Franciscan University of Steubenville

Franciscan University of Steubenville
Motto	Fortitudo et Prudentia
Established	1946
Type	Private/Catholic
Endowment	$27.9 million[1]
President	Rev. Terence Henry, T.O.R.
Academic staff	224
Undergraduates	2,088
Postgraduates	653
Location	Steubenville, Ohio, USA
Campus	Suburban
Colors	Green and Gold
Athletics	NCAA Division III
Nickname	Barons
Mascot	Baron von Steuben
Website	http://www.franciscan.edu/

Franciscan University of Steubenville is a Catholic institution located in Steubenville, Ohio, 37.4 miles (60.2 km) west of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.^[2] The school (originally named the "College of Steubenville") was founded in 1946 by the Franciscan Friars of the Third Order Regular.^[3] In 1974, Fr. Michael Scanlan, T.O.R., became President and began a series of major reforms to restore the school to its Catholic heritage.^[4] In 1985, the University changed its name from "College of Steubenville" to "University of Steubenville," and in 1985 to "Franciscan University of Steubenville."^[5]

Academics

The school offers 41 undergraduate majors (seven pre-professional programs), 34 minors, 6 special minor programs (not available as majors), and seven graduate degree programs.^[6] The University maintains a 15:1 student-faculty ratio.^[7]

Students need a minimum of 124 credits for graduation. The number of electives varies with each major program. The University operates on the American semester system. Three summer sessions also are available.

Franciscan University of Steubenville participates in the Advanced Placement (AP) Program, the College Level Examination Program (CLEP), and International Baccalaureate (IB) and gives credit by examination in a number of subjects.

Associate degree programs

Associate degrees are awarded in accounting, business administration, child development, general studies, and theology.

Undergraduate programs

Bachelor of Arts degrees are awarded in biology, catechetics (formerly known as religious education), chemistry, classics, communication arts (multimedia, journalism, and TV/radio), drama, economics, English (drama, British and American literature, Western and world literature, and writing), French, German, history, humanities and Catholic culture, legal studies, music (sacred music), philosophy, political science, psychology, sociology, Spanish, and theology.

Bachelor of Science degrees are awarded in accounting, anthropology, biology, chemistry, international business, economics, finance, management, marketing, computer information science, computer science, education (with 14 different licensure programs), mathematical science, mental health and human services, nursing, and social work.

Special programs

The Army ROTC program was approved in 2010 and currently has 13 cadets. Air Force ROTC classes are offered through the University of Pittsburgh.

The University offers the following pre-professional programs: dentistry, law, medicine, optometry, pharmacy, physical therapy, and veterinary medicine. For undergraduate business majors, a 4+1 program allows for accelerated completion of an MBA.

There is also an honors program in the Great Books of Western Civilization, offered to highly qualified undergraduate candidates.^[8]

The Priestly Discernment Program offers human, academic, spiritual, pastoral and fraternal formation for men discerning the priesthood.^[9]

Graduate programs

The University offers Masters of Arts degrees in Counseling, Philosophy, Theology and Christian Ministry; Master of Business Administration (MBA), Master of Science in Education; Masters of Science in Educational Administration, and Nursing. The Master of Arts in Theology and Christian Ministry is offered both on campus and through the Distance Learning Program, with most courses available via audio-taped lectures.^{[citation needed]}

In fall 2011 the University began to offer an online MS in Education through a new online educational system. An online MBA in Business Ethics and Law, and Managerial Accounting, will be available beginning in January 2012. The university is planning to have all MBA-related classes available by the end of the 2012-2013 academic year.^{[10][citation needed]}

Austrian program

Since 1991, up to 150 students per semester study at the University’s program in Gaming, Austria. The campus is located in a renovated fourteenth-century Carthusian monastery, known as the Gaming Charterhouse,^[11] in the foothills of the Austrian Alps.^[12]

The old monastery serves as a hotel during summer months.

The Austrian Program features a four-day class schedule, Monday through Thursday, so students may spend extended time visiting religious, cultural, and historical sites throughout Europe. The program sponsors trips throughout Europe.^[13]

In 2011 Franciscan University launched a summer mini program^[14] in Austria. The session lasted from May 21 to June 30, 2011.^[15]

Student life

Students are encouraged to join in faith households, small groups of students whose members study, recreate, and pray with one another. Typically, these student groups are attached to a particular dormitory on campus and are centered around particular devotions or charisms. There are currently 43 active households. ^[16]

The campus is also known for its liturgies, retreats and spiritual talks. Hundreds of students make a weekly commitment to Eucharistic adoration, and most Masses have standing room only, even on weekdays.^{[17][citation needed]} The Works of Mercy Program places students shoulder-to-shoulder with the poor and marginalized in inner city and rural communities. Over summer, winter, and spring breaks, students volunteer to help others and preach in the United States and in countries such as Ecuador, Haiti, Jamaica, and Thailand. Students join the pro-life group, Students for Life, while others sign up for evangelization and Christian outreach activities spearheaded by the Student Life Office, households, and other campus groups.

There is a 28-member student government.^[18]

Student-run clubs and academic organizations include College Republicans, Democrats for Life, Computer Science Club, Tennis Club, Students for Life, Philosophy Club, St. Jerome Debate Society, Ut Unim Sint club for ecumenism, and Biology Club.^[19]

Athletics

Varsity

Franciscan University's athletics teams, nicknamed the Barons, compete in NCAA Division III as a member of the Allegheny Mountain Collegiate Conference.^[20] The men's rugby team competes in Division III with the Allegheny Rugby Union. In July of 2011, Franciscan signed a three-year sponsorship agreement with Adidas.^[21] The university sponsor 14 sports, six for men and eight for women:

Men's Basketball Cross Country Rugby Soccer Tennis Track and Field

Women's Basketball Cross Country Soccer Softball Swimming & Diving Tennis Track and Field Volleyball

Intramurals

Franciscan University offers a variety of intramural sports throughout the academic year. Flag football and volleyball are held during the fall semester, and basketball and ultimate Frisbee in the spring. A co-ed Sunday futsal soccer league runs through both semesters, and there are several one-day tournaments held periodically, such as co-ed softball, sand volleyball, and 3-on-3 basketball.

The campus

The academic buildings on campus include Egan Hall, Stafford Hall, Saints Cosmas and Damian Hall, and the Saint Joseph Center.

Egan Hall houses: classrooms, a theater, television and radio studios, special laboratories for the education, and psychology departments, and computer workstations on each floor.

In the newly remodeled Stafford Hall, a simulated clinic gives nursing students the opportunity to practice their skills. Stafford Hall also contains classrooms and offices.

Saints Cosmas and Damian Hall is the main science building. It houses biology and chemistry laboratories, classrooms, and the campus' largest lecture hall. It also serves as additional laboratory space for the Nursing Department, and contains two computer science labs with advanced software for programming.

Starvaggi Hall is the main administrative building on campus. It also houses Admissions, Financial Aid, Career Services, and the Registrar.

The John Paul II Library’s collection includes more than 230,000 books and bound periodicals, and more than 390 current periodicals. The OPAL Catalog and OhioLINK Network provide access to many research databases and more than 7 million books and journals.^[22]

There are 12 residence buildings on campus: Saint Francis Hall, Trinity Hall, Marian Hall, Saint Thomas More Hall, Saint Louis Hall, Saint Elizabeth Hall, Kolbe Hall, Clare Hall, Padua Hall, Saint Bonaventure Hall, Vianney Hall, and Scotus Hall. Assisi Heights, a small neighborhood of apartments, is also available for upperclassman and graduate student housing.

Franciscan University of Steubenville has two soccer fields, a rugby field, a baseball field, and a field designated primarily for intramural sports. In 2007, the university purchased the golf course which borders the main campus from the city of Steubenville for future development. It is currently used by the cross country team for practice.

Christ the King Chapel is the center of the spiritual life of the campus. There are three Masses every weekday while classes are in session, four Masses on Sundays, vespers on Sunday evening, praise & worship every Tuesday, and confessions held at least four times per week. Weekday Masses are routinely standing room only, while Sunday Masses during the school year require extra chairs to be arranged in the foyer and the Eucharistic chapel.

The Portiuncula chapel, a replica of St. Francis' original chapel, sits on the edge of the main campus. It is home to perpetual adoration (at least two students volunteer to be present and adore the Blessed Sacrament during every hour of the week throughout the fall and spring semesters). Outside of this chapel are the Tomb of the Unborn Child, which contains the remains of seven aborted infants, a Creche, Stations of the Cross, and Marian Grotto. In 2009 the Vatican designated the Portiuncula as a place of pilgrimage where the faithful can obtain a plenary indulgence on five certain days through the year and under certain conditions of prayer and a detachment from sin.^[23]

The J.C. Willams Center is the student center on campus. It contains a coffee shop and eatery, the campus bookstore, student mailboxes, several meeting rooms, four lecture halls, and areas for studying or socializing. It also houses the Tom and Nina Gentile Gallery, which contains numerous works of art donated to the University.

The Finnegan Fieldhouse is home to a basketball court, two racquetball courts, a weight room, one room for aerobic classes, a cardio-vascular room, and the campus health and counseling center, as well as classrooms.

At the far north end of campus is the Steel Cross. This cross, made of two steel I-beams, is 35 feet tall and visible from afar.

Reputation

The University is ranked in the top tier in its category (Masters Colleges in the Midwest) in the 2011 U.S. News & World Report’s list of America’s Best Colleges.^[24] Young America's Foundation rates Franciscan as one of the top 10 conservative colleges in the nation, and the Cardinal Newman Society ranks it as one of the 21 top Catholic colleges and universities in The Newman Guide to Choosing a Catholic College.

Franciscan University of Steubenville graduates have gained admission to such post-graduate institutions as Yale Law School, Notre Dame Law School, Boston University School of Law, UCLA Medical Center, and the Mendoza College of Business at Notre Dame.^[25]

Alumni

• Jeff Fortenberry – United States Congressman (R-NE) who received a Master of Arts in Theology
• Father Jonathan Morris – Contributor and analyst for the Fox News Channel
• Taffy Nivert – Member of the Starland Vocal Band
• Michael Rodak, Jr. – A Clerk of the Supreme Court of the United States
• Bishop Cornelius Sim – Bishop of Brunei
• Bishop Joseph Danlami Bagobiri – Bishop of Kafanchan, Nigeria^[26]

See also

• Gaming Charterhouse

References

1. ^ As of June 30, 2009. "U.S. and Canadian Institutions Listed by Fiscal Year 2009 Endowment Market Value and Percentage Change in Endowment Market Value from FY 2008 to FY 2009" (PDF). 2009 NACUBO-Commonfund Study of Endowments. National Association of College and University Business Officers. http://www.nacubo.org/Documents/research/2009_NCSE_Public_Tables_Endowment_Market_Values.pdf. Retrieved February 16, 2010. 
2. ^ "Google Map of Franciscan University of Steubenville". Google. http://www.google.com/maps?f=q&hl=en&q=Franciscan+University,+Steubenville&sll=40.376367,-80.622354&sspn=0.003596,0.007253&ie=UTF8&t=h&om=1&z=16&ll=40.376481,-80.621667&spn=0.007192,0.014505. Retrieved 2006-11-07. 
3. ^ "Franciscan University of Steubenville". Ohio Historical Society. http://www.ohiohistorycentral.org/entry.php?rec=2514. Retrieved 2006-11-07. 
4. ^ Benne, Robert (2006). Quality with Soul: How Six Premier Colleges and Universities Keep Faith with Their Religious Traditions. Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing Company. 
5. ^ "A Brief History of Franciscan University of Steubenville". http://www.franciscan.edu/home2/Content/FactBook/main.aspx?id=167. Retrieved 2006-11-07. 
6. ^ "2010-2011 Factbook: Quick Reference". http://franciscan.edu/About/FactBook/GeneralInformation/#UndergraduateMajors. Retrieved 2011-8-19. 
7. ^ "2006-07 Factbook: Quick Reference". http://www.franciscan.edu/home2/Content/FactBook/Main.aspx?id=1133. Retrieved 2006-11-07. 
8. ^ "2006–2007 Course Catalog: Honors Program". http://developer.franciscan.edu/CourseCatalog2005/content/064.htm. Retrieved 2006-11-07. 
9. ^ "Priestly Discernment Program". http://www.franciscan.edu/PriestlyDiscernment/. Retrieved 2011-19-07. 
10. ^ "Franciscan University of Steubenville Launches Online Graduate Degree Programs". Franciscan University of Steubenville Launches Online Graduate Degree Programs. http://www.franciscan.edu/News/2011/FUS_Launches_Online_Graduate_Degree_Programs/. Retrieved 25 August 2011. 
11. ^ the Kartause Maria Thron
12. ^ "Kartause Maria Thron History". https://secure.franciscan.edu/home2/Content/PreTheologate/main.aspx?id=339. Retrieved 2010-05-19. 
13. ^ "Gaming, Austria - Study Abroad Program". http://www.franciscan.edu/Home2/Content/Admissions/main.aspx?id=318. Retrieved 2006-11-07. 
14. ^ summer mini program
15. ^ "Summer Austria Session". Franciscan University. http://www.franciscan.edu/uploadedFiles/Top_Level/Majors_and_Programs/Study_Abroad/Austria/Summer%2011%20Austrian%20Program.pdf. Retrieved August 14, 2011. 
16. ^ "Faith Households". Franciscan University of Steubenville. http://www.franciscan.edu/Households/. Retrieved 2010-07-23. 
17. ^ "Roman Catholicism: 'Hail Mary' Is More Than a Football Play". Newsweek. Archived from the original on 2006-06-17. http://web.archive.org/web/20060617155149/http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/9024945/site/newsweek. Retrieved 2006-11-07. 
18. ^ Student Government website
19. ^ "Residence Halls Content Filtering Policy". http://www.franciscan.edu/home2/Content/CampusLife/reslife/main.aspx?id=1097. Retrieved 2008-10-17. 
20. ^ Brown, Gary (June 30, 2011). "DIII Membership Committee recommends four new active members". NCAA. http://www.ncaa.org/wps/wcm/connect/public/ncaa/resources/latest+news/2011/june/diii+membership+committee+recommends+four+new+active+members. Retrieved July 2, 2011. 
21. ^ Template:Http://www.franciscanathletics.com/information/general press/Adidas
22. ^ "John Paul II Library - Franciscan University of Steubenville". http://www2.franciscan.edu/jp2/. Retrieved 2006-11-07. 
23. ^ http://www.franciscan.edu/StudentLife/Default.aspx?id=793&menu_id=109
24. ^ "USNews.com: America's Best Colleges 2011: Franciscan University of Steubenville: At a glance". U.S. News and World Report. http://www.usnews.com/usnews/edu/college/directory/brief/drglance_3036_brief.php. Retrieved 2010-10-24. 
25. ^ http://www.franciscan.edu/imagebase/FranciscanWay/DocID1730/FWSummer2005LR.pdf
26. ^ "Meet the Bishop", Catholic Diocese of Kafanchan, Retrieved February 16, 2010

External links

• http://www.franciscan.edu
• http://www.youtube.com/FranciscanUSteubie
• http://www.facebook.com/FranciscanUniversity
• http://www.franciscanyouth.com Youth conference information
• http://www.franciscanconferences.com Adult conference information
• http://www.franciscan.edu/imagebase/admissions/FactBook/factbook.pdf Fact Book 2008-2009
• http://www.troubonline.com/ The Troubadour (Franciscan's Newspaper) Website