Saint Joseph's University Magazine News

A Culture of Philanthropy

University Crowdfunding and Day of Giving bring in over $928,000 combined to support current and future Hawks.

Tuesday, Nov. 15, 2022, was more than just National Philanthropy Day; it also marked the kickoff of Saint Joseph’s annual crowdfunding campaign. This year, the campaign featured six funds and projects that will directly impact Saint Joseph’s students, from financial aid and academic scholarships to athletics support and campus ministry programming. The results speak for themselves.

• $196,000
  raised from more than 900 donors
• $143,000+
  of total will go toward scholarship and financial aid funds
• 233 hours
  of Vocational Bridge services funded through Kinney Center to prepare high school students for vocational careers
• 220 female student-athletes
  impacted through academic support, training equipment, and health and well-being services

"The Saint Joseph’s community came through in a big way,” says Adam Gault, director of annual fund campaigns. “Their commitment to our students and their future success has been overwhelming.”

That commitment was on full display yet again during Saint Joseph’s Day of Giving, held on March 22. Generous donors and organizations offered challenge gifts in support of priority projects ranging from Saint Joseph’s Entrepreneurship Bootcamp for Veterans program to diversity, equity and inclusion initiatives. The SJU community responded to those challenges by raising over $732,000 from more than 3,100 donors.

“The Saint Joseph’s community came through in a big way. Their commitment to our students and their future success has been overwhelming.” - Adam Gault, director of annual fund campaigns

“It's really all about the students,” Gault says. “With the added financial support from our alumni and friends, SJU is able to provide more opportunities to even more Hawks."

With the combined success of the crowdfunding and Day of Giving campaigns, Saint Joseph’s is on track to have one of its best fundraising years in recent history. The impact this will have on students will be profound.

More Hawks in Healthcare: Saint Joseph’s to Acquire PA College

University The merger will expand both Saint Joseph’s geographic reach beyond Philadelphia and its academic portfolio with more than 20 nursing and allied health programs.

In January 2023, Saint Joseph’s University entered into a definitive agreement to acquire Pennsylvania College of Health Sciences (PA College) in Lancaster, Pennsylvania. The merger will expand both Saint Joseph’s geographic reach beyond Philadelphia and its academic portfolio with more than 20 nursing and allied health programs ranging from certificates through the doctoral level — including a BSN nursing program on Hawk Hill. The agreement also allows PA College to increase opportunities for students while preserving and stewarding its tradition of serving South Central Pennsylvania through excellence in healthcare education for more than 120 years.

“We know that programs like those offered at PA College are not only sought after by students, but they also have an exponential value in the communities where those students then go on to live, work and lead," said Cheryl A. McConnell, PhD, president of Saint Joseph’s University. "It has long been our strategy to add nursing to our list of offerings for our students.”

In the fall of 2024, Saint Joseph’s Hawk Hill campus will become home to a robust BSN nursing program. Students will benefit from experienced faculty leading well-established coursework, simulation-based learning and hands-on clinical experiences in Philadelphia, one of the nation’s healthcare hubs.

The agreement also allows for the development of interprofessional and interdisciplinary programs at the intersection of societal need and student interest, as well as an academic portfolio that includes certificate and two-year nursing and allied health degree programs.

PA College’s rich history includes a long-standing connection to its founder, Penn Medicine Lancaster General Health (LG Health), where more than 800 employees are current PA College students and thousands more boast alumni status. PA College students’ licensure exam passage rates are among the best in the nation and state in nursing — a testament to PA College’s strong curricula and excellent faculty and LG Health’s outstanding clinical rotation experiences. 

LG Health and Saint Joseph’s are committed to future students and patients through a joint healthcare-education pipeline, which will continue to provide a pathway to rewarding, financially secure careers for Lancaster-area residents. They will maintain strong affiliation agreements allowing for tuition benefits and clinical placements and will engage in ongoing conversations to address evolving healthcare workforce needs. Additionally, the University of Pennsylvania Health System (Penn Medicine) will reserve clinical placements in the Philadelphia metropolitan area for Saint Joseph’s nursing students. 

“We know that programs like those offered at PA College are not only sought after by students, but they also have an exponential value in the communities where those students then go on to live, work and lead. It has long been our strategy to add nursing to our list of offerings for our students.” - Cheryl A. McConnell, PhD, president

Saint Joseph’s and LG Health intend to continually evaluate and adapt educational offerings to meet Southeastern Pennsylvania’s evolving healthcare workforce demands with a sustainable academic portfolio. 

More than 1,500 PA College students will become part of the Saint Joseph’s community following the closing of the merger, which is planned for January of 2024, after a one-year period of integration planning and efforts. Closing of the merger is subject to a variety of accreditation and government approval processes. 

For more information, please visit www.sju.edu/pacollege.

Saint Joseph's Named Top Producer of Fulbright U.S. Students

University This is the third time in University history that Saint Joseph’s has been named a Top Producer of Fulbright U.S. Students. SJU is also the only Philadelphia university to have been recognized in the master's institutions category.

The U.S. Department of State’s Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs named Saint Joseph’s University a Fulbright Top Producing Institution for U.S. Students. This recognition is given to the U.S. colleges and universities with the highest number of applicants selected for the 2022–23 Fulbright U.S. Student Program.

Four SJU students were selected for Fulbright awards for academic year 2022–2023: Adrianna DiVentura ’22, Spain English Teaching Assistantship (ETA); Erin Doherty ’22, Spain ETA; Madde Guerke ’21, Mexico ETA; and Cat Jones ’15, Laos ETA. 

“Earning this distinction is yet another proof point for the lifelong value and academic rigor of a Saint Joseph's education.” - President Cheryl A. McConnell, PhD

This is the third time in University history that Saint Joseph’s has been awarded a Fulbright Top Producing Institution designation. SJU is also the only Philadelphia university to have been recognized in the master's institutions category.

“This honor reflects well on the quality and hard work of our student fellowship applicants and speaks to the excellent faculty mentoring they receive here,” says Mark Reynolds, PhD, director of the Office of Fellowships and associate professor of chemistry and biochemistry. 

Fulbright is the U.S. government’s flagship international educational exchange program. Since its inception in 1946, more than 400,000 participants from all backgrounds and fields have participated in the program.

“Earning this distinction is yet another proof point for the lifelong value and academic rigor of a Saint Joseph's education," says President Cheryl A. McConnell, PhD. “The education we offer is designed to foster an appreciation for the larger world and kindle a desire to make a positive impact. The Fulbright Program is one critical avenue to launch our graduates into that world.”

The Fulbright Program was established over 75 years ago to increase mutual understanding between the people of the United States and the people of other countries.

Students and alumni interested in applying to the Fulbright Program should contact Mark Reynolds, PhD, in the Fellowships Office.

Capital Campaign Reaches $152M

University As the one-year anniversary of the announcement of the SOAR campaign approaches, investment in its priorities reaches $152 million.

When Board Chair James M. Norris ’85 spoke at the May launch event for SOAR, the historic $300-million comprehensive campaign for Saint Joseph’s, he said that it was time to “seize the moment.”

Thus far, the SJU community has risen to the occasion. Over $152 million in funding has been raised for the three priorities of the SOAR campaign: investing in an elite campus experience, affirming Saint Joseph’s commitment to financial aid and furthering academic excellence.

The University is incredibly fortunate to have a community of philanthropically inclined individuals who understand the importance of these priorities. Three such donors are former Trustee Mary Lou Quinlan ’75; board member Susan LaMonica P ’20; and Professor Emeritus Randall Miller, PhD, each of whom has made a major gift in support of SOAR campaign priorities. 

Saint Joseph’s is committed to investing in an elite campus experience, acknowledging that students attend a residential university for the learning and discovery that takes place both inside and outside the classroom. To maximize this brand of learning, state-of-the-art facilities are required. LaMonica, a member of the Saint Joseph’s Board of Trustees, knows this better than most; her daughter played lacrosse at SJU for four years. 

LaMonica’s gift will support updated women's locker room within the new Hawks Athletic Complex. Locker rooms provide vital gathering spaces that build community and culture among teams; this is essential to continuing the success that has become synonymous with Hawk Athletics both in the classroom and on the field. 

In addition to providing students with a top-notch on-campus experience, the SOAR campaign aims to enhance Saint Joseph’s ability to prepare students for a rapidly changing world. To that end, Saint Joseph’s regularly evaluates existing academic programs and seeks new course and programmatic offerings. Miller has been a tremendous partner in this effort. The newly created Randall M. Miller, PhD, Fund for Faculty Grants will allow faculty to take on individual research projects that will translate to unique classroom experiences for students.

With so much to offer, Saint Joseph’s never wants a deserving student to be deterred from enrolling due to financial hardship. Quinlan knows that the solution is the power of scholarships, which change lives for the better and directly affect the caliber of the student body and quality of the overall academic experience for all. Quinlan, a longtime donor, former Board of Trustee member and current member of the 1851 Society, has made a planned gift, along with her husband Joe, to Saint Joseph’s in support of scholarships. This generous commitment will provide future Hawks with the opportunity to receive an education that will support, inspire and push them to find their own unique path to success.

LaMonica, Miller and Quinlan are leading from the front when it comes to campaign funding, but the success of the SOAR campaign relies on investment at every level of giving. The University needs its far-reaching community to embody the Hawk Will Never Die mindset to soar higher. An unwavering commitment to strive for more will allow Saint Joseph's to emerge from this campaign even stronger, because the world needs more of what Saint Joseph’s University has to offer.

You can support the SOAR campaign and its priorities by making a gift today.