Notre Dame College students now have another option to finish degrees amid impending closure
Students attending the closing Notre Dame College in Ohio now have another option of where to continue their education next year with as little disruption as possible.
Wittenberg University in Springfield has partnered with Notre Dame College, enabling students who currently attend the Catholic college in South Euclid, a three-hour drive away, to transfer via an "expedited and seamless" process.
Notre Dame College, not to be confused with the University of Notre Dame in Indiana, announced on Feb. 29 that it will close after the conclusion of the 2023-24 school year. It cited challenges from declining enrollment and significant debt.
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In a statement on its website, Wittenberg, affiliated with the progressive Evangelical Lutheran Church in America, announced it would offer "guaranteed admission to Notre Dame students in good standing, with no application fee." Wittenberg will also accept a "100% transfer of all credits earned toward an equal or comparable degree program."
Notre Dame students who want to attend Wittenberg can fill out a transfer inquiry form to learn more about the offer.
"Wittenberg was saddened to hear the recent closure announcement of another Ohio institution, Notre Dame College," the statement reads. "Wittenberg wishes to offer its support to Notre Dame students by making the transfer process as seamless as possible as an official Teach-Out Partner."
Maribeth Stevens, Wittenberg's vice president for enrollment management, told The Springfield News-Sun that students should be able to complete their degree programs on the "same timeframe" or maybe even sooner than was possible at Notre Dame College.
"Wittenberg University extends our sympathy to all those impacted by the closure announcement of Notre Dame College," she said. "We recognize the profound sadness and uncertainty this news brings to the academic community and beyond."
Praising institutions like Notre Dame for playing "a crucial role in shaping futures, fostering innovation, and enriching society," Stevens said Wittenberg understands "the importance of continuity in students' educational journeys and [is] prepared to assist Notre Dame College students in maximizing credit transfers and securing competitive financial aid packages."
Wittenberg is not the first college to contact Notre Dame students following the school's closure announcement last month.
Nine additional colleges have established partnerships with Notre Dame College that will enable students to transfer to their institutions with as little disruption as possible to their academic course of study.
Under these agreements, Notre Dame students with 60 or more credits can attend Baldwin Wallace University, Cleveland State University, Hiram College, John Carroll University, Kent State University, Lake Erie College, Ursuline College, Walsh University and Mercyhurst University with "guaranteed admission to pursue their degrees uninterrupted" as well as "comparable net tuition and transfer of all credits."
With the exception of Mercyhurst University, which is in Pennsylvania, all the partner schools are located in Ohio.
Students with fewer than 60 credits at Notre Dame "may have the opportunity to transfer to a partner institution and receive the same benefits of the Teach-Out Program." Wittenberg has also signed a "teach-out agreement" with Notre Dame.
According to information compiled by the National Center for Education Statistics, Notre Dame had an enrollment of 1,329 undergraduate students and 115 graduate students in the fall of 2022. Wittenberg, founded in 1825, has a comparable enrollment of 1,288 undergraduate students and 45 graduate students as of fall 2023.
Ryan Foley is a reporter for The Christian Post. He can be reached at: ryan.foley@christianpost.com
