NDC, which was established in South Euclid, Ohio, in 1922, was a women’s college until 2001.

Through an agreement with nine colleges and universities, NDC students will be able to complete their college education through a “teach-out” program or as a transfer student. 

“We need to make sure that they’re going to land somewhere, so they can finish their education … and emotionally, to support them too,” Lisa Mobley, a biology laboratory technician at NDC, told local news station WKYC Studios. 

“This is a big blow to a lot of the students,” she continued. “They were very happy here and now it’s cut out from underneath them.” 

Ursuline College in Cleveland is one of several schools that are taking on NDC students.

“Notre Dame College, its alumni, faculty, staff, and students have been a tremendous asset to Northeast Ohio for more than 100 years,” Sister Christine De Vinne, OSU, Ph.D., president of Ursuline College, said in a Feb. 29 press release. 

“We mourn the loss of our sister institution and are committed to assisting its students during this challenging time,” De Vinne continued. 

Ursuline will offer a “teach-out” program designed to minimize the impact of the school closure on students by accepting a large amount of the credits that students have already earned at NDC.

“It’s a very labor-intensive process to articulate the programs,” said Kathryn LaFontana, Ursuline’s provost and vice president for academic affairs, in the press release. 

“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.”

Students in good standing with more than 60 credits — about two years of classes — will be guaranteed admission to the partnered universities, where all the credits will transfer over and tuition cost will be comparable. Students with fewer credits can transfer to one of the colleges or universities and receive the same benefits as the teach-out program. 

Notre Dame College joins Magdalen College of the Liberal Arts in New Hampshire and Cabrini College in Pennsylvania, both of which announced their closures last year and will graduate their final class in spring 2024. 

Though several Catholic colleges are closing this year, many are thriving, and one STEM-based Catholic university is set to launch this fall. Meanwhile, Catholic trade schools are sprouting up across the country.--CNA