If you are a caring, visionary, results-driven student life professional motivated to form the next generation of Catholic leaders, this is your moment to answer the call.


At Franciscan University, work is never just work. It is a calling, a vocation, where your deepest convictions intersect with your unique giftedness to sanctify the world. Guided by our Be Light Strategic Plan, we work together to form joyful disciples who transform every corner of society—boardrooms, emergency rooms, classrooms, and countless arenas—in the light of Jesus Christ.

When you join Franciscan University, you’ll become part of this visionary, mission-driven Catholic community that sees the daily work of forming students as key to the future of our Church and our culture. Your gifts will serve a higher purpose and bear eternal fruit in lives changed, a Church renewed, and a world transformed. You’ll work alongside men and women who will encourage you, challenge you, and help you fulfill your God-given leadership role in this vital work. You will find the meaning and satisfaction that good work—done well and done rightly—gives to a life.


We are searching for our next Vice President of Student Life—a dynamic, student-centered executive whose leadership will shape the daily life and future of Franciscan University. Reporting to the President and serving on the Executive Team, the VPSL will advance a vibrant Catholic, Franciscan campus—rooted in community, conversion, and encounter—by being a visible, approachable presence in the lives of students.


You will oversee an integrated portfolio—residence life, student conduct, wellness and counseling, student activities and leadership, dining, orientation and campus events, international student services, and athletics—translating strategy into formation, care, and a sense of belonging for students. You will also help build a listening culture by hosting forums, advising Student Governmen, conducting surveys, and walking the campus so student feedback shapes divisional priorities and measurable outcomes.


More than a job, this position leads transformative change in the lives of students, and it stewards one of the most distinctive student cultures in Catholic higher education. The VPSL will form students holistically, foster evangelization, strengthen belonging and well-being, and build a campus community that reflects Franciscan’s mission and vision.


  • Mission Integration and Student Engagement: Safeguard Catholic and Franciscan identity across Student Life; ensure policies and programs form students in virtue, discipleship, and responsible community life; be a visible, accessible leader who uses student feedback to set division-wide priorities.

  • Well-Being and Pastoral Care: Strengthen counseling, health education, disability services, and CARE/BIT case management so students feel supported and thrive; with the Vice President of Franciscan Life, advance efforts to promote ongoing conversion among students.

  • Division Leadership, Strategy, and Technology: Build and lead a cohesive mission-aligned team; oversee hiring, development, succession, budgets, and auxiliaries; support effective technology and data use across Student Life; translate institutional priorities into an annual Student Life plan with clear outcomes; use dashboards and assessments to guide decisions and show progress.

  • Crisis and Compliance: Lead student crisis response; steward FERPA, Title IX/VAWA, Clery compliance; keep policy and training current; serve as Chief Student Judicial Officer.

  • Leadership Development and Signature Events: Shape student leadership pathways, orientation, and campuswide events faithful to Catholic teaching and designed to foster belonging.

  • Cross-Campus Partnerships: Collaborate with Enrollment, Academic Affairs, Athletics, Advancement, Operations, and Marketing and Communications as well as external partners to align student experience and mission.

  • A faithful Catholic who can articulate the faith, lead from the heart of the Church, and integrate Franciscan’s core values of encounter, conversion, and community.
  • A student-centered executive with 7- to 10-plus years of progressive Student Affairs leadership and success overseeing multiple functional areas and large teams.
  • A builder and integrator skilled in people leadership, operational excellence, assessment, and data-informed decisions.
  • A pastoral, steady presence in complex moments: sound judgment, legal/policy fluency, and a balanced approach to student dignity and community standards.

Franciscan University is a recognized leader in faithfully Catholic higher education.

Top-Tier Reputation. U.S. News & World Report (2025-26) ranks Franciscan University 25th among Midwest Universities, out of 161 institutions in our region. Our metrics—85% first-year retention, 74% graduation rate, 19:1 student/faculty ratio, and steady enrollment gains—demonstrate academic strength and student satisfaction.

Capital Campaign That Delivered. We raised $126.1 million through our Rebuild My Church Campaign, surpassing our goal by $50 million and completing the beautiful new Christ the Teacher Academic Hall and the Pope St. Paul VI Event Center and Christ the King Chapel expansion among other signature initiatives.

Global and Academic Distinction. Serving more than 4,250 on-campus and online students from every U.S. state and 35 countries, we offer more than 100 programs. Our Austrian Study Abroad Program serves 200-plus students each term, giving our formation a global Catholic context.

Endorsed for Fidelity. Widely recognized as the leader of the renaissance in Catholic higher education called for in Ex corde Ecclesiae, Franciscan University is one of only 16 faithfully Catholic universities in the U.S. endorsed by the Cardinal Newman Society out of the nation’s 230 Catholic colleges and universities.

Situated just 40 miles west of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, and 25 miles from the Pittsburgh International Airport, Franciscan University’s home city of Steubenville, Ohio, offers University employees the best of both worlds: A small-town environment with thriving parishes, faithful Catholic schools, an extensive homeschool network, highly rated public schools, and a close-knit supportive community, plus all the amenities of a nearby major metropolitan area, including professional sporting events, a world-class symphony, opera, ballet, theater, shopping, fine dining, and more.

Steubenville is the seat of Jefferson County whose rich natural resources have provided an economic history based in industry and agriculture.

Abundant recreational options in our county include parks, lakes, golf courses, trails, historic sites, wineries, festivals, shopping, and more. A variety of fairs, festivals, and community days show again and again the pride that residents take in their hometowns.

The medical field has seen incredible expansion in Jefferson County, with new facilities, improved technology, and expanded services. Residents can also enjoy the convenience of top health care here at home from University of Pittsburgh Medical Center, Allegheny General Hospital, and West Virginia University specialists affiliated with local hospitals.

If you are motivated by purpose, driven to achieve excellence, and eager to be part of a mission that transcends the ordinary, Franciscan University offers an extraordinary professional home.


Applicant materials must include a cover letter that demonstrates:

  • Candidate’s understanding, willingness to embrace, and desire to advance the mission of Franciscan University.
  • Candidate’s experience, education, and competencies meet position requirements.

For other information and job postings, visit franciscan.edu For questions, email [email protected]

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