Neumann University is a

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Catholic university in Aston, Pennsylvania, United States. It is sponsored by the Sisters of St. Francis of Philadelphia.

History

The roots of Neumann University began in 1855 when Bishop (later Saint) John Neumann approved the request of Anna Maria Boll Bachmann to start a religious community of Franciscan Sisters in

Philadelphia, Pennsylvania Philadelphia ( ), colloquially referred to as Philly, is the List of municipalities in Pennsylvania, most populous city in the U.S. state of Pennsylvania and the List of United States cities by population, sixth-most populous city in the Unit ...

. Over the course of the next century, the Sisters of St. Francis of Philadelphia grew to the point where they needed a college to assist in their mission of educating and caring for the people in southeastern Pennsylvania and beyond. Neumann University was founded as Our Lady of Angels College with 115 female students in 1965 by the Sisters of St. Francis of Philadelphia. The name was changed to Neumann College in 1980 in honor of Saint John Neumann, a former Bishop of Philadelphia.History
Neumann University; updated February 10, 2014. Neumann admitted its first male undergraduate students in 1980. The college was granted approval to offer its first doctoral program (the Doctorate in Physical Therapy) in 2004 and its second doctoral program (an Ed.D. in educational leadership) in 2005. Neumann achieved university status from the

Pennsylvania Department of Education The Pennsylvania Department of Education is the executive department of the state charged with publicly funded preschool, K-12 and adult educational budgeting, management and guidelines. As the state education agency, its activities are direc ...

in 2009, thus becoming Neumann University. On June 30, 2021, Chris Everett Domes, Neumann's president, and Mary Kathryn Dougherty, congregational minister of the Sisters of St. Francis of Philadelphia, signed an agreement of sale for the university to purchase Our Lady of Angels Convent, three smaller buildings, and 63 acres from the sisters, the congregation that founded the university in 1965. The land is adjacent to the university's campus, which almost doubled in size (from 70 acres to 133) with the sale.

Academics

Neumann University is made up of three academic schools: the School of Business, the School of Nursing and Health Sciences, and the School of Social Sciences, Humanities, and Education. Neumann offers graduate degrees in education, educational leadership, physical therapy, clinical mental health counseling, accounting, nursing, business, sport business, athletic training, organizational leadership, and clinical laboratory science. Some programs are offered online. Neumann University has been expanding into the health care field by introducing new concentrations such as pre-Physical Therapy, pre-Occupational Therapy, pre-Athletic Training as well as introducing a new Health Sciences Major with tracks in exercise physiology and strength and conditioning. All of these new concentrations are housed in Neumann's Health Science Center. In 2017, about 49% of undergraduate students were white, 31% were black, and 9% were Hispanic. About 65% of undergraduate students at the university were female. As of fall 2017, about 60% of undergraduates were from

Pennsylvania Pennsylvania, officially the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, is a U.S. state, state spanning the Mid-Atlantic (United States), Mid-Atlantic, Northeastern United States, Northeastern, Appalachian, and Great Lakes region, Great Lakes regions o ...

, 16% were from

New Jersey New Jersey is a U.S. state, state located in both the Mid-Atlantic States, Mid-Atlantic and Northeastern United States, Northeastern regions of the United States. Located at the geographic hub of the urban area, heavily urbanized Northeas ...

, and 18% were from

Delaware Delaware ( ) is a U.S. state, state in the Mid-Atlantic (United States), Mid-Atlantic and South Atlantic states, South Atlantic regions of the United States. It borders Maryland to its south and west, Pennsylvania to its north, New Jersey ...

Athletics

Neumann University is a member of the

Atlantic East Conference The Atlantic East Conference is an intercollegiate athletic conference that competes in the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) Division III and is located in the Mid-Atlantic region of the United States. History Beginning play ...

as well as the United Collegiate Hockey Conference (UCHC). It competes in the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA), Division III. In 2009 Neumann University's men's ice hockey team won the NCAA Division III National Championship. In the summer of 2012, Neumann University constructed the Mirenda Center, a 72,000 square foot athletic complex which houses an indoor track, NCAA Division III regulation basketball court, dance studios, student lounges, a classroom, weight and cardio rooms as well as the Center for Sport Spirituality and Character Development. Neumann sponsors 13 women's athletic teams and 10 men's teams. In addition to the 23 varsity teams, Neumann University also has a very active club sports roster which includes baseball, basketball, cheer leading, a dance team, ice hockey, roller hockey as well as men's and women's rugby. Most recently, Neumann University has won four national championships, including back-to-back Division 1 titles in 2015 and 2016, as part of the National Collegiate Roller Hockey Association (NCHRA).

Campus

At Neumann University, there are four residence halls: three on-campus "Living and Learning Centers" plus one nearby apartment complex leased for student housing known as the Buoni Building. Students are also housed in a nearby convent alongside nuns.

References

External links

*
Athletics website
{{coord, 39.8756, -75.4403, region:US-PA_type:edu, display=title Franciscan universities and colleges Catholic universities and colleges in Pennsylvania Universities and colleges in Delaware County, Pennsylvania Association of Catholic Colleges and Universities Educational institutions established in 1965 Liberal arts colleges in Pennsylvania 1965 establishments in Pennsylvania