Academic Support Services

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

The 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 65,000 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’s Library also provides access to 43 electronic databases that contain a myriad 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 tens 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.

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 also houses the Neumann Institute for Franciscan Studies, which was founded by the University on August 26, 1998. Designed to strengthen the vision and charism of Francis and Clare of Assisi within a context of contemporary experiences in higher education, the purpose of the Institute is to integrate teaching experience and student learning, both of which are part of the embodiment of Neumann University’s higher standards and response to future challenges that foster educational excellence. The Institute includes the St. Clare Immaculate McDonnell Franciscan Resource Room and the Assisi Room. The Resource Room, founded in 1994 through the inspiration and guidance of Dr. Rosalie Mirenda, President of Neumann University, is open to the public and offers visitors and scholars alike the opportunity to learn more about the Franciscan mission and its values. The Institute fosters the collaborative interchange and integration of Franciscan values and Catholic education at Neumann University.
 

For faculty, the Institute provides opportunities to design and expand professional and interdisciplinary programs. For students, it maximizes opportunities to demonstrate the practical application of knowledge, especially in its ethical implications. Through academic events, seminars, lectures, programs, and newsletters, the Institute seeks to advance Catholic and Franciscan intellectual tradition, mission, and values, thereby enhancing Neumann University’s identity as a Catholic Franciscan higher education institution of renown.