Our Mission

Rooted in the Catholic and Franciscan traditions of faith and reason, the University of Saint Francis engages a diverse community in leadership, scholarship, and service. The university is a Catholic, coeducational institution of higher education in the liberal arts tradition, offering undergraduate and graduate programs to students from a broad geographic region.

Our Vision

The University of Saint Francis is a comprehensive university founded in the Catholic Franciscan tradition, committed to being one of the best student-centered learning communities in the nation. The university combines excellent professional and liberal arts education with the development of life-long learning attitudes and skills. All campus constituencies understand and share the university's Franciscan Charism and promote it in all aspects of the life of the campus. The university is characterized by, and has found success in, its distinctive set of Values at the Core, its creative Leadership through the Disciplines, and an organization that fosters Agility in relation to the external environment. These characteristics serve to differentiate the University of Saint Francis from its competitors and to assure its success.

Our Core Values

The University of Saint Francis seeks in the accomplishment of its mission to acknowledge and uphold these core values:

In commitment to our Franciscan tradition, we:

• Reverence the unique dignity of each person.
• Encourage a trustful, prayerful community of learness.
• Serve one another, society and the Church.
• Foster peace and justice.
• Respect creation.

In commitment to academic quality, we:

• Facilitate personalized learning in the Catholic intellectual tradition.
• Foster a community of scholars.
• Promote spiritual and moral development.
• Encourage social and civic responsibility.
• Emphasize a commitment to professional excellence and leadership.
  

Academic Calendar

The academic year consists of two semesters: the Fall Semester, extending from late August to mid December, and the Spring Semester, from mid January to early May. Courses are also scheduled on weekends, in accelerated formats, and in the summer.

Scheduling Classes

The scheduling of undergraduate classes is designed to accommodate traditional students and professionals who work during daytime business hours. Thus, classes are scheduled in the morning, in the evenings and on weekends.

Cancellation of Classes

The university reserves the right to cancel courses because of insufficient numbers of registered students.

Institutional Memberships

The university holds institutional memberships in the Association of Catholic Colleges and Universities (ACCU), Association of Franciscan Colleges and Universities (AFCU), Independent Colleges of Indiana (ICI), the Indiana Conference of Higher Education (ICHE), the National Association of Independent Colleges and Universities (NAICU), Council for Higher Education Accreditation (CHEA), and the Council of Independent Colleges (CIC). Other memberships include American Association of Higher Education (AAHE), American Association of Collegiate Registrar and Admissions Officers (AACRAO), National Association of Foreign Student Advisors (NAFSA), National Association of College and University Business Officers (NACUBO), National League for Nursing (NLN), and Indiana Office of Campus Ministries (IOCM).

The Faculty

The University of Saint Francis employs academically qualified teachers who mirror the characteristics it seeks to instill in its students: scholarship, motivation, concern, and an orientation of service. The faculty of the University of Saint Francis represents a broad background of educational, business, and social experiences. They dedicate themselves to good teaching and enjoy working with students individually and in small-class settings.