Mission & Ministry

History

When the Sisters of St. Francis of Philadelphia opened the doors of Our Lady of Angels College in September, 1965, the total enrollment was 115 women students. Today, as Neumann University (NU), the college educates nearly 3,000 co-ed students, engages over 12,500 alumni, and is one of the largest employers in Aston Township, PA.

Since 1965, the College has met the needs of its students, even beyond its initial traditional undergraduate programs. In September 1971, a program for adult women was initiated-this program is now known as the CAPS degree accelerated program allowing adult students to earn their bachelor’s degree faster by utilizing six-credit courses in an online or evening format meeting one night per week. Also in 1971, the administration responded to the need that women needed safe, professional daycare for their children while they attended classes. A child care center opened on the third floor of the main building and quickly evolved into the current Child Development Center (1973) accommodating pre-school aged children. In 1980, the Board of Trustees approved the name change from Our Lady of Angels to Neumann. The name Neumann College seemed fitting given the significant role that then Bishop John Neumann had in assisting the Sisters of St. Francis of Philadelphia in the early days of the Congregation. Also, in 1980 Neumann formally accepted its first male undergraduate students. In 1985, the Life Center, housing the Bruder Gymnasium and the Meagher Theatre, became the third building on the Neumann College campus.

Expanding undergraduate degree programs and initiating graduate programs became the goal to ensure academic growth. In 1982, the College was granted approval 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 Accounting, 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. In late April 2009, the College received approval (the certificate of authority) from the Pennsylvania Department of Education to become Neumann University. According to Former President Rosalie Mirenda, “University status is the culmination of Neumann’s transformation. It is a catalyst for enhancing scholarship, research and service to our community. At the same time, Neumann’s commitment to its mission, Core values and personal attention to our students remains the same.” In 2013 Neumann was granted approval to offer a Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D.) program in Pastoral Counseling.

For Neumann to provide a holistic experience for its undergraduate students and to assist with the growth goals, a residential program was approved by the Board of Trustees. When the first residence hall opened in 1997, the building housed 177 students and transformed campus life. There are now three Residence Halls (Flynn, O’Neil and Cunningham) and an adjacent apartment complex (Buoni Building) leased for student housing,  all together having capacity to house 912 students.

In 2004, Neumann University acquired a 46,434 square feet office building located at the Concord Road entrance of the campus from the Sisters of St. Francis of Philadelphia. Rocco A. Abessinio Building now houses additional classroom, office space and additional Health Sciences Building (Opened in 2019).
Neumann University opened the Mirenda Center for Sport, Spirituality and Character Development on October 17, 2009. Located on its main campus in Aston, Pennsylvania, the Mirenda Center features more than 72,000 square feet of space including an arena, classroom, meeting and event rooms, exhibits, offices, and athletic facilities. This new, state-of-the-art facility was named in honor of Dr. Rosalie M. Mirenda and her husband, Tony, by the Board of Trustees in acknowledgement of the Mirendas’ many years of hard work, dedication, and commitment to the Catholic Franciscan identity and mission of NU.

Seeking to unify an ever-expanding campus, the St. John Neumann Circle was created to connect the original Bachmann Building and the Life Center on one side of Convent Road with the Mirenda Center and Student Living and Learning units on the other side of the road. On April 1, 2010 two commissioned statues were placed in the circle. The most prominent, on a high base and at the Circle’s center, is of St. John Neumann, the namesake of the University. The second, at ground level and facing the students who walk from the Living and Learning Centers and the Mirenda Center, is a representation of a Sister of St. Francis of Philadelphia, the sponsoring Congregation.

In 2014, the focus on student learning continues. A two-phased library renovation was completed. The first phase of the project was completed in 2012 with the addition of new learning and study commons areas on the third floor, the creation of a media-enhanced classroom designed to seat ninety, and offices to house the Neumann Institute for Franciscan Studies, endowed in 2000 by the Sisters of St. Francis of Philadelphia. The final phase of the project was completed in time for the start of the fall 2014 semester, as the University’s fiftieth anniversary celebration began. The Mullen Communication Wing of the Bruder Life Center including a student multi-purpose room was opened in 2016.

(Last Update: 6/22/2015)

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.

University Goals

Always and everywhere, Neumann University strives to:

• Demonstrate a firm commitment to the Catholic Franciscan tradition.
• Nurture a campus community which lives the values of Reverence, Integrity, Service, Excellence and Stewardship.
• Challenge its students to achieve personal, academic, and professional excellence.

Graduate Programs Learning Outcomes

Active engagement in the Graduate Programs offered by Neumann University provides Neumann University graduate students the opportunity to achieve the following learning outcomes:

Comprehension: Think critically, creatively, and analytically

Demonstrate knowledge of materials required for competence in field of study; Analyze and solve complex problems; demonstrate quantitative reasoning and scientific literacy; and demonstrate expertise in field of study through competent application

Achievement of outcomes may be demonstrated through comprehensive program and/or professional testing; measurement/testing by external stake-holders and/or educational partners relevant to field of study; completion of acceptable terminal or capstone scholarly product.

Contemplation: Engage in meaningful reflection

Apply the principles and values of the Catholic Franciscan tradition to personal, professional, and societal questions and issues; engage in self-reflection and reflective practice relevant to the field of study; embrace life-long learning as a consequence of meaningful self-reflection.

Achievement of outcomes may be demonstrated by assessment of student and graduate performance functioning in their field of study; self-reflective assessment following service-learning experiences; self-reported evidence of relevant post-graduate continuing and/or professional education; preparation of a career development plan associated with chosen profession or occupation. 

Conscience: To act ethically and responsibly

Manifest social and ethical responsibility, stewardship, and servant leadership.

Achievement of outcomes may be demonstrated by development and demonstration of a personal code of conscience related to the social and ethical responsibility of a servant leader in the Franciscan Intellectual Tradition; active engagement in a learning community that assesses, plans and commits to improve self, organizations, and the community at large.

Compassion: As stewards of God’s universe respect all creation

Model the highest degree of ethical, professional and academic behavior; demonstrate leadership through interactions that promote justice and foster right relations; consider how choices and actions impact the global community and extend oneself to outreach and service; integrate the knowledge of the discipline with the principles and tenets of the Catholic Franciscan intellectual tradition [CFIT].

Achievement of outcomes may be demonstrated by ratings given on formative and summative evaluations that assess “best standards” in the field of the discipline; internal and external evaluations that examine student performance in various leadership roles; through use of reflective processes, examination of engagement and meaning-making when involved in roles of service and outreach; through capstone projects, determine the degree of integration of the material from the discipline with principles in the CFIT.

Communication:  Communicate Effectively

Demonstrate proficiency in gathering data/research material/evidence; demonstrate proficiency in presenting findings in a logical, methodical, systematic argument.

Achievement of outcomes may be demonstrated by internal and/or external evaluations, performed by supervisors, of the students’ ability to effectively communicate with colleagues, stakeholders or members of the larger community; completion and presentations/defenses of a scholarly project or dissertation.