•  Foster development of the whole person for life-long learning and service to the global community through curricular and co-curricular programs. •  Serve a community of learners with diverse backgrounds and needs by providing a variety of educational formats. •  Address the broader educational needs of the greater Kansas City area by exploring, initiat- ing, and supporting partnerships within the community. (adopted 1996; revised 2005) Value Statements of Avila University The Avila Community Values . . . • Excellence in teaching and learning • The Catholic identity of the University • The sponsorship and contributions of the Sisters of St. Joseph • The worth, dignity and potential of each human being • Diversity and its expression • Commitment to the continual growth of the whole person • Interaction with and service to others (adopted 1988; reviewed 1996, 2005) History of Avila University The Sisters of St. Joseph were founded in LePuy, France, in 1650 to serve their neighbors by responding to the needs of society. In 1836, six Sisters arrived in America and traveled up the Mississippi  to  St.  Louis,  Missouri,  and  settled  in  a  small  town  south  of  the  city  known  as Carondelet. These women established several schools and were soon known as the Sisters of St. Joseph of Carondelet. In 1866, five Sisters came to Kansas City and opened the first private high school for young women, St. Teresa’s Academy. In 1916, the academy administration chartered the first private college for women in Kansas City, the St. Teresa College, and offered a two-year program lead- ing to an Associate of Arts Degree. Fifteen years later, St. Joseph’s Hospital School of Nursing became  affiliated  with  the  college  and  nursing  students  were  enrolled  in  basic  science  and humanities courses. In 1940, the college was expanded to a four-year liberal arts college with professional programs in nursing, education and business. It was fully accredited by the Commission on Institutions of Higher Education of the North Central Association of Colleges and Schools in 1946 and was called the College of St. Teresa. The college established Kansas City’s first baccalaureate degree program in nursing in 1948 and was accredited by the National League for Nursing in 1966. Additional programs in allied health, social work, and special education were developed to complement strong programs in the liberal arts. The growth of the college resulted in a move to its present campus in 1963, which is located in suburban South Kansas City, three miles from Interstate 435. Seeking to serve a diverse pop- ulation, the college became co-educational in 1969, established graduate programs in business, education and psychology in 1978 and began Kansas City’s first Weekend College in 1984. AVILA UNIVERSITY 7