Academic Life

Academic Resource Center (ARC)

The John C. Ford Academic Resource Center (ARC) offers academic services and resources to assist all students in their pursuit of academic and personal success. Located on the ground floor of the Bachmann Main Building, the ARC is staffed by trained professionals and students who provide a wide range of services, including peer and professional tutoring, organized study groups, study skills workshops, academic coaching, and disabilities services.

The ARC staff works closely with faculty and administrators to provide programmatic support to all Neumann students, beginning with their First-Year Experience and overall orientation to the University and lasting throughout their years at Neumann University and beyond. The ARC is home to the following offices and programs:

• Academic Resources
• Disabilities Services (See Admissions Information   section)
• PACE Program (See Admissions Information   section)
• Placement Testing (See Admissions Information   section)
• Program for Success/Academic Coaching
• Professional and peer tutoring
• Writing support
• Moderated study groups
• Study skills workshops
• SMARTHINKING, 24/7 on-line tutoring service
• Computers and tutorial software

ARC tutoring service is an appointment based program.  Students can make apointments through Tutor Trac on the ARC web page or directly in the ARC.  The ARC is open from 8:00am to 8:00pm, Monday through Thursday and 8:00am to 5:00pm on Fridays.  However, other times can be arranged upon request.

Career and Personal Development Office

The mission of the Career and Personal Development Office is to promote a values-based approach to career and life planning with opportunities for career exploration and personal development through internships and study abroad experiences.  The Office assists students and alumni with assessing career interests, exploring career options, and developing the skills to successfully pursue career goals.  

The Career and Personal Development Office offers the following:

• Online interest and personality assessments
• Individual counseling with regard to any career-related concerns
• Assistance with resume writing, cover letters, interviewing, job search, etc.
• Preparation for participation in internships for academic credit
• Workshops on various topics
• Online job and internship posting site
• Website with links to career planning resources and information
• Graduate school information

Internship Programs

Internships allow undergraduate students to combine the world of academics with the world of work. All internships must be related to the student’s academic major, minor, or concentration and must provide experiences which augment the student’s theoretical knowledge. To qualify for participation in the internship program, the student must have successfully completed 60 credits, satisfied both University and Division criteria for participation, and be accepted into the major.

Internships can be taken for 3 credits or in increments of 3 credits up to 6 credits per semester with a maximum of 12 credits during a student’s undergraduate experience. Each 3 credits of internship experience requires 150 hours of supervised work experience.

There is an on-campus classroom component to the internship course, so that the student must take this into consideration when planning his/her schedule for the semester in which the internship will be completed.  The student must complete all documents and  be registered in the internship class before the end of the drop/add period.  If not registered by this deadline, the student will have to register for and complete the internship in a future semester.

Study Abroad

Students who wish to study abroad must first consult with their academic advisor and Division Dean and, then, schedule an appointment with the Coordinator of International Studies Education. As part of this process, students are also required to complete a Neumann University Study Abroad Form. For more information, visit www.neumann.edu/ise.

Neumann University has established full articulation agreements with Australian Catholic University (Melbourne, Australia), Mary Immaculate College (Limerick, Ireland), Shanghai University (China), St. Mary’s University College (London, UK), St. John’s University (Paris, France & Rome, Italy), the Franciscan Heritage Program (Perugia, Italy), St. Francis University (Ambialet, France), University of Limerick (Limerick, Ireland), and the University of Wisconsin - Platteville (Seville, Spain). Neumann also affords students the opportunity to study abroad learning Spanish and Italian in intensive 3-4 week long programs through partnerships with AULA Toledo in Toledo, Spain, and Accademia Lingua Italiana Assisi (ALIA) in Assisi, Italy.

Neumann University participates in the British Council’s Study USA Program (formerly known as the Business Education Initiative), a nationally recognized program which sponsors student exchange with institutions in Northern Ireland. These articulated agreements are designed to develop and enhance academic and cultural exchanges between Neumann University and participating institutions, with the goal of working toward the internationalization of higher education. In accordance with the terms of these agreements, Neumann University agrees to accept graded transfer credit for these completed courses from the host institution.

Students who plan to register for courses that are offered by unaffiliated programs, i.e., foreign institutions with whom Neumann University has no formal articulation agreement, must first consult with their academic advisor and Division Dean and, then, schedule an appointment with the Coordinator of International Studies Education. As part of this process, students are also required to complete a Neumann University Study Abroad Form. In identifying those courses on the Form which the student intends to study, it is understood that Neumann “per course equivalencies” will neither be listed nor determined at the time when the Form is completed and signed. Any suggested “per course equivalencies” are to be viewed as unofficial and nonbinding. When a course of study has been completed at the unaffiliated institution, the student must arrange for an official transcript to be sent by the originating institution to an international evaluation service recognized by the National Association of Credential Evaluation Services (NACES). A complete list of NACES member evaluators is available at: http://www.naces.org/members.htm. The evaluation service must provide Neumann University with a course-to-course assessment which identifies United States college-level course equivalencies. All costs for these evaluations are to be paid by the student. Neumann University agrees to accept these evaluated credit recommendations and to apply those credits to the student’s academic program, as applicable. The sole exception to this evaluation process would be for those foreign institutions with which Neumann University has previously established articulation agreements. For additional information, please contact either the appropriate Division Dean or the Office of International Studies Education at 610-358-4547. 

Qualified students may also study abroad through programs that are sponsored by another regionally accredited United States college or university. Such programs are usually offered as summer institutes or academic year programs. Before seeking permission to be admitted into such a program at the host institution, students must first consult with their academic advisor and Division Dean and, then, schedule an appointment with the Coordinator of International Studies Education. As part of this process, students are also required to complete a Neumann University Study Abroad Form. When the course of study has been completed in this type of program, the student must arrange for an official transcript to be sent from the regionally accredited American college or university which sponsors the program to Neumann University’s Registrar at One Neumann Drive, Aston, PA 19014. This transcript will be evaluated in accordance with the academic policy which governs the acceptance of transfer credit; and credits will be applied to the student’s academic program, as appropriate.

Through a special partnership with St. Bonaventure University in New York and the Association of Franciscan Colleges and Universities, Neumann University students now have the opportunity to participate in the semester-long Franciscan Heritage Program (FHP) in Perugia, Italy. All FHP students study Franciscan heritage, Italian language (at varying degrees of proficiency) as well as elective courses such as Italian history, Italian culture, and international business. All courses are taught in English and include field trips to nearby Assisi, La Verna, and other Franciscan sites. Student participants also receive the support of a full-time American resident director.

Computer Facilities and Media Services

Computing and media services are managed by Neumann University’s Office of Information Technology and Resources (ITR). The ITR staff views computers and the Internet as tools which support all fields of study, the Mission of the University, and all members of the University community. The University Computing Center is located on the ground floor of the Bachmann Main Building and consists of four state-of-the-art computer classrooms and the ITR administrative offices. ITR maintains a gigabit network which connects academic and administrative users, as well as residents in the Living and Learning Centers, to University resources, and to the Internet. Wireless connection to the network is available in most locations.

More than 100 computers in general and special purpose computing labs run Microsoft Windows software, with Microsoft Office (Word, Excel, Access, and PowerPoint) as the standard productivity suite. Software related to academic disciplines, such as statistical and scientific software, can be found in the Computing Center and labs. In the Digital Media Lab, students can record and edit audio and video projects. Computer labs and classrooms throughout the University are equipped with computers and video projectors for instructor use. Computer Lab hours are posted at the beginning of each semester.

Distance learning technologies (primarily the Blackboard Course Management System) are supported and maintained by ITR’s Academic Technology group. This group also provides training for Neumann University faculty on advanced instructional delivery systems and related academic software. The Media Services component of ITR manages the University’s audiovisual resources, including instructional and presentational equipment for ongoing academic use and for special events. Media Services also maintains the equipment in the University’s television studio, radio station, and the Mirenda Center broadcast facility. Students can record, edit, broadcast or be a part of the production teams in each of these areas. The Administrative Computing group of ITR manages the University’s student information system and provides access to it for student financial and academic services through the WebAdvisor portal. Secure accounts for WebAdvisor and for University email and network services are provided to all incoming students.

For additional information, please visit the Computing Services pages on the Neumann website or call the ITR Help Desk at 610-558-5620.

Library Services

Neumann University Library plays a crucial role in the learning experience of students as well as in the teaching and research needs of the faculty.  The Library contains a balanced collection of resources to satisfy information needs across the disciplines.  The Library media collection contains approximately 3,000 assorted films and compact discs.  The rapidly expanding book collection combines print, electronic, and audio formats and currently numbers around 200,000 individual items.  All physical Library materials require a valid Neumann ID to be presented at check out.  All electronic books can be accessed using a standard personal computer, and some can be downloaded onto e-readers and mobile devices.  All books, regardless of format, films, and music CDs can be located using the Library’s automated on-line catalog, Francis.  Francis is just one of many Library resources that can be accessed online by members of the Neumann Community from anywhere in the world.  The web site is available at http://www.neumann.edu/academics/library.asp.  Proprietary resources such as electronic books or databases require log-in using an ITR-issued username and password.

Neumann University Library also provides access to approximately 50 electronic databases that contain hundreds of thousands of resources including scholarly journal articles, popular magazine articles, newspapers, dissertations and theses, full-text reference books, government documents, music libraries, and statistical data.  JSTOR, Project Muse, Ovid, ProQuest Full-text  Dissertations & Theses, and  EBSCOhost databases such as Academic Search Complete, Business Source Premier, CINAHL, ERIC, and PSYCArticles  are just a few of those databases that collectively provide full-text article access and indexing of hundreds of thousands of online journals.  These databases can be found on the Library web site, along with a growing library of web-based Research Guides that may help new users navigate online resources or simply provide research assistance to students near and far, whenever a professional Librarian may not be available.  There are general and specialized Subject guides that are filled with research tips, video tutorials, recommended scholarly resources, and technology suggestions to help innovate research writing and presentations.  Students, faculty and staff can ask questions with just a click of the” Ask Us” button on the Library web page.  Questions are answered promptly by professional Neumann librarians and the resulting question and answer session will live on as part of an organic FAQ knowledge base.  Questions can also be submitted by telephone, email, or addressed by appointment or in person. 

Librarians strive to keep students growing increasingly more information literate by keeping abreast of emerging technologies and actively collaborating with faculty to create the best lessons.  Library lessons are designed to help students think critically about their information needs and then successfully navigate the exponentially growing information environment.  Librarians work with faculty on assignments, visit classrooms to aid with specific projects, and develop online activities that may be used by Faculty or students on their own to hone research skills.  Instructional sessions and online tools help students better identify their information needs, efficiently locate reliable information sources, and ethically interpret and synthesize their findings with their own thoughts and hypotheses.  Please contact Maureen Williams, Coordinator of Information Literacy, to plan information literacy activities for your class: [email protected]

To further supplement its resources, the Library is a member of several academic consortia.  Neumann University is a founding member of SEPCHE (The Southeastern Pennsylvania Consortium for Higher Education) and receives the benefit of resource sharing with other member libraries.   SEPCHE member libraries provide on-site access to resources and extend borrowing privileges to students, faculty, and staff.   The eight SEPCHE institutions are: Arcadia University, Cabrini College, Chestnut Hill College, Gwynedd-   Mercy College, Holy Family University, Immaculata University, Neumann University, and Rosemont College.  The SEPCHE collaboration makes available nearly one million volumes, scores of electronic databases, and several special collections on various subjects.  The materials and services of more than 42 area libraries are also made available through the Library’s consortium membership in the Tri-State College Library Cooperative.  As an active member of OCLC (Online Computer Library Center), the Library is also able to provide interlibrary loan service to both students and staff, bringing in outside resources from both near and far.

The Library is open seven days a week and provides plenty of tables and study carrels to satisfy the needs of students who want to work collectively as well as those who prefer to study alone.  The staff is professional, well-informed, and completely service-centered.  The atmosphere is friendly and the space bustles with equal parts of scholarly activity and peer interaction.

The Library special collection of Frances and Clare is also housed in the Neumann Institute for Franciscan Studies, which is located outside of the Library on the third floor of the Bachmann Main Building.  The collection and the Institute was designed to strengthen the vision and charisma of Francis and Clare of Assisi within a context of contemporary experiences in higher education.   The Institute focuses on integrating teaching experience and student learning, the embodiment of Neumann University’s higher standards and response to future challenges that foster educational excellence.

A more comprehensive description of Library Policies can be found in the Academic Administration Handbook Policies portion of NU Learn.

Service-Learning Experience

The Service-Learning Experience at Neumann University combines theoretical classroom learning with service-based learning in the community.  Service-Learning is a form of experiential education in which community defined needs are addressed by students through structured learning opportunities.  Critical reflection and reciprocity are key elements of the experience, serving to foster a broader appreciation of the course content and the community as a whole.  This type of experience supports the student’s intellectual, moral, career, and personal development, and enhances a sense of civic and social responsibility.  Service placements are established to address unmet needs in the community and enable a better understanding of course learning objectives.  Service-Learning is required within the undergraduate Core program as part of first year activities with reflection in Theology 104 and in at least one course in every major.  Faculty may choose to integrate Service-Learning within other courses.  The Director of the Office of Service-Learning and Community Engagement and staff of the Neumann Institute for Franciscan Studies assist faculty in the development of courses and identification and approval of community partners.  Additional information is available on the Service-Learning and Community Engagement website.