Campus News

USF announced that 97.1% of 2019 graduates are employed, in the service/ military or enrolled in additional education. The success rate at USF has been steadily rising and 97.1% is a record high for the university.

The information was gleaned through a Career Outcomes study, completed Dec. 31, 2019, which included 91.9% of the Class of 2019 graduates. Data was collected from 578 of 629 graduates. Of those, 86% are employed and 11% are enrolled in additional education.

“The 2019 Career Outcomes study reflects the hard work of students and faculty, along with USF’s strong relationships with local employers,” said then-USF President Sister M. Elise Kriss, OSF. “We are excited to see our alumni achieve success in their careers and educational goals, and we know they make a positive impact on their communities.”

Top employers of the Class of 2019 are Parkview Health, Lutheran Health Network, Franciscan Health, IU Health, Fort Wayne Community Schools, University of Saint Francis, Community Healthcare System and Indiana Physical Therapy.

Of the 497 Class of 2019 graduates reporting a post-graduation outcome of employment, their job titles include 212 health diagnosing/treating practitioners, 38 business operation specialists, 29 health technologists, 26 counselors, social workers or social service specialists, and 19 preschool, primary, secondary or special education teachers. Other areas with multiple USF graduates include financial specialists, occupational or physical therapist assistants, art or design workers, sales representatives or services, operations specialties managers, other management occupations, including healthcare, and media or communication equipment workers.

Approximately 11% of USF graduates continued their education after earning their degree, and many graduates re-enrolled at USF to advance their education through additional undergraduate and graduate degree programs.

“We now turn our attention to the Class of 2020 graduates who are entering an unknown job market and changing plans for post-graduation enrollment,” said Natalie Wagoner, then-USF Executive Director of the Academic and Career Development Center. “We encourage graduates to contact the Academic and Career Development Center for support in navigating this post-graduation environment.”

To help with needs caused by the spread of COVID-19, USF College of Health Sciences donated Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) to local healthcare providers.

USF donated more than 1,000 masks and face shields and 500 isolation gowns to Parkview Health and Lutheran Health Network on March 26. The donations were made to assist the healthcare systems in caring for affected patients.

“During this difficult time of dealing with the spread of COVID-19, USF is exploring ways to be of help to the community. We are grateful to have these supplies on hand to share with our strong local healthcare providers,” said then-USF President Sister M. Elise Kriss, OSF.

Dr. Angie Harrell, Dean of the College of Health Sciences, pointed out that many USF students were also working within healthcare organizations in various capacities.

“We’re happy to help the medical community in any way possible in dealing with the COVID-19 pandemic,” Dr. Harrell said. “We will remain in communication with Parkview, Lutheran and others to be of assistance as much as we can. We are committed to continuing our support of the dedicated healthcare workers in our area who give of themselves for the well-being of all those they serve.”

The University of Saint Francis has received a $1 million grant from Lilly Endowment Inc. as part of its Charting the Future for Indiana’s Colleges and Universities initiative.

This grant will support expansion of the USF Crown Point site and enable USF to accelerate plans to expand the site’s nursing program and offer associate degrees in surgical technology and radiologic technology.

Through Charting the Future, Lilly Endowment invited Indiana’s 38 accredited public and private colleges and universities to consider what it would take to improve their efforts to educate students and prepare them for successful futures while thoughtfully examining the long-term financial sustainability of their institutions.

Grants range from $1 million to $5 million and are based on the size of student enrollment for each school. A total of $62 million in implementation grants was announced by Lilly Endowment, an Indianapolis-based, private philanthropic foundation.

“The University of Saint Francis is honored and grateful to be awarded this grant from Lilly Endowment,” USF President Rev. Dr. Eric Albert Zimmer said. “We appreciate Lilly Endowment’s support of higher education, and the university looks forward to utilizing this grant for the benefit of our students.”

The grant is part of Phase 2 (implementation phase) of Lilly Endowment’s three-phase initiative. USF received a $100,000 grant in the Phase 1 planning phase in 2019. Grants under a third phase, which is competitive, will be awarded in 2021. Those grants will support collaborative efforts that seek to have large-scale impact on the ability of higher education institutions in Indiana to fulfill their educational missions. Lilly Endowment has allocated up to $108.2 million for the three phases.

“These are challenging times for colleges and universities, made more so because of the COVID-19 pandemic. Higher education leaders recognize that they have to adapt to the changing demographics of undergraduate students, the importance of technology in education and the ever-growing need for students to be career-ready upon graduation,” said Ted Maple, Lilly Endowment’s vice president for education. “Leaders here in Indiana are responding to these and other challenges with thoughtful, strategic and collaborative approaches that we believe can improve the financial sustainability of the institutions and the educational experiences of their students.”

At the University of Saint Francis, our dedication to serving others and “paying it forward” are part of our culture as we look outward in sharing Christ’s love. When you provide a gift to USF through the Annual Fund, you are helping deserving students learn to make the world a better place. Those students will, in turn, share our Catholic, Franciscan values in the years ahead. Your gift makes a difference. You make a difference.

Learn more or make a gift at giving.sf.edu.