Franciscan University of Steubenville is a

private Private or privates may refer to: Music * " In Private", by Dusty Springfield from the 1990 album ''Reputation'' * Private (band), a Denmark-based band * "Private" (Ryōko Hirosue song), from the 1999 album ''Private'', written and also recorde ...

Franciscan The Franciscans are a group of related Mendicant orders, mendicant Christianity, Christian Catholic religious order, religious orders within the Catholic Church. Founded in 1209 by Italian Catholic friar Francis of Assisi, these orders include t ...

university in

Steubenville, Ohio Steubenville is a city in and the county seat of Jefferson County, Ohio, United States. Located along the Ohio River 33 miles west of Pittsburgh, it had a population of 18,161 at the 2020 census. The city's name is derived from Fort Steuben, a ...

. The university had 3,040 students as of fall 2019, including 2,317 students on campus, in 40 undergraduate and 8 graduate degree programs. The student body is 97 percent Catholic and the university claims to have the largest number of students majoring in

theology Theology is the systematic study of the nature of the divine and, more broadly, of religious belief. It is taught as an academic discipline, typically in universities and seminaries. It occupies itself with the unique content of analyzing the ...

catechetics Catechesis (; from Greek: , "instruction by word of mouth", generally "instruction") is basic Christian religious education of children and adults, often from a catechism book. It started as education of converts to Christianity, but as the ...

, and

philosophy Philosophy (from , ) is the systematized study of general and fundamental questions, such as those about existence, reason, knowledge, values, mind, and language. Such questions are often posed as problems to be studied or resolved. Some ...

of any Catholic university in the United States. The school was established as the College of Steubenville in 1946 by the

Friar A friar is a member of one of the mendicant orders founded in the twelfth or thirteenth century; the term distinguishes the mendicants' itinerant apostolic character, exercised broadly under the jurisdiction of a superior general, from the ol ...

s of the Third Order Regular at the request of

Bishop A bishop is an ordained clergy member who is entrusted with a position of authority and oversight in a religious institution. In Christianity, bishops are normally responsible for the governance of dioceses. The role or office of bishop is ca ...

Mussio, the first bishop of the

Diocese of Steubenville The Diocese of Steubenville ( la, Dioecesis Steubenvicensis) is a Latin Church ecclesiastical territory, or diocese, of the Catholic Church covering thirteen counties in southeastern Ohio Ohio () is a state in the Midwestern region of the Un ...

. 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. The school changed its name to the University of Steubenville upon achieving university status in 1980, and adopted the current title Franciscan University of Steubenville in 1986.

History

In 1946, the first Bishop of Steubenville,

Anthony John King Mussio Anthony John King Mussio (June 13, 1902 – April 15, 1978) was an American prelate of the Roman Catholic Church. He served as the first bishop of the Diocese of Steubenville in Ohio from 1945 to 1977. Biography Early life John Mussio was bor ...

, invited the Franciscan Friars of the Third Order Regular to establish a Catholic college in the diocese to serve local students and especially

World War II World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposin ...

veteran A veteran () is a person who has significant experience (and is usually adept and esteemed) and expertise in a particular occupation or field. A military veteran is a person who is no longer serving in a military. A military veteran that h ...

s. In June 1946, the friars accepted the offer, purchased the Knights of Pythias Building in downtown Steubenville, and invested $350,000 in establishing the College of Steubenville. Enrollment grew, and more buildings were purchased, but the college was still cramped. The friars bought a 40-acre property overlooking the city, and accreditation was provided by the North Central Association of Colleges and Schools in 1960. The College of Steubenville was successful during the early years, under the tenures of presidents the Rev. Daniel W. Egan, the Rev. Kevin R. Keelan, and the Rev. Columba J. Devlin. By the end of Keelan's second term in 1974, the school was suffering from social upheaval and declining enrollment. For some time, it looked like the college would close. The Rev. Michael Scanlan was chosen to fill the position of president. Incorporating knowledge from his experience in starting a charismatic renewal movement at St. Francis Seminary, Scanlan worked to institute a similar renewal at Steubenville. He took over the Sunday liturgy on the campus, incorporating charismatic praise and worship and more passionate preaching into the Mass. He instituted households, small groups of men and women devoted to personal and communal growth, and required students to join one. Scanlan also created a renewal center on the campus, which organized retreats and seminars to further instruct students in the Roman Catholic faith. The center began holding religious conferences in the summers, one benefit of which was attracting many young people to the college. Scanlan often spoke at these conferences. Even with these changes, the college struggled to stay open. The first year after Scanlan instituted the changes, the incoming freshman class was the smallest in the college's history. Five of the top administrators at the college left or were dismissed, and the remaining faculty expressed discontentment with Scanlan's leadership. Despite this, Scanlan continued to make changes, especially to the curriculum. Scanlan reintroduced a theology program, which quickly became the top major at the college, and also oversaw the development of graduate programs in business and theology, which helped the college obtain the title of university in 1980. In addition, the nursing program rose to higher distinction. It was chartered by the state government of Ohio in 1984 and then received accreditation from the National League of Nursing in 1985. Scanlan orchestrated many other changes at the university. He instituted an Oath of Fidelity to the Magisterium, which was required of the theology professors at the university. Under his guidance, the undergraduate theology program became the largest of any Catholic university in America. He also created the Human Life Studies minor, the only one of its kind in America. By 2000, Scanlan's leadership and changes had helped the university to increase dramatically in size; there were more than 2,100 students, nearly double the number in the early 1970s. The university was granted an exemption from

Title IX Title IX is the most commonly used name for the federal civil rights law in the United States that was enacted as part (Title IX) of the Education Amendments of 1972. It prohibits sex-based discrimination in any school or any other educat ...

in 2014 that allows it to legally discriminate against LGBT students. In 2022, David Morrier, a Franciscan friar who served as a campus minister until his removal in 2014, was sentenced to probation after being pleading guilty to sexual battery of a student whom he had been counseling, which took place over three years, from 2010 to 2013.

List of presidents and chancellors

Academics

The university offers 41 majors (seven pre-professional programs), 34 minors, 10 special minor programs (not available as majors), and seven graduate degree programs. The university maintains a 15:1 student-faculty ratio. Undergraduate students need a minimum of 124 credits for graduation. The number of electives varies with each major program. The university operates on the 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 Internationas.

Rankings

The university was 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. In 2013,

Young America's Foundation Young America's Foundation (YAF) is a conservative youth organization founded in 1969. In 2018, the ''Los Angeles Times'' called YAF "one of the most preeminent, influential and controversial forces in the nation's conservative youth movement. ...

rated Franciscan as one of the top 10 conservative colleges in the nation, three years after the Cardinal Newman Society ranked it as one of the 21 top Catholic colleges and universities in ''

The Newman Guide to Choosing a Catholic College The Newman Guide to Choosing a Catholic College (also termed as The Newman Guide) is a college evaluation tool published annually by the Cardinal Newman Society to assist students in choosing a Catholic college or university. It includes a list of ...

''. In 2014, Franciscan was featured for the first time in

Forbes ''Forbes'' () is an American business magazine owned by Integrated Whale Media Investments and the Forbes family. Published eight times a year, it features articles on finance, industry, investing, and marketing topics. ''Forbes'' also re ...

's college rankings, receiving a national ranking of 364 out of 4,500 colleges and universities. It placed 266th in private colleges and 87th among Midwest colleges and universities. The university is ranked among the "Absolute Worst Campuses for

LGBTQ ' is an initialism that stands for lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender. In use since the 1990s, the initialism, as well as some of its common variants, functions as an umbrella term for sexuality and gender identity. The LGBT term is ...

Youth" by

Campus Pride Campus Pride is an American national nonprofit 501(c)(3) organization founded by M. Chad Wilson, Sarah E. Holmes and Shane L. Windmeyer in 2001 which serves lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) and ally student leaders and/or campus orga ...

Special programs

Honors program

There is also an honors program in the Great Books of Western Civilization. The Honors Program open to qualified undergraduate students of any major, but is by invitation only.

Priestly Discernment Program

The Priestly Discernment Program offers human, academic, spiritual, pastoral and fraternal formation for men considering the priesthood.

Academic partnerships

Engineering dual degree program

In 2014, Franciscan University introduced a dual-degree undergraduate engineering program, partnering with the

University of Notre Dame The University of Notre Dame du Lac, known simply as Notre Dame ( ) or ND, is a private Catholic research university in Notre Dame, Indiana, outside the city of South Bend. French priest Edward Sorin founded the school in 1842. The main campu ...

Gannon University Gannon University is a private Catholic university in Erie, Pennsylvania. Gannon University has approximately 4,500 students and 46,000 alumni. Its intercollegiate athletics include 18 athletic programs for men and women competing at the NCAA D ...

and

University of Dayton The University of Dayton (UD) is a private, Catholic research university in Dayton, Ohio. Founded in 1850 by the Society of Mary, it is one of three Marianist universities in the nation and the second-largest private university in Ohio. The univ ...

to offer an array of different engineering disciplines. Through the dual-degree program, students matriculate into Franciscan's quantitative and liberal arts curriculum for the first two years of undergraduate study and are able to directly transfer into engineering programs at any of the partner schools for an additional two to three years. Upon culmination of the program, the student will obtain a Bachelor of Science or Bachelor of Arts from Franciscan University (contingent on the program and credits elected) and a Bachelor in Science from one of the partner schools. Franciscan University also offers a "2+2" program in which students can earn an Associate of Science degree in Natural and Applied Science from Franciscan before transferring to another school to complete a Bachelor of Science in engineering.

Doctor of Pharmacy dual degree program

In 2016, Franciscan University announced an agreement with

D'Youville College D'Youville University (D'Youville or DYU) is a private university in Buffalo, New York. It was founded as D'Youville College in 1908 and named by the Grey Nuns after the patroness saint Marie-Marguerite d'Youville. As of Fall 2020 D'Youville Co ...

which created a 3+4 dual degree program between the two schools. Under the current arrangement, undergraduate students may enroll at Franciscan to begin studies in chemistry or biology and, after three years, may transfer directly into a four-year Doctor of Pharmacy program at D'Youville College's School of Pharmacy. Upon completion of the seven-year program, the graduate receives a Bachelor of Science degree from Franciscan and a Doctor of Pharmacy degree from D'Youville. In 2017, the university entered into a similar articulation agreement with

Duquesne University Duquesne University of the Holy Spirit ( or ; Duquesne University or Duquesne) is a private Catholic research university in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. Founded by members of the Congregation of the Holy Spirit , image = Holy Gh ...

, which grants Franciscan University students preferred admission in the Mylan School of Pharmacy upon completion of an Associate of Arts degree.

3+3 Dual degree law program

The university maintains a partnership with a number of Catholic law schools which allows undergraduate students to complete three years of undergraduate study in Steubenville, then, pending

LSAT The Law School Admission Test (LSAT; ) is a standardized test administered by the Law School Admission Council (LSAC) for prospective law school candidates. It is designed to assess reading comprehension as well as logical and verbal rea ...

scores and other admissions criteria, matriculate directly into a three-year

Juris Doctor The Juris Doctor (J.D. or JD), also known as Doctor of Jurisprudence (J.D., JD, D.Jur., or DJur), is a graduate-entry professional degree in law and one of several Doctor of Law degrees. The J.D. is the standard degree obtained to practice law ...

program at either the

Catholic University of America School of Law The Columbus School of Law, also known as Catholic Law or CUA Law, is the law school of the Catholic University of America, a private Roman Catholic research university in Washington, D.C. More than 400 Juris Doctor students attend Catholic ...

, University of St. Thomas School of Law,

Ave Maria School of Law Ave Maria School of Law is a private Roman Catholic law school in Vineyards, Florida. It was founded in 1999 and is accredited by the American Bar Association. The school is perennially ranked as the "most conservative" and "most devout" law scho ...

, or the

Duquesne University School of Law The Thomas R. Kline School of Law of Duquesne University is a private Catholic university law school located in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. It is approved by the American Bar Association and is a member of the Association of American Law Schools. ...

Canon Law, First Cycle

In conjunction with the

School of Canon Law The School of Canon Law is the only faculty of Catholic canon law in the United States. It is one of the twelve schools at The Catholic University of America, located in Washington, D.C.Catholic University of America, Franciscan University offers a course of study that fulfills the requirements for the First Cycle of studies in

Canon Law Canon law (from grc, κανών, , a 'straight measuring rod, ruler') is a set of ordinances and regulations made by ecclesiastical authority (church leadership) for the government of a Christian organization or church and its members. It is th ...

. Graduates of Franciscan University who complete this course of study are allowed to proceed directly to the Licentiate in Canon Law program at the Catholic University of America.

Academic treatment of homosexuality

In 2012 the Social Work curriculum included a course called SWK Deviant Behavior 314, which examined behaviors such as: murder, rape, robbery, prostitution, homosexuality, mental illness and drug use. Noting that the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM) had removed homosexuality as an illness, two Franciscan graduates tried to get the course description changed. In a written statement to NPR, the school said, "Franciscan University follows Catholic Church teaching in regard to homosexuality and treats homosexual persons with 'respect, compassion, and sensitivity' ... while holding homosexual acts as 'intrinsically disordered.' " In an interview with Inside Higher Ed, university vice president Daniel Kempton stated, "that principles of academic freedom apply to the course and that the view that homosexuality is deviant is a legitimate perspective for the course."

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, there are classrooms, offices, and a simulated clinic for nursing students. Saints Cosmas and Damian Hall, the main science building, houses biology and chemistry laboratories, classrooms, the campus' largest lecture hall, and two computer science labs with advanced software for programming. Starvaggi Hall is the main administrative building on campus housing Admissions, Financial Aid, Career Services, and the registrar. The St. 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. There are 13 residence buildings on campus: Saint Francis Hall,

Trinity The Christian doctrine of the Trinity (, from 'threefold') is the central dogma concerning the nature of God in most Christian churches, which defines one God existing in three coequal, coeternal, consubstantial divine persons: God th ...

Hall,

Marian Marian may refer to: People * Mari people, a Finno-Ugric ethnic group in Russia * Marian (given name), a list of people with the given name * Marian (surname), a list of people so named Places * Marian, Iran (disambiguation) * Marian, Queenslan ...

Hall,

Saint Thomas More Sir Thomas More (7 February 1478 – 6 July 1535), venerated in the Catholic Church as Saint Thomas More, was an English lawyer, judge, social philosopher, author, statesman, and noted Renaissance humanist. He also served Henry VIII as Lord ...

Hall, Saint Louis Hall, Saint Elizabeth Hall, Kolbe Hall, Clare Hall,

Padua Padua ( ; it, Padova ; vec, Pàdova) is a city and ''comune'' in Veneto, northern Italy. Padua is on the river Bacchiglione, west of Venice. It is the capital of the province of Padua. It is also the economic and communications hub of the ...

Hall,

Saint Bonaventure Bonaventure ( ; it, Bonaventura ; la, Bonaventura de Balneoregio; 1221 – 15 July 1274), born Giovanni di Fidanza, was an Italian Catholic Franciscan, bishop, cardinal, scholastic theologian and philosopher. The seventh Minister G ...

Hall, Vianney Hall, Saint Junipero Serra Hall, and

Scotus The Supreme Court of the United States (SCOTUS) is the highest court in the federal judiciary of the United States. It has ultimate appellate jurisdiction over all U.S. federal court cases, and over state court cases that involve a point of ...

Hall. Assisi Heights, a small neighborhood of apartments, is also available for upperclassman and graduate student housing. Franciscan University of Steubenville has two

soccer Association football, more commonly known as football or soccer, is a team sport played between two teams of 11 players who primarily use their feet to propel the ball around a rectangular field called a pitch. The objective of the game is ...

fields, a

rugby Rugby may refer to: Sport * Rugby football in many forms: ** Rugby league: 13 players per side *** Masters Rugby League *** Mod league *** Rugby league nines *** Rugby league sevens *** Touch (sport) *** Wheelchair rugby league ** Rugby union: 1 ...

field, a

baseball Baseball is a bat-and-ball sport played between two teams of nine players each, taking turns batting and fielding. The game occurs over the course of several plays, with each play generally beginning when a player on the fielding tea ...

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 Portiuncula, also spelled Porziuncola or Porzioncula, is a small Catholic church located within the Papal Basilica of Saint Mary of the Angels in Assisi in the ''frazione'' of Santa Maria degli Angeli, situated about from Assisi, Umbria (centra ...

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 fetuses, 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 In the teaching of the Catholic Church, an indulgence (, from , 'permit') is "a way to reduce the amount of punishment one has to undergo for sins". The ''Catechism of the Catholic Church'' describes an indulgence as "a remission before God of ...

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 student center, which houses the Tom and Nina Gentile Gallery containing numerous works of art donated to the university. The Finnegan Fieldhouse is home to a

basketball Basketball is a team sport in which two teams, most commonly of five players each, opposing one another on a rectangular Basketball court, court, compete with the primary objective of #Shooting, shooting a basketball (ball), basketball (appr ...

court, two

racquetball Racquetball is a racquet sport and a team sport played with a hollow rubber ball on an indoor or outdoor court. Joseph Sobek invented the modern sport of racquetball in 1950, adding a stringed racquet to paddleball in order to increase velo ...

courts, a weight room, one room for aerobic classes, a cardiovascular 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-beam An I-beam, also known as H-beam (for universal column, UC), w-beam (for "wide flange"), universal beam (UB), rolled steel joist (RSJ), or double-T (especially in Polish, Bulgarian, Spanish, Italian and German), is a beam with an or -shape ...

s, is 35 feet tall and visible from afar.

Austrian program

Since 1991, up to 180 students per semester study at the university's program in

Gaming Gaming may refer to: Games and sports The act of playing games, as in: * Legalized gambling, playing games of chance for money, often referred to in law as "gaming" * Playing a role-playing game, in which players assume fictional roles * Playin ...

, Austria. The campus is located in a renovated fourteenth-century

Carthusian The Carthusians, also known as the Order of Carthusians ( la, Ordo Cartusiensis), are a Latin enclosed religious order of the Catholic Church. The order was founded by Bruno of Cologne in 1084 and includes both monks and nuns. The order has i ...

monastery, known as the

Gaming Charterhouse Gaming Charterhouse (german: Kartause Gaming, also known as ''Kartause Maria Thron'') is a former Carthusian monastery in Gaming near Scheibbs in the ''Mostviertel'' of Lower Austria. The monastery was founded in 1330 by Albert II, Duke of A ...

, in the foothills of the Austrian

Alps The Alps () ; german: Alpen ; it, Alpi ; rm, Alps ; sl, Alpe . are the highest and most extensive mountain range system that lies entirely in Europe, stretching approximately across seven Alpine countries (from west to east): France, Sw ...

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

Student life

Originally, campus life consisted of fraternities and sororities starting at Franciscans' founding in 1946. Under the leadership of Father Michael Scanlan, households (small groups of men and women devoted to personal and communal growth) were instituted and a once blossoming Greek life began to wilt, ending in 2016 when the final chapters,

Theta Phi Alpha Theta Phi Alpha (), commonly known as Theta Phi, is a women's fraternity founded at the University of Michigan – Ann Arbor on August 30, 1912. The main archive URL iThe Baird's Manual Online Archive homepage Theta Phi Alpha is one of 26 nation ...

and

Alpha Phi Delta Alpha Phi Delta (), commonly referred to as APD, is a Greek social fraternity that evolved from an exclusive Italian society, initially known as ''Il Circolo Italiano'' ("The Italian circle"), established at Syracuse University in 1914. Founding ...

were excluded from campus life. Though not recognized by the school,

a nationally recognized fraternity, has remained active (as of 2019). Instead, students are encouraged to join in faith households, groups of three or more students of the same sex, 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 charismatic gifts. As of March 2015, there were 24 men's households and 26 women's households. In 2014, Franciscan University celebrated 40 years of household life on campus. The campus is known for its liturgies, retreats, and spiritual talks. Most students make a weekly commitment to Eucharistic adoration in the Portiuncula chapel, and Masses are well-attended. Masses have standing room only, even on weekdays. There is a 28-member student government.

Athletics

Varsity

The university sponsors 20 sports, nine for men and eleven for women. The athletics teams, nicknamed the Barons, compete in

NCAA Division III NCAA Division III (D-III) is a division of the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) in the United States. D-III consists of athletic programs at colleges and universities that choose not to offer athletic scholarships to their stu ...

as members of the

Presidents' Athletic Conference The Presidents' Athletic Conference (PAC) is an athletic conference which competes in the NCAA's Division III. Of its 11 current member schools, all private, liberal arts institutions of higher learning, nine are located in Western Pennsylvania. T ...

(PAC) after completing a transition from the

Allegheny Mountain Collegiate Conference The Allegheny Mountain Collegiate Conference (AMCC) is an intercollegiate athletic conference affiliated with the NCAA's Division III. Member institutions are located in the northeastern United States in the states of New York and Pennsylvania. ...

in July 2020. The Barons started their PAC transition by joining for men's and women's

lacrosse Lacrosse is a team sport played with a lacrosse stick and a lacrosse ball. It is the oldest organized sport in North America, with its origins with the indigenous people of North America as early as the 12th century. The game was extensiv ...

in 2018–19. For 2019–20, Franciscan added women's golf, plus indoor and outdoor track & field for both men and women, to its PAC membership. Finally, the school became a full PAC member in 2020–21. The mascot of the university's sports teams is ''Baron von Steuben'', modeled after Prussian military officer Baron

Friedrich Wilhelm von Steuben Friedrich Wilhelm August Heinrich Ferdinand von Steuben (born Friedrich Wilhelm Ludolf Gerhard Augustin Louis von Steuben; September 17, 1730 – November 28, 1794), also referred to as Baron von Steuben (), was a Prussian military officer who ...

. The men's

team is a member of the

National Collegiate Rugby National Collegiate Rugby (NCR) formerly the "National Small College Rugby Organization" is a rugby union governing body in the United States. Headquartered in Wilmington, Delaware, NCR was created in 2007 by Chip Auscavitch and Steve Cohen to supp ...

and competes in the Allegheny Rugby Union Conference. In 2001 Franciscan became the second college in the nation, of any division, to have a varsity rugby club. In July 2011, Franciscan signed a three-year sponsorship agreement with

Adidas Adidas AG (; stylized as adidas since 1949) is a German multinational corporation, founded and headquartered in Herzogenaurach, Bavaria, that designs and manufactures shoes, clothing and accessories. It is the largest sportswear manufactur ...

.press/Adidas
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Men's

Basketball Basketball is a team sport in which two teams, most commonly of five players each, opposing one another on a rectangular Basketball court, court, compete with the primary objective of #Shooting, shooting a basketball (ball), basketball (appr ...

* Cross Country *

Lacrosse Lacrosse is a team sport played with a lacrosse stick and a lacrosse ball. It is the oldest organized sport in North America, with its origins with the indigenous people of North America as early as the 12th century. The game was extensiv ...

Baseball Baseball is a bat-and-ball sport played between two teams of nine players each, taking turns batting and fielding. The game occurs over the course of several plays, with each play generally beginning when a player on the fielding tea ...

Rugby Rugby may refer to: Sport * Rugby football in many forms: ** Rugby league: 13 players per side *** Masters Rugby League *** Mod league *** Rugby league nines *** Rugby league sevens *** Touch (sport) *** Wheelchair rugby league ** Rugby union: 1 ...

. The Men's rugby club has made it to the Conference Championship match every year for the past five years, winning three conference titles and qualifying for post-season play three times. In 2010–2011, they were conference champions and Midwest Territory Runners-up finishing 13th in the nation overall. In 2011–2012, Franciscan Rugby had its most successful season in history when they won their conference as well as the Central regional tournament, going on to compete at the NSCRO National Championship and placing third nationally. In 2012–2013, the team was Conference Champions runners-up. In 2013–2014, Franciscan won their conference yet again earning a spot in the Central regional tournament finishing third place and earning the tenth position in the NSCRO national rankings. In the fall of 2014 FUS Rugby had a nine-game winning streak and finished with another Conference Championship appearance, taking second place in the conference. In the fall of 2015 FUS Rugby went 5–2 in the regular season and again finished with another Conference Championship appearance, taking second place in the conference, falling to Robert Morris University for the second year in a row. In the fall of 2016, FUS Rugby won their conference with a 6–4 record earning a spot in the Central regional tournament finishing fourth place and earning the tenth position in the NSCRO national rankings for a second time in four years. In 2019–2020 season, Franciscan Rugby continued its success with the team going undefeated in regular and post-season play with an 11–0 record. They qualified for NSCRO's National Championship with a #2 ranking, the team's highest ranking since 2011–2012 season. They had 3 All-Americans named to NSCRO's All-American squad- Josh Leatherby, David Prezzia and PJ Ernst. However, the COVID pandemic canceled the National Championship. In the fall of 2021, Franciscan joined a new conference, the ARU Collegiate Conference. They started the season ranked #3 but could not retain the rankings as the season went on. They finished runners-up in the ARU championship and were relgated to the Play-in qualifying match which they won to advance to the Central Regionals. They lost 34–31 but won the consolidation match to finish 8–4–1 on the year and a final ranking of #13. *

Soccer Association football, more commonly known as football or soccer, is a team sport played between two teams of 11 players who primarily use their feet to propel the ball around a rectangular field called a pitch. The objective of the game is ...

Tennis Tennis is a racket sport that is played either individually against a single opponent ( singles) or between two teams of two players each ( doubles). Each player uses a tennis racket that is strung with cord to strike a hollow rubber ball ...

. The 2012–2013 Men's tennis team earned entry into the NCAA DIII national tournament, making them first Baron team in any sport to qualify for NCAA postseason play. This was followed by successive trips back to the postseason from 2013 to 2015. The Woman's tennis team also made it to the NCAA DIII National tournament during the 2014–2015 season, making them the first Woman's Baron team to qualify for the NCAA postseason play. Recognizing the strength of tennis program, and also in the spirit of Michael Scanlan who was an avid tennis player, the university hopes to bring a tennis facility to campus in the near future in order to ensure a year-round practice place, and to further solidify the teams recent success. * Track & field (indoor). The men's indoor track and field team competes from December through late February, with the season culminating at the Presidents AC Indoor Track and Field Championships. The 2022 season concluded with the team placing 2nd at PAC Championships. * Track & field (outdoor). The Barons finished off the 2022 outdoor season by placing 5th in the PAC Outdoor Championships.

Women's

* Cross country *

Golf Golf is a club-and-ball sport in which players use various clubs to hit balls into a series of holes on a course in as few strokes as possible. Golf, unlike most ball games, cannot and does not use a standardized playing area, and coping wi ...

Softball Softball is a game similar to baseball played with a larger ball on a smaller field. Softball is played competitively at club levels, the college level, and the professional level. The game was first created in 1887 in Chicago by George Hanc ...

Swimming Swimming is the self-propulsion of a person through water, or other liquid, usually for recreation, sport, exercise, or survival. Locomotion is achieved through coordinated movement of the limbs and the body to achieve hydrodynamic thrust that r ...

Diving Diving most often refers to: * Diving (sport), the sport of jumping into deep water * Underwater diving, human activity underwater for recreational or occupational purposes Diving or Dive may also refer to: Sports * Dive (American football), a ...

* Track & field (indoor) * Track & field (outdoor) *

Volleyball Volleyball is a team sport in which two teams of six players are separated by a net. Each team tries to score points by grounding a ball on the other team's court under organized rules. It has been a part of the official program of the Summ ...

Intramurals

The university offers intramural sports throughout the academic year. The main sports played include sand volleyball, indoor volleyball, flag football, and 5 on 5 basketball. Other leagues throughout the year include kickball, badminton, Spikeball, softball, futsal, and dodgeball.

Notable alumni

* Andrew Bremberg – Former Permanent Representative of the United States of America to the Office of the United Nations and Other International Organizations in

Geneva Geneva ( ; french: Genève ) frp, Genèva ; german: link=no, Genf ; it, Ginevra ; rm, Genevra is the List of cities in Switzerland, second-most populous city in Switzerland (after Zürich) and the most populous city of Romandy, the French-speaki ...

Jeff Cavins Jeff Cavins (born November 8, 1957) is an American Catholic evangelist, author, and biblical scholar. Overview Cavins was a Protestant pastor before he rejoined the Catholic Church. He is the creator of ''The Great Adventure Bible Study prog ...

– Catholic evangelist, author, and biblical scholar * Regina Doman – Catholic fiction writer *

Jason Evert Jason Evert is a Catholic author and chastity speaker. He founded Totus Tuus Press and Chastity Project, an organization that promotes chastity primarily to high school and college students. Evert earned a Master of Theology from the Franciscan ...

– Founder of the Chastity Project, Totus Tuus Press, and prominent chastity speaker *

Jeff Fortenberry Jeffrey Lane Fortenberry (born December 27, 1960) is a former United States congressman. He served in the United States House of Representatives from 2005 to 2022, representing as a member of the Republican Party. In October 2021, a federal ...

– Politician, economist, and convicted felon who served in the

United States House of Representatives The United States House of Representatives, often referred to as the House of Representatives, the U.S. House, or simply the House, is the Lower house, lower chamber of the United States Congress, with the United States Senate, Senate being ...

from 2005 to 2022, representing * Roger Joseph Foys – Bishop of Covington, Kentucky *

Michael Gielen Michael Andreas Gielen (20 July 19278 March 2019) was an Austrian conductor and composer known for promoting contemporary music in opera and concert. Principally active in Europe, his performances are characterized by precision and vivacity, aid ...

–

Auxiliary Auxiliary may refer to: * A backup site or system In language * Auxiliary language (disambiguation) * Auxiliary verb In military and law enforcement * Auxiliary police * Auxiliaries, civilians or quasi-military personnel who provide support of ...

bishop of

Auckland Auckland (pronounced ) ( mi, Tāmaki Makaurau) is a large metropolitan city in the North Island of New Zealand. The List of New Zealand urban areas by population, most populous urban area in the country and the List of cities in Oceania by po ...

, New Zealand *

Gintaras Grušas Gintaras Grušas (born 23 September 1961) is a Lithuanian–American prelate of the Catholic Church. A bishop since 2010, he has been the archbishop of Vilnius, Lithuania, since April 2013. Biography Grušas was born in Washington, D.C., on 23 ...

– Archbishop of

Vilnius Vilnius ( , ; see also other names) is the capital and largest city of Lithuania, with a population of 592,389 (according to the state register) or 625,107 (according to the municipality of Vilnius). The population of Vilnius's functional urb ...

Lithuania Lithuania (; lt, Lietuva ), officially the Republic of Lithuania ( lt, Lietuvos Respublika, links=no ), is a country in the Baltic region of Europe. It is one of three Baltic states and lies on the eastern shore of the Baltic Sea. Lithuania ...

* Jonathan Morris – Contributor and analyst for the Fox News Channel *

Michael Rodak, Jr. The 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 Scott S. Harris. __NOTOC__ History ...

–

Clerk of the Supreme Court of the United States The 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 Scott S. Harris. __NOTOC__ Histor ...

Cornelius Sim Cornelius Sim DD (16 September 1951 – 29 May 2021) was a Bruneian prelate of the Catholic Church who served as Vicar Apostolic of Brunei from 2004 until his death. He had previously served as the apostolic prefect of Brunei from 1997 to ...

– Cardinal and bishop of

Brunei Brunei ( , ), formally Brunei Darussalam ( ms, Negara Brunei Darussalam, Jawi alphabet, Jawi: , ), is a country located on the north coast of the island of Borneo in Southeast Asia. Apart from its South China Sea coast, it is completely sur ...

* Anna Song – California politician

References

External links

Official websiteOfficial athletics websiteThe Troubadour (Franciscan's newspaper)
{{DEFAULTSORT:Franciscan University Of Steubenville Franciscan universities and colleges Buildings and structures in Jefferson County, Ohio Catholic universities and colleges in Ohio Roman Catholic Diocese of Steubenville Education in Jefferson County, Ohio Educational institutions established in 1946 1946 establishments in Ohio Association of Catholic Colleges and Universities