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On Monday, Sept. 12, the NDMU Board of Trustees voted unanimously in Baltimore that the university become co-educational and enroll men beginning as soon as Fall 2023.
Officials made the announcement after spending nearly a year reviewing enrollment trends of women’s colleges, as well as related undergraduate data both nationwide and across Maryland, authorities said.
They noted that “by becoming co-ed, NDMU is honoring and expanding its historical mission to educate leaders to transform the world,” and the decision “will allow NDMU to provide its distinctive model of inclusive transformational education to more women and men.”
“The Board recognized that in order for NDMU to flourish for years to come, we needed to expand our mission to admit women and men who want a co-ed college experience,” Patricia McLaughlin, chair of the Board of Trustees said.
“NDMU will continue to educate women and men together to make a difference in the world.”
The Board of Trustees said that the decision allows the university to continue innovating after becoming the first Catholic college to award a four-year award to women.
It also provides an opportunity to "expand access to its inclusive and transformational education to more women and men,” while officials noted that the school’s foundresses, the School Sisters of Notre Dame (SSND), support the decision to become co-ed.”
“The School Sisters of Notre Dame established an enduring legacy that continues to guide Notre Dame of Maryland University into the future,” Charmaine Krohe provincial leader of the SSND Atlantic-Midwest Province stated. “Their future-focused vision and spirit still animate this community of faith, learning, and service.”
Officials made note that class sizes would remain small, despite the influx of new male students, and said that the school will continue its mission, which states that "Notre Dame challenges women and men to strive for intellectual and professional excellence, build inclusive communities, engage in service to others, and promote social responsibility.”
Following the announcement of the switch to a co-ed campus, the university released a list of "frequently asked questions,” to inform the public, which can be found here.
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