<p class="ql-align-justify">In 1937, Madonna University (then known as Presentation of the Blessed Virgin Mary Junior College) was established by Mother Mary DeSales Tocka and her council in the Felician Central Convent in Livonia, with a first year enrollment of 18 Sisters.&nbsp;Madonna University instituted master's-level programs in 1982 and became a university in 1991.&nbsp;</p><p class="ql-align-justify"><br></p><p class="ql-align-justify">Through this growth and development, the institution has become one of the nation's largest Franciscan universities with a combined undergraduate and graduate student body of approximately 3,000 students.&nbsp;Madonna University exemplifies the fine tradition of Catholic and Franciscan scholarship that has contributed significantly to the intellectual and professional development in society. With alumni on every continent except Antarctica, Madonna University graduates apply their knowledge and skills in meaningful service around the world – improving the lives of others, while excelling in their own professions.</p><p class="ql-align-justify"><br></p><p class="ql-align-justify"><strong>Why Madonna University</strong></p><ul><li class="ql-align-justify"><u>Facilities:</u>&nbsp;A testament to the University’s reverence for creation, the Franciscan Center for Science and Media achieved Gold status for Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design, first in Livonia. A showcase of sustainability, this gorgeous green building houses state-of-the-art television studios and science labs.&nbsp;Technology permeates Madonna’s campus in smart classrooms, all-digital editing suites, mobile learning tools, social networking, and electronic signage.</li><li class="ql-align-justify"><u>Community Engagement:</u>&nbsp;Students at Madonna incorporate community service with civic learning to gain experiences beyond the classroom, volunteering more than 27,000 hours each year from Detroit to South Carolina to Latin America. Madonna was the first private university in Michigan to be awarded the Community Engagement Classification by the Carnegie Foundation for the Advancement of Teaching. The University has been named to the President’s Higher Education Community Service Honor Roll since 2006.</li><li class="ql-align-justify"><u>Student Success:</u>&nbsp;Student achievement is recognized locally and nationally with awards from the American Red Cross, Michigan Campus Compact, the State Dept. of Education, and others. Madonna alumni compose a veritable “who’s who” of authors, business owners, executives, religious leaders, doctors, lawyers, hospital and school administrators, fire chiefs, police chiefs (more than 80), nurses, artists, and teachers.</li></ul>