University of San Francisco Launches Largest Campaign in its History

$300 million comprehensive campaign will support investment in students, the creation of new programs and improved facilities

SAN FRANCISCO (June 20, 2019) – The University of San Francisco (USF) has launched the public phase of ‘Changing the World From Here: Campaign for the University of San Francisco’ with the goal of raising $300 million by 2022. This is USF’s largest campaign to date and supports three priorities: student scholarships and financial aid, new programs, and expansion and revitalization of campus facilities. More than $188 million has been raised from over 23,000 donors since the quiet phase of the campaign began on June 1, 2014.

Located in the heart of San Francisco and established in 1855 initially as St. Ignatius Academy, USF is a Jesuit Catholic university consisting of five schools and colleges: School of Education, School of Law, School of Management, School of Nursing and Health Professions, and the College of Arts and Sciences. With approximately 11,000 undergraduate and graduate students combined, USF is ranked in the top 100 schools nationwide and third in ethnic diversity by U.S. News & World Report for 2019. Approximately 76 percent of USF undergraduate students and 48 percent of graduate students receive some form of financial assistance.

Cornerstone initiatives of USF’s campaign include:

• Creating bold programs: The campaign will raise $100 million to help support a new engineering program for the 21st century focusing on interdisciplinary and problem-based learning, the new Honors College, the Institute for Nonviolence and Social Justice, and Black Achievement Success and Engagement, which builds on USF’s commitment to diversity by creating an academically challenging, supportive, and empowering experience for black-identified students.
• Investing in students: The campaign will raise $100 million in new investments to support scholarships and financial aid, allowing USF to attract a talented and diverse student body and to better serve first-generation students.
• Building for the future: The campaign will raise $100 million toward the goal of revitalizing select campus buildings and spaces to transform the learning experience. Building projects include the Harney Science Center ‘Innovation Hive’, development of the War Memorial Gym at the Sobrato Center including a Sport and Social Change museum, and expansion projects including a new dining commons.

“The impact our graduates are having right now in every corner of the world and in every imaginable sector — from the arts and health care to public policy and business — is an extraordinary testament to the power of what happens at USF,” said Serra Falk-Goldman, USF School of Law alumna and USF Board of Trustees campaign co-chair.

USF will showcase the university’s priorities and campaign progress at ‘CelebrateUSF,’ a three-day event open to the public to be held October 18-20, 2019. The event will celebrate the university’s Jesuit educational values and influence, as well as student and alumni success, and will feature a food and wine festival, top musical acts, student research demonstrations, alumni reunions, family friendly activities, and campus tours.

“USF is uniquely positioned as the Jesuit university in San Francisco to provide the ethical leadership, inspiration, and direction necessary to change the world from here,” stated Rev. Paul J. Fitzgerald, S.J., USF president. “Through this campaign, USF seeks to reinvent Jesuit education in the city that is inventing tomorrow.”

About the University of San Francisco

The University of San Francisco is located in the heart of one of the world’s most innovative and diverse cities and is home to a vibrant academic community of students and faculty who achieve excellence in their fields. Its diverse student body enjoys direct access to faculty, small classes, and outstanding opportunities in the city itself. USF is San Francisco’s first university, and its Jesuit Catholic mission helps ignite a student’s passion for social justice and a desire to “Change the World From Here.” For more information, visit the USF Home Page or USF Magazine.

Changing the World From Here: Campaign for the University of San Francisco is raising $300 million through 2022 to support student scholarships and financial aid, the creation of bold and innovative programs, and the renovation of current facilities and construction of new space, all part of expanding the university’s global influence. For more information, visit theUSF Campaign Page.