Mission

History

Neumann University was founded by the Sisters of St. Francis of Philadelphia in 1965 as Our Lady of Angels College. Guided by the Franciscan principles of education and service to others, the College was established as a four-year Catholic institution of higher education for women in the liberal arts and Franciscan traditions.

On March 3, 1965, the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania granted Neumann College full power to award the Bachelor of Arts and the Bachelor of Science degrees.

On July 1, 1980, in honor of St. John Neumann, who was instrumental in the founding of the Sisters of St. Francis, the College officially changed its name to Neumann College and became coeducational.

In 1982, the College was granted power to award a Master of Science degree in Pastoral Counseling, followed in 1987 by permission to grant an Associate of Arts degree in Liberal Studies. Master of Science degree programs have since been developed in the areas of Education, Nursing, Physical Therapy, Sport Management, and Strategic Leadership. In 2004, the College was granted approval to offer its first doctoral program, the entry-level clinical Doctorate in Physical Therapy (D.P.T.). In 2006, approval was granted for the College to offer its second doctoral program, the Ed.D. in Educational Leadership.

Residence facilities became available for the first time with the dedication of the Living and Learning Center I in the Fall of 1997, the Living and Learning Center II in January of 1999, and the Living and Learning Center III in the Fall of 2002.

On April 24, 2009, Neumann College received approval from the Secretary of Education in Pennsylvania “to operate as a university within the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania with a change of legal name to Neumann University.” University status is the culmination of Neumann’s transformation since its founding in 1965 and a catalyst for enhancing teaching, scholarship, research, and service to the community while deepening its commitment to mission, core values, and personal attention to all students.

Purpose

Neumann University is sponsored by the Sisters of St. Francis of Philadelphia. The educational mission of the University is shaped by the tradition that inspired the lives of St. Francis and St. Clare of Assisi. Neumann University seeks to provide an education that balances the liberal arts with the professions in an environment which promotes the development of men and women who will embody the Franciscan values of reverence, integrity, service, excellence, and stewardship. These values are evidenced through relationships that recognize the uniqueness and dignity of others, and through a sense of responsibility and stewardship as a citizen of the local and global community.

Identity

Neumann University, founded and sponsored by the Sisters of St. Francis of Philadelphia, is a Catholic institution of higher education in the Franciscan tradition.

Mission Statement

Neumann University educates a diverse community of learners based upon the belief that knowledge is a gift to be shared in the service of others and that learning is a lifelong process.

Vision Statement

Neumann University strives to be a teaching university of distinction, providing innovative, transformational education in the Catholic Franciscan tradition. Neumann RISES on the core values of Reverence, Integrity, Service, Excellence, and Stewardship and lives the actions which these values inspire. Neumann’s curriculum promotes thoughtful and ethical leadership in service and response to a global and technologically complex world.

Core Values

Neumann University, a Catholic university in the Franciscan tradition, promotes the following Core Values as integral to all academic programs, services, partnerships, and co-curricular activities.

    Reverence

• We honor as sacred the worth and dignity of each person.
• We celebrate our relationship as sisters and brothers with one another and all creation.
• We create a compassionate, welcoming, and reconciling community.

    Integrity

• We speak the Truth in Love.
• We act fairly, honestly, and ethically at all times.
• We accept responsibility for the consequences of our actions.

    Service

• We serve with humility, compassion, and love.
• We challenge unjust structures and work for social transformation.
• We embrace service as a life-long commitment.

    Excellence

• We perform to the best of our ability the responsibilities entrusted to us.
• We practice cooperation, rather than competition, in the quest for excellence.
• We foster academic achievement through a strong, teaching-learning community.

    Stewardship

• We receive gratefully, use carefully, and share generously the resources available to us.
• We care for creation as a sacred Gift from God.
• We promote Catholic Social Teaching by working for peace and justice.

Goals

Neumann University has established the following goals which serve as guiding operational principles that affirm the Mission, Vision, and Core Values of the institution.

• Integrate its Catholic Franciscan identity.
• Become a teaching university of distinction.
• Strengthen a spirit and culture of reverence, integrity, service, excellence, and stewardship.
• Cultivate a meaningful and effective mission-directed, market-responsive climate for learning, teaching, and scholarship.
• Steward its resources to ensure ongoing financial vibrancy in support of academic excellence, access, and affordability.

Graduate Program Philosophy

The philosophy for the graduate programs at Neumann University reflects the original Franciscan mission in recognizing the value of intellectual excellence, professional competence, and strong community life. Knowledge, while valuable in itself, is to be used in the service of others. Students build upon existing knowledge in order to develop an extended knowledge base, which includes research skills applicable to a specific area of concentration. Learning is seen as a dynamic process that provides feedback, which includes evaluations; promotes self-directed pursuits; fosters student-teacher interaction; and involves mastery of subject matter. The teaching-learning process is goal oriented, self-directed, dynamic, and perceptive. Learning outcomes expected of all graduate students include the ability to:

• Write a research proposal.
• Initiate and participate in research and critique research.
• Critique, compare, and contrast research and theories relevant to the field.
• Be knowledgeable about current policies in the field.
• Possess advanced skills specific to the field.
• Be prepared to pursue doctoral study.