Who Are We?

Mission

Established in 1863, La Salle University is a private, Lasallian Catholic university rooted in the tradition of the Brothers of the Christian Schools teaching order founded by St. John Baptist de La Salle. Known as an academic community of excellence, one shaped by Lasallian, Catholic values, La Salle University remains steadfast in the pursuit of its mission of faith, service, community, and social justice, with concern, too, for both collective values and the individual values of its students.

As a Catholic university, La Salle strives to offer a high-impact teaching and learning experience and a transformational education founded on the idea that one’s intellectual and spiritual development go hand in hand, complementing and fulfilling each other. The University has, as its basic purpose, the freedom to search for truth by teaching its students the basic skills, knowledge, and values that they will need for a life of human dignity and purpose. The programs of the University aim to prepare students for regionally and globally focused service and progressive leadership in their families, organizations, and communities, and to fulfill the immediate and long-term goals of their lives.

Today, La Salle University remains committed to the values of the Gospel and the founding story and vision of St. La Salle. Those values remain integral to how we understand our Catholic identity and informs us in how we continue our Lasallian educational mission—that all knowledge is practical and empowering, filled with the capacity to transform lives. Anchored in the living tradition of the Brothers of the Christian Schools and in association with a diverse and inclusive learning community, the University aims to educate the whole person by fostering a rigorous free search for truth. La Salle, in affirming the value of both liberal arts and professional studies, prepares students for the lifelong pursuit and exploration of wisdom, knowledge, and faith that lead to engaged and fulfilling lives marked by a commitment to the common good.

Read more about La Salle’s mission and core values.

The Lasallian Tradition

Following in the footsteps of their founder, Saint John Baptist de La Salle, the Brothers of the Christian Schools’ first permanent educational establishment in North America was founded in 1837, Montreal, Canada. In 1842, John McMullin became the first De La Salle Brother from the United States. He founded Calvert Hall College High School in 1845, in Baltimore, Md., becoming the first permanent Lasallian school in the United States. For more than 180 years, Lasallian education has spread throughout the United States and Canada with the establishment of schools, universities, and other centers of education. The mission of Lasallian education continually aims to adapt to emerging educational and spiritual needs of children, young people and adults, especially those who are economically poor.

Chartered in 1863 by the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, La Salle College became the first institution of higher education in the world to bear the name of St. John Baptist de La Salle. Its incorporators were a group of De La Salle Brothers, a diocesan bishop, and laymen—a cooperative group unusual among boards of U.S. Catholic tertiary institutions. The co-founders of the College were Bishop James Wood, fifth bishop of Philadelphia, and Brother Teliow Fackelday, FSC, a German immigrant who joined the Brothers in the United States. Brother Teliow was the founding principal of Christian Brothers High School (later La Salle College High School) in St. Michael’s parish at 2nd and Jefferson streets. Four years after its foundation at St. Michael’s, the College moved to Filbert Street, opposite Philadelphia’s City Hall. There, the small collegiate department developed for some 20 years in tandem with the high school department; the borders between the two, in fact, were at times indistinct. Because crowding continued during the 1870s, the trustees sought more commodious space uptown at 1240 North Broad Street. La Salle relocated there in 1886, remaining in the former Bouvier Mansion until 1929, when the college and high school were established in the Belfield neighborhood of Northwest Philadelphia.

After the end of World War I, the College looked forward to further expansion in the 1920s. For this purpose, the trustees purchased a part of the historic Belfield Farm. No sooner was work on the new buildings completed, when the country plunged into the Great Depression. Only belt-tight economy and persistence by Presidents Brother Alfred Kelly, FSC, and Brother Anselm Murphy, FSC, and help from other Brothers’ schools got the College through its mortgage crisis and the Second World War, when enrollment dropped from 400 to 80 students, but a new dawn came soon thereafter.

In 1946, La Salle College faced a wave of returning war veterans and began a period of expansion. New buildings mushroomed and an increasingly lay faculty kept pace with a student body that soon numbered thousands. Through the years, then the University has expanded physically through acquisition of adjacent properties, constructing (and, in some cases, renovating) various campus buildings, and expanding the number of academic programs on both the undergraduate and graduate levels. 

Anchored in Philadelphia, La Salle continues to provide an intellectual and spiritual space for students to blaze their paths with the support of an experienced and caring faculty and staff. La Salle remains committed to the values of the Gospel and the founding story and vision of Saint De La Salle. Those values remain integral to how we understand our Catholic identity and informs us in how we continue our mission of Lasallian education.

The Campus

At La Salle University, learning occurs both in and out of the classroom. La Salle is located in Philadelphia—the sixth-most populous city in the United States, and home to neighborhoods rich with unique historical, educational, social, and cultural opportunities. Faculty complement their classes with city-based activities and the University enjoys fruitful partnerships with industry and a variety of organizations throughout Philadelphia, offering students plenty of experiential learning opportunities.

On campus, La Salle is situated on 133 acres in Northwest Philadelphia, six miles from the cultural, historic, and social attractions of Center City, with convenient access to public transit. In 2016, La Salle opened Founders’ Hall—a cutting-edge facility that delivers an unparalleled learning environment for La Salle’s School of Business, replete with leading technologies and professional development services. That same year, the University unveiled Hansen Quad, a picturesque and reimagined green space at the heart of La Salle’s sprawling urban campus. La Salle’s Connelly Library, in 2019, debuted its new Learning Commons to offer space for multi-disciplinary collaboration and innovation between University students, faculty, and staff, and community neighbors.

• Main Campus is the heart of La Salle, where numerous buildings house administrative offices, academic class space, laboratories, and the School of Arts and Sciences. You can find Connelly Library and many of La Salle’s residence halls here, too.
• West Campus is home to the School of Business and the School of Nursing and Health Sciences, as well as the Office of University Advancement.
• South Campus is where you will find the Department of Communication, several residence halls, and Treetops Café.

View La Salle’s campus map.

Nationally Recognized

La Salle University provides a holistic, outcomes-based education, making it a true value and an investment in the future of our students. Our graduates become top performers and top earners in their respective fields.

The University is ranked regularly for value, return on investment, and educational quality by national agencies, organizations, and media outlets. Here are a few:

• U.S. News & World Report, 2022
  • Top 300, Best undergraduate nursing program in the nation
  • Top 50, Best universities in the North Region
  • Top 40, Best universities in the North Region for veterans and active-duty military
  • Top 40, Best universities in the North Region for social mobility, reserved for universities that enroll and graduate high percentages of students who qualify for the federal Pell Grant
  • Top 5 Catholic universities in Pennsylvania
• Money magazine, 2019
  • Top 25, Most transformative colleges in the nation
  • Best colleges in the nation for your money
• Georgetown University Center on Education and the Workforce, 2022
  • Top 6% nationally in 10-year earnings
  • Top 7% nationally in lifetime earnings

Read more about La Salle’s rankings.

Accreditations and Memberships – The Mark of Excellence

La Salle University was chartered in 1863 by the Legislature of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania and is empowered by that authority to grant academic degrees.

La Salle is accredited by the Middle States Commission on Higher Education (MSCHE), 1007 North Orange Street, 4th Floor, MB #166, Wilmington, DE 19801, President@msche.org. The Commission on Higher Education is recognized by the U.S. Secretary of Education to conduct accreditation and pre-accreditation (Candidacy status) activities for institutions of higher education in Delaware, the District of Columbia, Maryland, New Jersey, New York, Pennsylvania, Puerto Rico, and the U.S. Virgin Islands, including distance education and correspondence education programs offered at those institutions.  MSCHE is also recognized by the Council on Higher Education Accreditation (CHEA) to accredit degree-granting institutions which offer one or more post-secondary educational programs of at least one academic year in length in Delaware, the District of Columbia, Maryland, New Jersey, New York, Pennsylvania, Puerto Rico, the Virgin Islands, and other geographic areas in which the Commission conducts accrediting activities.

La Salle is also accredited by:

AACSB International (The Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business)
777 South Harbor Island Blvd., Suite 750
Tampa, FL 33602-5730
813.769.6500

Pennsylvania Department of Education
333 Market St., 12th Floor
Harrisburg, PA 17126
717.787.5041

American Association of Colleges for Teacher Education
One Dupont Circle, NW, Suite 610,
Washington, D.C. 20036
202.293.2450

American Chemical Society
1155 16th Street, NW,
Washington, D.C. 20036
202.872.4589

American Psychological Association
750 First Street, NE
Washington, D.C. 20002-4242
800.374.2721

The Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education (CCNE)
One Dupont Circle, NW, Suite 530
Washington, D.C. 20036
202.887.6791

Council on Social Work Education, Board of Accreditation
333 John Carlyle Street, Suite 400
Alexandria, VA 22314
703.683.8080

The Master of Science in Speech-Language Pathology at La Salle University is accredited by the:

Council on Academic Accreditation in Audiology and Speech-Language Pathology of the American Speech-Language-Hearing Association
2200 Research Boulevard, #310
Rockville, MD 20850
800-498-2071 or 301-296-5700. 

La Salle University’s Department of Communication Sciences and Disorders has received approval from the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania’s Department of Education (PDE), Bureau of Teacher Preparation and Certification for Educational Specialist for Speech-Language Pathology and for the Certificate for Speech and Language Disabilities. Either certificate is needed to work in the various school systems in Pennsylvania.

La Salle University’s Didactic Program in Nutrition and Coordinated Program in Dietetics are accredited by the:

Accreditation Council for Education in Nutrition and Dietetics of the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics
120 S. Riverside Plaza, Suite 2000
Chicago, IL 60606-6995
312.899.0040, x5400

The Frank J. Tornetta School of Anesthesia is accredited by the:

Council on Accreditation of Nurse Anesthesia Educational Programs
222 S. Prospect Avenue
Park Ridge, Ill
60068-4001, 847-655-1160

The BSN, MSN, DNP, and APRN Post-master’s Certificate programs at La Salle University are accredited by the:

Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education
655 K Street NW, Suite 750
Washington DC 20001
202-887-6791

The undergraduate and graduate programs in Public Health are accredited by the Council on Education for Public Health (CEPH).

The Marriage and Family Therapy Master’s program at LaSalle University is accredited by the:

Commission on Accreditation for Marriage and Family Therapy Education (COAMFTE) of the Association for Marriage and Family Therapy (AAMFT)
112 S. Alfred Street
Alexandria, VA 22314
(703) 838-9808

Member of: Council of Colleges of Arts and Sciences, American Council on Education, Association of American Colleges and Universities, National Collegiate Honors Council, College Entrance Examination Board, American Association of Collegiate Registrars and Admissions Officers, Association of College Admissions Counselors, National Catholic Educational Association, College and University Council of Pennsylvania, Association of Liberal Arts Colleges of Pennsylvania for the Advancement of Teaching, Pennsylvania Catholic Education Association, American Library Association, Urban Studies Association, National Commission on Accrediting, American Catholic Historical Society, Educational Conference of the Brothers of the Christian Schools, National Association for Foreign Student Affairs, National Association of Student Personnel Administrators, Association of College and University Housing Officers, and National Association of College and University Business Officers.

Undergraduate Admission

The La Salle University Undergraduate Admission Office gives careful consideration to all applicants to the University. Each applicant is treated as an individual and is therefore reviewed holistically using academic, extracurricular and standardized testing measures (if applicable). A thorough review of the applicant writing sample and letters of recommendation are also considered.

La Salle University is now Test-Free

As part of a pilot program, La Salle will no longer consider standardized tests for admission or merit scholarships. We will pilot this program for applicants for Fall 2023, 2024, and 2025.

It is clear to us that the best predictor of success in the La Salle classroom is each candidate’s high school curriculum and grades. These factors will also drive our academic scholarship decisions.

Elements of a successful application

The heart of the review for admission is the demonstrated academic preparation for the applicant’s program of study. The courses taken and grades earned are most important. At a minimum, students are expected to follow a college preparatory curriculum. The opportunity to take honors, AP, IB, and other advanced classes does enhance our view of the depth of preparation. Students interested in Nursing and other STEM programs are expected to have a strong record in math and science courses.

The personal characteristics we learn about through essays, recommendations, and the activities profile help to shape our overall understanding of each candidate’s high school career and life experiences, and fit to La Salle.

Freshman Admission

Students can apply to La Salle any time after completing their junior year of high school as long as they fulfill the following admission requirements.

Freshman Admission Requirements High School Units:

A student’s final high school record should show successful completion of at least 16 units of high school work, including the following:

• English 4 units
• Mathematics 3 units that must include at least 2 years of algebra
• Foreign Language 2 units that must be of the same language
• History 1 unit
• Natural Science 2 units

Total 12 units

The Committee on Admission will review only completed applications with all supporting materials.

La Salle University Application Review

The following is required of all applicants to La Salle University applying:

• Common Application or La Salle University Application
• An official transcript showing three years of high school scholastic records
• Your TOEFL, IELTS, or Duolingo scores (for international students)
• An academic letter of recommendation from a teacher, counselor, parent, or school administrator
• Personal Statement/Essay

The required Common Application or La Salle Application Essay is not graded. This essay is generally used to inform the Admissions Committee about the applicant’s interests and/or background.

La Salle reviews completed applications on a rolling basis. However, if a completed application is submitted on or before La Salle’s non-binding, Early Explorer deadline (November 1), a decision is guaranteed by early December. Applications received after the Early Explorer deadline will be reviewed on a rolling basis.

In exceptional cases, students may be admitted after completion of the junior year, but only on the recommendation of their high school counselor and with evidence of superior academic achievement. In addition, early high school graduates are also required to complete an interview with a La Salle University Admission Counselor before a final admission decision can be made. All students who are accepted must graduate from an accredited high school with creditable grades, attendance, and disciplinary records.

La Salle University reviews each application for admission individually; there is no single, inflexible set of standards—such as GPA, test score, or years of courses to determine admission eligibility. Instead, students will be asked to choose either the Traditional Application or Test-Flexible Application as the path that best reflects the students abilities, skills, life experiences, and potential for success at La Salle. 

Policies, Rights, Responsibilities

Nondiscrimination Policy

La Salle University is a diverse community dedicated in the tradition of the Christian Brothers, and is concerned for both ultimate values and for the individual values of its faculty, employees, and students. Accordingly, in support of this values-driven mission, the University is an Equal Opportunity Employer and does not discriminate against any employee or applicant for employment or any student or appli­cant for admission based upon race, color, religion, sex, age (40 years and older), disability, national origin or ancestry, citizenship, sexual preference or orientation, marital, parental, family, and pregnancy status, gender identity, military or veteran status, genetic informa­tion, or any prohibited basis, unless there is a bona fide occupation­al qualification which justifies a differentiation. This commitment applies to all aspects of the employment relationship, including hir­ing, promotion, compensation, discipline, discharge, and any term or condition of employment and extends to participation in all edu­cational programs and activities of La Salle University. Employment is based upon an applicant’s ability to meet the established require­ments for employment. All employment and admissions decisions will be made in compliance with all applicable federal, state, and local antidiscrimination laws.

In addition, La Salle University will make reasonable accommoda­tion for qualified individuals with disabilities that are known to the University. The University will also make reasonable accommoda­tions to the religious beliefs and practices of which it is aware. The University, however, need not make any accommodation that would cause it an undue hardship.

Further, La Salle University firmly believes in providing a learning environment that is free from all forms of harassment and will not tolerate any form of impermissible harassment. Such harassment disregards individual values and impedes the Lasallian mission of providing an educational community that fosters both intellectual and spiritual development. Included in this prohibition are sexual misconduct, sexual harassment, and sexual violence, racial harass­ment, national origin harassment, and harassment based upon ancestry, color, religion, age, disability, citizenship, marital status, gender identity, military or veteran status, sexual preference or ori­entation, genetic information, or any basis prohibited under appli­cable non-discrimination laws.

Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA): Rights And Privacy Act Provisions

Each year, La Salle University informs students of the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act of 1974 . This act was intended to protect the privacy of educational records, to establish the right of students to inspect and review their educational records, and to pro­vide guidelines for the correction of inaccurate or misleading data through informal or formal hearings.

To fulfill basic requirements for compliance with the act, each insti­tution must inform each student of his or her right to prevent dis­closure of personally identifiable information. Although La Salle does not publish a public directory, the Office of the Registrar, at its discretion, does disclose the following information: name, address, dates of attendance, class, major field of study, degree(s) conferred (including dates), and e-mail address.

Under the provisions of the Family Education Rights and Priva­cy Act, currently enrolled students may withhold disclosure of such information. To prevent disclosure, written notification must be received by the Office of the Registrar by October 1 in the fall semester and February 15 in the spring semester. The University will honor each request to withhold any of the categories of infor­mation listed above but cannot assume responsibility to contact a student for subsequent permission to release them. Decisions about withholding any information should be made very carefully. Should a student decide to inform the institution not to release any infor­mation, any future requests for such information from non-institu­tional persons or organizations will be refused.

La Salle University assumes that failure to request the withholding of “directory information” indicates approval for disclosure.

Jeanne Clery Act and The Commonwealth of Pennsylvania’s Act 73/College and University Security Information Act

To comply with the provisions of the Jeanne Clery Act and the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania’s Act 73, the College and University Security Information Act of 1988, La Salle University’s Annual Security and Fire Safety Report (Crime Statistics Report) can be accessed on the Department of Public Safety website. The report includes crime statistics and disciplinary referrals for the most recent three years, the University’s policies and programs designed to aid in keeping the community safe, information on emergency preparedness, and information on fire safety in residence facilities.  Print copies of the document may be requested from the Department of Public Safety via email (publicsafety@lasalle.edu).

Federal Consumer Information Regulations

To comply with Federal Consumer Information Regulations, La Salle University provides specific consumer information about the school to prospective and currently enrolled students and, in some cases, employees. Please visit the Student Consumer Information website for more information.

Student Rights and Responsibilities

A student’s matriculation at La Salle University is a voluntary decision that involves acceptance of the responsibility to perform academically and to behave socially in ways consistent with the goals and objectives of the University. When registering at La Salle, students accept University rules and regulations and the authority of the University to exercise disciplinary powers, including suspension and dismissal. The Student Guide to Resources, Rights, and Responsibilities is available on the University’s web site. All students are expected to follow the policies contained in the guide.

Administration

Board of Trustees

The membership of the Board changes annually.

Ellen Reilly, Chair
Daniel J. Allen, Ph.D., President
Lawrence C. Berran
Jeffrey Boyle
Kenneth Brewer
Robert Cottone
Terrance Coyne
Jack Curran, F.S.C., Ph.D.
Stephen K. Degnan
John K. Dugan, CPA
AmyLynn V. Flood, CPA
Timothy Froehlich, F.S.C.
Thomas Gerrow, F.S.C.
John S. Grady Jr.
Robert F. Graham
John Kane, F.S.C., Ed.D.
Robert W. Liptak
JoAnn Magnatta
William Mann, F.S.C.
Joseph Markmann
La Vonne Isabelle Neal
Michael O’Hern, F.S.C.
Elaine Pang
Daniel S. Robins, Ph.D.
Robert Schaefer, F.S.C.
Elaine Thanner
Joseph E. Truitt

Officers of The Corporation

Robert Schieler, F.S.C., Vice President
Stephen Lightcap, Ed.D., Treasurer
Mark Engberg, Ph.D., Secretary

President

Daniel J. Allen, Ph.D.

President’s Cabinet

Shivanthi Anandan, Ph.D., Provost and Vice President of Academic Affairs
Mark Engberg, Ph.D., Chief of Staff
Kristin Heasley, PHR, SHRM-CP, Vice President of Human Resources
Stephen Lightcap, Ed.D., Vice President of Finance & Administration
Alisa Macksey, M.A., Vice President of Mission, Diversity and Inclusion
Angela Polec, Ed.D., Vice President of Enrollment, Marketing, and Communication
Ashwin Puri, Vice President of Athletics & Recreation and Director of Athletics
Gabrielle St. Léger, Ed.D., Vice President of Student Development and Campus Life

University Offices and Services

View the complete listing of Departments/Offices online.

Academic Calendar

The Academic Calendar for the next year is usually published in the preceding Fall semester.  It is accompanied by a less-detailed schema for the next five years.