February 29, 2024
With the announcement that Notre Dame College will conclude in-person instruction at the end of its spring 2024 semester, Ursuline College stands ready to help NDC students earn their degrees.
“Notre Dame College, its alumni, faculty, staff, and students have been a tremendous asset to Northeast Ohio for more than 100 years,” states Sister Christine De Vinne, OSU, PhD, president of Ursuline College. “We mourn the loss of our sister institution and are committed to assisting its students during this challenging time.”
Ursuline is collaborating with Notre Dame to enable Notre Dame’s students to complete their programs without major disruption. “We’re developing plans to accommodate the academic, financial and emotional needs of NDC students using our recent experience with Chamberlain College of Nursing closing its Cleveland branch as our guide,” explains Kathryn LaFontana, PhD, Ursuline’s provost and vice president for academic affairs.
When students transfer from one institution to another, they typically need to complete a certain number of additional credit hours or courses to meet the degree requirements of their new school. However, when an institution closes, the institutional accreditor (the Higher Learning Commission or HLC, in the case of both NDC and Ursuline) approves “teach-out” plans to minimize the impact that the closure has on students. Institutions that are designated as “teach-out receiving institutions” agree to accept more of the coursework that has already been completed so that these students will not be delayed in their progress toward graduation.
“It’s a very labor-intensive process to articulate the programs,” notes Dr. LaFontana. “But we’re happy to help Notre Dame students, especially those close to graduation, finish their degrees, in a similar time frame at a similar cost.”
According to Dr. LaFontana, Ursuline College believes the HLC will approve NDC teach-out plans soon in more than 20 undergraduate and graduate programs that are common to the two institutions. A recent study published by bestcollege.com claims that 52.9 percent of students who experience a college closure do not re-enroll in a new program. The lack of a college degree impacts the person’s ability to pay back student loans.
“This is a very stressful time for NDC’s undergraduate and graduate students and their families,” remarks Mike Brown, vice president of enrollment management. “We’re committed to making this transition as smooth as possible for Notre Dame students with close attention to their unique needs on everything from housing to financial aid to athletic scholarships. We’re the ideal fit for them as another small, liberal arts college in the Catholic tradition that excels in serving men and women of all faith traditions individually.”
“We’re also committed to giving students from NDC a warm welcome as new Ursuline Arrows and serving Northeast Ohio to the best of our ability,” adds Sr. Chris. “We pride ourselves on saying we are a historically women’s college for all. It’s especially true in this circumstance.”
Notre Dame students are welcome to attend the Ursuline College Open House on Saturday, March 2.
Notre Dame students interested in attending Ursuline College can contact the Office of Admission by calling 440.646.8362 or emailing Emily Haggerty, Executive Director of Admission. Check ursuline.edu/ndc for updates.
If you’re interested in making a gift to Ursuline College to help with this transition, email Kathleen Wildman, director of development or call 440.684.6022.
