La Salle University is a
privatePrivate universities are not operated by governments though they may or may not receive funding . Depending on the region, private universities may be subject to government regulation...
, co-educational, Roman Catholic
universityA university is an institution of higher education and research, which grants academic degrees in a variety of subjects. A university provides both undergraduate education and postgraduate education...
located in
PhiladelphiaPhiladelphia is the largest city in Pennsylvania and the sixth-most-populous city in the United States.In 2008, the population of the city proper was estimated to be over 1.4 million, while the metropolitan area's population of 5.8 million made it the country's fifth-largest...
,
PennsylvaniaThe Commonwealth of Pennsylvania , often colloquially referred to as PA by natives and Northeasterners, is a state located in the Northeastern and Middle Atlantic regions of the United States...
,
U.S.The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
Named for St. Jean-Baptiste de la Salle, the school was founded in 1863 by the
Institute of the Brothers of the Christian SchoolsThe Institute of the Brothers of the Christian Schools is a Roman Catholic religious teaching congregation, founded in France by Saint Jean-Baptiste de la Salle and now based in Rome...
. As of 2008 the school has approximately 7,554 students, about 63% of whom are undergraduates. The 2009 freshman class was the largest in nearly 30 years.. Located in northwestern Philadelphia, the university is affiliated with the
Roman Catholic ChurchThe Catholic Church, also known as the Roman Catholic Church, is the world's largest Christian church. With more than a billion members, over half of all Christians and more than one-sixth of the world's population, the Catholic Church is a communion of the Western, or Latin Rite Church, and...
through the Archdiocese of Philadelphia. The comprehensive cost for a year of tuition is $40,960.
Academics
La Salle offers undergraduate concentrations in nearly 60 academic areas within its College of Professional and Continuing Studies and its three Schools: Arts & Sciences, Business Administration, and Nursing & Health Sciences.
Communication,Nursing, and Education are the largest majors at La Salle.
Several new and distinctive high-tech majors include Integrated Science, Business and Technology (ISBT) and Digital Arts and Multimedia Design (DArt). The College of Professional and Continuing Studies offers three accelerated cohort programs in Business Administration, Corporate Communication, and Organizational Leadership.
The university also offers
master's degreeA master's degree is an academic degree granted to individuals who have undergone study demonstrating a mastery or high-order overview of a specific field of study or area of professional practice...
s and
doctorateA doctorate is an academic degree or professional degree that in most countries represents the highest level of formal study or research in a given field. In some countries it also refers to a class of degrees which qualify the holder to practice in a specific profession . The best-known example...
degrees in several courses of study.
Every undergraduate, regardless of school or major, must complete a strict Core curriculum in order to
graduateGraduation is the action of receiving or conferring an academic degree or the ceremony that is sometimes associated, where students become Graduates. Before the graduation, candidates are referred to as Graduands. The date of graduation is often called degree day. The graduation itself is also...
. Offering sustained study in a broad range of disciplines, the Core curriculum provides students with an opportunity to build a strong educational foundation for the future. Guided by La Salle's heritage as a Catholic university, the core curriculum reflects La Salle's strong commitment to the interdependence of intellectual and spiritual growth. Its aim is to help students find an engaging living as part of an engaged life. As future competitors in a rapidly re-forming world, students need intellectual resources that keep pace with current innovations; as future innovators, students need spiritual resources that guide human beings towards humane reforms.
Undergraduates must complete the three facets of the
Special Core Programs, as well as courses within the three
Course Objectives.
Special Core Programs
The
Special Core Programs consists of the
Doubles Program,
First Year Odyssey, and
Understanding at Home and Abroad.
- In the Doubles Program, all students are required to enroll in a "Double" during their freshman year. Doubles are thematically linked Core courses in different disciplines. In the Doubles program, students will explore some or all of the topics in these courses under the guidance of two professors. A sense of academic and social community forms.
- The First Year Odyssey is a one-credit program, which introduces students to La Salle University and the city of Philadelphia through activities such as field trips and campus wide programs. Students participate in the First Year Odyssey as part of designated courses or in special First Year Odyssey sections.
- Understanding at Home and Abroad refers to fostering the Christian Brothers' ideals of community, social justice, and compassionate understanding across barriers dividing human beings. Students are required to enroll in one course in the Academic Bulletin designated by the symbol of a "house" (Understanding at Home) and one course designated by the symbol of a "plane" (Understanding Abroad). Some students may fulfill the Understanding at Home or Understanding Abroad requirement through an independent project with the approval of the Department Chair and the Core Director. Faculty and staff will mentor a limited number of such projects.
Course Objectives
The
Course Objectives consist of the
Powers,
Frameworks of Scientific Understanding, and
Patterns of Meaning.
- Powers refers to competencies that enable students to learn, to think, and to communicate. With this course work, students will emerge from the core curriculum possessing a strong set of skills in reading, writing, oral communication, and mathematics. They will also learn how to use computer technology to aid their work in each of these areas. These competencies will be integrated in courses in all areas of the Core, but will be taught directly in courses in writing, public speaking, mathematics, and computer science.
- Frameworks of Scientific Understanding refers to concepts and methods learned in courses in the natural and social sciences. In these courses students will become familiar with the scientific method and sharpen their understanding of the natural processes and the social developments, which shape the world in which we live. The "Frameworks of Scientific Understanding" category includes courses in economics, political science, psychology, sociology, biology, chemistry, geology, and physics.
- Patterns of Meaning refers to a set of capacities students must acquire to engage the moral, aesthetic, and spiritual significance of human events and achievements. Courses in the humanities (religion, philosophy, literature, history, fine arts and foreign languages) will enable students to develop these capacities.
Course Requirements
All courses in the core may be counted towards any minor or major barring exclusions by the academic departments sponsoring the minor or major. To complete the Core requirements, most School of Arts and Sciences majors must complete a maximum of 19 courses; School of Business Administration majors, a maximum of 16 courses; and School of Nursing & Health Sciences majors, a maximum of 15 courses.
Athletics
See also: Men's BasketballThe La Salle Explorers Men's Basketball Team is a historic basketball program at La Salle University. The program has been rated the 53rd "Greatest College Basketball Program of All-Time" by Street & Smith's magazine....
,
FootballThe La Salle Explorers football team is the former interscholastic American football team at La Salle University. The team competed in the MAAC football league at the Football Championship Subdivision level ....
La Salle University's 23
varsityIn the United States and Canada, varsity sports teams are the principal athletic teams representing a college, university, high school or other secondary school. Such teams compete against the principal athletic teams at other colleges/universities, or in the case of secondary schools, against...
sports teams, known as the
ExplorersLa Salle University's 23 varsity sports teams, known as the Explorers, compete in the NCAA's Division I and are a member of the Atlantic Ten Conference. The American football team previously played in the Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference Football League and competed in the Division...
, compete in the NCAA's
Division IDivision I is the highest level of intercollegiate athletics sanctioned by the National Collegiate Athletic Association in the United States....
and are a member of the
Atlantic Ten ConferenceThe Atlantic 10 Conference is a college athletic conference which operates mostly on the United States' eastern seaboard. It also has two member schools in Ohio: Dayton and Xavier, located in Dayton and Cincinnati, respectively. Another member, Saint Louis is located in St. Louis, Missouri...
. The name derives from a 1931 mistake made by a sportswriter. The writer thought the university was named after the
FrenchFrance , officially the French Republic , is a country located in Western Europe, with several overseas islands and territories located on other continents. Metropolitan France extends from the Mediterranean Sea to the English Channel and the North Sea, and from the Rhine to the Atlantic Ocean...
explorer Sieur de La Salle, when in fact it is named after St. John-Baptiste de la Salle and was officially chosen in a student contest during the spring of 1932.
La Salle's teams have won two national
championship- Title match system :In this system, a competitor has to challenge the current champion to win the championship. This form of championship is used in wrestling, boxing, and other combat sports.- Tournament system :...
s: The
1954 NCAA Men's Division I Basketball TournamentThe 1954 NCAA Men's Division I Basketball Tournament involved 24 schools playing in single-elimination play to determine the national champion of men's NCAA Division I college basketball. It began on March 8, 1954, and ended with the championship game on March 20 in Kansas City, Missouri...
and the 1980 Division II AIAW
Field HockeyField hockey is a team sport in which a team of players attempt to score goals by hitting, pushing or flicking the ball with hockey sticks into the opposing team's goal. Its official name is simply hockey, and this is the common name for it in many countries...
Championship. The school also won the
1952 National Invitation TournamentThe National Invitation Tournament is an annual US basketball competition. The 1952 tournament, consisting of a very strong field, was won by La Salle University. Tom Gola and Norm Grekin were co-MVPs.-Selected teams:-Brackets/Results:...
. La Salle's major historic
rivalA sports rivalry is intense competition between athletic teams or athletes. This pressure of competition is felt by players, coaches, and management, but is perhaps felt strongest by the fans. The intensity of the rivalry varies from a friendly competition on one end to serious violence on the...
has been the Hawks of the
Saint Joseph's UniversitySaint Joseph's University is a private, coeducational Roman Catholic university located partially in the Wynnefield section of Philadelphia and partially in Lower Merion Township and located in the Pennsylvania Main Line, Pennsylvania, United States.The school was founded in 1851 as Saint Joseph's...
, especially in men's
basketballBasketball is a team sport in which two teams of 5 players try to score points against one another by placing a ball through a
10 foot high hoop under organized rules...
. Not only are both schools situated in Philadelphia, but they are also both Catholic, private institutions.
Campus
The campus is located on Belfield, the estate of
Charles Willson PealeCharles Willson Peale was an American painter, soldier and naturalist.-Early life:Peale was born in Chester, Queen Anne's County, Maryland, the son of Charles Peale and his wife Margaret. In 1749 his brother James Peale was born. Charles became an apprentice to a saddle maker when he was thirteen...
, the Revolutionary War patriot and painter famous for his portraits of the founding fathers, most notably,
George WashingtonGeorge Washington was the commander of the Continental Army in the American Revolutionary War and served as the first President of the United States of America...
. His home is the current office of the University president and is the oldest building currently in use by any university in the nation.
La Salle has an art museum located in the basement of Olney Hall that houses a collection of European and American art from the Renaissance to the present. The museum also owns a number of special collections including rare illustrative Bibles and Japanese prints. The art museum is also home to the “Walking Madonna” one of four by the British artist Dame Elisabeth Frink. Frink created the sculpture in 1981, the other “Walking Madonna” sculptures remain in England, with one in Salisbury and the other in Frink’s garden at her home.
A
satellite campusA satellite campus is a campus of a college or university that is physically detached from the main university or college area, and is often smaller than the main campus of an institution. Because a satellite campus is more likely to be used for adult education or continuing education, most...
and Conference Center in
Newtown, Bucks County, PennsylvaniaNewtown is a borough in Bucks County, Pennsylvania, United States. The population was 2,312 at the 2000 census. It is located just west of the Trenton, New Jersey metropolitan area, and is part of the larger Philadelphia metropolitan area. It is entirely surrounded by Newtown Township, from which...
, the La Salle University Bucks County Center, offers graduate courses in various disciplines, undergraduate courses in nursing, and continuing education courses. The Conference Center comprises fifteen instructional rooms with seating capacities ranging from 20 to 40, along with four computer laboratories with 100 workstations.
La Salle also offers M.B.A. and Clinical-Counseling Psychology
M.S.A Master of Science is a postgraduate academic master's degree awarded by universities in a large number of countries...
classes at the
Plymouth MeetingPlymouth Meeting is a census-designated place in Montgomery County, Pennsylvania, United States. The population was 5,593 at the 2000 census. It is home to the Colonial School District as well as the Plymouth Meeting Mall. Plymouth Meeting is also home to Ikea's U.S...
Metroplex Corporate Center in
Montgomery County, PennsylvaniaMontgomery County is a county located in the U.S. state of Pennsylvania, in the United States. As of 2000, the population was 750,097. A 2005 U.S. Census estimate placed the population at 795,618, making it the third most populous county in Pennsylvania and the 69th most populous county in the...
.
La Salle has two cafeterias, one on each end of campus. Treetops is in south campus while Blue and Gold is in north campus. Also in the center of campus is The Union, which serves as place where you can buy food.
Student life
Students at La Salle are offered many varied opportunities to participate at different degrees and in many different ways. There are several organizations and a student programming center whose mission is primarily to plan activities (games, movie nights, bus trips, etc.) for the students of La Salle University. The Communication Department operates
La Salle 56La Salle 56 is an educational access cable television station run by La Salle University and carried within Philadelphia’s city limits on the Comcast Cable system. The station reaches over 300,000 homes and attempts to serve the La Salle University community and its neighbors with educational and...
, an educational access cable-television station available to 300,000 subscribers. The university also has a student-run radio station,
WEXPWEXP is a Philadelphia college radio station with a freeform format. It airs live on 1600 AM in Philadelphia and online.- History :WEXP opened its doors at La Salle University in 1972. Initially, the radio station could only be heard inside the Student Union building, and the start-up price for...
along with over 100 other
student organizationsin addition to the intramurals, clubs, and NCAA division I sports offered.
"Day One"
The first day of a student's time at La Salle occurs at the orientation program called Day ONE, which stands for Orienting New Explorers. The day consists of giving essential information to new students and their families, but its primary objective is to build relationships: relationships between the new students and other new students, between the new students and their upper division student hosts, between new students and administration and faculty,and between the students' families and the school.
Philosophy
Learning, Involvement, Community, Relationships
Learning is the reason students attend La Salle in the first place.
Involvement is the mechanism through which learning can happen.
Community provides the environment that most strongly promotes involvement. Making strong
Relationships is the first step toward forming a community.
Sessions
During the orientation students make their schedule, get their photo taken for their ID, and participate in discussion sessions about important information. Resident students get a presentation on living on campus and see a residence hall, while commuters see a similar presentation about getting involved while living off campus. The other important aspect of this day in the introduction of
The Affirmation, which is read line by line and discussed throughout the different sessions of the day.
Distinguished accomplishments
- La Salle has graduated 58 students who have been named Fulbright Scholars.
- A nearly perfect 98 percent of La Salle's applicants to medical school
A medical school is a tertiary educational institution—or part of such an institution—that teaches medicine.In addition to a medical degree program, some medical schools offer programs leading to a Master's Degree, Doctor of Philosophy , or other post-secondary education. Medical schools can also...
who have been recommended by the pre-medical committee have been admitted to medical school.
- La Salle ranks 7th out of 253 schools of its type as the undergraduate point of origin of doctoral degree recipients over a 75-year period.
- La Salle is one of only 19 colleges and universities in the nation to have been invited to participate in the Kemper Scholars Program.
- La Salle graduates have won nine Emmy Awards.
- More than 1,700 La Salle students annually donate more than 100,000 hours of community service
Community service is an act by a person that benefits the local community. People become involved in community service for many reasons: for some, serving community is an altruistic act, for others it is a punishment....
in activities including neighborhood cleanups, rebuilding homes, and tutoring.
- La Salle's chapter of Beta Gamma Sigma
Beta Gamma Sigma or ΒΓΣ is an honor society for business students and scholars. Founded in 1913 at the University of Wisconsin, it has over 625,000 members, selected from almost 500 chapters in AACSB-accredited business schools...
, the international business honor society, was named the outstanding chapter in the world in 2004.
Expansion and Master Plan
La Salle has worked with Philadelphia architecture firm H2L2 to assist in the development of a Campus Facilities Master Plan, building upon a previous plan completed by the University in 1985. Key components of the Master Plan are the following: New Science and Technology Building, New Athletic Arena, Student Recreation Center, additional student housing, Dining Hall (completed), Chapel, Fine Arts and Theater Building, parking garage, and additional commercial activity.
Accommodating the above facilities while orchestrating seamless connections between the disparate areas of the campus is one of the Plan's greatest accomplishments. Topography, city streets, and heavy traffic, all initially appeared as impediments to the development of a true campus. Improved vehicular and pedestrian circulation patterns now yield enhanced links to memorable spaces, uniting this Campus into one whole, while satisfying all programmatic requirements..
In the Fall of 2005, the $26 million dollar first phase of this master plan was completed with the construction of Tree Tops Cafe (dining hall) and St. Basil Court (Residence Hall).
St. Basil's houses approximately 430 students. Three of the building's wings feature "suites", in which four students share two bedrooms and one bathroom. The fourth wing's rooms have the traditional one-room for housing two students with communal bathrooms. The facilities have lounges, study rooms, and special purpose rooms. Basil is the only co-educational dorm at La Salle in which both genders may live on the same floor (albeit not in the same room).
A $2.5 million dollar athletic field renovation was completed in the Fall of 2006..
Phase two is the completion of the New Science and Technology Building. The University has revealed that they have already raised $20 million dollars towards the $25 million necessary to complete the facility
http://www.lasalle.edu/advancement/sh2sh/. Scheduled completion is Fall 2009.
Currently, one other project is under construction. A $15 million dollar shopping center and supermarket complex.
In May 2007, the university purchased adjacent Germantown Hospital for $10 million dollars. The acquired has become "West Campus", and increased the campus size by 25 percent..
External links