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Avila University is a
private Private or privates may refer to: Music * "In Private", by Dusty Springfield from the 1990 album ''Reputation'' * Private (band), a Denmark-based band * "Private" (Ryōko Hirosue song), from the 1999 album ''Private'', written and also recorded ...
Catholic university in
Kansas City, Missouri Kansas City, Missouri, abbreviated KC or KCMO, is the largest city in the U.S. state of Missouri by List of cities in Missouri, population and area. The city lies within Jackson County, Missouri, Jackson, Clay County, Missouri, Clay, and Pl ...
, United States. It is sponsored by the
Sisters of St. Joseph of Carondelet The Sisters of St. Joseph of Carondelet (CSJ) are a Roman Catholic congregation of Religious sister, women religious which traces its origins to a group founded in Le Puy-en-Velay, France, around 1650 by Jean Paul Médaille#Jean-Pierre Médaille, ...
and offers
bachelor's degree A bachelor's degree (from Medieval Latin ''baccalaureus'') or baccalaureate (from Modern Latin ''baccalaureatus'') is an undergraduate degree awarded by colleges and universities upon completion of a course of study lasting three to six years ...
s and
master's degree A master's degree (from Latin ) is a postgraduate academic degree awarded by universities or colleges upon completion of a course of study demonstrating mastery or a high-order overview of a specific field of study or area of professional prac ...
s. Its 13 buildings are situated on a campus of in Kansas City. The school enrolled 1,527 students in 2019.


History

In 1916, on the same campus at 5600 Main Street as St. Teresa's Academy, the
Sisters of St. Joseph of Carondelet The Sisters of St. Joseph of Carondelet (CSJ) are a Roman Catholic congregation of Religious sister, women religious which traces its origins to a group founded in Le Puy-en-Velay, France, around 1650 by Jean Paul Médaille#Jean-Pierre Médaille, ...
founded the College of Saint Teresa. St. Teresa's College was founded as a two-year college for women only. The first graduates of St. Teresa's College received their degrees in 1918. In 1939, Kansas City Bishop
Edwin O'Hara Edwin Vincent O'Hara (September 6, 1881 – September 11, 1956) was an American prelate of the Roman Catholic Church. He served as bishop of the Diocese of Great Falls in Montana from 1930 to 1939 and bishop of the Diocese of Kansas City in Mi ...
announced that St. Teresa's junior college would be expanded to a full four-year college, and the college would be housed in its own building on the campus. In 1940, ground was broken for Donnelly Hall, and it opened for classes in 1941. The first four-year graduating class received their degrees in 1942. In 1948, the college established a department of nursing, offering both a three-year diploma and a four-year bachelor of nursing degree. In May 1961, Sister Mary Daniel Tammany, president of the College of St. Teresa, announced the purchase of 49 acres of land for a new campus at 119th and Wornall Road in the Red Bridge neighborhood near the southern edge of Kansas City, Missouri. The high school, St. Teresa's Academy, is still operating on the original site. At the groundbreaking for the first building on the new campus, the announcement was made that the college would be renamed Avila College, still in honor of Saint Teresa of Avila. In 1969 Avila began admitting male students, and in 1978, the college began offering graduate programs in business, education, and psychology. Avila College became Avila University in July 2002.


Student body

Of the 1,710 students attending Avila University in the fall of 2016, females outnumber males 62 percent to 38 percent. 57 percent of students are Caucasian, 20 percent are African-American, 10 percent international, and eight percent Hispanic. 20 percent are Catholic. The average ACT score of the incoming freshman class is 23. About 31% of students live on campus.


Academics

Avila University is divided into three colleges. Each College has a collection of Schools for the various programs: * College of Liberal Arts & Social Sciences # School of Humanities # School of Performing Arts # School of Psychology # School of Social Sciences * College of Science & Health # School of Natural and Applied Sciences # School of Computer Sciences & Mathematics # School of Imaging Sciences # School of Nursing * College of Professional Schools # School of Business # School of Education # School of Visual and Communication Arts # Avila Institute for Professional Studies


Campus

Avila's campus sits on in southern Kansas City, Missouri. There are 13 buildings that include four residence halls, a fieldhouse, theatre, student union, library, as well as academic buildings. The campus sits close to the Missouri-Kansas border.


Student life

Student life at Avila is quite active with more than 40 student organizations. There are no fraternities or sororities on campus.


Residential life

Carondelet Hall was the first residence hall built at the current Avila University location. Carondelet houses up to 122 students at its maximum capacity. Ridgway Hall has the same floor plan and room dimensions. The 29,000-square-foot Thompson Hall opened in the fall of 2007. It houses 65 students and staff in 16 suites. In fall 2012, Avila opened its fourth residence hall, Avila Hall (later dedicated as Glenna Wylie Hall), a 39,000-square-foot three-story residence hall on the northeast edge of campus. Avila currently has capacity to house up to 390 students on campus.


Athletics

The Avila athletic teams are called the Eagles (formerly known as the "Avalanche" until 1990). The university is a member of the
National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics The National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics (NAIA) established in 1940, is a college athletics association for higher education, colleges and universities in North America. Most colleges and universities in the NAIA offer athletic schola ...
(NAIA), primarily competing in the
Kansas Collegiate Athletic Conference The Kansas Collegiate Athletic Conference (KCAC) is a college athletic conference affiliated with the National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics (NAIA). The KCAC is the oldest conference in the NAIA and the second-oldest in the United St ...
(KCAC) since the 2018–19 academic year. The Eagles previously competed in the
Heart of America Athletic Conference The Heart of America Athletic Conference (HAAC or The Heart) is a college athletic conference affiliated with the National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics (NAIA). Member institutions are located in Iowa, Kansas, Missouri, and Nebraska in ...
(HAAC) from 2000–01 to 2017–18; as well as in the defunct
Midlands Collegiate Athletic Conference The Midlands Collegiate Athletic Conference (MCAC) was an intercollegiate athletic conference that competed in National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics. Members of the conference were located in the Midwest United States and were locate ...
(MCAC) from 1994–95 to 1999–2000. Avila competes in 17 intercollegiate varsity sports. Men's sports include baseball, basketball, bowling, football, soccer, tennis, volleyball and wrestling; women's sports include basketball, bowling, soccer, softball, tennis, volleyball and wrestling. Avila also has award-winning cheerleading and dance teams.


History

In 2011, the athletic complex was expanded to provide facilities for football and soccer games to be played on campus. A 194,000 square foot multi-purpose athletic field was constructed, featuring a Shaw Sportexe Legion synthetic turf system. Avila's football team played its first on campus game on September 17, 2011, against
Missouri Valley College Missouri Valley College is a private college that is affiliated with the Presbyterian Church (USA) and located in Marshall, Missouri, United States. The college was founded in 1889 and supports 40 academic majors and an enrollment close to 1,500 ...
.


References


External links

*
Athletics website
{{authority control * Private universities and colleges in Missouri Universities and colleges in Kansas City, Missouri Sisters of Saint Joseph colleges and universities Universities and colleges established in 1916 Association of Catholic Colleges and Universities Catholic universities and colleges in Missouri Roman Catholic Diocese of Kansas City–Saint Joseph 1916 establishments in Missouri Former Midlands Collegiate Athletic Conference schools Former women's universities and colleges in the United States