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Officials with the Franciscan University of Steubenville showed their commitment to the region, their students and their faith when they announced about a week ago the public portion of a fundraising effort with a goal of bringing $75 million to the school.
Bearing the name Rebuild My Church, after the call St. Francis of Assisi heard more than 800 years ago, money raised through the campaign will "breathe new life into our sacred mission," according to the Rev. Dave Pivonka, TOR, the school's president.
The largest share of the money -- $48 million -- will go toward the 110,000-square-foot Christ the Teacher learning and conference center, the first new academic building to be constructed on the campus in 20 years.
In addition, the campaign includes increased financial aid and scholarship opportunities ($18 million); continued growth in outreach and evangelization ($5 million); money for the Center for Leadership and Entrepreneurship ($2 million); a new, eight-bed skills lab and four simulation labs for the nursing department ($1 million); and the development of new courses in Franciscan's criminal justice program ($1 million.)
University officials also plan to offer $3 million in tuition to students who are willing to take a sabbatical from their smart phones and set aside $5 million in scholarship money for students from Western Pennsylvania.
While ambitious, the university is confident it can meet that goal by the fall 2023 deadline -- since fundraising efforts began about 10 months ago, more than $65.2 million already has been committed, with about $40 million credited to current and past members of the board of trustees.
The announcement of the campaign came on a special day -- Dec. 10, which marked the 75th anniversary of the school's founding as the College of Steubenville. It was among several activities on campus that weekend -- a Mass to mark the start of a year-long celebration and unveiling of the Our Lady of the Angels mosaic were held that afternoon, and a jubilee reception that evening. The school's annual Founders Association Dinner was held Dec. 11 in the Gentile Gallery inside the J.C. Williams Center.
Recognized for their commitment to the school were Dr. John Irvin, his wife Judy and family, who've maintained deep ties with the university since John's 1958 graduation; Ross Gallabrese, executive editor of the Herald-Star and The Weirton Daily Times and a longtime member of the university's board of advisers; Paul Giannanmore, longtime Herald-Star reporter, now an executive producer for WTOV-TV; and Sister M. Regina Pacis Coury, FSGM, who taught at the university for six years. Several scholarship winners also were recognized.
Much has changed since that late fall day in 1946 when the Rev. Dan Egan, TOR, the first president, opened the doors to the downtown building that served as the school's first home. Success downtown made it necessary to move to the current hilltop campus, which itself continues to grow and expand. The university is now known around the world and has added a campus in Gaming, Austria.
The Rebuild My Church campaign will allow further growth and expansion, which will help the school continue to be a vibrant member of the community and ensure students from around the world will be able to receive quality, faith-based education well into the future.