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University of St. Francis news

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September is National Campus Safety Awareness Month

2023 National Campus Safety Awareness Month

Joliet, Ill. – In 2008, National Campus Safety Awareness Month (NCSAM) was unanimously approved by Congress to encourage a public conversation on important topics in violence prevention at our nation’s colleges and universities each September. At the University of St. Francis (USF), campus safety efforts remain a top priority and have even been recognized by WalletHub, who has ranked USF at #1 in Illinois in the Campus Safety category of its annual college and university rankings list for the past three years.

In recognition of 2023 National Campus Safety Awareness Month, USF has planned a special week of events and activities for students and employees, including:

  • Monday, August 28: 2023 National Campus Safety Awareness Week Kickoff (main campus quad and pavilion from 12:30 p.m. to 2 p.m.)
  • Tuesday, August 29: Campus Trivia & Shattering the Red Zone Tabling (11:30 a.m. – 1:30 p.m. on the main campus quad)
  • Wednesday, August 30: Mocktail Party (Marian Hall Abbey from 8 p.m. to 9:30 p.m.)
  • Thursday, August 31: Self Defense Class with Southwest Chicago Shotokan (Turk Theatre from 7:30 p.m. – 9 p.m.; students and employees wanting to participate will need to pre-register by emailing wlinz@stfrancis.edu)
  • Friday, September 1: Pop-Up Bernie – Call It In (all day on the main campus quad)

USF also has plans to offer an on-campus information table on Monday, September 25t, in recognition of National “If You See Something, Say Something®” Awareness Day through the U.S. Department of Homeland Security.

“USF’s recognition of National Campus Safety Awareness Month is an opportunity for the university to remind everyone – students, employees, and our neighbors – of the critical role they have in helping to keep our campuses safe while also celebrating their efforts that have resulted in national recognition from WalletHub,” said Dave DiLorenzo, USF Director of Community & Employee Relations.

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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 53,000 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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The Princeton Review Names USF a Best Regional College

Joliet, Ill. – The University of St. Francis (USF) is one of the 150 best colleges in the Midwest according to The Princeton Review. The education services company lists USF in the Best in the Midwest section of its 2024 Best Colleges: Region by Region listing. The honor marks the sixteenth consecutive year USF has been named to this national listing.

The alphabetically-arranged listing has institutions grouped according to eight different regions: Mid-Atlantic, Midwest, Northeast, South, Southwest, West and International. The Princeton Review’s “2024 Best Colleges: Region by Region” recognizes 630 colleges and universities that the organization considers both academically outstanding and a valuable collegiate option.

“USF is dedicated to preparing students to contribute to the world through service and leadership. We continue our work as an institution of higher education to create a shared tomorrow with the communities we serve and the partners with whom we work. National recognitions such as this – a sixteenth consecutive year of recognition by The Princeton Review – demonstrate the University of St. Francis’ longstanding and ongoing commitment to student success in terms of retention and graduation rates and in-field job placements,” USF President Arvid C. Johnson, Ph.D., said.

To learn more about The Princeton Review or to view the listing, please visit princetonreview.com/college-rankings/best-regional-colleges.

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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 53,000 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 on Tuesday, September 12

Joliet, Ill. – The University of St. Francis (USF) is hosting its first American Red Cross blood drive of the fall 2023 semester on Tuesday, September 12, from 1 p.m. to 6 p.m. in the Assembly Hall Gymnasium at USF’s St. Clare Campus, which is located at 1550 Plainfield Road in Joliet. The drive is open to the community.

For an appointment, call 1-800-RED CROSS (1-800-733-2767) or visit redcrossblood.org and enter “60435” in the red “Find a Blood Drive” box on the home page. You can save up to 15 minutes when you donate blood by using RapidPass. Visit redcrossblood.org/RapidPass for more information.

If you are an eligible type O, B – or A – donor, consider making a Power Red donation. Red blood cells are the most commonly transfused blood component.

For more information, please visit redcrossblood.org.

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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 53,000 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 - September 2023
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USF Welcomes Br. Michael O’Neill McGrath for “Women in the Church” Lecture Series

Brother Michael O'Neill McGrath

Joliet, Ill. – The University of St. Francis (USF) has announced plans for its 2023 “Women in the Church” lecture series with a closer look at Sr. Thea Bowman, FSPA through the eyes and art of Br. Michael O’Neill McGrath, OSFS. The lecture will take place on Tuesday, October 3, at 7 p.m. in San Damiano Hall, which is located on the third floor of the Motherhouse (520 Plainfield Road in Joliet). The lecture will be preceded by a special Franciscan Transitus Prayer at 6:30 p.m. This free lecture is open to the community. RSVP by Friday, September 29, by phone at 815-740-3398 or by email at afinkle@stfrancis.edu. Walk-ins are also welcome.

About Sr. Thea Bowman

Thea Bowman, FSPA, Servant of God, was a scholar, teacher, musician, liturgist and Black Catholic religious Sister who made major contributions to the ministry of the Catholic Church especially toward African Americans. Gifted with a brilliant mind, beautiful voice and a dynamic personality, Sister Thea shared the message of God’s love through a teaching career.  Later she served as the consultant for intercultural awareness fighting evil, especially prejudice, suspicion, hatred and things that drive people apart.

In 1984, Sr. Thea was diagnosed with breast cancer. She prayed “to live until I die.” In 1989, the U.S. bishops invited her to be a key speaker at their conference on Black Catholics. At the end of the meeting from her wheelchair, at Thea’s invitation, the bishops stood and sang “We Shall Overcome” with gusto. Sr. Thea lived a full life until her death in 1990.

About Br. Michael O’Neill McGrath, OSFS

Br. Michael O’Neill McGrath, OSFS (known as Br. Mickey), paints, writes, and tells stories. He has lived and worked in Camden, NJ since 2009 where he has furthered his art education in the context of social justice and finding beauty in the margins. Visit bromickeymcgrath.com for more information about Br. Mickey and his Bee Still Studio.

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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 53,000 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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Leach College of Nursing Receives Grant Funding, Including $1.35M through ANEW

Joliet, Ill. – The University of St. Francis (USF) Leach College of Nursing (LCON) was recently notified it was approved for another Advanced Nursing Education Workforce (ANEW) grant by the Health Resources and Services Administration. The grant will award the university approximately $1.35M over four years to help increase access to quality health and behavioral health care for underserved and rural areas in Illinois—especially in Will, Grundy and Cook counties.

The project will build upon USF’s previous ANEW grant and will support the training and graduation of Family Nurse Practitioners and Psychiatric Mental Health Nurse Practitioners who will practice in underserved areas.

“The continuing ANEW project is designed to sustainably train a workforce capable of addressing urgent health and behavioral health needs. Our FNP and PMHNP curricula are designed using national standards for best practices in online instruction, and USF has strong relationships with local sites for experiential training. Also, USF has created an alternative model, which is to establish strong working relationships with partners to improve health and behavioral healthcare access in the service area in Illinois and Wisconsin. Continuing the project will allow USF to develop a pipeline of preceptors to better serve our FNP and PMHNP students and the public,” said USF LCON dean Yeijin Yeom, Ph.D., RN, CNE.

Additionally, LCON was awarded a $100,000 Nursing School Grant through the Illinois Board of Higher Education. The grant will be used to address equity gaps in enrollment and course completion for USF Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BSN) and BSN Completion students, of which approximately half are African American, Latinx, low-income, first-generation, from rural communities, and/or working adults. With the grant funding, LCON will purchase equipment, including a medication dispensing system and simulation cart, and increase 24 additional hours per week of simulation labs for BSN students in order to accommodate working students. They will also offer remediation on evenings and weekends to reinforce preparation our students for clinical practice. LCON expects an increase of the retention rate of students. As a result, highly competent and well-prepared students maximize their employment opportunities while benefitting patients in Illinois.

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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 53,000 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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Money Names USF in Best Colleges in America 2023 Rankings

Joliet, Ill. – Each year, Money recognizes colleges and universities from across the country that successfully combine quality and affordability and recognizes them in its annual Best Colleges in America rankings. This year’s listing included 736 four-year colleges and universities, including the University of St. Francis and 36 other Illinois-based institutions.

Money examines schools according 26 factors in three weighted categories – quality of education (30% of weighting), affordability (40% of weighting), and outcomes (30% of weighting) – to compile its Best Colleges in America 2023 listing. Based on the results of that analysis, the schools are then assigned a star rating on a scale of one to five stars (five stars is the highest rating possible).  USF was one of fifteen Illinois schools to earn a rating of 4.5 stars or higher.

“High school students and parents looking at college, and adults looking at graduate school are right to be cautious about investing time and money into an educational program. A college degree can be worth millions of dollars over the course of one’s career. USF has designed degree programs that help our graduates launch truly valuable, meaningful careers,” said Eric Ruiz, USF Vice President of Admissions & Enrollment Services.

“The value of a degree from the University of St. Francis continues to climb, which demonstrates a significant return on that investment,” Ruiz added.

Visit money.com/best-colleges/ to view Money’s Best Colleges in America rankings.

For more information on USF programs, financial assistance options or to learn more about registration, visit stfrancis.edu/admissions-aid.

The University of St. Francis is consistently ranked among the best when it comes to quality education, affordability, and accessibility. Visit stfrancis.edu/nationally-ranked to view USF’s most recent national accolades.

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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 53,000 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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