Thomas More University has announced it will offer direct admission to all graduates of Notre Dame Academy beginning with the Class of 2025.
Leadership from Thomas More University and Notre Dame Academy signed the agreement, the first partnership of its kind for an all-girls Catholic high school in Greater Cincinnati and Northern Kentucky.
The occasion was Founders Day at Thomas More University, observed on September 12, recognizing the institution’s beginnings in 1921, when it was founded to train Catholic school teachers and to provide college education for young women. Then known as Villa Madonna College, Thomas More was designated a co-educational institution in 1945.
Thomas More University and the Sisters of Notre Dame hold close ties for over a century, with the Sisters of Notre Dame, joined by the Congregation of Divine Providence and the Benedictine Sisters, being educational partners and co-founders and/or co-trustees of the University since 1929. Notre Dame Academy is a community of lifelong learners sponsored by the Sisters of Notre Dame and the only single-gender Catholic high school for young women in Northern Kentucky and in the Diocese of Covington.
“This partnership strengthens the bonds between our two historic institutions, while honoring our shared legacy and the values of a Catholic, faith-based education. This announcement today expands the work of Thomas More University to reduce barriers and increase access to Catholic higher education,” says Thomas More University President Joseph L. Chillo, L.PD.
In addition to direct admission, Thomas More University will be the preferred dual credit institution for Notre Dame Academy. Through this program, Notre Dame Academy students can enroll in college courses at a reduced rate and get a head start on their college degree. Courses taken through dual credit can be applied to a degree at Thomas More or transferred to another institution. Thomas More University’s School of Education will also provide professional development opportunities each year for faculty and staff of Notre Dame Academy.
“Notre Dame Academy is thrilled to partner with Thomas More University in offering our graduates this unique opportunity for direct admission,” says Jane Kleier, interim president and chief communications officer of Notre Dame Academy. “This partnership provides our students with a seamless path to continue their education at a university that shares our mission of empowering young women to make a difference in the world.”
Thomas More University