Franciscan University of Steubenville is a
CatholicThe Catholic Church, also known as the Roman Catholic Church, is the world's largest Christian church. With more than a billion members, over half of all Christians and more than one-sixth of the world's population, the Catholic Church is a communion of the Western, or Latin Rite Church, and...
institution located in
Steubenville, OhioSteubenville is a city located along the Ohio River in Jefferson County, Ohio on the Ohio-Pennsylvania border in the United States. It is the county seat of Jefferson County and is largely considered part of the Pittsburgh Tri-State area, unofficially as a suburb despite its own individual identity...
, 40 miles west of
Pittsburgh, PennsylvaniaPittsburgh is a city in and the county seat of Allegheny County, Pennsylvania, United States, and the second largest city in the state. Its population was 334,563 at the 2000 census; by 2006, it was estimated to have fallen to 312,819. The population of the seven-county metropolitan area is...
. The school (originally named the "College of Steubenville") was founded in 1946 by the Franciscan Friars of the Third Order Regular. In 1974,
Fr. Michael Scanlan, TORFather Michael Scanlan is a Catholic priest, author, and Chancellor of the Franciscan University of Steubenville.Michael Scanlan was born in Far Rockaway, New York to Vincent M. Scanlan and Marjorie O'Keefe Scanlan...
, became president and began a series of major reforms to restore the school to its Catholic heritage. In 1985, the University changed its name from "College of Steubenville" to "Franciscan University of Steubenville".
Academics
The school offers five associate degree majors, thirty-five bachelor degree majors (eight preprofessional programs), and seven graduate degree programs. The University maintains a 15:1 student-faculty ratio.
Students need a minimum of 124 credits for graduation. The number of electives varies with each major program. The University operates on the American
semesterAn academic term is a division of an academic year, the time during which a school, college or university holds classes. These divisions may be called "terms", "semesters", "quarters", or "trimesters", depending on the institution and the country....
system. Three summer sessions also are available.
Franciscan University of Steubenville participates in the
Advanced Placement (AP) ProgramThe Advanced Placement program offers college level courses at high schools across the United States and Canada. According to the Good Schools Guide International, it is "usually much more rigorous than the general course offerings." The most taken AP exam in 2008 was AP United States History with...
, the
College Level Examination Program (CLEP)The College Level Examination Program is a series of examinations that test an individual’s college level knowledge gained through course work, independent study, cultural pursuits, travel, special interests, military service schools, and professional development...
, 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, philosophy, political science, psychology,sacred music, sociology, Spanish, and theology.
Bachelor of Science degrees are awarded in accounting, anthropology, biology, business administration (international business, economics, finance, management, and marketing), computer information science, computer science, education (with twenty different licensure programs), mathematical science, mental health and human services, nursing, and social work.
Special programs
The University offers the following pre-professional programs: dentistry, law, medicine, optometry, pharmacy, physical therapy, theology, 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 CivilizationGreat Books refers to a curriculum and a book list, as well as a method of education which was famously favoured by the philosopher Allan Bloom...
, offered to highly qualified undergraduate candidates.
Graduate programs
In addition to its undergraduate programs, the University also offers a Master of Arts in Counseling, Master of Arts in Philosophy, Master of Arts in Theology and Christian Ministry,
Master of Business Administration (MBA)The Master of Business Administration is a master's degree in business administration, which attracts people from a wide range of academic disciplines. The MBA designation originated in the United States, emerging from the late 19th century as the country industrialized and companies sought out...
, Master of Science in Education, Master of Science in Educational Administration, and Master of Science in Nursing. The Master of Arts in Theology and Christian Ministry can be earned through the Distance Learning Program, with most courses available via audiotaped lectures.
Austrian program
Since 1991, up to 150 students per semester study at the University’s program in
GamingGaming is a municipality in the district of Scheibbs in Lower Austria, Austria....
,
AustriaAustria , officially the Republic of Austria , is a landlocked country of roughly 8.3 million people in Central Europe. It borders both Germany and the Czech Republic to the north, Slovakia and Hungary to the east, Slovenia and Italy to the south, and Switzerland and Liechtenstein to the west...
. The “campus” is located in a renovated fourteenth-century
CarthusianThe Carthusian Order, also called the Order of St. Bruno, is a Roman Catholic religious order of enclosed monastics. The order was founded by Saint Bruno of Cologne in 1084 and includes both monks and nuns...
monastery, known as the Kartause Maria Thron, in the foothills of the Austrian
AlpsThe Alps are one of the great mountain range systems of Europe, stretching from Austria and Slovenia in the east; through Italy, Switzerland, Liechtenstein and Germany; to France in the west....
.
The Austrian Program features a four-day class schedule, so students may spend extended time visiting religious, cultural, and historical sites throughout Europe. The program also includes a ten-day pilgrimage to Rome and Assisi.
Student life
Students are encouraged to join in faith households, small groups of students whose members support, recreate, and pray with one another. Typically, these student groups are attached to a particular dormitory on campus.
The campus is also known for its liturgies and support for retreats and spiritual talks. Hundreds make a weekly commitment to
Eucharistic adorationEucharistic adoration is a practice in the Catholic Church and in some Anglican churches, in which the Blessed Sacrament is exposed to and adored by the faithful. When this exposure and adoration is constant , it is called Perpetual Adoration...
, and most Masses have standing room only, even on weekdays.
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 range of student-run academic clubs and an athletic program that offers varsity sports, intramural sports, recreational sports, and outdoor adventures.
The University’s Pre-Theologate Program is one of the few of its kind in the nation.
Franciscan University of Steubenville has one of the strictest internet censorship policies of any college, restricting such common websites as UrbanDictionary.com and FileFront.com.
The campus
The academic buildings on campus include Egan Hall,
Saints Cosmas and DamianSaints Cosmas and Damian were twins and early Christian martyrs born in Arabia who practised the art of healing in the seaport of Aegea in the Gulf of Issus, then in the Roman province of Syria...
Hall, and the
Saint JosephSaint Joseph is known from the New Testament as the husband of Mary, mother of Jesus...
Center.
Egan Hall is primarily for non-science classes, with the exception of the Nursing wing. 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 nursing wing, a simulated clinic gives nursing students the opportunity to practice their skills.
Saints Cosmas and DamianSaints Cosmas and Damian were twins and early Christian martyrs born in Arabia who practised the art of healing in the seaport of Aegea in the Gulf of Issus, then in the Roman province of Syria...
Hall is the science building on campus. It houses: High-tech classrooms, biology and chemistry laboratories, and the campus' largest lecture hall. It also serves as additional laboratory space for the
NursingNursing is a healthcare profession focused on the care of individuals, families, and communities so they may attain, maintain, or recover optimal health and quality of life from birth to the end of life....
Department. The hall also contains two computer science labs that have advanced software for programming.
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 NetworkThe Ohio Library and Information Network, OhioLINK, is a consortium of Ohio’s college and university libraries and the State Library of Ohio. Serving more than 600,000 students, faculty, and staff at 85 institutions, OhioLINK’s membership includes 17 public universities, 23 community/technical...
provide access to countless Web sites and databases and more than 7 million books and journals.
There are 12 residence buildings on campus:
Saint FrancisSaint Francis of Assisi was a Catholic deacon and the founder of the Order of Friars Minor, more commonly known as the Franciscans....
Hall,
TrinityThe Christian doctrine of the Trinity teaches the unity of Father, Son, and Holy Spirit as three persons in one Godhead. The doctrine states that God is the Triune God, existing as three persons, or in the Greek hypostases, but one being. Each of the persons is understood as having the one...
Hall,
MarianMarian may refer to:In Christianity:* Marian, an adjective used of things relating to the Blessed Virgin Mary* Marian apparitions, psychological and religious phenomena...
Hall, Saint Thomas More Hall, Saint Louis Hall,
Saint ElizabethSaint Elizabeth may refer to:*Saint Elizabeth , the mother of John the Baptist*Saint Elisabeth of Hungary *Saint Elizabeth of Portugal *Saint Elizabeth of Reute...
Hall,
KolbeKolbe is a surname, and may refer to:* Adolph Wilhelm Hermann Kolbe, , German chemist who gave name to Kolbe electrolysis and Kolbe-Schmitt reaction* Fritz Kolbe, , World War II spy* Georg Kolbe, , sculptor...
Hall,
ClareSaint Clare of Assisi, born Chiara Offreduccio is an Italian saint and one of the first followers of Saint Francis of Assisi. She founded the Order of Poor Ladies, a monastic religious order for women in the Franciscan tradition...
Hall,
PaduaPadua is a city in the Veneto, northern Italy. It is the capital of the province of Padua and the economic and communications hub of the area. Padua's population is 212,500 . The city is sometimes included, with Venice , in the Padua-Venice Metropolitan Area, having a population of c...
Hall, Saint Bonaventure Hall, Vianney Hall, and Scotus Hall.
Franciscan University of Steubenville has two soccer fields, a
rugbyRugby union is a full contact team sport, a form of football which originated in England in the early 19th century. One of the codes of rugby football, it is based on running with the ball in hand. It is played with an oval-shaped ball, outdoors on a level field, usually with a grass surface, 100 m...
field, a
baseballBaseball is a bat-and-ball sport played between two teams of nine players each. The goal is to score runs by hitting a thrown ball with a bat and touching a series of four bases arranged at the corners of a ninety-foot square, or diamond...
field, and a field designated primarily for intramural sports. In 2007, the university purchased a golf course (which borders the main campus) from the city of Steubenville. Although plans for the property are still unknown, it is currently used by the cross country team for practice and to host meets.
Christ the King Chapel is the center of the spiritual life of the campus. There are three Masses said every weekday while classes are in session, four Masses on Sundays, vespers on Sunday evening, Praise and Worship every Tuesday, and confession held at least four times per week. Attendance is usually high at each of these events.
The Portiuncula chapel, an exact 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 is the Tomb of the Unborn Child,
CrecheA nativity scene is a depiction of the birth of Jesus as described in the gospels of Matthew and Luke. While the term "nativity scene" typically includes two dimensional depictions in film, painting, printmaking, and other media, the term popularly refers to static, three dimensional, commercial...
,
Stations of the CrossStations of the Cross refers to the depiction of the final hours of Jesus, and the devotion commemorating the Passion. The tradition as chapel devotion began with St...
, and Marian Grotto. In 2009 the Vatican designated the Portiuncula a place of pilgrimage where the faithful can obtain a plenary
indulgenceAn indulgence, in Catholic Theology, is the full or partial remission of temporal punishment due for sins which have already been forgiven. The indulgence is granted by the church after the sinner has confessed and received absolution. The belief is that indulgences draw on the storehouse of merit...
on five certain days through the year and under certain conditions of prayer and a detachment from sin.
The J.C. Willams Center is the main recreational building on campus. It contains a cafe, the bookstore, student mailboxes, several meeting rooms, four lecture halls (at which guest speakers make their presentations), and areas for studying or socializing.
The Finnegan Fieldhouse is home to a
basketballBasketball is a team sport in which two teams of 5 players try to score points against one another by placing a ball through a
10 foot high hoop under organized rules...
court, two
racquetballFor other sports often called "paddleball", see Paddleball .Racquetball is a racquet sport played with a hollow rubber ball in an indoor or outdoor court. Joe Sobek is credited with inventing racquetball in 1950, adding a stringed racquet to the game to increase velocity and control...
courts, a weight room, two rooms for aerobic classes, and the campus health and counseling center.
At the far north end of campus is the "Steel Cross." This cross, made of two steel
I-beamI-beams are beams with an
I- or H-shaped cross-section. The horizontal elements are flanges, while the vertical element is the web...
s is an image associated with the university, as it is present in advertising and visible from afar.
Reputation
The University is ranked in the top tier in its category (Masters Colleges in the Midwest) in the 2007 U.S. News & World Report’s list of America’s Best Colleges.
Alumni
- Regina Doman
Regina Doman is the author of a series of young adult novels, beginning with The Shadow of the Bear , and continuing with the sequel, Black as Night. A third book, Waking Rose, continued the series, published in 2007...
- Catholic fiction writer.
- Jeff Fortenberry
Jeffrey Lane "Jeff" Fortenberry, born December 27, 1960 in Baton Rouge, Louisiana is a Republican U.S. Representative from the First Congressional District of Nebraska. The district is based in Lincoln and includes most of the eastern third of the state outside the immediate Omaha area...
- Nebraska Congressman who received a Master's degree here.
- Jonathan Morris (priest)
Fr. Jonathan Morris , is a Roman Catholic priest, news contributor and analyst for the Fox News Channel, and parochial vicar of St. Patrick's Old Cathedral in New York City. He is author of the book The Promise: God's Purpose and Plan for When Life Hurts.- Early life and education :Morris is the...
- Contributor and analyst for the Fox News ChannelThe Fox News Channel , commonly referred to as Fox or Fox News, is a major American cable news and satellite channel owned by the Fox Entertainment Group, a subsidiary of News Corporation. As of April 2009, it is available to 102 million households in the U.S...
.
- Taffy Nivert
Taffy Nivert was born October 25, 1944, in Washington, DC.She attended College of Steubenville before becoming a member of folk singing duo called Fat City with her then-husband Bill Danoff....
- Member of the Starland Vocal BandStarland Vocal Band was an American pop band, known primarily for "Afternoon Delight", one of the biggest-selling singles in 1976.-Career:...
.
- Michael Rodak, Jr.
Michael Rodak, Jr. was the Clerk of the Supreme Court of the United States from 1972 to 1981.Rodak graduated from the College of Steubenville and obtained his law degrees from Georgetown Law School. He began work at the Supreme Court as an assistant clerk in 1956 and was promoted to Clerk in...
- A Clerk of the Supreme Court of the United StatesThe Clerk of the Supreme Court of the United States is the officer of the Supreme Court of the United States responsible for overseeing filings with the Court and maintaining its records. The current Clerk is William Suter, who has served since 1991.-History:...
.
- Cornelius Sim
Cornelius Sim has been the Roman Catholic bishop of the church's Apostolic Vicariate of Brunei Darussalam since the vicariate was established in 1997. Sim was ordained a priest on 26 November 1989 and became the head of the Roman Catholic Church in Brunei on 21 November 1997...
- A Catholic bishop of Brunei.
External links
- http://www.franciscan.edu
- 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