University Consortium for Catholic Education

The University Consortium for Catholic Education (UCCE) is an alliance of institutions of higher education that has implemented graduate-level teaching service programs to serve the Catholic and private schools in the United States.

Beginning with the University of Notre Dame in 1993, the UCCE now includes 15 universities that have committed to training teachers with a distinct educational philosophy, expressed in three pillars: academic preparation, community, and spirituality. The UCCE acts strongly upon its belief that Catholic education is at the heart of the church's evangelical mission. These programs are intended to help renew and reform Catholic schools by creatively and effectively responding to the need for highly qualified teachers for Catholic schools.

In 1998, the University of Notre Dame offered invitations and financial support to fellow institutions of higher learning to adopt its successful teacher formation model, popularly known as ACE, the Alliance for Catholic Education. The acceptance of this invitation began the initial partnership between Boston College, the University of Portland (Oregon), and Notre Dame in their action toward serving Catholic schools. This original partnership entailed meeting twice a year to exchange information and practices that were successful in their own programs. As more schools became affiliated, the group decided to organize and formed the official University Consortium for Catholic Education, approving the bylaws in spring 2005. Today there are over 400 teachers serving Catholic schools through the 15 Consortium programs across the country.