Franciscan University growth boosts Steubenville’s global profile
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STEUBENVILLE -- Record student enrollment and participation in summer conferences are growing Steubenville's reputation globally, Franciscan University of Steubenville spokesmen told council Tuesday.
Communications Director Joe Wallace said this year FUS enrolled 781 new undergraduate students plus another 334 new graduate and doctoral students "and a record-breaking 158 online students."
In terms of its international reach, Wallace said this year they have 4,253 students enrolled at Franciscan, "that's the largest it's ever been in the school's history."
He also pointed out 203 FUS students are from Ohio, including 53 Steubenville natives. Another 120 call Pennsylvania home, while 82 Virginians and 73 Californians are enrolled. Rounding out the university's Top 10 enrollment origins list are Texas, New York, Florida, Michigan, Maryland and Illinois. Eleven countries also are represented on campus, including Ecuador, Canada, France, the Philippines, Bolivia, China, Ghana, the United Kingdom, India, Nigeria and New Zealand.
While Wallace said it's "awesome that our local population is staying in town and being educated with us," he said they also appreciate the university's international appeal.
"There's a lot of schools that are similar to us in size and demographics that are trending the opposite way," he said. "We just need to keep reiterating that this partnership with the city of Steubenville and the university...and all the good things happening around here are helping with all of that."
He also said the university reached 40,000 young people through its summer conference program.
Sean Kirk, enrollments and admission, said it's no coincidence "that one of our core values on campus is community, and the community here in Steubenville is so strong that our students see that correlation."
Councilman Tracy McManamon, chair of council's economic development committee, said he'd asked Wallace and Kirk to brief council because "it's always great to highlight the many positive benefits that Franciscan University brings to the City of Steubenville."
"There are many great things happening not only on the hill, but also at Franciscan Square and other parts of our city that has lifted and sustained our economy and provides a substantial employment opportunity," he said, adding, "Forty-thousand-plus youth attended their conferences both on campus and at the many Steubenville conferences scattered around the country and Canada over (about)y a seven-week period," he said. "These young people not only experienced such a rich and faithful experience, but also got a firsthand (exposure) to the faculty and staff of this great university.
Later, McManamon pointed out that, "Not only was the name Steubenville spread throughout the country, but it continues to grow globally," crediting faculty and staff for that as well as its emphasis on faith.
"Many of these conference attendees will become students of the university, whether it be on campus or living in our community or through the online programs," he said.
Meanwhile, Jason Hamman, council's economic development consultant, said his first months on the job have been filled with trade shows, meetings with local business owners and tours of their operations and discussions about "exciting opportunities to help (them) grown."
"It’s essential not only to help grow and expand what you have, but to really change the economic trajectory of a community, you need to secure outside investment," he said. "The days of 'Hey, we have a website, people will find us' or 'Hey, we’re a great community, people will find us' have been gone a long time. (Nowadays) you have to be aggressive out in the marketplace and tell people why, why Steubenville. There’s a lot of compelling stories out there and we just heard a fantastic one (FUS growth). It still blows my mind that not only do you have people from literally every state, but every continent."