Faculty and Staff Q&As

The Higher Learning Commission, with experience of multiple college closings over the past 10 years or so, has created what they call a Teach-Out Tool Kit. The procedures outlined are designed to make the transition as painless as possible for all the stakeholders. Notre Dame College is taking advantage of the “lessons learned” by the HLC. Key procedures for you as faculty and staff, as well as for students, are outlined below.

A Teach-Out is a pre-designed, prearranged plan outlined by a College to provide enrolled students in good standing* with:

• Access to specific institutions that offer the specific program/major in which a student is presently enrolled.
• Certain assurances regarding credits, tuition, and proposed date of graduation.
• The opportunity to meet with staff from the specific “Teach-Out Receiving Institutions” for advising, admission, and next steps for the student.

*Good standing means that a student has a cumulative GPA of 2.0, is up to date on their students payment plan, and the student is clear of any conduct concerns. 

Notre Dame College works with specific Teach-Out Institutions who have agreed, through a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU), to offer specific benefits to NDC students with above 60 credits who:

• Want to finish students on their target date
• Who want to transfer all their successfully completed credits
• Who hope to receive comparable tuition

Many Teach-Out Institutions are willing and able to work with students in good standing who may be at or under 60 credits. 

NDC has planned ahead, via signed MoUs, with other institutions who are committed to helping NDC students complete their programs with the matching programs/majors that institution offers. The benefits of the committed Teach-Out Institutions are described below. 

• Automatic admission of current NDC students in good academic standing (see definition above)
• Guaranteed acceptance of 100% successfully completed credits at NDC
• Guaranteed same time to degree completion – Students will need to complete the same number of semesters at the Teach-Out Institution as they would have at NDC to finish their degrees. 
• Comparable net tuition – Students will receive comparable financial aid packages so that the net tuition amount the student is expected to contribute to complete their degree will be the same (or less) as they would have had to pay at NDC. While the scholarships may be packaged differently and with different names, the amounts will be comparable. NDC students will not need to negotiate that process or be concerned about the Teach-Out Institutions’ published “sticker” price.

Students who transfer are not assured of the benefits just described above.

Many institutions accept applications for transfer students, but the process may not be as seamless or have the same guarantees as with transitioning to a partnering Teach-Out Institution. Therefore, it is often in the best interest of students to transition to a designated Teach-Out Institution. 

*Good standing means that a student has a cumulative GPA of 2.0, is up to date on their students payment plan, and the student is clear of any conduct concerns. 

Keeping the students calm and focused is important for the students and for the entire community when this difficult decision is announced. Each of you can assure the students that theirthere best interests and the completion of their programs is of vital importance to the administration of the College.

The College will follow what is called A Teach-Out Plan to guide the institution’s work with students, faculty, staff, alumni, vendors, and the wider civic community.

Much like this Q&A, the OAA is planning several communication methods, events, and resources to make these Teach-Out Institutions available to NDC students.

• A matrix will be prepared listing Teach-Out Institutions on one access and the NDC program/major on the other access. That summary chart will be available. Additionally, the MoU for each Teach-Out Institution will be available to faculty, staff and students. Some Teach-Out Institutions have almost all NDC programs. Other institutions have only a few. Some Teach-Out Institutions may be D1 in athletics, others may be D3.
• Special dates/College Fair events will be set up on campus for either an NDC visit by several Teach-Out Institutions.
• Other dates may be set up for a single Teach-Out institution to come over several dates. 
• NDC faculty advisors, Student Success advisors, and advisors from the Teach-Out Institutions will be available to assist all NDC students.