Class of 2012!

I recently posted a album of photos from graduation on our Facebook.

They’re beautiful photographs—in more ways than one. The smiles are simply incredible. I know I have my own photos where my smile is stretched so big it almost looks silly. Getting that diploma is… well, I don’t know that there are adequate words to describe it. I proudly hang mine in my office.

There was one Facebook comment on the album that made me smile. It was a parent, commenting that the Class 2012 was making room for the Class of 2016, when her son will be graduating from USF. Education is a cycle. Hopefully the Class of 2012 comes back to visit their Alma mater, but for now we will say goodbye as they go on to new and exciting things, and we’ll say hello to our new students.

Of course, we’re not saying goodbye to everyone. One of our 2012 graduates will be sticking around campus as one of our newest admissions counselors! Congratulations!

Event Updates!

We always have something going on here on campus. March was an especially busy month for us! Here are a few photographic highlights.

If you missed Campus Visit Day, we have lots of other pictures over on our Facebook page.

Most Campus Visits include a campus tour, but we also take students to our studios/labs to give them an in-depth look at their future majors.

We also ran our first production in our brand new Performing Arts Center. Here are some shots from Steel Magnolias:

Our students even hosted a Dance Marathon that raised money for Children’s Hope House.

This is only a tiny sliver of what happens here. If you want to know more, make sure you follow us on Twitter!

Featured Blogger: Claudia

Claudia is one of our freshman elementary education majors. She just got back from spring break and the Ultimate Road Trip we sponsor here on campus. Here she is reading to some elementary school students during a recent visit to campus.

Go read her blog… she has so many good stories!

I don’t know what I want to do when I grow up.

I know it’s a simplified version of the conundrum you’re probably facing right now, but that’s what it comes down to, isn’t it? College is about learning the skills you’ll need to get a job.

It all comes back to that question, “What do you want to be when you grow up?” So, what do you do when you’re in that situation?

Acknowledge that you’re undecided.
The beautiful thing about liberal arts schools is that they have a foundation of general classes that every student needs to take. If you don’t know what you want to do, or what you want to study, you can start with these basic classes and go from there. It gives you some flexibility while you figure out your passions. If you don’t know what you want to do, an easy place to start is to figure out what you like to do.

Use the help that’s available to you.
The University of Saint Francis has an Advising Center.

Meet our advisers!

These three people are available for students to use as advisers. They help students pick classes that allow them to try different subject areas, while staying on track to graduate in four years. They’re also really good at helping students understand how their skills and interests align with different career paths.

If you want to know more about USF and the other help available to our students, visit www.sf.edu/admissions.

Student Life Highlight

This weekend on campus, we will be hosting Svet the Hip Hop Violinist.

It’s a combo I would have never dreamed of, but he does an excellent job. The video is great; it takes a few moments to transition into Svet’s rendition of hip hop, but it’s so much fun once he gets there. Listen to it, and then listen to it again. You’ll want to!

The show is this Friday at 8 p.m. in North Campus, and it’s free for students.

What are intramurals?

I prefer to think of intramurals as low-key athletic teams. They’re for all students, and they’re just-for-fun ways to stay in shape, meet new people and have a good time!

If you really like sports, but are unsure of the time commitment required of intercollegiate teams, if you want to stay fit during the off-season, or if you just want to run around in the dark and throw light-up Frisbees at your fellow students, intramurals are for you!

Many campuses have intramural teams, where students get together and play for fun. There’s no set practice schedule, and our intramural teams play a lot of sports that are “off the beaten path,” so to speak.

For instance, here’s our schedule for 2011-2012:

Ultimate Frisbee
Dodgeball
Wiffleball
Kickball
Basketball Tournament
Baseball Tournament
Volleyball

In the past we’ve even done floor hockey tournaments. I think that’s part of the fun of intramurals; it’s up to the students what gets played. If you wanted to come here and start an intramural dance team, for instance, or an intramural bowling team, you could! Personally, I love the idea that Frisbee has become a collegiate pastime. Ask any college student anywhere, they’ve probably played Ultimate Frisbee at least once.

If you have any questions about participation or eligibility, just leave a comment.

Cheers!

It’s FAFSA time!

What is FAFSA?

It’s an acronym that stands for FREE Application for Federal Student Aid. I made that ‘free’ part bold on purpose. Never pay to submit this application. It has the word free right in the title.

Free. Remember that.

The name pretty much says it all. With the FAFSA, you apply for financial aid. Your application goes off to the United States Department of Education, then that information is reported to the schools you want to attend, and those schools can use it to determine your need-based aid.

Most schools require it to get any aid, regardless of your need.

File online at http://www.fafsa.gov

What’s on the application?

In a word: taxes. Once you (or your parents) file taxes, you’ll use the information on your tax return to fill out the application. Before you sit down to file the FAFSA, make sure you have your tax returns and/or your parent’s or parents’ tax returns. (If you only live with one parent, you need the information of the parent you live with most.)

How do I fill out the application?

Online is best. They do the math for you, so there are fewer mistakes, and it speeds up the processing time. Plus, does anyone even use paper forms anymore?

But seriously, just go to www.fafsa.gov. They provide very simple, step-by-step instructions. But here’s the best part, if you get hung up, just give us a call. Our Office of Financial Aid is here to help.

To finish the application, you have to sign up to get a PIN. Both you and your parent(s) will need PINs with which to sign the FAFSA. PIN = Electronic signature. So, keep it secret. Keep it safe.

When do I have to get this done?

Indiana’s deadline is March 10. To get the most of your aid, you should file your FAFSA before that date. If you want financial aid from the University of Saint Francis or the State of Indiana, make sure you file by March 10!

Contact our Office of Financial Aid
Monday-Friday 8:30 a.m.-5 p.m.
260-399-8003
finaid@sf.edu
Online Chatting

Final Installment!

The School of Professional Studies wraps up our “School of the Week” segments.

What exactly is “professional studies?” At USF, this means education, psychology and social work.

I think their website says it best:

Rooted in the core Franciscan values, which emphasize service to others and reverence for the dignity of each person, the school is a perfect place to obtain not just the knowledge you need, but also the ability to apply it most effectively in your professional setting

Our education isn’t just about learning skills or learning facts. It’s about learning how to use the skills we’ve taught you. Being in Fort Wayne is an asset in this aspect of our education. We’re the second-largest city in Indiana, which means we have a lot of non-profits, schools and counseling agencies nearby through which our students do internships, engage in service learning and volunteer.

The diversity found in Fort Wayne also allows our students to discover their passions. Social Work and Psychology cover so many disciples. Do you want to work with children? Families? Maybe with co-workers? It’s a lot to digest and internships give you the opportunity to figure that out!

Close your eyes for a second and imagine a professional. Whether you think of a man or woman, or someone in a business suit, you think of someone with skill – someone who does a job with confidence and ease. People gain confidence with practice. And at USF, you get the practice of hands-on experience. Whether it’s in the classroom as an education major (you observe a classroom as early as your first year as an education student) or with the practice of an internship or a practicum, you will have the opportunity to develop your professional skills outside of the classroom.

School of the Week #4

School of Health Sciences

Missed out on what a “school” is? You’re not alone. I was a little lost, too. I talked about it in my first “School of the Week” installment.

There’s some exciting news coming out of the School of Health Sciences recently! Our graduate nursing program was recently listed among the best by U.S. News and World Report. And 100% of our 2011 Physician Assistant passed their National PA Board Exam on the first time!

I’ve said it before, and I’ll say it again, our graduates are awesome because of all the hands-on work they do as students. Especially in the healthcare field, it’s paramount that you have really understand what you’re doing. Our students achieve that understanding because they get so many opportunities to practice. Each of our healthcare majors have their own labs.

Here’s a virtual tour of our simulation lab, which is used by all of our healthcare majors.

If you’d like to see them for yourself, I suggest you come for a visit!

Xanadu!

Xanadu performances at the University of Saint Francis finish this weekend!

If you haven’t seen this hilarious, fast-paced musical comedy, you have to see it! The music is outstanding, the actors are phenomenal and you will laugh your socks off! Showtimes are:

Friday, November 18 at 8 p.m.
Saturday, November 19 at 8 p.m.
Sunday, November 20 at 2 p.m.

The show is performed in our North Campus Auditorium. (That’s 2702 Spring Street Fort Wayne, IN for you GPS types.)

Tickets are free for USF students, faculty and staff. They are $10 for the general public, but can be purchased for $5 if you bring a bag of canned goods for the “USF Feeds the Fort” food drive!

Here are just a few photos from last weekend’s performances.

Kira, a Greek muse, comes to the 1980s to inspire a young artist.

And she does it on roller skates!

With the help of a few fellow muses, of course!

Everyone has a good time.

So come see it!