Ave Maria University > News & Events

Dateline Calcutta: Day Three

Friday, May 17, 2013

Ave Maria University Junior Joe Kerr shares his story of a day of service in Calcutta. He massaged the ill to help take away some of their pain and helped feed a young girl with cerebral palsy.

Ave Maria University Announces Third Annual Scholarship Dinner

Friday, May 17, 2013

Myra Janco Daniels will be the honored guest next February at AMU’s largest fundraiser, which will celebrate the life and contributions of Mrs. Daniels, the founder and former chief executive officer of the Naples Philharmonic Center for the Arts.

Dateline Calcutta: Day Two

Thursday, May 16, 2013

Today, the students toured Calcutta, getting an up close and personal look at the slums where Mother Teresa worked and lived.

AMU students in India on mission trip

Thursday, May 16, 2013

Ave Maria University President Jim Towey and a dozen Ave Maria students are in Calcutta, India, for a weeklong mission helping the religious order that was the focus for much of Mother Teresa’s work.

Dateline Calcutta: Day One

Wednesday, May 15, 2013

Experience the trip through the students’ eyes. They’ll share what they see, hear and feel in words and images. Be part of their Calcutta calling.

The Evidence of God's Favor

Thursday, May 09, 2013

President Jim Towey shares the exciting results of a Standard & Poor’s review of Ave Maria University’s finances in his recap to the AMU community of the recently completed academic year’s extraordinary accomplishments.

AMU Graduation Photos

Monday, May 06, 2013

Photographer Jason Easterly covered Ave Maria University’s ninth commencement at the Golisano Field House on Saturday, May 4, 2013 for the Naples Daily News.

Florida Governor Rick Scott Addresses the Class of 2013

Monday, May 06, 2013

The governor addressed Ave Maria University’s 2013 graduating class of 159 undergraduates and 15 graduate students in the Golisano Fieldhouse.

AMU Graduation Online

Friday, May 03, 2013

10:00am, Saturday, May 4th 2013.

5 Finalists for President’s Award

Tuesday, April 23, 2013

The President’s Award is the highest honor bestowed upon a graduating senior of AMU to recognize academic accomplishments and involvement in the life of the University.

Distinguished Visiting Professor and Former Ambassador, Michael Novak, Remembers Lady Thatcher

Thursday, April 11, 2013

She was supposed to be an Iron Lady, and she was in the sense that when she asked you a question she expected a quick, accurate, and useful answer -- one felt a little like being in a university oral exam. She was, indeed, a serious woman. She was supposed to be an Iron Lady, and she was in the sense that when she asked you a question she expected a quick, accurate, and useful answer -- one felt a little like being in a university oral exam. She was, indeed, a serious woman.

Ave Maria University Reacts to HHS Lawsuit Dismissal

Monday, April 01, 2013

The Federal Court’s dismissal on Good Friday of Ave Maria University’s lawsuit was made on technical legal grounds - so-called “ripeness” – because the federal regulations in question are not in final form. It does not mean our lawsuit is dead. The Obama administration has bought itself time by promising to change its regulations and the Court’s dismissal order explicitly relies on this promise.

Governor Rick Scott to address Ave Maria University Graduates

Thursday, March 28, 2013

Florida Governor Rick Scott will be the 2013 commencement speaker at Ave Maria University, Jim Towey, the University’s president announced today.

AMU Chamber Choir Thrills in Carmina Burana Debut at the Phil

Friday, March 15, 2013

If you have tickets for the joint performance of “Carmina Burana” at the Philharmonic Center for the Arts in North Naples today or Saturday, you are one lucky concertgoer. It promises to be a killer performance.

AMU Students in St. Peter’s Square

Thursday, March 14, 2013

The latest blog from Ave Maria student Erin DeCleene, who is in Rome this semester in our study abroad program, describes the excitement in St. Peter’s Square after the appearance of white smoke.

SW Florida Catholics' excitement for conclave in overdrive, here and in Rome

Tuesday, March 12, 2013

Kim Scharfenberger also is among those anticipating seeing the white smoke from the Sistine Chapel chimney, signifying the election of a new pope. The Ave Maria University student is studying in Rome for the semester.

AMU Chamber Choir at The Phil in Naples

Monday, March 11, 2013

Join the Ave Maria University Chamber Choir and Dr. Timothy McDonnell, AMU Director of Choir in their Philharmonic Center debut performance of CARMINA BURANA! March 14th through 16th, 8:00 pm. Philharmonic Center for the Arts. 5833 Pelican Bay Blvd., Naples, FL 34108

AMU Announces New VP for Finance and Administration

Friday, March 08, 2013

Dear Faculty, Administrators and Staff of Ave Maria University:

I am happy to announce the appointment of Mrs. Maureen Joyce as the new Vice President for Finance and Administration at Ave Maria University.

Maureen brings to our campus community over 30 years of experience in academia in the fields of financial management, auditing, and administration.

She began her career at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology as an internal auditor, and served for 25 years at Northeastern University in a number of capacities, including Associate Controller and Director of Sponsored Project Administration. Most recently, Maureen served as Comptroller of a small, liberal arts institution, Simmons College, in Boston.

Maureen received her Bachelor of Science degree in Business Administration and Accounting from the University of Massachusetts, graduating with honors, and went on to receive a Master in Business Administration from Northeastern University. She brings a wealth of experience to Ave Maria University and we are quite fortunate to have a person of her caliber joining the University Council and our senior management team. She will begin her work at Ave Maria in early April.

I want to take this opportunity to thank Dennis Grace, Vice President for Enrollment and Marketing, who has provided important management oversight of business and finance during this interim period, and also Comptroller Tony Beata and his colleagues in the business office who have worked so admirably and diligently. The University’s “growing pains” have been acutely felt by these professionals because the size and complexity of University operations are overwhelming the systems that were put in place at our founding. They are owed our deep gratitude.

Finally, I will be holding a “town hall” style meeting to discuss the 2013-14 budget that was recently adopted by the Board of Trustees and the progress the University is making on our five-year strategic plan, and also to answer any questions that you have. I will let you know when a date is set for this gathering and hopefully you will be able to attend.

It is an exciting time in the Church and at Ave Maria University. I join my prayers to yours as we implore the Holy Spirit to guide the College of Cardinals during the conclave that begins Tuesday. May Our Lady intercede for them as they deliberate and designate the next shepherd of our Church, and also for us as we continue to advance the New Evangelization through our mission in Catholic higher education.

Kind regards,

Jim Towey
President

President Towey Appeared on PBS

Wednesday, March 06, 2013

Ave Maria University President Jim Towey appeared on PBS News Hour as part of a panel discussion on divisions within the Catholic Church in the United States. The discussion was also focused on recent polls showing an array of opinions on the future of the Church.

Ave Maria University Adds Two New Majors

Tuesday, March 05, 2013

Ave Maria University today announces the addition of two new undergraduate degree programs in Education and Accounting, an expansion into pre-professional learning that will help students thrive and succeed in a globally competitive job market.

Huber Named To Allstate WBCA Good Works Team

Tuesday, March 05, 2013

The Women's Basketball Coaches Association (WBCA) and Allstate Insurance Company announced this morning the 10 women's college basketball student-athletes that were named to the inaugural Allstate WBCA Good Works Team®. Ave Maria’s Emily Huber was selected to the team for her vast contributions in the areas of volunteerism and civic involvement.

Events and Celebrations in Thanksgiving for the Petrine Ministry

Tuesday, February 26, 2013

WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 27, 2013

Masses of Thanksgiving for the Petrine Ministry of Pope Benedict XVI
7:30am, 12:00pm (Novus Ordo Latin), and 5:00pm

Student-Organized Panel* – On the Pontificate of Pope Benedict XVI and its contributions to the life of the Church
5:00pm – Demetree Lecture Hall
Dr. Michael Waldstein, Fr. Matthew Lamb, Mr. Anthony Valle
*Sponsored by Filii in Filio Household

Eucharistic Holy Hour
7:00pm – Oratory
Meditations by Fr. Robert McTeigue, S.J.

THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 28, 2013

Student Service Ministry – “Deus Caritas Est” Service Event
11:00am-2:00pm – Student Union Ballroom
Students preparing meals for the poor in Immokalee

Board of Trustees Mass – Thursday of the Second Week of Lent
5:00 PM - Oratory
Homily by Fr. McTeigue, S.J. will honor the Legacy of the Pope Emeritus
Lecture – “The Legacy of Pope Benedict XVI”
7:30pm – Demetree Lecture Hall
Dr. Michael Waldstein

"Wrying but a little?" Marriage, Revenge, and Forgiveness in Shakespeare

Tuesday, February 19, 2013

Dr. Robert Miola is Gerard Manley Hopkins Professor of English and Lecturer in Classics at Loyola University, Maryland. A prolific scholar, he has published thirteen books and penned more than thirty-five academic articles. His publications include two edited volumes of Shakespeare, Hamlet and Macbeth, in the prestigious Norton Critical Edition Series, 2007’s Early Modern Catholicism: An Anthology of Primary Sources (Oxford University Press) and Shakespeare’s Rome (Cambridge University Press, 1983). Professor Miola has also served as Editor-in- Chief for Presence, a journal on Jesuit Higher Education.

NY Post Op-Ed by Jim Towey: “A Teacher in Every Sense”

Tuesday, February 12, 2013

The news of Pope Benedict XVI’s resignation struck with the suddenness of grace.

Usually, a changing of the guard at the Vatican is preceded by a period where Catholics throughout the world grieve and the square of St. Peter’s overflows with pilgrims attending the Funeral Mass. But Catholics have come to expect the unexpected with Benedict and perhaps should have seen this coming.

Throughout his life, he has never been a prisoner to convention or stale ideas. He’s never feared scientific truth or engagement with modern culture. His three-volume “Jesus of Nazareth” is perhaps as fresh a take on the mystery of the person of the Christ as anything published in any age.

He is a theologian at heart, a teacher in every sense — and now he is teaching the Church Universal something about the papal office in the modern age, as well as his own limitations as shepherd.

Whereas John Paul II fearlessly lived his Parkinson’s infirmity in office to demonstrate that the great human dignity with which man is endowed is undiminished by disability, Benedict is teaching us about the need for clarity of mind and purity of heart in order to discern precisely what God is asking today of each of us.

That examination of conscience is required of popes and paupers alike, and his decision to resign was clearly the fruit of much prayer and contemplation.

His 26 years in academia prepared him for decisions like this by sharpening his appreciation for the pursuit of truth, excellence and beauty. That he would conclude on Sunday, at age 85, that he no longer has the strength and capacity to continue on the chair of St. Peter seems in hindsight to be utterly predictable.

Nonetheless, the news of Benedict’s resignation has a jarring quality to it as well as ample precedent.

The early Church was accustomed to the sudden departures of popes. In the third century, because of the cruel persecution of tyrants seeking to eradicate the Christian faith, there were five popes in the span of 10 years. Some were beheaded and all were elevated with the expectation of certain martyrdom.

Benedict’s announcement, in this context, seems far less dramatic. But it is no less momentous.

Those of us in Catholic education find ourselves already missing our beloved theologian-pope. He was a friend to us all.

I will never forget his remarks at a gathering of Catholic educators in Washington, DC: “A university or school’s Catholic identity is not simply a question of the number of Catholic students. It is a question of conviction — do we really believe that only in the mystery of the Word made flesh does the mystery of man truly become clear?”

He continued, “The church never tires of upholding the essential moral categories of right and wrong, without which hope could only wither, giving way to cold pragmatic calculations of utility which render the person little more than a pawn on some ideological chess-board.”

The truth of Benedict’s exhortation challenges all of us who labor at Catholic institutions of higher learning to shepherd our students toward a deeper understanding of what is asked of us, and what dangers are posed when society measures individuals based simply on their usefulness.

The pontificate of Pope Benedict XVI may be ending but the value of his teaching and the power of his witness to the Christian faithful will continue. His leaving the chair of St. Peter shocks us, and perhaps even saddens us, because we have grown accustomed to the lovely attraction of his words.

He served with a fearlessness and gentleness that were evangelical. His formidable intellect and gift of expression were from God.

He soon will enter a new stage in his life, one of quiet prayer and ascendant weakness as he prepares to return to the Father. He has mentored the multitudes across the continents for this very moment, and now it is his turn to embark.

He goes with our prayers and profound gratitude.

Jim Towey is president of Ave Maria University in Naples, Fla.

The “Contraception Stamps” Entitlement Program

Thursday, February 07, 2013

President Obama wants to enlist all faith-based groups to be on the front lines of a new federal entitlement to free birth control for every woman in America. His only problem is, some of us refuse to serve.

24-Hour Homerathon Reading

Thursday, February 07, 2013

Beginning Friday evening, Feb. 8, AMU students and faculty will be holding a "Homerathon" where all 24 books of "The Iliad" will be read aloud over a 24-hour period, ending at 6 p.m. on Saturday.

Proposal to Amend ObamaCare Contraceptive Rule Met with Skepticism

Friday, February 01, 2013

AMU President Jim Towey quoted in article on Foxnews.com

Ave Maria University Reacts to Latest HHS Compromise

Friday, February 01, 2013

Ave Maria University President Jim Towey responds to the latest compromise proposed by the Obama Administration and Health and Human Services Director Kathleen Sebelius.

AMU Professor lectures at the Augustine Institute

Thursday, January 31, 2013

Dr. Michael Waldstein, Max Seckler Professor of Theology at Ave Maria University, presents a lecture at the Augustine Institute in Colorado.

Living Morally and Intelligently in the Light of Christ’s Eternal Glory

Friday, January 25, 2013

The Aquinas Center realizes the importance of St. Thomas Aquinas’s theology and philosophy for the deepening appropriation of Catholic speculative and moral theology. The Center reaches out to scholars and doctoral students around the world and bestows awards in recognition of their contributions to the study of Aquinas and Catholic intellectual and faith life.

John M. Rist to Deliver 3rd Annual Aquinas Lecture in Philosophy

Wednesday, January 23, 2013

Professor John M. Rist, the first occupant of the Fr. Kurt Pritzl Chair of Philosophy at the Catholic University of America, and author of fifteen books and dozens of important scholarly articles in those areas, will give the Third Annual Aquinas Lecture on Monday, January 28, at 5pm in the Lecture Hall of the Academic Building.

Professor Mary Ann Glendon: "Politics as a Vocation"

Tuesday, January 15, 2013

This Thursday, January 17, Professor Mary Ann Glendon will give the third lecture in this year’s Ernest L. Fortin, A.A., Lecture Series. Her lecture, titled “Politics as a Vocation,” will take place at 5:00 p.m. in the Demetree Auditorium in the Henkels Academic Building. Learned Hand Professor of Law at Harvard Law School and president of the Pontifical Academy of Social Sciences, Professor Glendon was appointed to the U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom in May of 2012. From 2008 to 2009, she served as U.S. Ambassador to the Holy See and prior to that she was a member of President Bush’s Council on Bioethics (2001-2004). A prolific scholar, Professor Glendon writes and teaches in the fields of human rights, comparative law, constitutional law, and political theory. Among her works are Abortion and Divorce in Western Law (1989), the critically acclaimed Rights Talk: The Impoverishment of Political Discourse (1993), and A World Made New: Eleanor Roosevelt and the Universal Declaration of Human Rights (2002). Her lecture Thursday is drawn from her latest book, The Forum and the Tower (2011).

Sponsored by a grant from the Stuck with Virtue Conference Series, the Ernest L. Fortin Lecture Series is named after Fr. Ernest L. Fortin, A.A. Fr Fortin taught at Assumption College, Laval University, and Boston College, where he held joint appointments in the Theology and Political Science Departments and codirected the Institute for the Study of Politics and Religion. The author of books on Dante and St. Augustine, his collected essays have been published in four volumes. Focusing on the intersection of philosophical, theological, and political reflection, the lectures in this series explore the diverse but interrelated themes that animated Fr. Fortin’s life as a teacher and scholar.

Study Abroad: Croatia

Friday, January 11, 2013

Applications are now being accepted for an AMU study abroad opportunity this summer, July 28 to Aug 17, in Sibenik, Croatia.

Amb. Michael Novak receives award from President of Poland

Monday, January 07, 2013

Former U.S. Ambassador Michael Novak at Polish White House with President Komorowski and Father Maciej Zieba OP, former Provincial of the Polish Dominicans, close friend of JP II, former Solidarity member.

Archbishop Chaput Praises Dr. Travis Curtright's book on Thomas More

Wednesday, December 19, 2012

A day after the 2012 Summer Olympics closed in London, Joseph Pearce wrote that he felt like his “body had been covered in slime. I also felt a great sense of gratitude that I had shaken the smut and dirt from my sandals and had left the sordid culture of which I was once a part.”

Ave Maria University Professor Decorated by President of the Republic of Poland

Monday, December 17, 2012

On the 31st anniversary of the declaration of martial law in Poland, Michael Novak, author, theologian, Ave Maria University professor, and former U.S. ambassador, was decorated by President Bronisław Komorowski with the Commodore’s Cross with a Star of the Order of Merit of the Republic of Poland.December 13, 2012. Warsaw, Poland.—On the 31st anniversary of the declaration of martial law in Poland, Michael Novak, author, theologian, Ave Maria University professor, and former U.S. ambassador, was decorated by President Bronisław Komorowski with the Commodore’s Cross with a Star of the Order of Merit of the Republic of Poland.

Before the official decoration ceremony, Professor Novak gave a lecture at the Presidential Palace on the meaning of social justice, part of the series of Polish Presidential lectures on the Ideas for the New Century. The lecture was introduced by Paweł Lisiewicz, director of the Polish cabinet, and in it Novak emphasized the importance of the institutions of civil society that properly precede the activity of the state.

The decoration ceremony took place in the historic grand hall of the Presidential Palace, the site of the 1955 signing of the Warsaw Pact. In addition to Professor Novak, who was the only American recognized at the ceremony, also honored were more than forty heroes of the political opposition to Polish martial law in the 1980s, civilians and members of the military, many of whom worked clandestinely for the cause of liberty.

Professor Novak was cited for his “merits in fostering democratic change in Poland as well as developing Polish-American cooperation.” These merits include Novak’s influential masterpiece, The Spirit of Democratic Capitalism, which was published in an illegal samizdat translation in 1984 under the imprimatur of the anti-communist movement Solidarność. As ambassador to the U.N. Human Rights Commission in 1986, Novak initiated the international condemnation of martial law in Poland, the first ever U.N. condemnation of a regime behind the Iron Curtain. In his remarks, President Komorowski recalled the aid, both material and moral, that the Polish people received from the West while under martial law. He mentioned in particular the significance of Radio Free Europe, which Novak served as a member of the Board of International Broadcasting.

In his remarks President Komorowski also noted Ronald Reagan’s slogan “Let Poland be Poland,” and Reagan’s initiative to ask Americans to light candles in the windows of their homes, an expression of solidarity with those suffering in Poland. Today, Komorowski noted, the Polish people have a duty to extend the same solidarity to those still suffering under unjust regimes.

Following the decoration ceremony, Novak visited the recently erected Ronald Reagan monument located outside the U.S. embassy in Warsaw. There President Komorowski, Novak, and others from the embassy lit candles and placed them around the monument.

Dr. Michael Dauphinais Named Vice President for Academic Affairs

Friday, December 07, 2012

University President Jim Towey announced yesterday that Dr. Michael Dauphinais has been appointed Vice President for Academic Affairs in addition to his role as the Dean of Faculty.

New Summer Course Features a Ten-Day Trip to Rome

Wednesday, November 28, 2012

This eight-credit course will explore Rome through its language and monuments from its pagan beginnings to its Catholic present.

AMU Founders Dinner for Jon Scharfenberger Scholarship Fund

Thursday, November 15, 2012

The Ave Maria University Founders club annual dinner in Naples will be Thursday, Dec. 6, at LaPlaya Beach Resort. The dinner begins with an optional Mass at 4:30 p.m. with the reception beginning at 5:30 p.m.

AMU's Dr. Timothy McDonnell a busy man during holiday music season

Wednesday, November 14, 2012

I knew my neighbor, Dr. Tim McDonnell, was the chairperson of the music department at Ave Maria University, but I’m glad I didn’t know much else when I first met him – for instance, that prior to coming to AMU, he was director of liturgical music at Pontifical North American College in the Vatican.

AMU Reduces Tuition and Expands Online Courses for Summer 2013

Tuesday, November 13, 2012

Ave Maria University is pleased to announce that tuition rates for the summer 2013 session have been lowered from $445/credit to $349/credit, a reduction of more than twenty per cent. The University made this decision with a view towards putting the summer study option within reach of more students.

The Film Center at AMU

Friday, November 09, 2012

The Film Center at AMU was founded to support the study of film and the art of filmmaking on the campus of Ave Maria University. With help from the AMU Film Society, we screen and discuss with invited faculty and outside scholars the best of classic and contemporary cinema. Our blog publishes videos, reviews, and essays on film and filmmaking and provides support for the ongoing work of our young filmmakers.

Post-Election Message to the AMU Community from President Jim Towey

Sunday, November 04, 2012

Dear members of the Ave Maria University community:

“The Lord is my light and my salvation; whom should I fear? The Lord is my life’s refuge; of whom should I be afraid?”

These words from Psalm 27 which the Church Universal proclaims in the responsorial psalm in today’s holy Mass are a reminder that God alone is sovereign over our affairs. At Ave Maria University we place our trust in God, not government. Yes, we are proudly American and we will continue to engage in the public square because the Lord invites us to bring our faith and values to bear on the issues of the day. But our first allegiance, our first duty, is to the Lord, for He is our life’s refuge.

I want to thank our students who voted in yesterday’s election. For many students this was their first time at the polls, and by all accounts, our students turned out in droves. We sent shuttle after shuttle to Immokalee, and I was edified to see so many students exercising their right to vote.

I know many of them awoke this morning with a stinging disappointment over the outcome of the presidential election. While it is natural to be disappointed when your candidate loses, it is my prayer that your disappointment does not lead to disillusionment. America – and the Church – need you to be fully engaged in the public square, even when you don’t prevail at the ballot box or in the cauldron of public policy making. So don’t be discouraged. Our country needs your continued enthusiasm and involvement.

All elections have consequences and the re-election of President Obama means that our Federal lawsuit in defense of our University’s religious freedom will proceed. As the current department of Health and Human Services (HHS) regulations now stand, our employer-provided health plan is in jeopardy, beginning in 2014. We have a year to prepare, and much can happen in this year. I know how important health insurance is to our faculty and staff and we will do everything we can do in good conscience to continue to support your health care needs.

Today I am appointing an ad hoc committee from among the University’s faculty and staff to make contingency plans in the event HHS does not follow through on President Obama’s pledge in February to amend the regulations in a manner that protects the right of conscience of faith-based institutions like ours. The members of the Committee on Health Insurance are Ken Ferguson, Vice President for Finance and Administration, Chairman; Jennifer Nodes, Director of Library Services; Dr. Michael Pakaluk, Chairman of the Department of Philosophy; Bill Kirk, Vice President for Student Affairs and General Counsel, and Anne Hart, Director of Financial Aid. They will meet in the near future and Vice President Ferguson will report to you on their deliberations when appropriate.

The United States Conference of Catholic Bishops will continue its advocacy on our behalf. Next week I will be in Baltimore where the Bishops will gather for their annual general assembly and I am scheduled to visit with a number of them who will be in attendance. I also will be participating in meetings of the Cardinal Newman Society and conferring with my colleagues from other universities as we strategize in response to the current dilemma.

The University also will work with the lawyers of the Becket Fund for Religious Liberty and press ahead with our lawsuit. Now that the President has been re-elected, it is my sense that a judge will be assigned to our case and the pace of the proceedings will accelerate. I remain confident in the merits of our lawsuit and believe fervently that the HHS contraception mandate is unconstitutional and also a violation of Federal law. The University of Notre Dame, Catholic University of America, and dozens of other institutions also are in court and I expect that these lawsuits will gather more attention in the months ahead.

My friends, the electoral wave that unexpectedly swept the country last evening reminds each one of us why Ave Maria University exists and why the need for an institution with our values and mission has never been greater. And I am not simply referring to the national election. A large majority of Floridians rejected constitutional amendments that would have protected religious liberty and banned the public funding of abortion. Several states embraced so-called “same sex marriage” in ballot measures, bringing to ten the number of states where such unions are now legal. One state, Massachusetts, has a dead heat on their initiative to legalize assisted-suicide, which would bring to four the number of states where this dangerous practice is permitted.

It might be easy to become discouraged by these troubling trends. However, Psalm 27 ends with the beautiful words, “Wait for the Lord with courage; be stouthearted, and wait for the Lord.”

What all of us must do, in this year designated by His Holiness Pope Benedict XVI as a year of faith, is deepen our dependence upon Divine Providence and be courageous like our Patroness. At the end of this month the Church will begin a new liturgical year, and soon thereafter we will be focusing our gaze on her, the Virgin with child who will give birth to a son, “and they shall call him Emmanuel, which means, ‘God is with us.’” (Matthew 1:23)

Indeed God is with us. As discouraging as last night’s results were for so many of us, there is nothing to fear. God is with us at Ave Maria University. He is our light and our salvation.

Kind regards,

Jim Towey

Video Highlights

Monday, October 29, 2012

AMU president Jim Towey spoke out strongly about religious liberty and the importance of Amendment 8 on "Newsmakers with Jeff Lytle."

Jim Towey on Newsmakers with Jeff Lytle

Thursday, October 25, 2012

AMU president Jim Towey will appear on the "Newsmakers with Jeff Lytle" show this Sunday morning at 10, when he squares off against ACLU's Howard Simon on religious liberty and Amendment 8, also known as the Florida Religious Freedom Amendment on the November 6 state ballot. Newsmakers with Jeff Lytle airs on ABC channel 7.

Year of Faith Lecture

Thursday, October 25, 2012

Friday, October 26th, Dr. John F. Boyle will deliver a lecture on “St. Thomas, Faith, and Life” as part of Ave Maria University’s commencement of the Year of Faith proclaimed by Pope Benedict XVI. The lecture is Sponsored by the Henkels Lecture Series of Ave Maria University. Dr. Boyle is a Professor of Theology and Director of the Master of Arts in Catholic Studies Program at the University of St. Thomas in St. Paul, MN. Dr. Boyle has published important research on Medieval Studies, St. Thomas Aquinas, and St. Thomas More. The lecture is free, open to the public, and will take place at 5pm in the Demetree Auditorium of the Henkels Academic Building.

The Fall Season of the AMU Choirs Opens with Mozart's Requiem

Sunday, October 14, 2012

Intrigue and conspiracy provide a background for Mozart’s last musical testament, his stunning Requiem. Left incomplete at his death, the work was finished by various students who secretly sewed together the sketches left by the master in order to provide for the dead composer’s widow.

Plaintiffs Against the HHS Mandate Reach More Than 100 Strong

Friday, October 12, 2012

On Tuesday, the Becket Fund for Religious Liberty filed suit on behalf of East Texas Baptist University and Houston Baptist University, adding two more Protestant institutions to the legal fray and helping push the total number of plaintiffs over the 100 mark.

Ambassador Novak Delivers Lecture on the Battle of Lepanto

Friday, October 05, 2012

On October 7th in the year 1571, ships from the Holy League, an alliance of Christian states, defeated the fleet of the Ottoman Empire. The stunning victory was credited to the Virgin Mary, whose intercession had been sought. In her honor, Pius V instituted the feast day of Our Lady of Victory, now celebrated as the feast of Our Lady of the Rosary.

On Monday, October 8th, at 7:30 pm, Ambassador Michael Novak will deliver a public lecture and presentation on this famed sea battle and its significance. All are welcome.

Catholic Reads Before Election Day

Thursday, October 04, 2012

The National Catholic Register selected the new biography of St. Thomas More by Ave Maria University Associate Professor of Literature Dr. Travis Curtright as one its recommended Catholic reads before Election day.

Harvey C. Mansfield: “Science and Non-Science in Liberal Education”

Tuesday, October 02, 2012

Wednesday at 5:00pm in the Demetree Auditorium, Professor Harvey C. Mansfield, William R. Kenan, Jr. Professor of Government of Harvard University, will give the second lecture in this year’s Ernest L. Fortin Lecture Series.

George P. Bush Visits Ave Maria University

Thursday, September 20, 2012

The son of former Florida Governor Jeb Bush, George P. Bush, dropped by Ave Maria University on Wednesday. The younger Bush is working with a conservative group called Maverick PAC. He's on a 7-city bus tour of college campuses in Florida. Their goal...

Ave Maria University Celebrates Constitution Day, September 17

Monday, September 17, 2012

On September 17, 1787, the 39 delegates to the Constitutional Convention in Philadelphia signed the Constitution. In submitting their Constitution to the American people for ratification, Alexander Hamilton said that it was up to the people to decide “whether societies of men are really capable or not of establishing good government from reflection and choice, or whether they are forever destined to depend for their political constitutions on accident and force.”

Here at Ave Maria, our students come to know the founding documents of their Republic by way of the core requirement in American Civilization.

As part of the University’s Constitution Day observance, a panel will discuss “Religious Liberty and Free Exercise of Religion” on Wednesday, September 19, at 5:00 in the Demetree Auditorium. Panelists will include President Jim Towey, Dr. Seana Sugrue, and Dr. David Dalin. The event is open to the public, and there will be free booklets of the Constitution and Declaration available for the first 100 guests in attendance.

The Inaugural "Paula Castagnet Seminar in Biology and Medicine"

Thursday, September 13, 2012

The Department of Biology and Chemistry at Ave Maria University is proud to announce the inaugural "Paula Castagnet Seminar in Biology and Medicine".

This years’ seminar will be presented by Dr. Angela Flippin-Trainer, M.D., entitled "A Conversion of Heart and Mind: Living the Catholic Faith in the Practice of Medicine" on Monday, September 17 from 5-6pm in the Demetree Auditorium located in the Henkels Academic Building. AMU students, faculty and the public are invited to attend this event.

Seminar contact:
James A. Peliska, Ph.D.
Professor of Chemistry and Biochemistry
james.peliska@avemaria.edu

Ernest L. Fortin Lecture Series Begins with a Political Perspective on Hawthorne

Monday, September 10, 2012

Dr. John Alvis’ lecture, "Revisiting Hawthorne's The Scarlet Letter from a Political Perspective," will be in held in the library, room 160B, at 5:00PM. The next Fortin lecture will be by Dr. Harvey C. Mansfield, Professor of Government at Harvard University, on Wednesday, October 3.

AMU Graduate Ordained to the Priesthood

Friday, September 07, 2012

St. Patrick Catholic Church recently welcomed Fr. Matthew Grady, a newly ordained priest and a graduate of Ave Maria University. Grady, 26, was welcomed into the priesthood July 14 by the Most Rev. Frank Dewane, bishop of the Diocese of Venice, at an Ordination Mass at Epiphany Cathedral.

Amb. Novak's Classic Work Remembered in the American Spectator

Friday, August 17, 2012

Thirty years ago saw the publication of "The Spirit of Democratic Capitalism" by Board of Trustee member and Visiting Professor, Ambassador Michael Novak.

AMU Names VP for Student Affairs and General Counsel

Monday, July 23, 2012

William W. Kirk has been named Vice President for Student Affairs and General Counsel at Ave Maria University. The position was announced by Ave Maria University President Jim Towey.

Ave Maria University Hosts FCA Camp

Friday, July 13, 2012

Ave Maria University is hosting the Fellowship of Christian Athletes (FCA) team football camp for southwest Florida.

AMU Mourns Loss of Student, Clayton Burroughs

Friday, July 13, 2012

Today we received the very sad news that one of our students, Clayton Burroughs, was involved in an automobile accident early this morning and went home to God. The University is working with county and state law enforcement in the investigation of this accident.

Will Obamacare "Tax" Trump Religious Liberty?

Thursday, July 12, 2012

Though the Supreme Court has long been hostile to tax exemptions for religious reasons, the Religious Freedom Restoration Act and the Establishment Clause should give religious organizations reasons to hope that they won't be penalized by the Obamacare "tax."

Ave Maria University President featured in The Hill

Thursday, July 12, 2012

Ave Maria University President, Jim Towey will be featured in The Hill Thursday, July 12, 2012.

Ave Maria Professor to Participate in County Forum

Monday, July 02, 2012

Dr. Joseph Burke will participate as a panelist in the Collier Candidate Commissioner Forum on July 16th, 2012 from 5:30 p.m. to 7 p.m. at the Agricultural Extension Center.

Ave Maria not backing down from challenging federal contraceptives rule

Monday, July 02, 2012

A U.S. Supreme Court health-care ruling this week won't directly affect lawsuits filed by religious-affiliated employers like Ave Maria University over a controversial contraception mandate earlier this year.

AMU ranked among Top 25 homeschool-friendly colleges

Friday, June 29, 2012

Ave Maria University was ranked by The Best Schools among the Top 25 homeschool-friendly colleges in the nation.

Ave Maria University President Responds to Supreme Court Decision

Thursday, June 28, 2012

The Supreme Court of the United States may have decided one case today, but it likely has not heard the last on the Affordable Care Act.

2012 Youth Conference

Monday, June 11, 2012

Please join us for the 5^th Annual Ave Maria University Youth Conference “Overflow”
July 6-8^th 2012

Justin James Signs Contract with Major League Baseball's Toronto Blue Jays

Thursday, June 07, 2012

James will report to Clearwater, Florida for camp on Saturday, June 9th, 2012. Says Justin, "I feel so blessed to have this opportunity. I want to thank everyone who has helped and supported me through the years - most of all Christ. To Him be the glory. I hope to make everyone proud in the coming years."

Defend Religious Freedom Rally

Tuesday, June 05, 2012

Let's make our voices heard right here in Naples, Florida Friday, June 8, 12:00pm - 1:00pm. Corner of Pine Ridge and Highway 41.

Special Report with Bret Baier Looks at Battle over Religious Freedom

Tuesday, May 29, 2012

Cardinal Dolan, Archbishop Lori, and AMU president Jim Towey are interviewed regarding the lawsuits challenging the HHS mandate.

Lou Dobbs Interviews Jim Towey on HHS Mandate

Friday, May 25, 2012

Ave Maria University's lawsuit against the HHS mandate is discussed by AMU president Jim Towey on the Lou Dobbs program.

Why Ave Maria?

Tuesday, May 22, 2012

The sound of native songbirds was just as loud as the roaring fountain in front of the Oratory; people dispersed from the Golisano Field House, where commencement had ended, and the lives our graduates had only just begun.

Ave Maria University Discontinues Student Health Insurance

Tuesday, May 22, 2012

Although colleges and universities in America are not bound by law to require students to have health insurance, Ave Maria University from its founding has done so and made an inexpensive group policy available to them.

1st Annual Marian Eucharistic Conference at Ave Maria University

Tuesday, May 22, 2012

This dynamic and faith-filled weekend, May 18-20, will include many opportunities for you to celebrate your faith on the beautiful campus of Ave Maria University! Be sure to check out our live streaming site for those of you unable to attend the conference.

AMU Grads on Faith

Tuesday, May 22, 2012

Meet Matthew Vicinanzo and Sarah Richards – both recent Ave Maria graduates who see a clear connection between their faith, their education, and their futures.

Dr. Michael Pakaluk Article Featured in the Boston Pilot

Tuesday, May 22, 2012

There are lessons in fish. Consider: Do you, as a Catholic, abstain from meat on Fridays? If not, you would probably tell me that practice was abandoned by Vatican II. Indeed, but I would say that your reply is a half truth. Before Vatican II, Catholics abstained from meat, and ate fish instead, as a very slight penance, to remember the day of the Lord’s Passion. After Vatican II, Catholics are still supposed to do penance on Friday and remember the Passion, only the specific penance need not be fish.

Homily at Baccalaureate Mass, Rev. Matthew Lamb

Tuesday, May 22, 2012

Joyful greetings to you graduates of Ave Maria University, to your parents and friends, Chancellor Monaghan and President Towey, and distinguished faculty, staff and visitors. In the venerable traditions of Catholic universities, we invoke the Advocate, the Spirit of truth, upon you graduates before sending you forth with your degrees at Commencement.

A Night on Broadway, April 13th

Thursday, April 12, 2012

Presented by the students of Ave Maria University, featuring selections from Wicked, Les Miserables, The Phantom of the Opera, The Sound of Music, etc.

Scholarship Fund Established in Memory of AMU Graduate

Thursday, April 12, 2012

Jon Scharfenberger just wanted to help people, his mother said at a gathering in Ave Maria. Now, a scholarship fund being established in the name of the young man who died in a car accident last fall may help many others attend the university where he was such an active part of the campus life for four years.

AMU Professor to teach two Biology classes in Nicaragua this summer

Thursday, April 12, 2012

AMU Professor, Thomas Smith, will teach two Biology classes (Natural History Field Studies and Environmental Science) in Nicaragua this summer from May 6 – June 7. Both classes will fulfill the natural sciences core curriculum requirement for AMU students.

Professor Michael Waldstein video featured on St Peter’s List blog-site

Thursday, April 12, 2012

In excerpts from a classroom lecture, Dr. Waldstein comments on the importance of the Papal document Humanae Vitae in our understanding of the Theology of the Body.

Ave Maria is Growing

Wednesday, April 11, 2012

Arthrex announces official ground-breaking for new $25 million light medical device manufacturing facility.

AMU Women's Basketball Player Emily Huber Bikes for Multiple Sclerosis

Friday, April 06, 2012

Emily Huber of the Ave Maria University women's basketball team will bike from Bar Harbor, Maine to Seattle, Washington this summer as a cyclist in the "Bike the U.S. for MS" 2012 tour.

HHS Mandate Article in The Weekly Standard Quotes Jim Towey

Monday, March 19, 2012

On February 11, as the debate over the Obama administration’s rule forcing religious institutions to provide insurance for contraceptive and aborti-facient drugs to their employees was reaching fever pitch, a prominent American said:

Combined Choirs Sing to Benefit Local Agricultural Workers

Monday, March 19, 2012

The combined voices of over 120 singers, accompanied by a full professional orchestra and world-class pianist, John Robilette, will perform a Back to Beethoven: An Epic Journey program of 19th century masterworks in Naples and Fort Myers March 24-25.

AMU Student Shares Pro-Life Perspective at UN Women’s Conference

Friday, March 16, 2012

AMU junior Isabel Avila offered one of the few pro-life perspectives last week at the UN's 56th Session of the Commission on the Status of Women.

Dr. Burke Publishes Report on Cost of Bureaucratic Delay

Friday, March 16, 2012

AMU Assistant Professor of Economics, Dr. Joseph Burke, estimates the impact of one week of government-caused delay in the creation of a start-up business in Florida.

Jim Towey in Washington Post article on Bishops' Fight Against Mandate

Thursday, March 15, 2012

Top U.S. Catholic bishops on Wednesday formally made their fight against a White House mandate for reproductive services the church’s top priority, saying “this struggle for religious freedom” demands their immediate attention.

(Video clips) Jim Towey Takes the HHS Mandate Fight to Washington, DC

Friday, March 09, 2012

Jim Towey is in Washington, DC to make the case in person for Ave Maria University's principled stand against the HHS contraception/sterilization mandate. After taping a radio interview yesterday afternoon with AP Religion Editor Steve Coleman, he appeared on EWTN's The World Over, Live with Raymond Arroyo. Earlier this morning he was interviewed live on C-SPAN's Washington Journal, and ahead on today's schedule are interviews by FOX News Chief White House correspondent Ed Henry, World Magazine's Washington Bureau chief Lee Pitts, and Fox News contributor Judd Berger.

Ave Maria University Statement on Lawsuit Against HHS

Tuesday, February 21, 2012

"It is a sad day when an American citizen or organization has no choice but to sue its
own government in order to exercise

Two AMU Students Win National Competition

Tuesday, February 21, 2012

Two students from Ave Maria's BUSN 304 Marketing class (Roman Samuels and Mary Ladewski) earned a 10-week internship in Chicago as a

"Why Now is a Good Time for a Christian and Catholic Approach to Psychology."

Monday, February 20, 2012

This Friday at noon at the AMU Student Union, Dr. Paul Vitz, Professor and Senior Scholar at the Institute for the Psychological Sciences,

Washington Post quotes Jim Towey’s response to White House compromise

Friday, February 10, 2012

“I still don’t think President Obama gets it,” Towey added. “This is a fig-leaf of a political compromise that’s trying to have it both ways, to mollify women’s groups and so-called centrist Catholics. But I think fundamentally this is not the end of this debate, it’s just the beginning.”

White House defends contraception rules as criticisms mount

Wednesday, February 08, 2012

Jim Towey said Tuesday that Ave Maria University would fight the provision using "all lawful means at our disposal."

Ave Maria University to Fight HHS Mandate

Tuesday, February 07, 2012

Former White House Faith-Based Director Jim Towey Decries Attack on Religious Liberty.

Former Gov. Jeb Bush to Keynote at Ave Maria Commencement

Monday, January 23, 2012

Jim Towey, president of Ave Maria University, announced today that Florida’s 43rd Governor, Jeb Bush, will address the Ave Maria University graduating class of 2012.

College Goal Sunday at AMU

Tuesday, February 07, 2012

Free expert advice from counselors providing information about Federal Financial aid for college students.

AMU Women's Basketball #21 in National Poll Released Today

Tuesday, February 07, 2012

The AMU women's basketball team has moved from #23 to #21 in the latest NAIA national poll released this afternoon.

The Lady Gyrenes improved to 21-4 overall and 8-1 in The Sun Conference following a pair of wins over Warner University and Webber International University last week. They share to top spot in the conference with St. Thomas University who is ranked #16 in the national poll. AMU will host STU (18-5 overall) in the final game of the regular season on February 18th. In their last meeting, STU won an overtime battle 80-71.

The #21 ranking is the highest for any sports team in AMU athletics' history for a NAIA national poll. The AMU women are also listed #1 in the USCAA national poll having won the national championship last season.

Lady Gyrenes ranked No. 25 in NAIA Poll

Tuesday, January 24, 2012

Top Six Go Unchanged in NAIA Division II Women's Basketball Coaches' Top 25 Poll

Marion, Sokolowski, and the Possibility of Natural Theology

Thursday, February 02, 2012

Catholic theology has traditionally recognized the possibility of knowing God by rational reflection on his created effects. This is what has come to be known as “natural theology.” The First Vatican Council (1869-1870) famously affirms the ability of human beings to know God through reason without the aid of supernatural revelation. But there are many – both Catholic and Protestant – who have questioned the possibility of natural theology or certain of its aspects for various reasons. In this paper I consider the challenges to natural theology posed by the work of the contemporary French philosopher and theologian Jean-Luc Marion and the contemporary American philosopher and theologian Robert Sokolowski. I try to show the weaknesses in their positions, which seem to deny – Marion rather categorically and Sokolowski with some qualifications – the natural human capacity to know God.

Chicago Fire Return to Ave Maria Friday

Wednesday, January 18, 2012

The Major League Soccer Chicago Fire will be back in Ave Maria beginning Friday, Jan. 20, for two weeks to start their spring training for the 2012 season.

As was the case last year, when the Fire trained for the first time in Ave Maria, the team will have open practices daily and will play an exhibition game at North Park in Ave Maria. The exhibition game against FGCU Wednesday, Feb. 1, at 7 p.m, is one of two exhibition matches on the Fire's schedule for their time in Southwest Florida. The other game, against the MLS D.C. United, is scheduled for Sunday, Jan. 29, at 2 p.m. at FGCU. Left, last year's exhibition game at North Park against FGCU drew more than 1,000 people.

Practices will normally be open to the public. The Ave Herald will post the daily practice schedule as it is available. They also have a number of sessions scheduled with their local affiliate, the Chicago Fire Juniors.

The Fire will have a busy spring, traveling to New Orleans, Ventura, CA and Charleston, SC before opening their season March 17 in Montreal.

The official spring schedule released by The Chicago Fire:

January 20-February 3: First Team trains in Ave Maria, Fla.

GAMES:

Sunday, January 29 - Chicago Fire vs. D.C. United - 1:00 p.m. CT - Florida Gulf Coast University

Wednesday, February 1 - Chicago Fire vs. Florida Gulf Coast University - 6:00 p.m. CT - Ave Maria University

February 3-5: First Team trains in New Orleans, La.

GAMES:
Saturday, February 4 - Chicago Fire vs. Real C.D. Espana (HON) - 5:00 p.m. CT - Tad Gormley Stadium

February 5: First Team returns to Chicago

February 8-18: First Team trains in Ventura, Calif.

GAMES: TBD
February 18: First Team returns to Chicago

February 21-March 5: First Team trains in Charleston, S.C. as part of 2012 Carolina Challenge Cup

GAMES:

Saturday, February 25 - Chicago Fire vs. DC United - 4:00 p.m. CT - Blackbaud Stadium

Wednesday, February 29 - Chicago Fire vs. Columbus Crew - 4:00 p.m. CT - Blackbaud Stadium

Saturday, March 3 - Chicago Fire vs. Charleston Battery (USL) - 6:15 p.m. CT - Blackbaud Stadium

March 5: First Team returns to Chicago

Reorganization Concluded

Friday, January 06, 2012

Mr. Jim Towey, president of Ave Maria University, today announced a reorganization of the athletics and conferences program areas of the University. These changes conclude a nearly year-long review by the new president in his effort to streamline operations and move Ave Maria toward self-sufficiency. Towey announced the following personnel appointments and changes:

· Mr. Brian Scanlan, current athletic director of the University, is now an Associate Vice President and will assist Chief Financial Officer Eugene Munin and Comptroller Tony Beata in business operations, with an emphasis on the conferences and events activities of the University.

· Mr. Kevin Joyce, current Assistant to the President, is now Athletic Director and Head Football Coach. Joyce was an assistant football coach from 2001-2004 at Saint Xavier University in Chicago, and also coached at Marist High School before coming to Ave Maria in 2010 to work in the development office. Joyce played football and wrestled at John Carroll University where he earned his B.A. degree in Political Science.

· Mr. Barry Fagan is stepping down as Head Football Coach and is leaving the University.

· Mr. Forrest Wallace, current Director of Media Relations and Events, is now Director of Public Relations and will work with Mr. Dennis Grace, Vice-President for Enrollment and Marketing, in the marketing of the University, as well as handle media relations.

“The University is grateful for Coach Fagan’s service in getting our football program up and running and we wish him well as he continues his coaching career,” said Towey. “Ave Maria University is committed to having a successful, competitive intercollegiate athletics program. Wins and losses of course matter, but of greater importance is that our student athletes graduate with a first-class education. Kevin Joyce is the right man to move us in that direction.”

Mr. Joyce will assume his new responsibilities immediately and begin assembling next year’s team. “I appreciate the confidence that President Towey has in me and I can’t wait to meet with our football team and get to know all of our student athletes,” Joyce commented. “I know our coaches and they are a fantastic group and I look forward to working with them.”

Mr. Scanlan also is eager to take on his new responsibilities. “I’ve loved my work in athletics and I’m proud of what we accomplished in such a short time. I am an entrepreneur by nature and love business and so the challenge of attracting more conferences and events at Ave Maria is very attractive to me,” Scanlan said. “This is a wonderful opportunity to help the University where I am needed the most,” he added.

President Towey was announced as Ave Maria University’s new President on February 10, 2011, succeeding Chancellor and Founder Thomas S. Monaghan and President Nicholas Healy, and began his tenure on March 17, 2011. Since his appointment there has been a major transition in senior leadership underway at the University that included the appointment of new vice-presidents for academic affairs, institutional advancement, and enrollment, as well as a new chief financial officer and also head of information services. In May the University streamlined all areas of the University and cut the 2010-11 operating budget by $3.6 million, and reduced the number of full-time coaches in athletics from 15 to 5. Last fall Ave Maria had its largest entering class ever, and last month the University nearly doubled the number of majors and minors to be offered in August.

“Ave Maria University continues to grow and move toward self-sufficiency and I am thrilled that we have had such a smooth transition of authority,” said Towey. “It is a tribute to the great men and women who have worked at – and are working at - Ave Maria.”

Next week classes resume on the campus that has an enrollment of 750 undergraduates and 113 graduate students.

Guest column by Pres. Towey: Expenses to be the key in the year ahead

Wednesday, January 04, 2012

In a recent speech, U.S. Department of Education Secretary Arne Duncan urged colleges and universities to "think more creatively — and with much greater urgency — about how to contain the spiraling costs of college and reduce the burden of student debt on our nation's students."

Keeping academic standards high and the costs to students low will be the defining challenge in higher education in 2012.

If Duncan wants to see a model to accomplish these dual objectives, he should check out Ave Maria University.

According to the Chronicle of Higher Education, this year the average cost of tuition and fees at private colleges in America is $28,500, and yet Ave Maria charges just a little more than $20,000.

Because our mission urges us to keep the cost of attending college within the reach of as many families as possible, more than half of this cost at Ave Maria is covered by scholarships, thanks to the generosity of our founder, Tom Monaghan, and our many donors.

This means that the average student on our campus is paying less than $10,000 in tuition and fees annually. Students from Florida are paying even less because of state-supported scholarships (Bright Future and Florida Resident Access Grant). In fact, Florida residents attending Ave Maria have an out-of-pocket tuition cost comparable to the sticker price of the state's huge public universities.

That is good news for parents and their high school seniors who want a quality education without incurring a mountain of debt. With many private, liberal arts colleges now charging well over $40,000 per year in tuition, and with scholarship aid restricted to the privileged few (star students or athletes, for example), it is no wonder that there is widespread resentment in America over rising college costs.

So how does Ave Maria University keep its academic standards high and its costs low?

First, we attracted a first-class faculty without the trappings of tenure. Our professors hold degrees from Harvard, Yale, Princeton, Columbia, Cornell and other prestigious institutions and could teach, research and get tenure anywhere. They chose Ave Maria because we value their scholarship and seek to provide the right environment for it.

Second, we have streamlined administration and kept the student-to-employee ratio high. Too many colleges and universities have bloated bureaucracies.

Third, we do not go overboard on athletics. A third of our students compete in 17 sports, guided by just a handful of full-time coaches. That model works for students and is affordable.

Last month the higher-education consulting group Hardwick Day released results from a survey conducted with 2,700 college graduates. The group asked the graduates how satisfied they were with their undergraduate experiences. Which colleges fared best? Private liberal arts colleges like Ave Maria. This is because students who learn how to think critically and write competently turn into graduates who can excel in the world.

That is good news, but it will be short-lived if their alma maters continue to price themselves out of reach.

NRO Editor-at-large interviewed

Wednesday, December 21, 2011

"The gals at Ave Maria in Florida are just spectacular...", says Kathryn Jean Lopez, keynote speaker at the genuine.feminine conference on campus last March.

Start-Ups Drive Florida Job Creation, Report by AMU Professor Finds

Wednesday, December 14, 2011

Assistant Professor of Economics, Dr. Joseph Burke, recently had an article published on Start-Up Companies as Florida’s Top Job Creators

AMU Professor remembers his weekend with Russian dissident

Monday, December 12, 2011

Joseph Pearce

didn’t expect much when he wrote to Alexander Solzhenitsyn in 1998...

A Presidential Reunion

Monday, November 28, 2011

AMU President H. J. Towey Visits with President Bush in Texas

November 18, 2011 – Ave Maria University President H. James Towey poses for a picture with his friend and former employer, United States President George W. Bush, moments before the former President addressed a faith-based gathering in Dallas, Texas. America’s 43^rd president and Towey visited at the Bush’s Dallas home and later traveled together to the speech – although, as President Towey observed, “his motorcade is smaller and it stops at red lights.” President Towey was grateful for the opportunity to share with the President all of the good news coming from Ave Maria. “It was great to be with President Bush and it was just like old times, except that now he is a little more laid back and there isn’t the constant pressure. He looked great and was getting ready to go on a family trip to Africa, and his speech to the folks supporting a local pregnancy center that helps moms choose life, was fascinating, and at times, hilarious. He definitely is comfortable in his role away from the spotlight.” At their meeting, President Bush told Towey that he would meet with a group of Ave Maria University supporters when he comes to Naples on February 3, 2012.

Thomas S. Monaghan Honored for Catholic Leadership

Monday, December 05, 2011

Catholic Leadership Institute and over 600 individuals from around the country gathered to honor Sr. Pauline McShain, SHCJ, Thomas Monaghan, Cardinal Seán O’Malley, OFM, Cap. and Terry Polakovic on Friday, November 11 at the 2011 Awards for Outstanding Catholic Leadership in Philadelphia, PA.

Immokalee Parish benefits from SGA Breakfast with St. Nick!

Monday, December 05, 2011

Families enjoyed the annual Ave Maria University Breakfast with St. Nick Sunday morning, sponsored by the AMU student government and the Knights of Columbus.

Marine Corp Ball Celebrated with Cake and Gyrene Burgers

Monday, November 21, 2011

Chancellor Monaghan honored at the Annual Marine Corp Birthday Ball. Gyrene Burgers served for the first time. Gyrene Burger is a venture created by Chancellor Tom Monaghan to benefit scholarships for students of AMU.

2011 Awards for Outstanding Catholic Leadership

Wednesday, November 09, 2011

"Catholic Leadership Institute (CLI) will present the 2011 Awards for Outstanding Catholic Leadership to four national Catholic leaders at a reception and dinner to be held Friday, November 11 at the Drexelbrook, in Philadelphia, PA."

CLICK HERE to read article!!!

Ave Maria to offer 13 new programs

Tuesday, November 08, 2011

Ave Maria University plans to nearly double its program offerings next year in an effort to attract more students and continue expansion of the still-young school.

Naples Daily NewsMakers with Jeff Lytle interviews Jim Towey

Tuesday, November 01, 2011

President Jim Towey discusses formal Catholic recognition for AMU and the future role of Tom Monaghan

CLICK HERE to view interview!!!

Annual Aquinas Lecture a Success

Tuesday, October 25, 2011

Fr. John Baptist Ku, O.P., of the Pontifical Faculty of the Immaculate Conception at the Dominican House of Studies in Washington, D.C., delivered the annual Aquinas Lecture on Friday, October 28 in the Paul M. Henkels Academic Building. The Aquinas Lecture is sponsored by the Aquinas Center for Theological Renewal of Ave Maria University. An overflow crowd of students and faculty attended the lecture, which was entitled "God the Father in the Theology of St. Thomas Aquinas."

Rabbi David G. Dalin speaks about his most recent book, The Myth of Hitler’s Pope

Tuesday, October 25, 2011

"Rabbi Dalin will focus on the efforts of Pope Pius XII to save the Jews in Europe during the Holocaust."

CLICK HERE to read article!!!

Jon Scharfenberger remembered in the National Review Online

Monday, October 24, 2011

“As I stood waiting for the train back to Manhattan, I got word that Jon Scharfenberger, coordinator of Pregnant on Campus and campus-support coordinator for Students for Life of America, had died from injuries suffered in a car accident. He was born in 1989.”

This past week, I went to the wake of a woman who was born in 1925. As her son, Ed Mechmann, a New York lawyer who is active in the pro-life movement, wrote to friends, “Her family was with her at the end. It was a peaceful, holy death, of a good Christian woman.” On such occasions, at the passing of someone who lived a good and long life, you wish you could have present during her last days to ask questions — to download the wisdom of 86 years. But she leaves us her legacy in the dedication of her family, who cared for her in her final years, and who work tirelessly for church and community.

s I stood waiting for the train back to Manhattan, I got word that Jon Scharfenberger, coordinator of Pregnant on Campus and campus-support coordinator for Students for Life of America, had died from injuries suffered in a car accident. He was born in 1989.

I still can hear Kristan Hawkins, executive director at Students for Life: “You’ve got to meet Jon, K-Lo. He’s awesome.” And when Kristan says “awesome,” she actually means the word seriously: self-sacrificial, a leader, tenacious in the cause of saving lives and helping others lead good ones.

I never did manage to meet Jon, although I had connected a person or two to him during his short tenure at Students for Life.

Jon’s job was to be a conduit for support and healing, and he was part of a generation of builders. As one missionary (that’s the official title) with the Fellowship of Catholic University Students at New York University put it to me recently, “We’re like the Early Church.” Shining a light, being beacons. Building. Educating. Not only walking the walk, but walking with their brothers and sisters — walking with people who may be lost without solid examples of successful marriages that make them feel capable of the same.

Shunned and feeling totally alone when an unexpected pregnancy brings with it only the lie of the rhetoric of choice, young women — abandoned by boyfriend or husband, abandoned by family and friends — often see only one option. For these women, in pain and confusion, Jon and so many like him in this life-filled generation are offering good news, support, and their own witness.

“One of the first nights after we had moved in,” Charles Atkinson tells me, “we stayed up late into the night discussing what the nature of the good life is.” Charles was Jon’s roommate last year at Ave Maria University in Florida. “This was the first of many conversations I had with Jon about finding happiness, what real success consists of, and following the will of God. Jon was dogged when it came to finding the right path and following it. He had a healthy discontent with the state of things both in his own life and in the culture around him, which led him to always search for more.”

Explaining the position Jon would take with Students for Life of America — a non-lucrative and exhausting one, requiring hours of travel most weeks — Charles tells me that Jon wanted to “change the culture.” His job was dedicated to achieving a world without abortion, one campus at a time.

According to the Guttmacher Institute, 46 percent of abortions are performed on women in college. During his short tenure at SFLA, Jon helped establish a pro-life group at Florida International University that had already kept one mother and child from joining that statistic.

In addition to the Pregnant on Campus Initiative Jon was spearheading, SFLA and Feminists for Life have been working together to create a Pregnancy Resource Guide that will cover campuses nationwide. The aim is that no young woman will ever find herself alone on campus with no alternative but abortion. Child care, money — you name the obstacle, these groups seek to help in one way or another.

Jon’s death came as the result of injuries sustained when his car was hit by another during a working weekend earlier this month. His colleague Kortney Blythe Gordon and her unborn child, Sophy, died that night.

I met Kortney this summer, during a training weekend for SFLA Wilberforce fellows, named for the British parliamentarian and abolitionist leader. “Fellows” are college students who make a commitment and are given leadership training, mentors, and resources to be campus pro-life leaders.

Mrs. Mechmann, living to age 86, saw a great deal — including years of cultural tumult. Jon and Kortney are two faces of a generation that I keep encountering throughout the country. They are occupying fully human lives, not forgetting their brothers and sisters, and not letting injustice go unaddressed. Jon and Kortney did not believe what young people of the Woodstock generation did, about radical individualism and wars of the sexes and entitlement. They, and those who survive them, want to live lives of responsibility, gratitude, and service — lives more rooted than endlessly searching. Many of them want God. They at least want to know there is truth.

Jon didn’t embark on this “abortion abolition” business alone though — Charles is insistent on pointing that out. This gets to the heart of what motivated him and Kortney and others of this generation I’m talking about, and it is also what makes it possible for their family and friends to go on. “When Jon got up out of bed in the morning,” Charles tells me, he prayed. “Even if his body was barely awake, his spirit was pushing forward, drawing strength from his Lord.” The day ended in prayer, as well.

Charles remembers Jon with the words from John 10:10, in which Jesus says, “I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full.” “He always wanted more,” Charles tells me. “And wherever he went he carried a particular joy in his characteristic half smile, half smirk.”

The long and the short of it is this: Jon’s, Kortney’s, and Mrs. Mechmann’s were three rich lives. We don’t know the day or the hour, but we don’t have to. As we get caught up in the headlines and all our daily challenges, these three lives can be an inspiration to a rededication, to living each coming moment to its fullest, with joy in service to one another.

AMU Alum - Matthew Grady Ordained to Transitional Diaconate

Monday, October 24, 2011

Diocese of Venice Seminarian Matthew Grady took a major step toward his dream of becoming a priest when he was ordained to the transitional diaconate during a Mass at St. Peter’s Basilica in Rome Oct. 6.

CLICK HERE to read more!!!

Governor Scott Visits Ave Maria University

Friday, October 14, 2011

Governor Rick Scott visited AMU today and met with President Towey and discussed his agenda for higher education and the University’s record enrollment and growth. Governor Scott toured the campus and met with students, including Student Government President Alex Pince, and other members of the Ave Maria community. In addition, he visited Professor Joseph Burke’s Econometrics class and visited briefly with his students. Earlier in the day the Governor toured the Rhodora J. Donahue Academy, the K-12 school adjacent to the campus, and spoke with students there. On the visit, President Towey said, “It was great having the Governor on our campus and wonderful to see how interested he is in Ave Maria University and our students. I told him how important it was for the state to support private institutions like Ave Maria and I think today is the beginning of a wonderful dialogue with the Governor on the pressing issues in higher education in our state.”

View Photos

Guest Lecture on Elizabeth Anscombe's Moral Philosophy

Wednesday, October 19, 2011

The philosophy of the late Elizabeth Anscombe, professor of philosophy at Cambridge University, literary executor of Ludwig Wittgenstein, and widely admired defender of the Church's teaching on contraception, was the subject of a lecture on Friday, Oct 15th, by Dr. Jose Maria Torralba, a professor of philosophy at the University of Navarre in Spain and currently a visiting scholar at the University of Chicago.

Speaking on, "Anscombe's Moral Philosophy: Human Action, Moral Ought, and Practical Truth," Torralba explained some of the main themes in Anscombe's moral philosophy, including Anscombe's concern to reject consequentialism through a defense of the principle of double effect and a careful examination of the notion of "intention". Torralba also explained how Anscombe made use of an account of what she called "brute facts" to criticize Hume's "is/ought" distinction.

The morning following the lecture, Dr. Torralba met with students at the Bean for continued discussions. Students included the participants in Dr. Pakaluk's "Advanced Readings" seminar, who had just been studying a paper by Anscombe for that class.

Dr. Jose Maria Torralba explains a fine point in Anscombe's moral philosophy at the Bean, while Andrew Davis, Leslie Nagel, Maureen Bielinski, and Will Hughes listen on.

Ave Maria Officially Recognized as a “Catholic University”

Friday, October 07, 2011

AVE MARIA – Today, Most Reverend Frank J. Dewane, Bishop of the Diocese of Venice in
Florida, made perhaps the most significant announcement in the history of Ave Maria
University. During the investiture ceremony for new Ave Maria University President H. James
Towey, Bishop Dewane announced that he grants recognition of Ave Maria University as a
Catholic University.

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Ave Maria University Officially Recognized as a 'Catholic University'

The recognition of Ave Maria University as a Catholic University recognizes their commitment to continue to be guided by the teachings of the Catholic Church and faithfulness to the Apostolic Constitution Ex Corde Ecclesiae. (Catholic Online)

CLICK HERE to read more!!!!

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Ave Maria Receives Official Recognition as a Catholic University

During the investiture ceremony for new Ave Maria University president H. James Towey, Bishop Dewane announced that he grants recognition of Ave Maria University as a Catholic university. (National Catholic Register)

CLICK HERE to read more!!!

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Photos

Monday, October 10, 2011

Ave Maria inaugurates second president; officially recognized as Catholic university. (Naples News)

CLICK HERE to view photos!!!!

Lecture for the Inauguration by Dr. Michael Waldstein

Friday, September 16, 2011

JOHN PAUL II AND MOTHER TERESA
Exemplary Father and Mother Figures for Ave Maria University
Lecture for the Inauguration of Jim Towey
as President of Ave Maria University, October 7, 2011
by Michael Maria Waldstein
Max Seckler Professor of Theology, Ave Maria University

CLICK HERE to read more!!!

Ave Maria University Celebrated the Inauguration of H. James Towey

Monday, October 10, 2011

Ave Maria University officially declared a Catholic university at Inauguration of New President, H. James Towey

CLICK HERE to view Press Release!!!

Dr. Michael Waldstein Presents Archbishop J. Michael Miller Lecture

Wednesday, September 28, 2011

Ave Maria University’s Max Seckler Professor of Theology presents the Annual Archbishop J. Michael Miller Lecture at St. Thomas University in Houston on September 29.

Why we can't forget Sandy Koufax

Thursday, September 29, 2011

Bio: David G. Dalin, a rabbi and a professor at Ave Maria University in Florida, is the coauthor (with Jonathan D. Sarna) of Religion and State in the American Jewish Experience. The opinions expressed in this commentary are solely those of the author.

(CBS News)

Biographer Joseph Pearce Discusses Critic of Communism

Thursday, September 22, 2011

The professor of literature and writer-in-residence at Ave Maria University was recently interviewed following the reissue of his biography, "Solzhenitsyn: A Soul in Exile" (Ignatius Press).

-Biographer Joseph Pearce Discusses Critic of Communism (Zenit.com) (Zenit.com)

Ed H. Moore: Program helps Fla. veterans get college education

Wednesday, September 21, 2011

Our armed forces make incredible sacrifices for our nation and it is important our lawmakers and education community continue to create avenues that will promote access to learning opportunities for them. (News-Press.com)

The Independent Colleges and Universities of Florida is a statewide association of 29 private, nonprofit colleges and universities and a significant amount of our member institutions participate in YRP, including Ave Maria University in Collier County and Hodges University in Lee County.

Dr. Louis Traina appointed New VP of Institutional Advancement

Friday, September 16, 2011

AVE MARIA, Fla. – (September 16, 2011) – H. James Towey, president of Ave Maria University announced today that Dr. Louis Traina has been appointed as the new Vice President of Institutional Advancement.

“He has experience in leading comprehensive campaigns and will be a key architect as Ave Maria University shapes our next advancement campaign. He is highly regarded in the Naples community and because he is a long-time resident of Southwest Florida, he will be able to hit the ground running,” Towey said. Dr. Traina is stepping down at Hodges University from his posts as Vice President, Department of University Advancement, and Executive Director, Hodges University Foundation, where he has served since 1998 and where he established a development office and led the effort that raised tens of millions of dollars.

“I am looking forward to building on the great mission and vision that is evident in Ave Maria University. This was a tough decision from the beginning but my family gave me strong support in taking this step. Looking back, I am grateful for the support of President McMahan and the confidence that he had in me,” commented Traina. He indicated that he is very impressed by the challenge of the vision and mission of AMU.

Traina will begin his tenure at AMU next month on October 7, 2011 the same day as the Inauguration of President H. James Towey as the second president of Ave Maria University. Traina is married and has two children.

About Ave Maria University

Ave Maria University (AMU) was founded in 2003 to provide a liberal arts education in the Catholic tradition. To this end, the university was founded on the principles of the apostolic document Ex Corde Ecclesiae. AMU is dedicated to the advancement of human culture, the promotion of dialogue between faith and reason, the formation of men and women in the intellectual and moral virtues of the Catholic faith, and the development of professional and pre-professional programs in response to local and societal needs. The university features a broad range of undergraduate courses and programs ranging from the humanities to business administration. AMU also offers graduate degrees in Theology at the master’s and doctoral levels. AMU has a total enrollment of more than 1,200 students (Florida campus, San Marcos, Nicaragua and the Institute for Pastoral Theology program) and has attracted students from 46 states and more than 31foreign countries. Ave Maria University is accredited by the Commission on Colleges and Schools of the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools and the American Academy of Liberal Education.

2012 Best Colleges Rankings

Wednesday, September 14, 2011

2012 Best Colleges Rankings Include New Schools (U.S. News and World Report)

This year, 147 schools have been added or were eligible to be part of the rankings for the first time.

Ave Maria University's ranking in the 2012 edition of Best Colleges is National Liberal Arts Colleges, Tier 2.

Student essays reap rewards

Wednesday, September 14, 2011

Student essays reap rewards (News-Press.com)

Mary Ruth Traver of Ave Maria in Collier County, a 2011 graduate of Rhodora J. Donahue Academy in the community near Immokalee, is one of the winners.

Ave Maria football

Wednesday, September 14, 2011

Ave Maria football to make history (News-Press.com)

Saturday's college game will be first in SW Florida

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Editorial: Ave Maria University ... Gyrenes line up to debut college football in Collier (Naples News)

Men's soccer

Wednesday, September 14, 2011

Men's soccer: Ave Maria doubles up Johnson & Wales (Naples News)

The Ave Maria University men's soccer team defeated Johnson & Wales, 4-2, on Sunday at home.

AMU Football

Thursday, August 25, 2011

College football: Ave Maria takes field for first time in loss to Faulkner (Naples News)

College football: Ave Maria begins quest of first season (Naples News)

Wiregrass Ranch grad Prince commits to Ave Maria (Tampabay.com)

President Towey’s Inauguration

Thursday, September 08, 2011

On October 7, 2011 H. James Towey will be inaugurated as the second president of Ave Maria University.

The Inaugural Liturgy will take place in the Ave Maria Oratory in Ave Maria, Florida at 10:00 AM.

The Investiture ceremony will begin at approximately 11:30 AM. H. James Towey's appointment as the new president of AMU was announced by the AMU Board of Trustees in February 2011.

His experience as president of St. Vincent College, Director of Faith-based and Community Initiatives for President George W. Bush, founder of the not-for-profit Aging with Dignity and attorney for Mother Teresa of Calcutta made him a superior choice for the post. The inauguration will maintain the reverence and modest environment typical of President Towey. The homilist for the Inaugural Liturgy will be Archbishop Wenski of Miami.

Dr. Pakaluk’s new book

Thursday, August 25, 2011

New Book, "Accounting Ethics... and the Near Collapse of the World's Financial System," Provides Deep and Timely Insight into Business Ethics and the Financial Crisis (Bezinga)

Michael Pakaluk, Ph.D., is a professor of philosophy and currently is the Chairman of the philosophy department at Ave Maria University in Naples, Florida.

Pearce Article

Thursday, August 25, 2011

The Vision of E.F. Schumacher (National Catholic Register)

Church social doctrine played a major role in the development of Small Is Beautiful. The Register takes a look at the work and the author 100 years after his birth.

Missionary Alumni

Thursday, August 25, 2011

Griswold finds missionary work in campus program (The Catholic Miscellany)

Griswold, a member of St. Francis by the Sea Church and recent graduate of Ave Maria University, will work as a missionary at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln with the Fellowship of Catholic University Students.

Gifts of Priests

Thursday, August 25, 2011

Charisma, conservatism gifts of newest priests (savannahnow.com)

Student Jim Torney

Thursday, August 25, 2011

Braintree's Jim Torney puts on the gloves (wickedlocal.com)

The former Braintree High School basketball standout is three classes away from obtaining his bachelor's degree from Ave Maria College, just outside of Naples, Fla.

College Goal Sunday at AMU

Tuesday, February 07, 2012

Free expert advice from counselors providing information about Federal Financial aid for college students.

News Archives

News Archive

Dateline Calcutta: Day Three

Friday, May 17, 2013

Ave Maria University Announces Third Annual Scholarship Dinner

Friday, May 17, 2013

Dateline Calcutta: Day Two

Thursday, May 16, 2013

AMU students in India on mission trip

Thursday, May 16, 2013

Dateline Calcutta: Day One

Wednesday, May 15, 2013

The Evidence of God's Favor

Thursday, May 09, 2013

AMU Graduation Photos

Monday, May 06, 2013

Florida Governor Rick Scott Addresses the Class of 2013

Monday, May 06, 2013

AMU Graduation Online

Friday, May 03, 2013

5 Finalists for President’s Award

Tuesday, April 23, 2013

Distinguished Visiting Professor and Former Ambassador, Michael Novak, Remembers Lady Thatcher

Thursday, April 11, 2013

Ave Maria University Reacts to HHS Lawsuit Dismissal

Monday, April 01, 2013

Governor Rick Scott to address Ave Maria University Graduates

Thursday, March 28, 2013

AMU Chamber Choir Thrills in Carmina Burana Debut at the Phil

Friday, March 15, 2013

AMU Students in St. Peter’s Square

Thursday, March 14, 2013

SW Florida Catholics' excitement for conclave in overdrive, here and in Rome

Tuesday, March 12, 2013

AMU Chamber Choir at The Phil in Naples

Monday, March 11, 2013

AMU Announces New VP for Finance and Administration

Friday, March 08, 2013

President Towey Appeared on PBS

Wednesday, March 06, 2013

Ave Maria University Adds Two New Majors

Tuesday, March 05, 2013

Huber Named To Allstate WBCA Good Works Team

Tuesday, March 05, 2013

Events and Celebrations in Thanksgiving for the Petrine Ministry

Tuesday, February 26, 2013

"Wrying but a little?" Marriage, Revenge, and Forgiveness in Shakespeare

Tuesday, February 19, 2013

NY Post Op-Ed by Jim Towey: “A Teacher in Every Sense”

Tuesday, February 12, 2013

The “Contraception Stamps” Entitlement Program

Thursday, February 07, 2013

24-Hour Homerathon Reading

Thursday, February 07, 2013

Proposal to Amend ObamaCare Contraceptive Rule Met with Skepticism

Friday, February 01, 2013

Ave Maria University Reacts to Latest HHS Compromise

Friday, February 01, 2013

AMU Professor lectures at the Augustine Institute

Thursday, January 31, 2013

Living Morally and Intelligently in the Light of Christ’s Eternal Glory

Friday, January 25, 2013

John M. Rist to Deliver 3rd Annual Aquinas Lecture in Philosophy

Wednesday, January 23, 2013

Professor Mary Ann Glendon: "Politics as a Vocation"

Tuesday, January 15, 2013

Study Abroad: Croatia

Friday, January 11, 2013

Amb. Michael Novak receives award from President of Poland

Monday, January 07, 2013

Archbishop Chaput Praises Dr. Travis Curtright's book on Thomas More

Wednesday, December 19, 2012

Ave Maria University Professor Decorated by President of the Republic of Poland

Monday, December 17, 2012

Dr. Michael Dauphinais Named Vice President for Academic Affairs

Friday, December 07, 2012

New Summer Course Features a Ten-Day Trip to Rome

Wednesday, November 28, 2012

AMU Founders Dinner for Jon Scharfenberger Scholarship Fund

Thursday, November 15, 2012