Madonna University
in Livonia and the Orchard Lake Schools have reached an agreement
whereby St. Mary's College will become a part of Madonna University.
Effective July 1, 2003, the affiliation between the Schools and Ave
Maria University that created St. Mary's College of Ave Maria University
three years ago will end, and St. Mary's College, no longer an autonomous
institution, will begin to operate under the charter and approvals
of Madonna University.
The last six months have been a whirlwind of meetings, back-and-forth
discussions and up-and-down emotions, ever since December when Ave
Maria University notified the Orchard Lake Schools that it was exercising
its option to pull out of the original 10-year agreement to be responsible
for the policies and business operations of the college.
Orchard Lake is a "prime location" for Madonna's expansion
into OaklandCounty, said Sr. Rose Marie Kujawa, CSSF, who on July
1 begins her third year as president of Madonna University. "It
was an opportunity, but we asked ourselves: can we do this? Can we
do it successfully?"
On the other hand, Sr. Rose Marie said, "The affinity between
the two institutions goes back more than 100 years. Felician Sisters
have been serving at Orchard Lake for many years (since 1935). There's
always been a kind of affection and concern for Orchard Lake."
She concluded: "History and affection won out. We will give it
a sincere try. We will do all in our power to make it work."
The affinity that Sr. Rose Marie spoke of refers to Fr. Joseph Dabrowski,
founder of the Orchard Lake Schools and the founder of the Felician
Sisters in America.
"This is an historical year as we are observing the 100th anniversary
of the death of Fr. Dabrowski," said Chancellor Fr. Timothy Whalen.
"This is a perfect match with Madonna University and we are all
very excited as this provides a new future for a college which has
existed for over one hundred years, knowing that its values and traditions
will be carried forth."
Leo V. Peterson, chairman of the Schools Board of Regents, said the
decision at a special March 8 meeting to pursue a relationship with
Madonna came down to dollars and cents. "The Orchard Lake Schools
would not have been able to keep the college open. This should be
a very successful relationship."
For Michael Obloy, who as vice chairman of the Regents and chairman
of Madonna's Board of Trustees argued both sides of the debate, the
arrangement is a win-win. "Orchard Lake maintains a college presence
on campus, and this will be very important for the St. Mary's Prep
students who take advanced courses at the college. Madonna's potential
for greater exposure will strengthen Orchard Lake as a Polish American
cultural center for the U. S."
Having a "north campus," Obloy said, "will be beneficial
to those students who want to come to Madonna but not have to travel
to Livonia (a 30-45 minute ride)." The Madonna trustees voted
to consolidate with St. Mary's College at their April 17 meeting.
St. Mary's College officials confessed to mixed feelings about what
transpired. John Hittinger, vice president for Academic Affairs, said
"a lot of people, including myself, are more than disappointed"
in the Ave Maria pull-out. He added, "Students will be well served.
Madonna will provide the programs that students need. It was the best
deal."
Dr. Damian Fedoryka, appointed interim president of the College in
January to succeed Dr. Thaddeus C. Radzilowski, who was granted a
six-month sabbatical, expressed frustration similar to Hittinger's,
but said the absorption was a "generous act of solidarity on
the part of Madonna to take over an operation that could not be maintained
indefinitely."
Both were not pleased with what Hittinger called a "reduced and
modified form" of the Catholic Integrated Core Curriculum that
was implemented last fall at St. Mary's. Based upon the encyclicals
of Pope John Paul II pertaining to Catholic higher education, the
core "was a systematic tying-in of fundamental truths of Catholic
revelation" across the board in all disciplines, said Fedoryka.
The core now will be an elective. To ensure the continuation of the
Catholic core program on the Orchard Lake campus, the Ave Maria Foundation,
chaired by Tom Monaghan, will provide a three-year $1.2 million grant.
The Polish Studies major at Orchard Lake (one of four courses accepted
into the Madonna curriculum, along with the Catholic core, sacred
theology and philosophy) was also a subject of much discussion. Both
institutions will share in varying degrees in the funding of the program.
Sr. Rose Marie and her top administrators held several meetings at
Orchard Lake with the St. Mary's faculty, staff and students. Some
406 students were enrolled in St. Mary's just-concluded winter term.
Some 80 seniors graduated in May, the college's largest graduating
class in its history.
"We will work very hard to provide a seamless transition for
these students," said Sr. Rose Marie. She added: "All of
our traditional and non-traditional students will now have even more
choices as far as location and programs. We have a great deal to offer
students."
Dr. Ernest Nolan, vice president for Academic Administration at Madonna,
assured students of a "painless as possible" registration
process, indicating that certain requirements may have to be waived,
particularly to incoming seniors. "We will make arrangements
on an individual basis."
One bit of good news for St. Mary's students is that, in the fall,
they will no longer pay St. Mary's tuition rate of $325 per credit
hour, but the Madonna University rate of $300.
Dr. Nolan encouraged St. Mary's faculty and staff to apply for a position
with Madonna. "Faculty and staff currently working at St. Mary's
College will be reviewed and hired by Madonna University on an individual
basis, depending on qualifications, need and financial limitations,"
he said.
As of the end of May, indications were that about half of St. Mary's
teaching faculty would be hired by Madonna, which will maintain a
minimal staff at Orchard Lake: a dean (to be appointed by the end
of June), an administrative assistant, and two or three persons in
the registrar and admissions offices.
AVE MARIA STATEMENT
In July 2000, St. Mary's College became affiliated with Ave Maria
University. "Over the past three years, the Ave Maria Foundation
has provided considerable funding to upgrade the curriculum, technology
and the physical plant at the college, as well as bringing in new
faculty committed to St. Mary's mission as a Catholic college,"
said Nicholas J. Healy, Jr., president of Ave Maria University.
In a written statement to the Detroit Free Press published in the
May 30 edition, Monaghan said: "When we entered into the partnership
with St. Mary's College, we did so for a variety of reasons with an
underlying goal of helping Catholic higher education. We were doing
this in the context of our larger plan of establishing the anchor
campus of Ave Maria University in Ann Arbor Township. When this plan
was turned down by Ann Arbor Township, we decided to establish our
main campus near Naples, Fla., and we obviously had to make some adjustments."
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