he said. “The Academy needs a senior representative, a senior voice in these ongoing discussions both to communicate internally at the Academy and with other stakeholders including Drexel.”

» READ MORE: The Academy of Natural Sciences museum is closing. What happens to memberships and planned events?

That will be Wellenbach’s role, he said.

She will have a voice in discussions on finding another location to display some of the collections, now that the museum will be closed, Cohen said.

Wellenbach will be based at the Academy part of the week while also continuing in her city role. She will lead temporarily while Drexel and the Academy search for an interim leader.

“Ms. Wellenbach has had a distinguished career spanning nonprofit leadership, healthcare, governance and public service,” said the announcement from Drexel president Antonio Merlo and Biemiller.

» READ MORE: Years into ‘historic affiliation,’ Drexel University and Academy of Natural Sciences may sever ties

Mayor Parker in a statement called the Academy “a critical, longstanding part of Philadelphia’s cultural and educational landscape” and said she was pleased to loan Wellenbach to the effort.

“We are working collaboratively with Gov. Shapiro, Ambassador Cohen, the Academy and toward the outcome we all seek for the City of Philadelphia,” Parker said.

The Academy museum is ending operations after nearly two centuries because of declining visitorship and rising expenses, according to the Academy and Drexel.

“Over time, it became clear that these were not temporary pressures, but fundamental changes in the economics of the Academy’s operational model, costs that have imperiled the Academy’s ability to discharge its overall mission and preserve its legacy,” the two institutions said in a joint statement Tuesday.

Biemiller and others have pledged to not abandon the Academy’s role in educating the broader public about the natural world.

While it was “incumbent upon us to find places and ways” for the museum to continue, she said earlier this week, the exact form it would take has not been determined.

While Drexel has the major decision-making power, the Academy board will continue to be the fiduciary board and decision-maker for the Academy’s endowment, though management of it has been delegated to Drexel’s investment office, according to the source close to talks.