"Garrity [AMU Chaplain] urged the students, staff and faculty to look around them. "We are almost in the Promised Land. You can see it right over here," he said. He pointed a few hundred yards to his right where a crane poked the sky next to the nearly complete oratory surrounded by the almost-finished university buildings and accompanying condos and retail stores. Across the street, dozens of two-story single-family homes rose from what used to be tomato fields."

"Garrity reminded the parishioners of the uniqueness of the university. "Ave Maria University is not an ordinary university. We have lofty goals and high standards." "

Naples News - full story

Dr. F. Russell Hittinger (University of Tulsa) and his brother Dr. John P. Hittinger (University of St. Thomas, Houston) share more than just the same last name. As leading scholars within the Catholic academic community, they also share the respect and admiration of many.

What they do not appear to share, however, is a similar view of Tom Monaghan and Ave Maria University. Such disagreement is characteristic of the growing polarization that AMU's Monaghan, Nick Healy, and Fr. Fessio are thrusting upon American orthodox Catholics.

UPDATE, 3/25/07 - John Hittinger responds!More...

Tags: accountability, conflict-of-interest

Today, Ave Maria University lost the leader of its brightest and most successful program, the Pre-Theologate.

Fr. Michael Beers requested, and received, re-assignment by his bishop. The popular priest and Dean will continue his work in priestly formation in Saginaw, Michigan.More...

Tags: resignations

“The [Ave Maria] administration asked me to stop talking to the Department of Education, but I couldn’t do that. They [Ave] threatened my job if the outcome of the [DoE] investigation didn’t come out right. .. We’ll see whether the law is interested in letting someone with a lot of money hold all the cards.”

Monaghan appears to be using a legal stall tactic - and his deep pockets - to bleed Ernsting dry financially before she can have the merits of her case evaluated in court. Monaghan claims that the federal Department of Education's Office of Inspector General is not a law enforcement agency and, thus, is excluded from Michigan's "Whistleblower Protection Act", which Ernsting seeks relief under. (To note, agents of the Inspector General carry badges, guns, and have the authority to arrest individuals). When asked about examining the merits of Ernsting's case, Monaghan's lawyer even admitted "We hope we don’t get to that point."

Monaghan's lawyers also claim that “Ms. Ernsting’s employment was terminated when the department in which she worked was eliminated as part of the planned wind-down." If so, why does Monaghan not stand with Ernsting as an equal before a judge and allow the case to be decided? Why all the appeals, possibly all the way to the Michigan Supreme Court? It is AveWatch's understanding that, in fact, another person was hired to replace Ernsting as chief financial aid officer of the College; if an institution like Ave Maria receives federal financial aid, then a person at the College must oversee the distribution of that aid, and that person is bound by law to report violations involving federal aid to the Department of Education. At the time of Ernsting's firing, the school still had about 200 students.

Naples News - full story | AveWatch archive - Whistleblower Wins in Court

Tags: employee-treatment

6:22PM email from AMU President Nick Healy to AMU faculty/students

We expressed yesterday that the separation of Father Fessio from the University’s administration had nothing to do with our shared commitment to our mission as a Catholic university ex corde ecclesiae. As a sign of our esteem for his great gifts and abilities, we have asked Father Fessio and he has agreed to continue a relationship with us. This will include the following: (i) He will be designated a theologian in residence and maintain a room on campus. (ii) He will join us for the Commencement exercises. (iii) He will teach the planned summer program for high school students. (iv) He will explore a semester abroad program in Rome and how our Austrian semester abroad program might be continued. It is expected that in developing plans for study abroad programs Father Fessio will be spending a significant amount of time in Europe. (v) It is anticipated that beginning in the spring semester, Father Fessio will assume teaching responsibilities at AMU, although the precise schedule for the teaching hours will need to be worked out. We are pleased that we can confirm the continuing association with Father Fessio and his commitment to the ongoing development of Ave Maria University in a non-administrative capacity.

UPDATE, 3/23, 7:30am - Healy & Monaghan approached Fessio less than 24 hours after dismissing him from campus "wanting to work something out." Fessio said, "I think it would have been better to have foreseen a little more clearly. It wouldn’t have been so much turmoil". (Naples News - full story)

UPDATE, 3/23, 5:30pm - Fessio - "This [reinstatement] is an extraordinary undertaking of the university for the students... I was removed yesterday, but had so much admiration and respect for the role I played here. We call Catholic priests father for a reason. It really is a family.” (New-Press - story)

UPDATE, 3/24/07 - orthodox Catholics speaking out
"Institutional suicide" was the immediate response of Philip F. Lawler, editor of Catholic World News. "..if you're a tenured professor at another Catholic university and you see this happening, you say to yourself, 'If it could happen to Father Fessio, it could happen to anyone -- so what's my incentive for going to work at Ave Maria?' "
An Ave Maria official, speaking on the condition of anonymity because he feared reprisal if identified, likened the firing of Fessio to Monaghan's dismissal of Bo Schembechler as president of the Detroit Tigers shortly before Monaghan sold the baseball team in 1992. "He's very loyal to the people who work for him, but if he loses confidence in you for any reason, then it's like a light going off," the official said. "Sometimes he's his own worst enemy." (Washington Post - full story)

Contrary to the Feb. 20 statement by AMSL Dean Bernard Dobranski that "the school isn't under investigation" (Naples News), a "Fact Finder" from the American Bar Association has arrived at Ave Maria School of Law and will be conducting interviews and reviewing documents today and tomorrow.

The ABA is investigating AMSL for accreditation violations. Months ago, a group of AMSL employees contacted the ABA citing suspected violations. The ABA then contacted AMSL's administration for an explanation. That explanation did not satisfy the ABA; the School administration was unable to "establish that it is operating in compliance with the (ABA) Standards."

Last week, on March 15, Dobranski sent an email to employees and students. In the memo, he said:
Naturally, activities that are affirmatively injurious to the Law School during the course of one's employment at AMSL are not acceptable.
Many in the AMSL community have taken this as a threat to not criticize the closure of the Ann Arbor campus during the ABA Fact Finder's visit. It is reminiscent of a memo sent by Tom Monaghan to College faculty in October 2004 stating that any public criticism of the College Board's decision to close the Michigan campus would be considered "scandal" and, hence, cause for termination. Monaghan has a history of firing employees who report violations of standards or laws to authorities. (Commentary on memo: Fumare)

Click "More..." below for background on the "Fact Finder" dispatched to AMSL, and the full text of Dobranski's March 15 memo.

UPDATE, 3/23/07, 3:15pm - Students from the Law School report the following concerning the Fact Finder's visit:
+ The purpose of his visit was to investigate the faculty's complaint of accreditation standards violations; his purpose was not to assess the institution's request for ABA acquiescence to move to Ave Maria Town.
+ A student offered him a hypothetical scenario involving his own law school - a parallel to AMSL's situation in which a no-confidence vote from a majority of his institution's own faculty was immediately dismissed by his own Board of Governors - and asked if such a situation would likely be a violation of ABA Standards. The Fact-finder replied, "I can't comment [definitively], but that would be a pretty strong case."
+ A report summarizing the conclusions of his visit to AMSL will be filed at the ABA and reviewed in late April or June by the ABA's Accreditation Committee. The Committee may then call the administration before itself to answer questions. If found in violation, the School would be put on probation.More...

Tags: accreditation

Many are asking that question in light of Fr. Fessio's sudden dismissal and mandatory removal from campus.

AveWatch Dossier on Fessio:
+ Fessio reported as primary contributor to AMU's "Climate of Fear"
+ Fessio had $240K "off balance sheet" passed through personal bank account
+ Fessio banker-friend implicated in Ave Maria student loan violations
+ AMU still without accreditation after 4 years of Fessio as Provost
+ faculty leaving disgusted (1,2) and student enrollment falling significantly
+ Board-sponsored study suggested that Fessio or Healy resign years ago
+ Fessio reported to make promises/hires without proper authorization

Fessio, as Editor of Ignatius Press, is self described as a close personal friend of Pope Benedict and "The Pope's Publisher". Catholic news outlets have called Fessio "the most powerful priest in America today".

UPDATE, 9:15pm - The Florida News-Press (full story) -
"Father Joseph Fessio said he had no indication before today that he would be asked to step down as provost of Ave Maria University. “Obviously, I think it was a mistake, but I am not in charge,” he said. Fessio said he was asked to a private meeting this morning with chancellor Tom Monaghan. At the meeting, Fessio said he was asked to resign his position with the school, clear his office and leave campus by the end of the day. “I asked for a reason but was not given one,” Fessio said.

UPDATE, 11:30pm - Fessio to Florida's ABC-7 News:
"I do think this is a mistake. If you disagree with management, management wins. I didn't realize I had disputed with management. There were no events or incidents that took place that could have brought this on so I’m puzzled."

UPDATE, 3/22/07, 4:30pm
+ Would it even be possible for the Provost of any other university or college to be fired and banned without so much as an explanation? Click below for perspective.
+ Despite all the speculation in the mainstream press the past 24 hours... - "Fessio said his comments about homosexuality in the California Catholic Daily article (3/20/07) or on Mohler’s Web site (2/2/07) were not the reason for his dismissal." He also restated his bewilderment on the reasons for dismissal - "I thought we were working well together" (Naples News, full story)

UPDATE, 4/10/07 - It appears that the Fessio firing may be tied to his handling of the AMU Admissions DepartmentMore...

Fr. Joseph Fessio, Provost of AMU, was fired and told to leave campus immediately.
Story developing...

1:45pm - email message sent to AMU community:
"To the Ave Maria University community:
I have been asked to resign my position as provost and leave the campus immediately.
I will miss Ave Maria and the many of you whom I hold dear.
Fr. Joseph Fessio, S.J."

4:15pm - University officials are only saying that Fessio was asked to step down as a result of "irreconcilable difference over administrative policies and practices." Students are assembling in protest.

Local coverage:
+ Naples News
+ ABC-7 : "Some students were in tears after hearing the news and a few faculty members have even mentioned leaving the university because of Father Fessio's dismissal."
“I think his presence here is essential for the future of the university.” - Fr. Michael Beers, AMU Dean (Pre-Theologate)

Commentary: Fumare

Tags: employee-treatment

Current and prospective students at Ave Maria University should follow a developing story.

The thread by which AMU's current/future accreditation hangs is now thinner. AMU holds a temporary ("preaccredited") status from one agency, The American Academy of Liberal Education (AALE); that status expires in November 2007 unless AALE awards full accreditation to AMU.

Things may snap sooner. At the December 2006 meeting of a Department of Education (DOE) subcommittee, AALE's petition to renew their own standing as an accreditor with Title IV authority was delayed pending a re-evaluation in May. In addition, the subcommittee "then recommended a provisio that the Secretary [of the DOE] not recognize schools that the Academy [AALE] might accredit during this six month window for the purposes of Title IV eligibility." A decision from the Secretary is pending.

AALE has a long history of problems with the DOE that center around "a lackadaisical approach to compliance" on issues like measuring student achievement and "failing in its mission of ensuring quality control".

As AMU's sole accreditor, failure of AALE would disqualify AMU from being able to offer federal financial aid to students. AMU does not appear to have a 'back-up' accreditor since, as of December 2006, AMU did not even have an application submitted to its regional accreditor, the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools.

It is unclear how loss of accreditation would impact AMU's contractual relationship with Barron-Collier company since the two are real estate partners in the Ave Maria Town development. This is also potentially important to Ave Maria School of Law which is closing in Michigan and moving to AMU's campus to benefit from AMU's anticipated real-estate profits. But will the profits come if AMU fails to be fully accredited? Further, if AMU ends-up diverting money to overcome a shortfall in federal aid, how would AMSL be impacted?More...

Tags: accreditation

On March 6, The Michigan Court of Appeals overturned an earlier court decision to dismiss a former Ave Maria College (MI) employee's wrongful termination suit.

Statement released by Katherine M. Ernsting (former AMC employee):
"I am happy that the Michigan Court of Appeals saw fit to further define the Michigan Whistleblower Protection Act and to see that it's protection for employees in Michigan remains intact and keeps protecting the people the law was intended to protect. "More...

Tags: employee-treatment

The website's content was re-organized. All entries are now recorded as posts; prior to this, some entries (particularly the early ones) were recorded on a topic page.

If you have any pages bookmarked, please update them.

For years, Ave Maria administrators have used threats and rules to suppress complaints by employees and students. Recently, at least one administrator may have gone too far. Is this a climate conducive to rigorous undergraduate critical inquiry, much less the future training of graduate students in law? How much does this 'climate' explain AMU's recent decline in enrollment (reported to be down approximately 30%)?

Will bans on criticism of the institution also be extended to Ave Maria Town, formally or by informal blackballing?More...

Tags: accountability, employee-treatment, environment