Future of Notre Dame de Namur University Announced
For Immediate Release (3/23/2020)
For 169 years, the mission of Notre Dame de Namur University (NDNU) has been to provide a quality higher education to its students. It is a storied institution that is deeply loved, respected, and treasured by those whose lives it has touched.
The ability to continue fulfilling that mission has been seriously challenged by a combination of factors, the most serious of which has been a steep decline in enrollment resulting in a significant decrease in net tuition revenue, and sharply increased costs.
NDNU’s Board of Trustees believes that the university’s first priority at this time should be to support current students who have the possibility of earning NDNU degrees by the end of spring semester 2021. At its most recent meeting, the Board made the following decisions:
- For degree-seeking students in good academic standing who we believe can reasonably finish their degree requirements by the end of spring semester 2021, the university intends to provide a structured and well-supported pathway to earn their degrees from NDNU. NDNU academic advisors will work with students to evaluate if a pathway to earning credits to graduate by that time is reasonably possible
- Because the Board wants to conserve NDNU’s limited financial resources to support those students, and because the Board believes that the university’s state does not permit it to give the appropriate assurances of support to new students, NDNU will not enroll any new students for summer or fall 2020. Accepting new students under our current circumstances would be unfair to them
- For those current NDNU students who are not able to finish their NDNU degrees by the end of spring semester 2021, we are working with other local colleges and universities to create opportunities for transfer. NDNU will provide transfer assistance to all students, whether or not their situations are covered by specific transfer agreements.
- In addition, to align with the Board’s focus on degree opportunities for these current students, NDNU will discontinue its intercollegiate athletic programs at the end of spring semester 2020
The Board has not yet made a final decision about the future of the university. NDNU intends to remain in operation through the spring 2021 semester, and the university continues to be fully accredited by the WASC Senior College and University Commission. The Board of Trustees will continue to look for realistic sources of funds, funded proposals, and partnerships that would allow NDNU to attain a viable structure in a highly turbulent and unpredictable world, especially for smaller tuition-dependent California private universities.
Additional information about these decisions is available at https://www.ndnu.edu/future-of-ndnu
The university will continue to work tirelessly toward a permanent resolution to this situation and to communicate with the entire NDNU community.
About Notre Dame de Namur University
Notre Dame de Namur University (NDNU) is a Catholic, not-for-profit, coeducational institution serving students from diverse backgrounds. Established in 1851 by the Sisters of Notre Dame de Namur, NDNU is the third-oldest college in California and the first authorized to grant the baccalaureate degree to women. NDNU maintains a strong commitment to academic excellence, social justice, and community engagement. The university is fully accredited and offers a rich variety of undergraduate, graduate, doctoral, and teacher credential programs. NDNU has a historic campus on the San Francisco Peninsula in Silicon Valley, a satellite campus in Tracy in the Central Valley, and online programs. For more information, visit www.ndnu.edu.
Contact
Melissa McAlexander, PhD
mmcalexander@ndnu.edu