Anna Maria College

{{Short description|Catholic college in Paxton, Massachusetts, US}}

{{Infobox university

| name = Anna Maria College

| image = Annamaria college seal.png

| image_size = 150

| motto = Lux et Veritas

| motto_lang = la

| mottoeng = Light and Truth

| type = Private college

| accreditation = NECHE

| established = {{start date|1946|09|17}}

| religious_affiliation = Roman Catholic (Sisters of Saint Anne)

| academic_affiliation = HECCMA

| endowment = $7.2 million (2022){{cite news |author= |date=March 21, 2022 |title=Worcester area college endowments. Holy Cross pushes past $1 billion. |url=https://www.telegram.com/story/news/2022/03/21/worcester-area-college-endowments-holy-cross-pushes-past-1-billion/9340818002/ |work=Worcester Telegram |access-date=April 11, 2022 |archive-date=February 17, 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230217164201/https://www.telegram.com/restricted/?return=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.telegram.com%2Fstory%2Fnews%2F2022%2F03%2F21%2Fworcester-area-college-endowments-holy-cross-pushes-past-1-billion%2F9340818002%2F |url-status=live }}

| president = Mary Lou Retelle

| academic_staff = 42 full-time
145 part-time{{cite web |title=College Navigator - Anna Maria College |url=https://nces.ed.gov/collegenavigator/?q=anna+maria&s=all&id=164492 |website=National Center for Education Statistics |access-date=April 13, 2022}}

| undergrad = 1,104 (2019)

| postgrad = 333 (2019)

| city = Paxton

| state = Massachusetts

| country = United States

| coordinates = {{coord|42.3294|-71.9194|type:edu|display=inline,title}}

| campus = Rural, 190 acres

| colors = {{Color box|#A52238}}{{Color box|#FFFFFF|}} Cardinal and white

| athletics_nickname = AMCATS

| sporting_affiliations = NCAA Division III
GNAC
ECFC

| mascot =

| website = {{URL|https://annamaria.edu/|annamaria.edu}}

| logo = Anna Maria College logo.png

| logo_size = 150

}}

Anna Maria College is a private Catholic college in Paxton, Massachusetts, United States. It was founded in 1946 as a women's college, but has been coeducational since 1973. The school offers both undergraduate and graduate degrees.

History

File:Socquet House at Anna Maria College.png

Anna Maria College was founded in 1946 as a women's college by the Sisters of Saint Anne, after receiving formal approval from Richard Cushing, the Archbishop of Boston. The original campus was in Marlborough, Massachusetts. In 1951, the college moved to its present location in Paxton.{{cite news |last=O'Connell |first=Scott |date=January 6, 2021 |title=College Town: Anna Maria College marking 75th anniversary |url=https://www.telegram.com/story/news/2021/01/06/college-town-anna-maria-college-marks-75th-anniversary/6570042002/ |work=Worcester Telegram |access-date=April 13, 2022 |archive-date=August 6, 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210806011054/https://www.telegram.com/story/news/2021/01/06/college-town-anna-maria-college-marks-75th-anniversary/6570042002/ |url-status=live }} Four years later, accreditation by the New England Association of Schools and Colleges was issued.

In 1973, Anna Maria College became coeducational, and a year later, began graduate degree programs.{{Cite web|url=https://annamaria.edu/about/#fast-facts|title=About|access-date=2022-04-11|archive-date=2022-05-20|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220520103552/https://annamaria.edu/about/#fast-facts|url-status=live}} On April 3, 1980, the Sisters of Saint Anne ceased involvement in running the school, and a Board of Trustees was established.

In 2004, the college established the Molly Bish Center for the Protection of Children and the Elderly.{{Cite web|url=https://annamaria.edu/academic-centers/molly-bish-center/|title=Molly Bish Center|access-date=2022-04-13|archive-date=2022-08-17|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220817013431/https://annamaria.edu/academic-centers/molly-bish-center|url-status=live}}

Academics

Anna Maria College has an average annual enrollment of around 1,500 students, which consist of mostly undergraduate and graduate students, as well as some continuing education learners.{{Cite web|url=https://annamaria.edu/college-data/enrollment-dashboard/|title=Enrollment Dashboard|access-date=2022-04-11|archive-date=2022-09-26|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220926193357/https://annamaria.edu/college-data/enrollment-dashboard/|url-status=live}} Rooted in the traditions of Catholic education, the college combines liberal arts and sciences education with career preparation.

The college is divided into six academic schools: the School of Business; the School of Education; the School of Justice and Social Sciences; the School of Fire and Health Sciences; the School of Visual and Performing Arts; and the School of Humanities.{{cite web|url=http://www.annamaria.edu/|title=Home|work=Anna Maria College|access-date=2007-05-21|archive-date=2007-05-27|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070527175029/http://www.annamaria.edu/|url-status=live}}

Athletics

{{main|Anna Maria Amcats}}

Anna Maria College has thirteen Division III athletic teams, known as the AMCATS (Anna Maria College Athletic Team Sports), in the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA), including men's baseball, basketball, cross country, football, ice hockey, lacrosse, and soccer; and women's basketball, cross country, field hockey, soccer, softball, tennis, and volleyball. The school is a member of the Great Northeast Athletic Conference (GNAC). Football is played in the Eastern Collegiate Football Conference (ECFC). Anna Maria was also a charter member of the Commonwealth Coast Conference (CCC), which it competed in from 1984 to 2011 before joining the GNAC.

Notable faculty

Notable alumni

References

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