A Giving Day, or Day of Giving is an important online fundraising tool for institutions of higher learning. Some colleges and universities have canceled or postponed their Giving Days in light of the COVID-19 Pandemic. Standing out as an exception is Felician University which instead of canceling their Day of Giving made the bold decision to instead turn it into a Day of Caring.

Maura DeNicola, V.P. of University Advancement for Felician says “We have changed our scheduled Day of Giving to a Day of Caring (and extended the “Day” to however long it takes). Right now we want to focus on taking care of one another.  In fact, we see an even greater need to come together in celebration and solidarity of our Felician Franciscan community.”

To help accomplish this Felician set up a special Emergency Student Fund to help students who really need support these days to continue their education. Felician chose March 26 to launch the Day of Caring because the date holds special signifigance in Felician history. It was on that date in 1942 that Immaculate Conception Junior College in Lodi (which was to become Felician University) was incorporated by the Felician Sisters in New Jersey.

The COVID-19 outbreak has been disruptive, but Felician University isn’t letting the virus get in the way of fulfilling their mission to bring students to their highest potential and prepare them to meet the challenges of the new century.

Felician University Students

Felician moved all courses online, and 276 faculty members are providing virtual classes – a challenging task that was accomplished with great effort and true commitment to the University and its students. Support services including tutoring and counseling have also adapted and moved online.

Felician recognizes the need to work to create a greater sense of virtual community. To that end each morning at 8:45am,  a community prayer is shared (you can join here). Radio Felician is building out programming to expand connections to both students and the greater community and the University is also creating webinars and webcasts for those at home to benefit from the expertise of Felician faculty and staff.

Social distancing is vitally important in stopping further spread of the coronavirus, but Felician wants to counteract any isolation and disconnect the Felician community may be experiencing. To make that happen they’re encouraging their community to share stories of the heroism, caring, selflessness, inspiration, and service they’ve observed within the Felician community, be it a student, faculty, Sisters, classmates, or alumni.

DeNicola says the emphasis is on a sense of community, sharing and staying connected. The point is she adds, “reach out. Tell your story. Connect with your supportive Felician community. Take a break from world news and get ready to be inspired. Together we will get through this.”

You can get involved by going to www.feliciancaring.com.

About Felician University

Felician University engages over 2,300 undergraduate, graduate, and adult students through programs in Arts & Sciences, Business, Nursing, and Education. Universal Franciscan values of social justice, compassion, and respect for human dignity serve as an inclusive foundation for transforming the lives of tomorrow’s leaders. Felician University’s education is ranked 3rd best return on investment for private colleges in New Jersey 2018 by the PayScale.com College ROI Report and is ranked #1 safest college campus in the state by niche.com.