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American Red Cross Blood Drive at USF on Tuesday, October 1

American Red Cross blood drive on Tuesday, October 1, 2024.

Joliet, Ill. – The American Red Cross is experiencing an emergency shortage as there continues to be a critical need for blood products to ensure patient care. Help those in need as the University of St. Francis (USF) hosts its next American Red Cross blood drive on Tuesday, October 1, 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 3,300 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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USF Named in America’s Best Colleges 2025 Report by Wall Street Journal

USF's Tower Hall

Joliet, Ill. – The Wall Street Journal and College Pulse recently released their America’s Best Colleges 2025 report in recognition of the nation’s top colleges and universities. The University of St. Francis (USF) was once again honored on the annual list, continuing a long tradition of national program and institutional recognition.

USF was ranked at 135 of the 500 higher education institutions honored in this year’s report. USF also ranked in the top nine of the 22 Illinois institutions honored in the report, which can be viewed at https://www.wsj.com/rankings/college-rankings/best-colleges-2025.

“Recognition of USF and its programs by organizations such as the Wall Street Journal 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. These rankings are also more important now than ever before as high school students critically weigh their post-graduation options. USF graduates are considered top prospects by employers, and find jobs that launch their careers. This certainly validates our value proposition of the return on investment realized by USF graduates.”

WSJ conducted one of the largest-ever independent surveys of college students in the U.S. with around 110,000 undergraduates offering their view on topics like career preparation, learning opportunities, and campus life. The report aims to guide prospective students and recognize the colleges doing an outstanding job in higher education. The report rankings are based on components in three main areas: student outcomes (70% of the overall weighted score based on data in the areas of salary impact, years to pay off net price, and graduation rate impact), learning environment (20% of the overall weighted score based on data in the areas of learning opportunities, preparation for career, learning facilities, recommendation score and character score), and diversity (10% of overall weighted score based on data in the areas of opportunities to interact with students from different backgrounds, ethnic diversity, inclusion of students with lower family earnings, and inclusion of students with disabilities).

Visit stfrancis.edu/nationally-ranked for more information on additional national accolades earned by USF.

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The University of St. Francis, in Joliet, Ill., serves close to 3,300 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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Annual Mega Music Rummage Sale at USF Set for November 2

WCSF

Joliet, Ill. – Do you have a collection music, movies, audio equipment or instruments that you would like to pass on for someone else to enjoy? Let these items help raise funds for WCSF-FM 88.7, the radio station of the University of St. Francis (USF).

WCSF-FM 88.7 is currently collecting donations of used and collectible music and memorabilia, including (but not limited to): vinyl LPs and 45s; cassettes, 8-tracks, reel-to-reel tapes; VHS tapes, Blu Rays, 4Ks and DVDs; sheet music, music books and comic books; professional and home audio equipment, and; working instruments.

Student volunteers will organize and catalog your donations and put everything up for sale at this fall’s annual WCSF Mega Music Rummage Sale, which will take place on Saturday, November 2, from 8 a.m. to 2 p.m. at the USF St. Clare Campus located at 1550 Plainfield Road in Joliet. All donations are tax-deductible and all proceeds from the event will be used to support the educational mission of WCSF-FM 88.7.

Please contact Braden Kidd at WCSF-FM 88.7 by telephone at 815-740-3697 to arrange a pick-up or drop-off.

WCSF-FM 88.7 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, WCSF-FM 88.7 plays a great mix of new, alternative, independent and local music, all programmed and operated by University of St. Francis students. Stream the station from anywhere at https://listen.streamon.fm/wcsf.

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The University of St. Francis, in Joliet, Ill., serves close to 3,300 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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Community Leaders Invited to USF’s Ambassador Day on October 15

2024 Ambassador Day

Joliet, Ill. – The University of St. Francis (USF) invites community leaders, elected officials and the university’s strategic partners to attend its annual Ambassador Day, which will take place on Tuesday, October 15, 2024, beginning at 7:30 a.m. in the Assembly Hall Gymnasium on USF’s St. Clare Campus (1550 Plainfield Road in Joliet).

Ambassador Day is a special opportunity for community leaders, elected officials and university partners to become more engaged in the university’s mission and further understand the importance of USF within the community. During the event, attendees will hear the State of the University Address by USF President Arvid C. Johnson, Ph.D., who will be retiring in May 2025 after serving the university for twelve years.

RSVPs are required for event attendance and may be submitted at stfrancis.edu/ambassador-day. Contact Dave DiLorenzo, USF Director of Community & Employee Relations, at ddilorenzo@stfrancis.edu or 815-740-3625 with questions about this event.

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The University of St. Francis, in Joliet, Ill., serves close to 3,300 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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JSO 20th Season Opening Concerts Set for Sept. 28-29

Joliet Symphony Orchestra

Joliet, Ill. – The Joliet Symphony Orchestra (JSO) is pleased to announce the opening concert set of its 2024-2025 Season with Artistic Director & Conductor, Dr. Sean Paul Mills, leading a program of works by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, Ludwig van Beethoven, and Robert Schumann, and featuring Lyon, France-based piano soloist Haley Myles.

Titled “Precision”, the JSO will be performing Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart’s vivacious overture to “The Impresario”, Ludwig van Beethoven’s magnificent “Piano Concerto No. 3 in c minor”, and Robert Schumann’s river-themed “Symphony No. 3 in E-flat Major – ‘Rhenish’.” Performances will take place on Saturday, September 28, 2024 at 7 p.m. and Sunday, September 29, 2024 at 4 p.m. Both performances will take place in Sexton Auditorium which is located in the Harold & Margaret Moser Performing Arts Center on the University of St. Francis campus at 500 Wilcox Street in Joliet.

Haley Myles

Living in Lyon, France, our guest artist, pianist Haley Myles is a Steinway Artist who maintains an international performance schedule with appearances in the United States, France, Germany, Austria, Portugal, Italy, Switzerland, and the United Kingdom. She has participated extensively in various high-profile international music festivals and is a laureate of seven international competitions. Haley holds diplomas and degrees from distinguished institutions including the Mozarteum (Austria), Imola Piano Academy (Italy), and the Trinity Laban Conservatoire (UK).  In addition to performing core repertoire, she regularly collaborates with contemporary composers, having worked with over 50 composers to-date.

Continuing this season is a series of FREE pre-concert discussions titled “Noteworthy.” These discussions will take place 45 minutes prior to each performance and provide audience members with an opportunity to learn more about the composers, selections, orchestra, and soloists as well as ask questions and interact with our conductor and guests.

Tickets for JSO concerts are available through the JSO website at www.jolietsymphonyorchestra.org, the Music at Moser website at www.stfrancis.edu/music-at-moser/, and at the door beginning one (1) hour before each performance. Adults are $10; Seniors, Alumni & Non-USF Students are $5; USF Students, Music Educators, and Youth (18 & under) are FREE with a current ID.

Please join us as we begin our 20th Season with exciting guest artists, moving musical performances, and new opportunities for you to engage with your local symphony.

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The University of St. Francis, in Joliet, Ill., serves close to 3,300 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 Honors USF in Its 2025 Best Colleges List

USF's main campus in the fall.

Joliet, Ill. – The University of St. Francis was one of only 390 higher education institutions from across the nation recognized in The Princeton Review’s The Best 390 Colleges: 2025 Edition publication.

According to a press release from organization, The Princeton Review’s annual Best Colleges rankings are in multiple categories and based solely on the company’s surveys of students attending the schools recognized in its annual Best Colleges book. The survey asks them to rate their respective college or university on dozens of topics and report on their experiences at them.

“The colleges we profile in our book are truly a select group: they constitute about 15% of America’s four-year institutions. We chose them primarily based on our high opinion of their academic offerings,” said Rob Franek, Editor-in-Chief of The Princeton Review and author of The Best 390 Colleges. “The colleges that make our book’s ranking lists do so entirely as a result of the opinions of their customers—students attending the colleges—who complete our 89-question survey about their school.”

The full list can be viewed at www.princetonreview.com/college-rankings/best-colleges.

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 3,300 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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