Hubbry Logo
logo
Franciscan University of Steubenville
Community hub

Franciscan University of Steubenville

logo
0 subscribers
Be the first to start a discussion here.
Be the first to start a discussion here.
Contribute something to knowledge base
Hub AI

Franciscan University of Steubenville AI simulator

(@Franciscan University of Steubenville_simulator)

Franciscan University of Steubenville

Franciscan University of Steubenville is a private Franciscan university in Steubenville, Ohio, United States. As of fall 2023, the university enrolled 3,750 students in 40 undergraduate and 8 graduate degree programs. The student body is majority Catholic, and Franciscan claims to have the largest number of students majoring in theology, catechetics, and philosophy of any Catholic university in the United States.

The school was established as the "College of Steubenville" in 1946 by the Franciscan Friars of the Third Order Regular at the request of Anthony John King Mussio, the first bishop of the Diocese of Steubenville. In 1974, Michael Scanlan became president and began a series of major reforms to restore the school to its Catholic heritage. The college 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.

In 1946, the first Bishop of Steubenville, Anthony John King Mussio, 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 veterans. 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 Daniel W. Egan, Kevin R. Keelan, and 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. 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.[dead link]

The university was granted an exemption from Title IX 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.

See all
User Avatar
No comments yet.