Tom Monaghan enjoys boasting that he "didn't have to do a marketing study" to know "where the best place in the country was for a school".

Such wisdom is again called into question as state-generated financial pressures now push on Ave Maria University.More...

Tags: accountability

It's more of the same strong-arm tactics.

On Monday, Ave Maria School of Law's Dean Bernard Dobranski attempted to censure and begin dismissal proceedings against tenured professor Stephen J. Safranek, a founder of the school. Professor Safranek was involved with the faculty's complaint to the school's accreditor, has filed a complaint with law enforcement against Dobranski, and recently called for a renewal of the faculty's earlier "vote of no confidence" in governance.

Professor Safranek has worked in prestigious law firms, and clerked for Judge O'Scannlain on the US Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit. He has been admitted to practice before federal courts, including the US Supreme Court. He has numerous publications and is the Executive Director and Founder of The True Marriage Project, an extension of Safranek's interest in "helping to ensure the survival and growth of the institution most critical to society, the family".

Safranek is in good company. Recall that another Law School founder, Professor Emeritus Charles Rice of Notre Dame, was also terminated by Dobranski and booted from the Law School Board for questioning institutional governance and the legality of Monaghan's proposed Florida town concept. Ave Maria's history of firing whistleblowers is well-known.

More will be posted as this story develops. See Fumare for commentary here and here.

UPDATE, 6/28 - A friendly hat-tip goes to Mirror of Justice for picking-up this story. It is worth noting that the Mirror of Justice post was made by Mark A. Sargent, the Dean of the Villanova University School of Law for the past ten years.

UPDATE, 8/1 - for a summary of all AveWatch.org posts on Professor Safranek, click here.

Tags: employee-treatment, accountability, dean-amok

Why would Tom Monaghan grant an interview to a magazine that he'd likely not allow a Ave Maria student or employee to have exposed on a desk or coffee table? For all his talk of the evils of the world, does he not see that his interview with a sexed-up magazine could be an occassion of sin for prospective acne-riddled faces who are reading-up on Ave Maria?

The July 2007 issue of GQ is consistent with the magazine's long-standing well-known tradition of covering men's fashion, sexual interests, and politics. In addition to this piece on Monaghan, the print issue features:

+ Cover Story - all about sex kitten Jessica Biel, described in the GQ article as "the one person that a friend’s wife would give him a free pass to sleep with"


+ "The 7 Habits of Highly Successful Suck-Ups"

+ "Lil Wayne - American's Greatest Rapper?"

The online edition includes:

+ "an intimate look at the lovely 22-year-old Mary Elizabeth Winstead"

(Photo by Paul Jasmin)

+ the 'art' of Mati Klarwein (Photo)

+ the reasons why "Benny Hill: The Naughty Early Years" is a "must have DVD pick"

+ 10 million inescapable ads for the free GQ Jessica Alba poster (Photo)

+ the Women of GQ (click "More" below)

It may be true that William F. Buckley Jr. did a Playboy interview; but he never asked people to "fast and give alms" to National Review as a means to "build the Church".

UPDATE, 6/27 - In the interest of family-friendly good manners, AveWatch has decided to replace some of the embedded photos with links. If you're unconvinced that GQ fits the label "soft porn", have at it.More...

On Tuesday June 5, AveWatch released the story of an Ave Maria University Latin American Campus (AMULAC) faculty member who filed complaints with the Florida Department of Education and the American Embassy (Nicaragua) about her workplace treatment. Within 24 hours of appearing on this website, one of her problems was solved - a reinstatement of medical insurance that, for three weeks, Ave Maria refused to fix.

But some site visitors wrote to protest our connection between the fixing of the professor's insurance and her story appearing on AveWatch. "Here's the story," said one visitor, "AveWatch didn't wait long enough to see the issue resolved."

But there was more.

What AveWatch did not reveal back on June 6 was that yet another AMULAC faculty member - one who also had a long ongoing claim against AMULAC - suddenly received a verbal agreement to rectify his problems. This unexpected new tone surfaced within 12 hours of the June 5 AveWatch post. Earlier today, part of that second professor's issue over severance payment was resolved by receiving a check.

AMULAC (Nicaragua) took steps to fix long-standing problems and extend an apology to the professors involved. That's good; credit should be given where credit is due. It is regrettable, however, that such steps did not come without public exposure. But AMU (Florida), for its part, appears utterly incapable of examining its own conscience and much less of being penitent. In response to an inquiry sent by the Florida Department of Education concerning the second professor's severance issue, AMU VP John Sites said, "I would like to summarize the matter this way: ... the University explained the complaint as a resigned and ill faculty member's angry attempt to embarrass the campus at which he worked because he did not get the amount of severance to which he thought he was entitled" (May 15, 2007).

Tags: employee-treatment

Bleed 'em to death in court.

That's the deep-pockets approach to Catholic social justice of billionaire Tom Monaghan. AveWatch has been following Monaghan's attempt to block Katherine Ernsting's wrongful termination suit from going to trial [1,2,3] . Ernsting was fired from Ave Maria shortly after she reported illegal distribution of student federal aid on the start-up Florida campus. Her reports to federal investigators lead, in part, to a $259,000 payback levied by the Department of Education against Monaghan.

Ernsting fulfilled her duty as Financial Aid Officer and saved many thousands of dollars in illegal taxpayer aid from propping billionaire Monaghan's Florida venture. Unlike Tom Monaghan, Ernsting does not have a donor base that will fund stall tactics in court. Unlike Monaghan, she does not have booming for-profit businesses, personal investments, and a bank tied to south Florida's real estate development. Many of Ernsting's Ave Maria colleagues are limited in their ability to help after their signing of a non-disparagement agreement to secure severance payment from Ave.

With one hand, Tom Monaghan equates donations to himself as donations to "the Church" that are "for the good of your soul". With the other hand, Monaghan denies a fellow Catholic and dedicated employee the justice of having her case heard before a judge. When asked about examining the merits of Ernsting's case in court, Monaghan's lawyer admitted "We hope we don't get to that point" (Naples News, March 24, 2007). Will Catholics be content to stand for this duplicity?

Today, Ernsting's friends announce the creation of a legal expense fund to help cover the costs incurred to get the case before a judge (which, after two years and thousands in court costs, still has not happened).

This is an opportunity to have Tom Monaghan and his administrators explain their governance and employee treatment tactics under oath. Light disinfects.

Click below for additional information on how to help.More...

Tags: employee-treatment

Here is the verbatim reply card from a May 18, 2007 Ave Maria University fundraising letter signed by Tom Monaghan (underline and bold are part of the original):

---

Dear Mr. Monaghan,

Yes, I will pray, fast and give alms to see Ave Maria University succeed, to do my part to build the Church, for the good of my soul. To become a 2007 Supporter of this life-changing effort, and to receive my free gift, enclosed is [blank].

---

Giving to Ave Maria...
... for the good of your soul?!
... is doing your part to build the Church?!
... qualifies as alms-giving?! (1,2)

What's next, a revival of Bill Clinton's "New Covenant"?

Additional Church-related excerpts can be seen by clicking below.

Readers of the letter are also struck by the "I's" found in nearly every sentence of the 4-page letter. Despite the ample public criticism that links Ave Maria's problems directly to Monaghan's sole-proprietary (soul-proprietary?) governance, this fundraising letter clearly shows Monaghan's answer to his woes - - even more Monaghan! The reply envelope is even addressed "Attention: Tom Monaghan".

It is difficult to know whether Monaghan is using these faith-laden words as mere rhetorical devices to raise money for his "brand" - a "brand" that capitalizes on an honored reference to The Blessed Virgin - or whether Monaghan is genuinely confusing his white collar for another kind of white collar.

Either explanation is debasing and should give Catholics pause.More...

Tags: accountability

AveWatch recently posted a story that quoted a Ave Maria University parent: "Do your child a favor and consider one of several ex corde institutions that do not reflect the cult-like environment of AMU."

The following were taken from a 2005 calendar published by AMU:


Caption inset: "Fr. Fessio delivers his sermon in front of the new Bronze Relief in the Stella Maris Chapel"
Caption: "For as by one man's disobedience many were made sinners, so by one man's obedience many will be made righteous." Romans 5:19



Caption inset: "Fr. Fessio says his morning prayers before the Annunciation Mass in Immokalee"
Caption: "Humility is an abomination to a proud man; likewise a poor man is an abomination to a rich one." Sirach 13:20.

Tags: environment

This heart-rending and insightful story was submitted by an Ave Maria University parent whose child recently left the Florida campus. It should be read by all inclined to disregard the evidence offered on this website. Sadly, this story is typical of what AveWatch hears from other Ave parents and students. Excerpts:

Throughout the year we relied on a family friend in the administration to intervene in many disturbing incidents conveyed by our daughter. ... Our daughter reported that "Everything seems to be about the town, and no one except some faculty seems to care about the school."

We came to learn, and experienced first-hand, that AMU is an environment of constant "surveillance and judgment" of the real or imagined faults of others. ... It was as though the worth of AMU could only be established by mercilessly thrashing other institutions. If you agreed, welcome, you were "with us." I came to learn the "us" was not Catholics, or even conservative Catholics - it is Catholics who embrace a singular vision of AMU and the town of Ave Maria. Any questioning of that vision (or questioning anything, it seemed) meant you were one of "them" - the sort of secularized Catholic AMU is designed to "correct".

The academics at AMU leave very much to be desired and it's questionable whether improving academics is even a priority for the institution.

Above all, however, we saw an environment where the free expression of the human spirit is thwarted.

The parent offered a preface on the difficult decision to tell this story -
"This is all painful stuff... If this story can save even one family the grief we endured, it will be worth the effort."

UPDATE, 6/14/07 - Added: comments received from Ave Maria parents since this article was posted. Click below.More...

Tags: accountability, environment

AveWatch will toss this softball over to The Real Transition Team for development of its full story potential.

For this website, enough chuckles can be had by simply showing how Naples News continues its hard-hitting unbiased coverage of Tom Monaghan's South Florida real estate development. Naples News has yet to report on Monaghan's extensive for-profit businesses, personally-owned land, and bank tied directly to the development of Ave Maria Town and his non-profit Ave Maria University. Yet, an article now saved into their news archive (unlike typical infomercials and advertisements), ran yesterday to "report" that the pickle ball courts of the Del Webb gated community's "South Park" will be open to all.

“It’s fresh and innovative,” said Jill Hoffman, vice president of sales and marketing for the Southwest Florida market of Pulte Homes, of the plan for Del Webb at Ave Maria. “Ave Maria is for all people, and the style of this Del Webb truly reflects that.”

It says much about a project when "non-exclusivity" is called "fresh and innovative". We'll see how much court time visitors from Immokalee get. Sarcasm aside, having a company oversee a "public" park is anything but innovative in Monaghan's "company town" concept; such an arrangement allows for restrictions on visitors since the public does not outright own/run the park.

Ammenities. Tom Monaghan clearly has his finger firmly on the pulse of today's faithful engaged Catholics.

Naples "News" - full text

Word is spreading. The website "Where Most Needed: The Charity Industry Observer" recently turned its watchful eye to Tom Monaghan's Ave Maria Foundation. The site is run by a former executive director for the National Council of Nonprofit Associations. Excerpts:

We have noted that short board tenure is a factor leading to the unaccountability of charity organizations, especially if other key players have an indefinite term.

The Ave Maria Foundation (EIN 38-2514364 Form 990) as of the end of 2005 had assets of "only" $121 million, but there's more where that came from. The foundation's report indicates that it made a $20 million payment in start up costs for the Florida location of Ave Maria University and has pledged $114,750,000 in future support.

To me it is telling that the foundation [IRS tax] return was self prepared by the treasurer of the foundation, which suggests that the organization is unaudited, despite its size.

"Faculty at Ave Maria Law School Fights Founder's Flighty Vision" - here

[Side note - The reorganization of Michigan's nonprofit structure may be of interest to some.]

Tags: accountability, conflict-of-interest

Add another professor to the ever-growing list of employees and students who have filed formal complaints against the practices of Ave Maria University.

This professor joined Ave Maria University Latin American Campus (AMULAC; Nicaragua) in 2006 as a Full Professor and future Academic Dean, so she thought. Written contracts, however, were not issued to new faculty until two months after their arrival in Nicaragua. New faculty were put on a bus, driven to Managua and shown their contracts while locked in the bus. It was there that faculty were surprised to learn that they were hired as instructors and that "employment-at-will" clauses were written into their contracts.

This professor has over thirty years of teaching and administrative experience with institutions in both the U.S. and abroad. She claims that remuneration and benefits for her contract with AMULAC run until September, 2007. Yet, on May 15, 2007, AMULAC cancelled her medical insurance policy without explanation. The professor is now being told that AMU has not reinstated her policy and has no intention of taking any action on the matter. A charge has been filed with the Florida Department of Education concerning the matter.

Back in May, the professor claims that she had difficulty leaving Nicaragua on her arranged flight out of the country. According to her, "It was only after I e-mailed the American Embassy and a local law firm that administration mysteriously" was able to honor her departure. She told the Embassy "I will not be held hostage in Nicaragua."

Sadly, the irregularities continue in Tom Monaghan's Banana Republic, in the tradition of Ave Maria's twisted concept of Catholic social teaching.

UPDATE, 6/6/06 - One day after the release of this story, AveWatch is pleased to announce that the professor's insurance issue was resolved to her satisfaction by AMULAC late yesterday.
Light disinfects.

Tags: employee-treatment

Earlier today, Ave Maria School of Law's Dean Bernard Dobranski sent a memo to the the Alumni Board President complaining that a majority of Alumni Board officers were "undermining the mission and direction" of the institution by exercising their prerogative to voice opposition to the Dean's governance. As such, Dobranski vows to "curb involvement" with Alumni "until the situation changes".

Dobranski has the temerity to complain that the Alumni Board called an emergency meeting before the grand press/media event in Florida announcing the school's move -- this when Dobranski and Monaghan engaged in what must have been weeks of planning to showcase the move long before the AMSL Board of Governors even debated and voted on the move (see AveWatch timeline). It is also hypocritical of Dobranski to complain that the Alumni's meeting on the closure of their Michigan campus was "no actual emergency" - this when Dobranski and the Governors had an "emergency meeting" of their own, on a Saturday, to decide to close/move the school. The next business day (Tuesday), there was an elaborate press conference in two states, complete with congratulations from Florida's governor.

Has this become the People's Republic of Ave Maria, where administrators are free to ignore their duties to a significant constituency when that group calls governance to accountability?

For the sake of the Dean's own job, he should recall that dissent from an Ave Maria Board decision - i.e. opposition to the Board-approved firing of AMC employee Katherine Ernsting - does not necessarily make one a hostile subversive bent on undermining the institution's mission - i.e. Dobranski's suggestion of a good labor lawyer for Ernsting and other AMC employees to oppose Monaghan in court.

Full text (PDF)
Commentary (Fumare)

UPDATE, 07/03 - AMSL Alumni Association Board responds

Tags: accountability

Tom Monaghan has been in Catholic higher education for almost 10 years. Ave Maria University, established in Florida five years ago, was said to be the continuation of Ave Maria College started in Michigan nine years ago.

With that much time to establish credibility, what credentials should be expected of the administrators found in an Ave Maria enterprise?

+ a PhD, EdD, or STD?
+ experience?
+ seniority?

No. No. And no.

UPDATE, 6/5/07 - To wit, Fumare reports that the newly appointed "Assistant Dean of Academic Affairs" at Ave Maria School of Law graduated from AMSL just two years ago.More...

Tags: accountability, environment

The American Academy of Liberal Education's (AALE's) woes with the Department of Education are only part of its current issues. AALE, who holds Ave Maria University's temporary accreditation, has much to account for in its dealings with AMU President Nick Healy. More...

Tags: accountability

Two days ago, southwest Florida's News-Press ran a brief story to say that 15 leases have been signed for La Piazza, the town center of Ave Maria. Ave Maria Development's project manager said that it represented "a great start in providing necessary services to the residents of Ave Maria as well as the students and staff of the Unviersity".

But, of the 15, who is directly affiliated with some aspect of Ave Maria's own development?

1) Ave Maria University Visitor's Center - obvious
2) Pulte Homes - the contracted builder of the town's houses
3) Legatus - Tom Monaghan's organization for rich Catholic businessmen
4) Ave Maria Development, LLLP - obvious; see here
5) WilsonMiller - principal planner of Ave Maria Town master model
6) Follett Bookstore - contracted by AMU to run their required campus bookstore

After 5 years of planning, 40% of the leases are directly tied to Ave Maria itself.

Forbes.com; March 3, 2006:

"There's a lot of misconceptions about this. I don't really have a vision for the town. I have a vision for the university," Monaghan said Friday on U.S. television.

For a man with no vision for Ave Maria Town, Tom Monaghan is engaged in a visionary series of for-profit ventures in business, banking, and personally-owned land that will all benefit from the Town's construction and operation.

Tags: conflict-of-interest