Campus Life

Ministry Activities

Ministry Team

The Ministry Team provides opportunities for students, faculty, administrators, and staff to share their faith and life experiences. The Team is committed to promoting its Catholic and Franciscan mission through education, service, outreach, and witness to the Gospel of Jesus Christ. The call to follow Jesus is based upon the Gospel mandate: “You are to love the Lord your God with all your heart and love your neighbor as you love yourself” (Matthew 22:37, 39). We are called to hear God’s word, take it into our hearts, and be enlightened with its truth. The Ministry Team presents programs and experiences that inform the mind, form the human character, and address issues of the spirit through evenings of reflection, special prayer services, catechesis, outreach, worship, and the ministry of presence.

Worship

The Ministry Team recognizes diversity within the Neumann University community and supports ecumenism. The Team strives to provide inclusive, welcoming worship experiences, while, at the same time, remaining ever faithful to its Catholic roots and Franciscan charism. Throughout the school year, many opportunities for prayer, liturgy, spiritual direction, the sacraments, retreats, and Bible study are made available. All are welcome.

Education

Faith and values are an integral part of education at Neumann University. We believe, however, that education is more than just knowledge. The Catholic faith and the Catholic principles of peace and social justice are promoted through ongoing catechesis as well as through various educational and consciousness-raising programs and events. Sponsored by the Ministry Team, these programs are designed to foster the intellectual, emotional, social, and spiritual development of administration, faculty, staff, and students.

Service

The Franciscan tradition of service and outreach to the poor and marginalized is lived out at Neumann University. The Ministry Team is faithful to this commitment through ongoing service and outreach programs, such as Aid for Friends, Sandwiches for Survival, House of Joseph II, Habitat for Humanity, Saint Francis Inn, and the Catholic Charities Food Drive, all of which make service a lived experience for students, administration, faculty, and staff. Students also engage in outreach service activities at homeless shelters for men and women in the Philadelphia, Wilmington, and Camden areas. Service Immersion Trips are also offered to students during Spring Break.

Student Affairs

Student Affairs at Neumann University consists of the offices of the Vice President for Enrollment and Student Affairs; Athletics; Counseling; Health Services; Residence Life; Student Activities; and Student Development. The mission of Student Affairs is to facilitate student involvement in holistic educational experiences which integrate intellectual and affective development in a caring and personalized environment. At Neumann University, education is viewed as multidimensional; and Student Affairs, through its programs and services, provides students with numerous opportunities to involve themselves in their own education as students and as members of the Neumann University community.

Counseling Services

The mission of Counseling Services is to support students through the developmental processes that are needed to achieve their academic goals. Counseling Services provides a safe and supportive atmosphere in which students can explore and develop the socio-emotional-spiritual areas of their lives. Counseling enables students to integrate their academic experience with their total holistic development. Educational programs are also offered through Counseling Services.

Neumann University is a member of the Network of Colleges for Prevention of Drug/Alcohol Abuse and, in accordance with federal guidelines, is a declared Drug-Free Campus. For students with chemical substance problems, the services of a Certified Drug/Alcohol Counselor are available through the Counseling Office. These services are primarily preventive, with referral made to appropriate resources for additional counseling and treatment.

Health Services

The mission of Health Services is to attend to the physical and informational health needs of students, thereby enabling them to attain their highest potential in all aspects of life. The Director of Health Services coordinates the activities of the Health Services Office, utilizing a physician as a resource person and consultant, whenever needed. A physician is also available on campus at specified times. The Health Services Office is open to any student seeking information on health concerns and for treatment for either minor illness or a health emergency.

The Director of Health Services also provides health-related educational programs throughout the year and facilitates the formation of student health support groups and peer educators, as needed. Student suggestions and peer education involvement are welcome.

Care administered to students in the Health Services Office is free of charge.

Career Development Office

The mission of the Career Development Office is to promote a values-based approach to career and life planning with opportunities for career exploration through Experiential Education programs, as well as service-learning, internship, and cooperative education experiences.

Career planning is viewed as a developmental process that begins with the first year of college and continues throughout the student’s educational program at Neumann. An integral part of that process is an introduction to SIGI PLUS, a computerized career-planning program, supported by the Office, that assesses a student’s values, skills, and interests. Students are also provided with current information on career possibilities and assisted in their decision-making process pertaining to career options. The Office houses a library of career-related publications, and its web site also contains links to career planning information. These resources, along with the opportunity for individual career counseling by appointment, provide a basis for educational and career planning.

Students are encouraged to utilize the resources of the Career Development Office to learn about full- and part-time job opportunities, obtain career and graduate school information, and establish credential files. Workshops are held each semester on career exploration, résumé writing, interviewing skills, and job search strategies. In addition, employment opportunities are posted both internally and on the Office’s web site at www.collegecentral.com/neumann. The Career Development Office annually participates in an Intercollegiate Career Fair with other local colleges in the spring and hosts a Career Fair for Nursing majors each fall. As a member of the Delaware Valley Education Consortium, the Career Development Office assists in the planning and implementation of the annual Greater Philadelphia Teacher Job Fair. Experiential education programs (Co-Ops, Internships, and Service-Learning) are coordinated through the Career Development Office by the Coordinator of Experiential Education programs.

Child Development Center

The Child Development Center is a modern, octagonal-shaped building, specifically designed to house an educational program for pre-schoolers. As a state-licensed child-care facility, the Center enrolls children of Neumann University students, faculty, staff, and administration, as well as the surrounding community. To be eligible for enrollment, a child must have had his/her third birthday. The Center’s 12-month program enrolls children from three through five years of age.

The Child Development Center is part of the Division of Education and Human Services. Consequently, students enrolled in Education courses frequently use the Center for observations, practical experiences, and student teaching. Work-study positions are also available at the Center.

The Arts Guild at Neumann University

The Arts Guild at Neumann University was established in 1991 as a coordinating agent to enhance and extend the high level of cultural activities at Neumann University to the communities of the Delaware Valley. As reflected in its mission and vision of the performing arts at Neumann University, the Arts Guild believes that of “the great many goals in life, finding one’s own voice and at the same time being able to listen to others are among the most important. The arts facilitate this process through a rich cultural heritage, stimulated creativity, and the development of perspective and relatedness that result in good citizenship, productive lives, and personal fulfillment.”

The Arts Guild was originally comprised of three member organizations which offered musical and theatrical events to the surrounding community. Since 1991, the Guild has grown to nine member organizations: Center Stage Productions, the Cultural Arts Forum, the Delaware County Symphony, International Ballet Classique, the Neumann University Art Gallery, the Neumann University Concert Chorale, the Neumann University Jazz Band, the Neumann University Players, and Stages of Imagination. These member organizations present a wide range of vocal and dance performances, diverse children’s and adult theatrical performances, as well as a variety of lectures, art exhibits, and seminars at the Fred P. Meagher Theatre, located in the University’s Life Center, and at various locations in the surrounding tri-county area.

• Center Stage Productions seeks to make the theater experience an educational, enlightening, and enjoyable event. Summer workshops and productions are open to any students who are interested in some aspect of the performing arts. Mainstage Productions, offered under the auspices of Center Stage Productions, encourages all members of the community to audition for roles in its shows.
• With the primary goal of fostering cultural programming and enriching the educational experiences both of the University and of the larger community, the Cultural Arts Forum hosts a lecture series of six seminars each year, annual field trips, and an annual fashion show. Proceeds from these events benefit the Dr. Margaret Mary Kearney Scholarship Fund, which assists financially deserving non-traditional students.
• Founded in 1969, the Delaware County Symphony promotes the welfare of musical art by providing an opportunity for qualified non-paid musicians to perform classical music. With a company of approximately 70 musicians, the Symphony offers four full-orchestral concerts and four chamber music concerts each season. Performances often feature soloists of renown and new works by living composers. Neumann University students may audition for membership in the orchestra. If accepted for membership, students may register for academic credit on a semester basis for this orchestral experience. For this option, students are urged to consult with their academic advisor.
• The International Ballet Classique (IBC) is a nonprofit organization that is dedicated to preserving Russian classical ballet, advancing new and creative ideas in the arts, and bringing the art of ballet to a wide and diverse population. The professional dancers who work and perform with IBC are dedicated to the development of a new generation of qualified ballet artists.
• The Neumann University Art Gallery serves as a host site for emerging artists from the surrounding area to exhibit a body of their artwork. Art exhibitions are displayed in the Neumann University Library, and each show typically runs for two months. All displayed works are in congruence with the Franciscan Mission of Neumann University.
• The Neumann University Concert Chorale provides opportunities to gain experiences in group and ensemble singing to both students as well as members of the surrounding communities. Theoretical and musical concepts are presented through the choral literature which is selected. The Chorale performs annual holiday concerts, spring concerts, and special feature performances as requested. Neumann University students may register for academic credit for this vocal experience.
• The Neumann University Jazz Band, established in 2002, has become a significant and entertaining component of the performing arts at Neumann University. Open to all members of the Neumann community, the Jazz Band explores a wide variety of repertoire, from standards of the swing era to contemporary pieces that fuse jazz, pop, and rock styles. Students assume an active role in the life of the organization by selecting music for performance each semester, and by seeking opportunities for the group to perform off campus as a service to the surrounding community. Neumann University students may register for academic credit for this music performance experience.
• The Neumann University Players comprises a production company which designs, builds, manages, and performs at least two plays during the academic year. Members from surrounding communities are welcome to participate. Neumann students who register for theater production courses for academic credit may function in one or more “roles” in the company, such as performance, design and technical theater, or marketing. Students may continue to develop their theater skills at advancing levels of proficiency in each of these areas through subsequent semesters of study, or they may choose to explore a different area of theater-related activities.
• Stages of Imagination is a cultural and educational organization whose purpose is to offer professional dramatic performances to school-age children throughout the Delaware Valley. Each live performance is an original work which has been designed to address important concerns of school-age children, while instilling in them an appreciation of drama, music, and dance.

The Arts Guild, organized as a Council which operates under the auspices of Neumann University, maintains the full autonomy of each member organization. Members of the Guild’s governing body are drawn from four general areas: the arts, business, the University, and the community. For further information about the Arts Guild at Neumann University, please contact the Coordinator of Cultural Programming at Neumann University by calling 610-558-5626.

Neumann University Alumni Association

All Neumann University and Our Lady of Angels College alumni are part of the Neumann University Alumni Association. The Association serves to foster and maintain a loyal and active relationship between Neumann University, current students, and alumni through networking, involvement, and institutional advancement activities. The vision of the Alumni Association is to be a significant influence in helping Neumann University achieve its full potential as an institution of higher learning which offers a values-based education to all of its students.

Under the auspices of the Office of Institutional Advancement and College Relations, the Alumni Association, and the Office of Alumni Relations and Special Programs collaborate to bring together more than 11,500 alumni for such planned events as Homecoming Weekend, golf outings, outreach projects, and regional alumni receptions.

The Office of Alumni Relations and Special Programs is continually looking for volunteers to help with various projects and committees, including the Alumni Executive Board, a group of volunteer professionals who help advance the Mission and Vision of Neumann University.

Neumann University Parents Committee

The Neumann University Parents Committee provides opportunities for parents to become more closely involved in the life of the University and, at the same time, preserve, enhance, and improve the quality of the Neumann experience for all students. Serving as ambassadors on and off campus, Neumann parents are recognized for their commitment to their children’s alma mater.

Annual Giving Program

The Neumann University Annual Giving Program provides funds, both restricted and unrestricted, each year to strengthen academic programs, increase resources for financial aid, and further the Mission of the University. The Annual Fund is vital to the University and creates new opportunities that cannot be met exclusively through tuition or endowment funds alone.

Many Neumann students assist the University’s Annual Giving Program by volunteering to participate in the Annual Phonathon, the Class Gift Committee, and other activities sponsored by the Office of Institutional Advancement and College Relations.