Ave Maria

Ave Maria University Ave Maria, Florida www.avemaria.edu

Overview In 1961 a financially strapped 23-year-old named Tom Monaghan and his brother bought a pizza parlor in a small Michigan city. That business eventually grew into the world-famous Domino’s Pizza. Monaghan became a billionaire. The odds in favor of him becoming a successful businessman were long. His father died when he was four, he lived in foster care and at an orphanage, he was kicked out of the seminary and he dropped out of college. But he had a vision and determination. Three decades after he began his career, Monaghan turned his attention to Catholic philanthropic endeavors, most notably in the field of education. In 1998, he founded Ave Maria Institute, which became Ave Maria College in Ypsilanti, Michigan, not far from his original pizza parlor. He also launched a Catholic law school and then, in 2003, Ave Maria University in Naples, Florida—the first effort to launch a full Catholic university in the United States since Sacred Heart University 40 years earlier. AMU moved in 2007 to its permanent site in the new town of Ave Maria, Florida, about 25 miles east of Naples. The principal attraction of Ave Maria to Catholic students and their families is—and should be—a strong commitment to the faith and to meeting the guidelines of Ex corde Ecclesiae. As an institution dedicated to the Blessed Virgin Mother, notes the dean of the faculty, Dr. Michael Dauphinais, “we know that her son, Jesus Christ, is the divine Teacher who

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quick facts Founded: 2003 Type of institution: Small university Setting: Rural Undergraduate enrollment: 601 (2008–09 academic year) Total undergraduate cost: $25,145 (tuition, room and board for 2009–10) Undergraduate majors: 10

Five Key Points 1. Helps fulfill the need for more faithful Catholic universities in the South. 2. The university is working with its local bishop on official recognition as a Catholic institution. 3. Students are required to take 64 credits in the liberal arts core curriculum. 4. Student enrollment growing rapidly. 5. AMU is located in a new town that seeks to reinforce Catholic identity.

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opens our minds and hearts to the fullness of the Truth.” Such confidence comes through in a vibrant spiritual life, commitment to evangelization, encouragement of vocations and exposing students to a regimen of the best in the Catholic intellectual tradition. This last point is reinforced by a liberal arts core curriculum that encompasses one-half of overall course requirements. Students are able to pursue 10 majors from the traditional liberal arts fields, including theology, sacred music, classics and early Christian literature. The first class—74 undergraduates and 13 graduate students—graduated in May 2007. The fall 2008 enrollment figures indicated that the university has significantly increased its enrollment over its first year, now about 600. Ave Maria attracts students from 49 states and 29 other countries. Long-range plans peg enrollment at 5,500 students, with nearly three-fourths expected to be undergraduates. Currently, about 42 percent of the students come from public schools, while 24 percent are Catholic school graduates, seven percent attended non-Catholic private schools and the other 27 percent were homeschooled. Nearly one-quarter of the student body comes from Florida, and about one-third overall are from the Southeast, covering 10 states from West Virginia to Kentucky to Florida. The university also has a branch campus in San Marcos, Nicaragua. Purchased from the University of Mobile (Alabama) in 2000, the campus offers undergraduate degrees in several business concentrations and four other disciplines. All classes are taught in English. Ave Maria grants a Master of Arts degree and a Ph.D. in theology. The Institute for Pastoral Theology offers a Master of Theological Studies, largely attracting older, non-traditional lay students.

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From the Financial Aid Office “Aid available to students includes: federal and state grants, including Florida Bright Futures; Federal Work Study and Florida Work Experience, which allow you to earn money while attending college; low-interest loan opportunities; and academic, leadership and athletic institutional scholarships. “All students who complete an application for admissions may apply for scholarships and financial aid. Ninety-nine percent of Ave Maria University students receive scholarships and/or financial aid. “Thanks to our many donors, we are able to be very generous with scholarships, and we encourage all applicants to fill out an institutional scholarship application. Scholarships and grants are also available from other organizations. A list of resources is available on our website at www.avemaria.edu/4. “At AMU, we take great pride in making a high-quality education affordable. We are here to make sure that you receive all the financial aid you are eligible for and to help you find additional financing options if you need them. For more information, visit www.avemaria.edu/finaidFAQs or call Anne Hart at (239) 280-1669.”

The heavily Catholic town of Ave Maria is a key part of Monaghan’s vision. It includes the Rhodora J. Donahue Academy of Ave Maria, a K-12 school with teachers from the Dominican Sisters of Mary, Mother of the Eucharist. The town’s housing, businesses, shopping and services are adjacent to the Ave Maria University campus and surround a The Newman Guide



town center which is dominated by the 1,100seat Oratory of Ave Maria. Eventually the town is planned to occupy 10,800 acres, with about one-tenth of it devoted to the campus. The university is accredited by the American Academy for Liberal Arts and has candidacy with the regional accrediting agency, the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools. With its rapid growth and success, AMU has also weathered several public challenges during its short tenure. The decision to relocate the Michigan-based college was controversial and brought criticism from some of the college’s faculty and students. So did relocating the law school to Florida. (It should be noted that the law school is not legally tied to Ave Maria University, although the distinction is often not clearly understood.) There have also been a number of high-profile and controversial faculty and trustee departures including the termination of former provost and theologian-inresidence Father Joseph Fessio, S.J. in July 2009. Differences over liturgical direction—traditional versus charismatic—resulted in another controversy, but we understand that today students find a healthy variety in the liturgy. The dispute, involving Mr. Monaghan, Ave Maria’s chancellor, university president Nicholas Healy and Father Fessio, briefly spilled into public view but seems to have subsided. More recently, representatives of the Diocese of Venice told local media that Bishop Frank Dewane had not yet formally recognized

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AMU as a Catholic university, as required by Ex corde Ecclesiae. AMU had previously been included by the diocese’s previous bishop in the Official Catholic Directory, which we confirmed before publishing the first edition of The Newman Guide. AMU has worked closely with Bishop Dewane, even electing him to the Board of Trustees in June 2009, and appears to be nearing a resolution to secure his recognition. Although Bishop Dewane had not yet officially recognized AMU as Catholic before this edition of The Newman Guide went to print, he requested that we not remove AMU from the guide. We therefore include Ave Maria in this publication with the caveat that only the local ordinary has the authority to declare a university truly Catholic, and prospective students and families should heed any public statement that may be issued by Bishop Dewane. Despite these controversies, we have heard from a number of students that their experience has been positive. Just as with any college recommended in these pages, parents and students should conduct their own research and due diligence to make sure that a particular institution is appropriate for them. What we do know for certain is this: Ave Maria University has a strong commitment to a Catholic identity and to the Catholic intellectual tradition, and its leaders have repeatedly stressed to us their desire to fulfill completely the requirements of Ex corde Ecclesiae. AMU is among the new crop of Catholic colleges and universities that are helping revitalize Catho-

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lic higher education in the United States. And the price is right, below the already low average for private institutions in Florida. Tuition, room and board was $25,145 in 200910. In addition, AMU has been very generous with scholarships as it builds enrollment, and offers an array of financial aid opportunities including federal and state grants and loans.

Governance Ave Maria is governed by a 20member, largely lay board of trustees, which includes three priests (among them the holy Father Benedict Groeschel, C.F.R., and Father Mitch Pacwa, S.J.) and theologian Michael Novak. The university also has a 40-member board of regents, which includes Mother Assumpta Long, S.M.M.E., foundress of the Dominican Sisters of Mary, Mother of the Eucharist. The late Father Richard John Neuhaus, the influential editor of First Things, served on the board until his death in January 2009. Monaghan, who serves as university chancellor and chief executive officer, and Nicholas Healy, the president and chief operating officer, also are board members. Healy, a former maritime lawyer, previously had served as a vice president for university relations at Franciscan University of Steubenville and president of the now-closed Ave Maria College in Ypsilanti, Michigan. He and his wife Jane have four children. In June 2009, in addition to electing Bishop Dewane to the Board of Trustees, the 76

board also welcomed Cardinal Adam Maida, former Archbishop of Detroit.

Public Identity Ave Maria was founded upon Ex corde Ecclesiae as a direct response to Pope John Paul II’s call for a new evangelization. Dr. Dauphinais, the dean of the faculty, told us, “Ave Maria’s Catholic identity is palpable in every aspect of its campus life from academics to student activities. The faculty and students enjoy being at a university where they possess the freedom to be Catholic.” The staff and faculty are an important component of this commitment. One administrator said, “From the top down, starting with the university president, students see faculty and staff who are confident in their faith and love it. Their faithfulness is very appealing to the students.” “When they see the president of Ave Maria hammering for a Habitat for Humanity project,” he added, “it makes a deep impression. When they see fidelity to the faith lived out joyfully, they are drawn to it.” We were told by one administrator that “campus speakers must support the Catholic mission of the institution. If they are Catholic, they must be in good standing with the Church. Academic lecturers need not be Catholic, but they should respect the Catholic identity of the institution.” Among recent lecturers were Dr. Francis Beckworth of Baylor University; former The Newman Guide



Ave Maria University

U.S. Senator Rick Santorum; and Dr. Michael Healy of Franciscan University. The 2009 commencement keynote speaker was Dr. Thomas Hilgers, a noted pro-life physician, and the celebrant of the Baccalaureate Mass was Father Frank Pavone, national director of Priests for Life; both received honorary degrees. They helped honor a graduating class of 62 undergraduates and 49 master’s students. Dr. Daniel Dentino, vice president of student affairs and dean of students, told us that he looks for ways to inculcate Christian prin-

ciples throughout campus life. He said, “We aim to create a culture where faith informs the whole of life—in the residences, the activities, social events and academics.”

Academics A university vice president told us, “We are seeking ‘orthopraxis,’ to help our graduates develop big heads, big hearts and big chests.” (This is a reference to C. S. Lewis’s Abolition of Man, where we are warned about smart men

Message from the President Dear Parents and Prospective Students: Selecting a college may be one of the most important decisions you will ever make. There will no doubt be a temptation to choose based on an institution’s prestige or the popularity of one of its programs. I encourage you to consider deeper, more long-lasting factors. A college or university has the potential to shape students’ world-views; to determine their moral foundation even to the point of superseding the values learned from parents. Ave Maria University is unabashedly Catholic. The faculty and staff are dedicated to introducing you to the magnificent riches of the Catholic intellectual tradition and the profound beauty of Catholic culture. Our student life, athletic programs and liturgies will help you develop your body, mind and spirit. We trust that you will make friendships here that will last a lifetime. It is here, too, that you can begin discerning your future career and, more importantly, your vocation. It is our task not only to teach authentic doctrine, but to provide you with a public witness to the way of Christ, both inside and outside the classroom. In doing so, we joyfully fulfill our own solemn responsibilities. We invite you to join this great new initiative in Catholic higher education.

Sincerely in Christ,



Nicholas J. Healy

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with giant heads but tiny, concave chests.) The university’s bylaws stipulate that at least one-half of the 128 credits required for graduation be within the core curriculum. Sixty-four credits come from 16 specified core courses. The liberal arts disciplines of literature, history, the natural sciences, math and classical languages are studied as well as theology and philosophy. The three core courses in theology taken in sequence are in Scripture, doctrine and moral theology. All students take three foundational philosophy courses, including metaphysics. The core requires one year of Latin and two noncredit practica (hands-on activities) courses in fine arts, one of which is Gregorian chant. One official said, “The theology courses seek to present the theological wisdom of the Church found in Scripture, the Fathers, St. Thomas Aquinas as well as later theologians and the Magisterium.” AMU offers 10 majors. Theology, with the largest number of professors, also attracts the largest number of majors. Philosophy, literature, biology and economics are ranked not far behind. Minors can be earned in some departments that do not presently grant majors, such as chemistry and physics. There is a pre-med program. The Institute for Business offers liberal arts students the opportunity to take courses to receive a certificate in business. According to the university, the program “is infused with Catholic teaching in order to inspire the students of the Institute to become Christian

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business leaders who will help to transform the countries in which they live.” All theology professors make a profession of faith, take the Oath of Fidelty and are reported to have a mandatum. Theology and philosophy professors are all Catholics, although there is no policy requiring them to be so. One theology professor whose name consistently surfaced as an exemplary teacher is Dr. William Riordan, who serves as the department’s director of undergraduate studies. In addition to being identified by a university official as a dynamic teacher with “deep fidelity” in the classroom, he is noted for his study groups that read texts from thinkers such as Euclid and other classical writers. The philosophy department also is strong. It bases its curriculum on philosophy’s “original meaning as the love and pursuit of wisdom.” All philosophy majors must take a comprehensive examination that is so substantial that it carries two credits. One area that is tested is the relationship between theology and philosophy. Even in departments such as mathematics or economics, the connection to Catholic teaching is evident. Dr. Michael Marsalli, professor of mathematics and chair of the department, “sees numbers as revealing order and beauty,” according to one of his colleagues. Dr. Gabriel Martinez, assistant professor of economics, includes Catholic social teaching in his classes. One campus priest pointed to both these men, among others, as examples of faculty

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members being notable “personal witnesses” to the Catholic faith. Dr. Marsalli, for example, is seen at Mass with his wife at the organ and his teenage daughter playing the violin. Also notable is Joseph Pearce, a writer in residence and professor of literature who has written a number of recent biographies of Catholic thinkers, including G. K. Chesterton, Hilaire Belloc and J. R. R. Tolkien. The British-born Pearce is the author of Literary Converts: Spiritual Inspiration in An Age of Unbelief, about several prominent British writers who became Catholic. No member of the faculty is reported to be a dissenter from Church teachings. There is a study-abroad program. Students are able to study at Ave Maria’s Nicaragua campus, and plans are being made to offer a Rome program. The Aquinas Center for Theological Renewal sponsors conferences, lectures and publications. The 2009 conference was “Reading Romans with St. Thomas: Ecumenical Explorations.” The center also gives several awards, including the Veritas Medal for Catholic intellectual contributions—awarded to the late Cardinal Avery Dulles, S.J., in 2007 and Dr. Janet Smith in 2008—and the Charles Cardinal Journet Prize for a notable manuscript—awarded to Baylor University professor Thomas Hibbs in 2008. Ave Maria houses Sapientia Press, which lists 37 titles in its current catalog in the areas of Catholic social science, literature, philosophy, science and theology. They also publish two journals: Nova et Vetera, a Thomistic

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publication, and StAR, a Catholic bimonthly featuring well-known authors. AMU offers a summer program for high school students, which allows them to sample the academic environment. In 2009, Father Fessio and Joseph Pearce taught one-week programs that focused on Tolkien and C. S. Lewis. There also are summer intensive language programs in Greek and Latin for current students.

Spiritual Life The liturgical life at AMU revolves around the Oratory of Ave Maria. Designated a quasi-parish with a parochial administrator appointed by Bishop Dewane, the Oratory is the center of liturgical celebrations for both the university and the town. The unique church rises the equivalent of about 10 stories and reflects Monaghan’s interest in Frank Lloyd Wright architecture. It features a two-ton, 23 ½-foot crucifix, and a relief sculpture depicting the Annunciation will adorn the front façade upon its completion in 2011. Masses are plentiful: three daily Monday through Friday; two on Saturday (including one Sunday vigil); and three on Sunday. Two daily Masses each week and one Sunday Mass are celebrated in the Extraordinary Form of the Mass. One daily Mass each week is celebrated in the Ordinary Form in Latin. The remaining Masses are all in the Ordinary Form in English. 79

Ave Maria University

Confessions are heard daily, and the Liturgy of the Hours is prayed throughout the week. There is Eucharistic Adoration and popular nightly Rosary walks that attract between 40 to 80 students. Retreats (Ignatian, coed and silent) are offered every semester. The Angelus bell is rung three times daily, and we were told by one faculty member, “It is not unusual to see people stop a minute for recollection when the Angelus bell is rung.” The university also promotes overall Catholic spirituality by a daily “sanctification of time” by starting classes with prayer. There are nine priests and at least five religious sisters on campus, reflecting several orders and campus responsibilities. The university is strongly committed to vocations and offers a Center for Discernment. There currently are about 50 men in the program who take undergraduate theology and philosophy courses while they discern whether they are called to the priesthood. Some are students who started at Ave Maria and decided to enter the program, while others were sent to the program by their bishop. There also is a unique Women’s Discernment Program that is run by the Servant Sisters of Hogar de la Madre with added participation of Benedictine nuns. Interested women are able to reside in a special household in a residence hall. In the spring 2009 semester, approximately 20 women were in the program. In 2009, a “Fiat Festival of Religious Life and Priesthood” brought members of numerous religious orders to campus to discuss their vocations.

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Father Robert Garrity, director of campus ministry at Ave Maria, told us, “Simply put, in Newman’s terms, there is a ‘springtime’ happening in the Church, in which many young people want to do God’s will. We pray for all of our young people, that they will be open to God’s call in their lives, whether the call is to priesthood or religious life, or to holy matrimony, or to the single life of service.” Pro-life activities and service projects are popular and coordinated with the Office of Student Life. The university held a Mass for Terri Schindler Schiavo in March 2009 on the fourth anniversary of her death, which attracted her family and 1,000 participants. Father Pavone was the celebrant. Campus ministry also offers a Theology on Tap series of speakers who discuss topics relating to faith in a casual atmosphere. In 2008 the university began an annual summer youth conference program for high school students. Similar to the annual conferences for youth organized by Franciscan University, the weekend program emphasizes faith enrichment. Ave Maria’s 2009 summer conference, held over three days in July, was titled “Rock Solid.”

Student Activities There are more than 30 clubs and organizations on campus. We were told by one faculty member that the largest ones are the Chastity Team, which encourages students and evangelizes, and the Students for Life, which The Newman Guide



undertakes sidewalk counseling, prayer at Planned Parenthood sites and participates in the annual March for Life in Washington, D.C. In 2008, Students for Life raised funds for a local pregnancy crisis center. Among other faith-oriented groups are the Knights of Columbus; Sodalitas Pontificis Sancti Gregorii Magni, which promotes the Roman liturgy; Communion and Liberation, dedicated to studying the works of Monsignor Luigi Giovanni Giussani, an Italian who founded the Comunione e Liberazione movement; and Operation Prayer Packages (OPPS), which provides prayers and packages to our soldiers overseas. Other groups cover fine arts, hiking and mountaineering, poetry, swing dance and tennis. The drama club has produced the play Harvey, made famous by the James Stewart film, and the musical Oklahoma. The St. Thomas More Debate Society has participated in several speech and debate competitions. Ave Maria students also enjoy several formal dances each year. The spring 2009 ball had a 19th-century theme, and students were to dress and dance to reflect the style of the period. That same semester, there was a fashion show, “Image,” which emphasized modesty in dress. One of the emerging traditions at Ave Maria is participation in the annual St. Patrick’s Day Parade in Naples, which students, administrators and faculty have been doing since 2004.

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The university has nine intercollegiate and five club sports, including basketball, soccer, baseball, softball, volleyball and golf. Ave Maria is a member of the National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics (NAIA) and the Sun conference. There is an intramural program consisting of coed opportunities in frisbee, soccer, tennis and volleyball as well as men’s and women’s basketball leagues and flag football for men during October through December. A student-sponsored rugby team is also available. There also are several opportunities for community outreach. These include Habitat for Humanity (every Saturday in Immokalee), Big Brothers and Big Sisters, spring break mission trips to Texas and Mexico and general outreach to the economically challenged Immokalee community.

Residential Life Students live in two women’s residence halls and two for men; nearly 600 students can be housed here. A fifth facility under construction is expected to open for fall 2009 occupancy; it is designed to accommodate 552 students. With a few exceptions, it is university policy for all students to live on campus. Chastity is strongly promoted in the residence halls. Opposite-sex visitation is restricted to certain times and limited to common areas. Like Franciscan University of Steubenville, which pioneered the wide use of 81

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student households, Ave Maria has created several. In the 2008–09 academic year, there were four women’s households—Daughters of the Little Way, Via Caritatis, Rosa Mystica and Vessels of Mercy—and four men’s households—Brotherhood of Divine Love, Esto Vir, Filii in Filio and Totus Tuus. The university notes, “These Christ-centered groups strive for balanced, healthy, interpersonal relationships while they support and challenge a member to develop spiritually, emotionally, academically and physically.” AMU offers wireless Internet access throughout the campus, a service that even students at many large universities would envy.

The Community One blogger said of his August 2007 visit to the Ave Maria campus, “I am still in shock at what was pulled off in the middle of a sod farm, orange grove and tomato field in rural Florida.” The university, particularly with its striking Oratory, stands out like a spiritual oasis. The town of Ave Maria, once completed, will offer all the amenities of life in an atmosphere that sustains Catholic identity. Plans for the town have been criticized by some groups, including the American Civil Liberties Union, for restricting certain services and products inimical to Catholic teachings. There have been some adjustments, but the town still promises to provide a safe haven for Catholic families and children. The city of Immokalee is five miles away and has about 20,000 residents, 71 percent of whom are Hispanic. The major industry is agriculture. Immokalee does not have a hospital, and the closest one to Ave Maria is the Lehigh Regional Medical Center, which is about 20 miles northwest.

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Immokalee has a Seminole reservation and a casino. It is also the home of the National Aubudon Society’s Corkscrew Swamp Sanctuary, which protects rare Cypress trees. Students have access to Collier County parks and can view sporting events, mostly minor-league teams, in nearby cities of Estero, Fort Myers and City of Palms. The beaches along the Gulf of Mexico are close. Southwest Florida International Airport in Fort Myers is a rapidly growing airport located one hour northwest from Ave Maria. Many major carriers fly in and out of there, and service is provided to the United States, Canada and Germany. The nearest major highway is Interstate 75, which is the main artery from the campus to Miami, about two hours east.

The Bottom Line Ave Maria University has experienced some growing pains as it has begun an experiment to create the first new Catholic university since 1963. Nevertheless, the institution seems to be maturing, has increased enrollment and has moved to a newly built college town. One administrator told us, “The overall ambiance of the Catholic faith integrates the campus life by providing a common sense of mission as opposed to the impersonal and fragmented character of many universities today.” That alone is a strong argument for this institution. But when you take into account the unswerving promotion of Catholic values, the strong core curriculum and the presence of an impressive and faithful faculty, Ave Maria stands as an exciting new option available to American Catholics today.

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