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USF News

USF Named in U.S. News & World Report 2022 Best Colleges Rankings

Joliet, Ill. – U.S. News & World Report continues to recognize the University of St. Francis (USF) as a top university in the United States. This year’s recognition in the publication’s 2022 Best Colleges rankings marks USF’s third year in the “National Universities” category, and the eighteenth consecutive year that USF has been honored by U.S. News & World Report. According to usnews.com/education, “Schools in the ‘National Universities’ category offer a full range of undergraduate majors, plus master’s and doctoral programs. These colleges also are committed to producing groundbreaking research.” USF was ranked 249th in the “National Universities” category of this year’s publication. The ranking placed USF ninth among the seventeen Illinois schools included in the report, sixth among private Illinois schools, and third among Illinois’ ranked Catholic schools. USF is also Will County’s only school included in U.S News & World Report’s 2022 “National University” rankings. “Annual recognition by U.S. News & World Report acknowledges the quality of a University of St. Francis education,” said USF President Arvid C. Johnson, Ph.D.  “Rankings such as this help to validate the efforts of our faculty and provide us with many points of pride. However, the most important indicators of our success as educators are that our students have a great learning experience, graduate, are considered top prospects by employers, and find jobs that launch their careers.” U.S. News & World Report also ranked USF as one of the top 100 universities in the country in its “Top Performers on Social Mobility” list for a third consecutive year (up three ranking positions from 2021). The ranking recognizes USF as a school that supports and assists economically disadvantaged students. According to usnews.com, “Some colleges are more successful than others at advancing social mobility by enrolling and graduating large proportions of disadvantaged students awarded with Pell Grants. The vast majority of these federal grants are awarded to students whose adjusted gross family incomes are under $50,000.” “Being recognized for Social Mobility is certainly a measure of which every staff and faculty member at USF can be proud,” said USF Vice President for Admissions and Marketing, Eric Wignall. “This accolade demonstrates our continued commitment to serve people from every background and income level, while also showing how solid our educational programs are that our graduates truly make more and do more to improve their lives.” One new accolade for this year is USF’s inclusion in the publication’s Best Undergraduate Nursing rankings. USF was ranked at 432 out of close to 700 institutions. “This year, U.S. News & World Report is publishing its first-ever undergraduate Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BSN) rankings. In the spring and summer of 2021, U.S. News surveyed deans and senior faculty members at each of the 694 undergraduate BSN degree granting nursing programs that met identified criteria,” a spokesperson for U.S. News & World Report said. Visit usnews.com/colleges for more information on the U.S. News 2022 Best Colleges rankings. Visit stfrancis.edu/nationally-ranked for more information on additional national accolades earned by USF. : : The University of St. Francis, in Joliet, Ill., serves close to 4,000 students nationwide and offers undergraduate, graduate, doctoral and certificate programs in the arts and sciences, business, education, nursing and social work. There are over 52,000 USF alumni across the globe. For information, call 800-735-7500 or visit stfrancis.edu. University of St. Francis: Bigger thinking. Brighter purpose. # # #
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American Red Cross Blood Drive at USF

Joliet, Ill. – The University of St. Francis (USF), Prayer Tower Ministries and St. John Missionary Baptist Church are sponsoring a blood drive hosted by American Red Cross on Wednesday, September 8, from 1 p.m. to 6 p.m. in the Assembly Hall Gym at USF’s St. Clare Campus, which is located at 1550 Plainfield Road in Joliet. For an appointment, call 1-800-RED CROSS (1-800-733-2767) or visit redcrossblood.org. Donors can save up to 15 minutes when donating blood by using RapidPass! Visit redcrossblood.org/RapidPass for more information. Donors can anticipate the following precautions when arriving to the donation site:
  • Providing hand sanitizer for use before entering the drives, as well as throughout the donation process.
  • Following social distancing between donors including entry, donation and refreshment areas.
  • Ensuring face masks or coverings are worn by both staff and donors. Masks will be provided for all donors who do not bring their own face coverings.
  • Routinely disinfecting surfaces, equipment and donor touched areas.
  • Wearing gloves, and changing gloves often.
  • Using sterile collection sets and antiseptic scrub for every donation.
For more information, please visit redcrossblood.org. : : The University of St. Francis, in Joliet, Ill., serves close to 4,000 students nationwide and offers undergraduate, graduate, doctoral and certificate programs in the arts and sciences, business, education, nursing and social work. There are over 52,000 USF alumni across the globe. For information, call 800-735-7500 or visit stfrancis.edu. University of St. Francis: Bigger thinking. Brighter purpose. # # #
American Red Cross Blood Drive
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USF Receives HRSA Grant to Prepare Nursing Educators

Joliet, Ill. – The Leach College of Nursing at the University of St. Francis (USF) was recently awarded the prestigious Nurse Faculty Loan Program (NFLP) Grant by the Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA). The grant, worth close to $250,000 annually, seeks to increase the number of qualified nursing faculty nationwide, and through loan cancellation, decrease the financial barrier that nursing instructors often experience. “The purpose of this program is to prepare highly qualified, diverse nursing educators, thereby reducing the nursing faculty shortage and addressing health disparities. The NFLP funds will provide tuition assistance to 20 future nurse educators in the Doctorate of Nursing Practice (DNP), Master of Science in Nursing (MSN), and post-master’s certificate programs,” said Christina Nordick, APRN, CNP, grant project director and Associate Professor of nursing at USF. The grant will help USF to address three primary goals. The first is to increase the quantity and diversity of nurse educators in the greater Chicagoland area. The grant will also help USF NFLP loan recipients receive high-quality preparation for their nurse-educator roles, which will in turn help to decrease the shortage of nurse educators in the Chicagoland area. As outlined in the terms of the grant, students may receive up to $12,490 annually to pay for tuition, fees, books, and educational expenses. After graduation, if recipients are employed fulltime as nurse faculty at an accredited institution, if they are employed part time in an accredited nursing institution and are precept advanced practice registered nursing (APRN) students part time, of if they are precept APRN students full time for four years, 85% of the grant is “forgiven”. “NFLP funding will relieve students’ financial burden and provide incentives for students to enter careers in nurse education in academic and clinical settings, thereby expanding the nurse faculty workforce. Students will benefit from the various in-kind supportive structures provided at USF, such as mentorship, advising, and career-development activities, which will help students overcome barriers that prevent them from persisting through graduation,” Nordick added. Visit stfrancis.edu/leach-college-of-nursing for more information on nursing programs at USF. About the Health Resources and Services Administration According to its web site, hrsa.gov, the mission of the Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) is to improve health outcomes and achieve health equity through access to quality services, a skilled health workforce, and innovative, high-value programs. HRSA, an agency of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, is the primary federal agency for improving health care to people who are geographically isolated, economically or medically vulnerable. HRSA programs help those in need of high quality primary health care, people with HIV/AIDS, pregnant women, and mothers. HRSA also supports the training of health professionals, the distribution of providers to areas where they are needed most and improvements in health care delivery. : : The University of St. Francis, in Joliet, Ill., serves close to 4,000 students nationwide and offers undergraduate, graduate, doctoral and certificate programs in the arts and sciences, business, education, nursing and social work. There are over 52,000 USF alumni across the globe. For information, call 800-735-7500 or visit stfrancis.edu. University of St. Francis: Bigger thinking. Brighter purpose. # # #
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Chicago Portrait Project at the USF Art Gallery

Joliet, Ill. – The University of St. Francis (USF) Art Gallery will open a new exhibit featuring the work of artist and USF professor Michael “Chester” Alamo-Costello, MFA, beginning on Monday, August 23. The Chicago Portrait Project, a collection created by Alamo-Costello, stems from his 2018 book, Somewhere In-Between Chicago and is a collection of portraits of artists, musicians, and casual passerby contrasted with imagery made in city streets and fringe environments since the mid-1990s. These works offer insight into the city as a creative environment and the various socio-political issues it has encountered over the past 30+ years. The Chicago Portrait Project is supported by grant from the Illinois Arts Council. Grant funds were used to produce the exhibition and to employ USF art and design students Austin Hines and Odessa Villarreal. The exhibition will run through Tuesday, October 5, at the USF Art Gallery, which is located at 25 E. Van Buren Street in Joliet. The gallery is open to the public every Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. A public reception for the exhibition and a cookout will also be hosted at the gallery on Thursday, August 26 from 5 p.m. to 8 p.m. Visit stfrancis.edu/artgallery for more information. About the Artist Michael “Chester” Alamo-Costello is an American artist, educator, publisher and writer based in Chicago, Ill. He is most known for his long-running, international “Art Drop” series (1998 to present), which places art into non-traditional settings, such as public parks, and for his photographic books, which have been noted for their rawness and everyday immediacy. He has primarily shown his work in the public domain in countries throughout Europe, the United States and Canada; he has also had exhibits at the Museum of Contemporary Photography and the Hyde Park Art Center. His photography and projects have been reviewed or published in the Chicago Sun-Times, Chicago Tribune Magazine, De Telegraaf (Amsterdam), The Globe and Mail (Canada), New Art Examiner, Museum of Contemporary Art Chicago Magazine, Nerve, and on Chicago Public Radio. Alamo-Costello’s books of photography, art and writing include: Somewhere In-Between Chicago (2018), The Globe (2010), and Grandpa Danny (2008). Alamo-Costello is also the publisher of, and a contributor to, The COMP Magazine, a digital art and design journal. He is a professor and former chair of the Department of Art and Design at the University of St. Francis in Joliet, Ill. : : The University of St. Francis, in Joliet, Ill., serves close to 4,000 students nationwide and offers undergraduate, graduate, doctoral and certificate programs in the arts and sciences, business, education, nursing and social work. There are over 52,000 USF alumni across the globe. For information, call 800-735-7500 or visit stfrancis.edu. University of St. Francis: Bigger thinking. Brighter purpose. # # #
Chicago Portrait Project
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USF Challenge Center Offers Team Building Activities

Joliet, Ill. – The successful performance of any team depends on effective relationships. If you are looking for a fun, affordable, local option for the team building needs for your department, group or organization, look no further than the University of St. Francis (USF) Challenge Center in Joliet. Opened in June 2011, the USF Challenge Center offers a variety of programs that emphasize skills and behaviors necessary for effective leadership. Through tailored, action-based learning experiences led by USF’s certified Challenge Course facilitators, teams will practice the interpersonal behaviors needed for high-level performance. Groups can schedule an on-campus program at the outdoor USF Challenge Center (located behind the LaVerne and Dorothy Brown Library on Taylor Street), or you can schedule an off-site program at a location of your choosing. Whatever the setting, USF’s facilitators will utilize a unique mix of portable activities and group facilitation tools to target customized learning outcomes. “Teams are more productive when members feel effective in their roles,” said Syd Sklar, USF Challenge Center Director. “Through the power of play, our programs encourage groups to combine creativity and effective decision-making strategies to establish empowering team environments. Teams will benefit from the opportunity to practice critical thinking skills, develop new points of view, and build stronger relationships.” Team-oriented games, puzzles, and experiential challenge activities are used to address themes of communication, trust, leadership, diversity, inclusion, dependability and accountability and can be designed for groups of all ages. Newly added in 2018, the center offers high adventure activities of Crate Stacking and Power Pole, each providing an exhilarating physical experience. “The themes our programs address have universal applications,” Sklar added. “The experiences at the Challenge Center are transferrable to work, school, life and relationships.” The Challenge Center serves school districts, park districts, day camps and forest preserve teams. Programming is available year-round. For more information, program rates, or to book an event, visit stfrancis.edu/usf-challenge-center, email challengecenter@stfrancis.edu or call 815-740-3367. : : The University of St. Francis, in Joliet, Ill., serves close to 4,000 students nationwide and offers undergraduate, graduate, doctoral and certificate programs in the arts and sciences, business, education, nursing and social work. There are over 52,000 USF alumni across the globe. For information, call 800-735-7500 or visit stfrancis.edu. University of St. Francis: Bigger thinking. Brighter purpose. # # #
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WCSF Mega Music Rummage Sale Set for October 23

WCSF

Joliet, Ill. – WCSF-88.7 FM, the radio station of the University of St. Francis (USF) is hosting its annual Mega Music Rummage Sale on Saturday, October 23 from 8 a.m. to 2 p.m. at USF’s St. Clare Campus, which is located at 1550 Plainfield Road in Joliet. Admission to the event is free. Thousands of items will be for sale at the event, including vinyl LPs, 45s, 78s, CDs, DVDs, video games, sheet music, 8-tracks, cassettes, instruments, audio equipment, and many more music-related items. Early bird admission starts at 7:30 a.m. with a suggested $20 donation. All proceeds support the educational mission of WCSF-88.7 FM.

WCSF is currently accepting donations of LPs, 45s, CDs, video games and DVDs. Please contact WCSF by telephone at 815-740-3697 to arrange a pick-up or drop-off.

WCSF- 88.7 FM is well known in the greater Joliet area as the home of the popular “Spirit of Christmas” programming that is broadcasted each year from Thanksgiving Day to New Year’s Day. During the rest of the year, the station plays a great mix of new, alternative, independent and local music programmed and operated by USF students. The station is available on the radio and online at wcsf.streamon.fm.

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The University of St. Francis, in Joliet, Ill., serves close to 4,000 students nationwide and offers undergraduate, graduate, doctoral and certificate programs in the arts and sciences, business, education, nursing and social work. There are over 52,000 USF alumni across the globe. For information, call 800-735-7500 or visit stfrancis.edu.

University of St. Francis: Bigger thinking. Brighter purpose.

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