Medaille Universitywas aprivate collegeinBuffalo, New York.TheSisters of St. Josephfounded Medaille in 1937, naming it after their founder,Jean Paul Médaille.It later became nonsectarian and coeducational.[2]The college served roughly 1,600 students, mainly fromWestern New YorkandSouthern Ontario,[3]during its final years.
 Medaille College logo | |
| Type | Private college |
|---|---|
| Established | 1937 |
| Endowment | $1.5 million (2017)[1] |
| President | Lori Quigley |
Academic staff | 90 |
| Undergraduates | 1,600 |
| Postgraduates | 1,000 |
| Location | , U.S. 42°55′43″N78°51′22″W/ 42.9286°N 78.8560°W |
| Campus | Urban, 13 acres (5.3 ha) |
| Colors | Navy, gold, light blue |
| Nickname | Mavericks |
Sporting affiliations | NCAA Division III |
| Website | www |
In May 2022, the Board of Regents of the New York State Department of Education approvedMedaille College's request to be designated a university.[4][5]Due to ongoing financial and enrollment challenges, Medaille announced its closure effective August 31, 2023.[6]
History
editThe Sisters of St. Joseph opened the Institute of the Sisters of Saint Joseph in 1875. This training center for nuns and other vowed women who wanted to serve the church in education, laid the first foundations for what would later eventually become Medaille College.[7]
Degrees were first offered in 1937. At that time, the school's name was Mount Saint Joseph Teachers' College. In 1964, it became Mount Saint Joseph College and in 1968, Medaille College.[7]Most graduates went on to teach at Catholic schools in New York State.[8]
Conflicts over academic freedom
editIn 2002, President John J. Donohue fired tenured professor Therese Dillon Warden and suspended professor Uhuru Watson. In addition, two other non-tenured professors were likewise punished. They all had allegedly passed around confidential meeting minutes from the tenure and promotion committee and were forbidden to enter campus. Many colleagues protested the disciplinary action as a violation of academic freedom.[2]Kenneth Weshues stated that "Dozens, perhaps hundreds, of individuals at the college have been harmed" due to a "social ill that has laid the college low."[9]
In May 2021, Medaille was sanctioned by theAmerican Association of University Professorsfor eliminating shared governance with the faculty during the early months of theCOVID-19pandemic.[10]
Cancelled acquisition and closure
editIn 2022, Medaille and nearbyTrocaire Collegesigned a memorandum of understanding that set "in motion a cooperative agreement that would fulfill the missions of both institutions into the future."[11]Six buildings on Medaille's campus were sold to Trocaire in January 2023[12]and on April 4, it was announced by interim Medaille President Dr. Lori Quigley thatTrocaire Collegewould be acquiring Medaille with a scheduled closing date of July 31, 2023.[13]The university was to become a part of Trocaire, while some sports teams would keep using the Medaille Mavericks name. A month later Trocaire College announced they would no longer be acquiring Medaille.[14]
On May 15, 2023, Medaille University announced that it would close on August 31, 2023[15][16][6]and ceased academic operations on that date.[17]A few months later,Niagara Universitywas named as the legacy school for Medaille, as required by state law, agreeing to hold all of the latter's "academic records, student transcripts, and academic catalogs".[18][19]
Campuses
edit
Medaille's main campus was inBuffalo, New Yorkand 40% of the students lived on campus.[20]It was within theOlmsted Crescent,a historic area of parkways and landscape designed byFrederick Law Olmsted.In January 2023, six campus buildings on Medaille's Buffalo campus were sold to Trocaire College.[12]
Medaille also had a branch campus inRochester.This campus offered undergraduate degrees for adult students inbusiness administration,and graduate degrees in business administration andorganizational leadership,as well asmental health counseling.
The vast majority of students were from New York State. In 2015, 3% came from out of state.
Athletics
editMedaille Mavericks
 | |
|---|---|
| University | Medaille College |
| Conference | Allegheny Mountain Collegiate Conference |
| NCAA | Division III |
| Athletic director | Susan Roarke |
| Location | Buffalo, New York |
| Varsity teams | 19 |
| Basketball arena | Sullivan Center |
| Baseball stadium | McCarthy Park |
| Soccer stadium | All-High Stadium |
| Lacrosse stadium | All-High Stadium |
| Nickname | Mavericks |
| Colors | Navy, Gold, and Light Blue |
| Website | www |
Medaille was a charter member of theAllegheny Mountain Collegiate Conference,as anNCAADivision IIIschool.
AMCC Championships:
- Baseball - 2007
- Men’s Basketball - 2008–2009, 2009–2010, 2011–2012, 2014–2015, 2016–2017, 2021-2022
- Women's basketball - 2005–06, 2006–07, 2007–08, 2009–2010
- Men's soccer - 2005, 2006, 2007, 2008, 2009, 2010.
- The 2010 men's soccer team reached Sweet 16 in 2010, the furthest any Medaille sports team ever advanced. Also that same year, their undefeated streak in the AMCC of five years was finally snapped. On September 25, 2010, theFranciscan UniversityBarons pulled off a huge upset, winning the match 2–1.[21]
Notable alumni
edit- Gary Boughton– professional soccer player
- David Cullen– professional ice hockey player
- Kyle Ferguson– professional soccer player
- Betty Jean Grant–Erie County Legislature
- Kendell McFayden– professional soccer player
- Adam Page– Paralympic (sled hockey) Gold medalist
- Anne E. Patrick–theologianand professor
- Robby Takac– musician and founding member of theGoo Goo Dolls
- George Tor– professional soccer player
- A. J. Verel– kickboxer, martial artist, actor, and stuntman
Notable faculty and staff
edit- Janel Curry– interim vice president for academic affairs
- Richard Jacob– professor of psychology and sport studies (1995–2023);athletic director
- Jim Koerner– head baseball coach
- Mike MacDonald– college basketball coach
- Alexander Nwora– college basketball coach
- Kara Tucina Olidge– scholar, arts and educational administrator
- Ethan Paquin– associate professor of humanities (2004–2010), poet, and editor-in-chief ofSlope Editions
- Dick Rifenburg– communications professor and pioneering television broadcaster
References
edit- ^"College Results Online".
- ^abMoore, Robert K.; Cooper, Sandi (2004)."Academic Freedom and Tenure: Medaille College".Academe: Bulletin of the AAUP.January–February 2004.
- ^"Medaille University".Cappex.Retrieved31 March2016.
- ^"The History of Medaille University: 1875 to Present Time".The Institution Formerly Known as Medaille University.Retrieved2023-11-02.
- ^"Medaille is now the Buffalo area's third college to become a university".wgrz.May 20, 2022.Retrieved2023-12-11.
- ^ab"Medaille University to close Aug. 31".News 4 Buffalo.2023-05-15.Retrieved2023-05-15.
- ^abBrenner, Morgan G. (2003).The encyclopedia of college & university name histories.Lanham, Md.: Scarecrow Press. p. 150.
- ^"Nun dies (obituary)".North Country Catholic.January 11, 1978. p. 19.RetrievedFebruary 19,2023.
- ^Westhues, Kenneth (2006)."The Mobbings at Medaille College in 2002"(PDF).kwesthues.RetrievedFebruary 18,2023.
- ^"Special Report: COVID-19 and Academic Governance".AAUP.2021-05-21.Retrieved2023-04-24.
- ^"Medaille University & Trocaire College Announce Signing of a Cooperative Agreement | Medaille University".Medaille.edu. 2022-08-18.Retrieved2023-04-06.
- ^ab"After signing cooperative agreement, Medaille University sells six buildings to Trocaire College | News 4 Buffalo".Wivb. 25 January 2023.Retrieved2023-04-06.
- ^"Trocaire College plans to acquire Medaille University starting in July | News 4 Buffalo".Wivb. 4 April 2023.Retrieved2023-04-06.
- ^"Merger of Trocaire College and Medaille University 'terminated'".WKBW 7 News Buffalo.2023-05-11.Retrieved2023-05-13.
- ^"'I wish I could stay': Students, staff react to Medaille University closing in August ".WKBW 7 News Buffalo.2023-05-15.Retrieved2023-05-15.
- ^"Medaille University announces it will close in August".wgrz.May 15, 2023.Retrieved2023-05-15.
- ^"Closures of Degree-Granting Institutions".New York State Education Department.Retrieved2023-10-07.
- ^"Niagara University becomes Medaille's legacy school".wgrz.September 8, 2023.Retrieved2023-09-10.
- ^"Niagara University set to serve as legacy institution for Medaille University".Niagara Frontier Publications.Retrieved2023-09-10.
- ^2016 College handbook(3rd ed.). New York: College Entrance Examination Board. 2015. p. 843.ISBN978-1-4573-0423-1.OCLC891121899.
- ^"Barons Break Medaille's 5-Year Winning Streak".Franciscan.Retrieved31 March2016.