Avoca C 
Sister Anne Smiley, CCVI
Sister Anne Smiley, CCVI, served on the faculty of Incarnate Word College as an Instructor in Education and as a member of the staff of the Katherine A. Ryan Center, when it opened as a diagnostic and educational center for children with learning disabilites. During the 1960s, she was also a residence hall advisor for students. She earned her Bachelor of Arts degree and her Maters in Education at Incarnate Word. She was awarded the Master of Science in Social Work from Our Lady of the Lake College. Sister was originally from Ireland and was the blood sister of Sister Mona and Brigida Smiley, CCVI, who both served on the College faculty. Sister Anne died suddenly in 1988.
The Village of Avoca is a complex of five apartment buildings resting on the edges of the San Antonio River. The complex gained its name from the lost Irish ghost town of Avoca that was established in the same site in the mid-1830s. The founder of the original Avoca Apartments, Willian E. Howth , said the area reminded him of his home -- the famed Vale of Avoca in Wicklow, Ireland.
UIW's Village of Avoca was first dedicated in 1987 with two apartment buildings and again in 2000 with the addition of three more. At this ceremony, each building was dedicated in honor of a Sister of Charity of the Incarnate Word
The Village of Avoca Apartments are designed to be transitional housing which enables students to experience apartment living while retaining the special benefits of on-campus residency. Avoca houses male and female students in 47 two-bedroom apartments. There are four students per apartment. There are also apartments designed to accommodate students with mobility difficulties. The apartments consist of two 10'×16' bedrooms with a shared bathroom. Each bedroom has two bunkable beds , two large desks, two chests of drawers, and closet space for each student. Each room is also equipped with one data computer jack for each student. The living room features a bay window and built-in book shelves. A refrigerator, electric self-cleaning oven, and dishwasher are provided in the kitchen. The University provides living room and dining room furniture.
