Steve Gregg, executive director of admissions for Mercyhurst University, said Mercyhurst was pleased to be one of about 10 colleges and universities to offer transfer admission to former students of Notre Dame College.
The private Roman Catholic college, located in South Euclid, Ohio, announced earlier this year that it would close after the end of the spring semester.
A number of schools, including Mercyhurst, Cleveland State University and Kent State University, offered so-called teach-out agreements that would provide a soft landing for students whose college plans had been disrupted.
“We wanted to make the process of transfer as easy and seamless as possible,” Gregg said. “We wanted to make sure that for students who had the rug pulled out from underneath them, we didn’t want to add any more stress.”
What’s promised by the teach-out agreement
Like other schools that offered so-called teach-out agreements, Mercyhurst agreed to provide Notre Dame College students in a number of approved programs a chance to transfer credits, graduate on schedule and at no greater cost.
So far, Gregg said, 29 Notre Dame students have taken Mercyhurst up on the offer.
The list of new students includes five international students from four countries and 19 students who plan to participate in varsity sports at Mercyhurst.
Universities try to battle declining enrollment
The arrival of some extra students on campus comes at a time when many of the nation’s colleges and universities are struggling with declining enrollment, prompting some to close their doors.
“The example of Notre Dame is something worth watching,” Gregg said.
As for taking on another 29 students, “It’s been good for the university and most importantly, it’s good for those students,” Gregg said. “There are 29 families that are getting exposed to what we have to offer that may have never had the opportunity to do that.”
More:Mercyhurst University opens arms to displaced students from Ohio’s Notre Dame College
Notre Dame College, which had an enrollment of about 1,300, announced its plans to close on March 1.
“Like many small higher education institutions across the country, NDC has faced long-standing challenges related to declining enrollment, a shrinking pool of college-aged students, rising costs and significant debt,” the college said in a statement.
More:Mercyhurst athletics leap into NCAA Division I and Northeast Conference: What to know
Lake Erie College in Painesville, Ohio, announced in May that it would become Notre Dame’s institute of record and would house its organizational records, transcripts and alumni hall of fame.
Contact Jim Martin at jmartin@timesnews.com.