FAQs
Frequently Asked Questions
Choose a FAQ from the list below
- How do I register for a conference?
- I'd like to apply for financial assistance. What do I need to do?
- Are there any discounts?
- Can I bring my children to the conference?
- Can you give me information on other participants so that I can arrange a carpool?
- What do I need to know if I have to cancel or make changes to my registration?
- How do I check the status of my refund?
- Which conferences can priests attend free of charge?
- Why aren't other religious admitted free of charge as Priests are?
- When does the conference begin?
- When does the conference end?
- Are there open sessions for the conferences?
- Are Sunday morning liturgies open to the public?
- Do I have to purchase a meal plan?
- Can meals be purchased at the Dining Hall on an individual basis?
- I have dietary concerns. Whom should I notify for special diets?
- Is air-conditioning available in the on-campus housing facilities?
- How do you handle special housing requests?
- Do you accept roommate requests?
- What should I bring to the conference?
1.) How can I register for an adult conference?
Guests can register 4 ways:
- Online Registration
- Calling (740) 283-6314 -or- (800) 437-8368 and speaking with a Christian Outreach Office Staff Member
- Mailing in a Registration Form
- Fax a completed Registration Form to (740) 284-5494
Guests can register online beginning January 4, 2010 until 5 days before the start of a conference.
Guests can register over the phone any time up until 5 days before the start of a conference.
Guests can register by mailing in a registration form with a check or credit card number anytime up until 5 days before the start of a conference.
Guests can register by faxing a registration form with credit card number anytime up until 5 days before the start of a conference.
We DO accept walk-up registrations the day of a conference, but note that housing may not be an available option at that time. You can try to find housing at one of the local hotels. See Guest Services for more information.
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2.) I'd like to apply for financial assistance. What do I need to do?
If you are unable to pay the registration fee, we ask that you first seek assistance from your local parish and community resources. If local help is not available, you may request registration assistance by writing to the Christian Conference Office, Attention: Bob Drusky, explaining your circumstances.
Requests for registration assistance must be received in writing by May 31, 2010. All determinations are based on need and are on a first come first served basis. Recipients will be notified in writing. Funds are limited. Assistance applies to the Registration Fee only and does not apply to Housing, Meals, Transportation or any other fees. The address is:
Franciscan University of Steubenville
Christian Outreach Office
Bob Drusky
1235 University Boulevard
Steubenville, OH 43952
Alternatively, you can send an email with the Subject Line "Financial Assistance" to BDrusky@franciscan.edu
Note: If the participant is selected for financial assistance, he or she will be contacted by mail and must call to register. This is the only way we can verify your acceptance of the assistance and register you in the conference.
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3.) Are there any discounts?
Franciscan University offers discounts to:
- Alumni of the University*
- Married Couples (provided that both husband and wife are registered for and attend the same conference)*
- Priests. The Registration Fee is waived for priests with faculties who attend any on-campus adult conference, (except for the Priests, Deacons, and Seminarians Conference). This waiver is for the Registration Fee only and does not include food & housing costs, transportation, or any other fees. Advance registration is required. Priests are asked to bring their albs and stoles to assist in sacramental ministry at the conferences.
- Those who register before April 26, 2010 and take advantage of our Early Bird Registration rates.
* Participants may choose either the Alumni Discount or the Married Couple discount, but not both.
For more information, please call (740) 283-6314 or (800) 437-8368 to speak with a Christian Outreach Office Staff Member.
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4.) Can I bring my children to the conference?
We at Franciscan University foster and love families.
However, due to our staffing, facility constraints, and
insurance regulations, we are unable to provide childcare
during the conferences. In addition, our meeting rooms and
residence halls were not designed with young children in
mind, and therefore are not safe for children. Because of
this, children are not permitted to attend conferences.
Summer Conference Children
and “Babes in Arms” Policy:
Children under the age of 12 are not allowed to attend Franciscan
University’s adult conferences. Please note that any
requests for exceptions must be referred to a professional
staff member. Nursing infants are permitted to attend sessions
with a parent, but are not to be housed on campus.
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5.) Can you give me information on everyone coming
from my area so that I can find a person with whom I can
carpool?
We are unable to provide names, addresses and phone
numbers without permission from the participant. Additionally,
we are unable to offer the service of connecting participants
from the same locale.
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6.) What do I need to know if I have to cancel or make changes to my registration?
CANCELLATION/REFUND POLICY
If you are unable to attend a conference for any reason, you may cancel your registration and request a refund in writing.
All refunds are subject to a $25 cancellation fee.
All cancellations or refund requests must be received in writing at our office within five business days of the close of the conference for which you are registered.
You may e-mail a cancellation and refund request to conferences@franciscan.edu.
If you are unable to attend, we are able to transfer a conference registration to another person, if you wish, but only if the following criteria are met:
- The person you are transferring your registration to may not already be registered themselves.
- The entire registration package is transferred (including meals and housing if applicable).
- The transfer must be within the same conference.
- Requests for transfers must be received in writing.
Due to commitments that must be made prior to each conference, we are unable to issue any refunds for housing, meals, or transportation that are requested within 5 business days before a conference.
Refunds may take two to four weeks to process.
Please note these distinctions:
- All cancellations, no matter when they are made, are subject to a $25 cancellation fee.
- To be eligible to receive a refund for the amount of the Registration Fee (minus the $25 cancellation fee), this request must be made in writing within five business days of the close of the conference.
- To be eligible to receive any refunds for housing, meals, or transportation, this request must be made in writing within five business days before the conference begins.
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7.) How do I check the status of my refund?
Refunds may take two to four weeks to process (especially during the busy conference season). You can speak with any of our Account Receivable staff members at the Christian Outreach Office by calling 740-283-6314 or 800-437-8368.
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8.) Which conferences can Priests attend free of charge?
The Registration Fee is waived for priests with faculties who attend any on-campus adult conference, (except for the Priests, Deacons, and Seminarians Conference). This waiver is for the Registration Fee only and does not include food & housing costs, transportation, or any other fees. Advance registration is required. Priests are asked to bring their albs and stoles to assist in sacramental ministry at the conferences.
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9.) Why aren't other religious admitted free of charge as Priests are?
While we do accept and welcome Sisters, Brothers, Deacons, and Seminarians to our conferences, Priests are asked to perform sacramental functions while at our conferences such as celebrating the Mass and hearing confessions.
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10.) When does the conference begin?
For all conferences, except for the Religious Sisters Conference, there is a Travelers' Mass at 4:00 p.m. in Christ the King Chapel on opening day, with dinner occurring from 4:30-7:00 p.m. Conference programming begins at 7:00 p.m.
The Defending the Faith Conference begins at 2:00 p.m. with a pre-conference session with participants from the Applied Biblical Studies Conference. It will be followed by a Travelers' Mass at 4:00 p.m.
Those attending the Applied Biblical Studies Conference who have also registered for the Journey Through Scripture (Bible Study Training Tracks) program will arrive on Tuesday, July 28th. The first session will begin at 2:00 p.m. Participants are welcome to join the University community for 12:05 p.m. Mass.
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11.) When does the conference end?
Conferences end at 12:00 noon on the closing day and are followed by a traveler's lunch.
Exceptions include:
- The Applied Biblical Studies Conference officially ends at noon but participants are welcome to stay after their lunch for the two sessions that precede the Defending the Faith Conference. The session begin at 2:00pm.
- The Journey Through Scripture (Bible Study Training Tracks) program will end at 4:00 p.m. on the closing day of the Applied Biblical Studies Conference, Friday, July 30, 2010.
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12.) Are there open sessions for the conferences?
During the Catholic Charismatic, St. John Bosco, & Defending the Faith Conferences, the Saturday evening session is free and open to the public.
During the Priests, Deacons, and Seminarians and the Applied Biblical Studies Conferences, the Thursday evening session is free and open to the public.
The High School Youth Conferences are not open to the public at any point due to Diocesan policies.
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13.) Are Sunday morning liturgies open to the public?
Since conference liturgies are considered part of the conference programming, we encourage those who are not conference guests to instead attend the University Masses offered at Christ the King Chapel, or one of the Masses at local Steubenville parishes. This assures that the worship space set aside for Mass during the conferences will have enough room to comfortably accommodate all of our conference guests.
Regrettably, during the High School Youth Conferences when our facilities are filled to capacity, fire code regulations require that we only admit registered conference guests or on-duty conference staff to the conference liturgies.
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14.) Do I have to purchase the meal plan?
In order to fully participate in the conference experience, you are encouraged to purchase the meal plan and eat in the cafeteria. Fellowship with other conference participants during meals is beneficial during the conference. Individual meals cannot be purchased at the cafeteria. The cafeteria only accepts meal plans. However, there are other dining options on and off campus.
For more information about dining options please go to http://www.franciscanconferences.com/Meals/.
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15.) Can meals be purchased at the Dining Hall on an individual basis?
Individual meals cannot be purchased at the cafeteria. The cafeteria only accepts meal plans. However, there are other dining options on and off campus.
For more information about dining options please go to http://www.franciscanconferences.com/Meals/.
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16.) I have dietary concerns. Whom should I make
aware of my need?
Sodexo Campus Services will be happy to accommodate your dietary needs as well as possible. Please call them in advance at 740-283-6274 to discuss the arrangements.
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17.) Is air-conditioning available in the on-campus housing facilities?
Yes, we have a limited amount of air-conditioned housing available on-campus, and there is an increased rate for these rooms. For more information or to find out what is still available, please call our office at 740-283-6314 or 1-800-437-8368. For more information regarding housing (both on and off campus) please go to http://www.franciscanconferences.com/Housing/.
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18.) How do you handle special housing requests?
Depending upon the nature of the request, the Christian Outreach Office will make a note of the request and will do everything possible to accommodate the need if we are able. However, we appreciate your understanding that there may be certain limitations which may prevent us from honoring a request. Please contact our offices well in advance of the conference you are planning to attend to make sure we can accommodate you: 740-283-6314 or 1-800-437-8368.
Franciscan University is not able to accommodate any housing requests made outside of the scheduled conference days. We suggest that you contact one of our local hotels for these accommodations.
Click HOTELS AND OTHER HOUSING OPTIONS  to view our list of local hotels and other housing options.
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19.) Do you accept roommate requests?
If you are staying on-campus, we do accept roommate requests prior to the opening day of the conference. If you have already registered and would like to put a roommate request in, please call our office at 740-283-6314 or 1-800-437-8368. Married couples should request each other if they wish to room together. Should two participants wish to room together, it is helpful if they arrive at the on-campus registration area together. Your requested roommate must also be registered for the same type of housing as you (either air-conditioned or non air-conditioned) in order for us to be able to honor the request. While we cannot guarantee that every roommate request will be honored, we will make every effort possible to do so. We appreciate your understanding as unforeseen circumstances and limitations do occasionally arise which may prevent us from honoring a request.
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20.) What should I bring to the conference?
We suggest bringing a Bible, note pad and writing materials. You may also wish to bring devotionals such as a Rosary and other favorite prayers.
Even though it may be summer, some meeting rooms can get cold due to air-conditioning. So we suggest bringing along a sweater or other attire to keep you comfortable during the sessions.
Bringing along a camera is also a good idea as the beautiful scenery around campus offers many opportunities to help you remember your conference experience.
Pay phones are a rare site in most public places today, and the University campus is no exception. You should remember to bring along your cell phone if you wish to keep in contact with one another while here or with loved ones back at home. It should also be noted that, if you are staying on-campus, dorm rooms are not equipped with telephones.
While the University is very much a walking campus, we cannot guarantee that Steubenville weather will always cooperate to provide a dry weekend. If you notice current weather predictions call for a less than dry environment, we suggest bringing along an umbrella and other rain appropriate gear.
If you are housed on-campus, pack any medications, suitable attire for hot summers, fans (for personal comfort in the non-air conditioned dorm rooms), toiletries, an alarm clock, and anything else you would normally pack when staying away from home. As stated above, on-campus dorm rooms are not equipped with telephones, so remember your cell phone.
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