La Salle University facts for kids
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| Latin: Universitas La Salliana | |
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Former name
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La Salle College (1863–1984) |
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| Motto | Virtus, Scientia (Latin) |
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Motto in English
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Virtue, Knowledge |
| Type | Private university |
| Established | 1863 |
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Religious affiliation
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Roman Catholic (Christian Brothers) |
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Academic affiliations
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IALU ACCU NAICU |
| Endowment | $80.0 million (2020) |
| President | Daniel J. Allen |
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Academic staff
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373 |
| Students | 5,191 (2019) |
| Undergraduates | 3,904 (2019) |
| Postgraduates | 1,287 (2019) |
| Location |
,
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U.S.
40°02′21″N 75°09′12″W / 40.03925°N 75.15325°W |
| Campus | Urban, 130 acres (526,091.3 m2) |
| Colors | Blue and Gold |
| Nickname | Explorers |
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Sporting affiliations
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| Mascot | The Explorer |
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La Salle University is a private Catholic university located in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. It was started in 1863 by a group called the Christian Brothers. The university is named after a special person, St. Jean-Baptiste de La Salle.
Contents
History of La Salle University
La Salle College began in March 1863 as a school only for boys. It was founded by Brother Teliow and Archbishop James Wood. The first location was in the Olde Kensington area of Philadelphia. La Salle moved a few times in its early years. In 1930, it moved to its current campus. This new spot had lots of land and felt like the suburbs, but it was still connected to the city by trolleys and a new subway line.
The 1930s were tough for La Salle. The school almost ran out of money and couldn't finish its main building, College Hall. A special fundraising effort in 1938 helped save the college. During World War II, the school almost closed again because there weren't enough students. However, La Salle grew a lot in the late 1940s. Many new buildings were built, including a library and science center. Student dorms were also built around this time. In the 1960s, the high school that shared the campus moved to its own location.
In 1970, La Salle started admitting women to its regular classes, becoming a school for both male and female students. The university kept growing, buying more land in the 1970s and 1980s. In 1984, La Salle officially became a university. In 2007, La Salle bought the former Germantown Hospital, which is now called West Campus. They also built a shopping center nearby in 2008, which helped bring a grocery store to the area.
In 2015, Colleen Hanycz became the first president who was not a religious leader and the first woman to lead the university. She made some big changes, like cutting some majors. A year later, the school announced it would lower tuition by 29 percent. This was done to make La Salle more affordable and open to students from different backgrounds.
How La Salle University is Run
The university is led by a group called the board of trustees, with a president and a chair. The president usually serves for five years or more. Students have a voice through their elected student government. The La Salle Students' Government Association works with university staff and leaders. It even attends some board meetings. La Salle's student government helped start the American Student Government Association.
What You Can Study at La Salle
La Salle University has different schools where you can study. These include the College of Professional and Continuing Studies, and three main Schools: Arts & Sciences, Business Administration, and Nursing & Health Sciences. Many students choose to study Communication, Nursing, and Education. Classes can be taken in person, online, or a mix of both.
Tuition and Financial Help
In 2017, La Salle University lowered its tuition by 29%. This was to make the school more affordable for all students. Even before this change, La Salle was known for being a good value.
How to Get In
The average GPA for students accepted to La Salle is about 3.35 out of 4.0. About 75% of students who apply get accepted, which means it's moderately difficult to get in. La Salle asks for SAT or ACT scores and an essay. You can also use the common application to apply.
Sports at La Salle
La Salle University has 20 varsity sports teams, known as the Explorers. They compete in the NCAA's Division I. La Salle is part of the Atlantic 10 Conference and the famous Philadelphia Big 5. The Big 5 is a group of Philadelphia sports teams that play against each other. As part of the Big 5, the Explorers play against Temple University, University of Pennsylvania, Villanova University, and Saint Joseph's University at least once a year.
La Salle has sent 16 athletes to the Olympic Games a total of 22 times. These athletes have won six Olympic medals: four gold and two bronze.
La Salle teams have won two national championships. One was the 1954 NCAA Men's Division I Basketball Tournament, and the other was the 1980 Division II AIAW Field Hockey Championship. The school also won the 1952 National Invitation Tournament. La Salle's biggest sports rival is the Hawks from Saint Joseph's University. This is especially true in men's basketball. Both universities are in Philadelphia and are private Catholic schools.
The name "Explorer" came from a mistake in 1931. A sportswriter thought the university was named after the French explorer Sieur de La Salle. But it's actually named after St. Jean-Baptiste de La Salle. The name "Explorer" was officially chosen in a student contest in 1932.
Men's Basketball
La Salle's men's basketball program is considered one of the best college basketball programs of all time. It has been ranked highly by sports magazines.
La Salle has won one National Championship and one National Invitation Tournament Championship. They have also reached the Final Four twice. The Explorers have played in the NCAA Tournament 12 times and won eight Philadelphia Big 5 city championships. The program is one of only two schools to have two players in the top 25 for all-time NCAA scoring: Lionel Simmons and Michael Brooks. They have also had three National Players of the Year.
In 2013, La Salle's men's basketball team had a surprising run in the NCAA Tournament. They made it to the Sweet Sixteen as an underdog, beating higher-ranked teams like Kansas State and Ole Miss.
Many La Salle players have gone on to play professional basketball. These include Michael Brooks, Joe Bryant (father of Kobe Bryant), Rasual Butler, Larry Cannon, Ken Durrett, Tom Gola (who is in the NBA Hall of Fame), and Tim Legler.
The Explorers play their home games at Tom Gola Arena. They play their Philadelphia Big 5 games at The Palestra.
Women's Basketball
La Salle University Campus
La Salle moved to its current location in 1931. Part of the campus is on Belfield, which was once the home of Charles Willson Peale. He was a famous painter and patriot from the American Revolutionary War. He painted portraits of important figures like George Washington. The house where Peale lived is now the office of the University president.
La Salle's campus is in the Logan-Ogontz/Belfield area of Philadelphia. In 2007, La Salle created its West Campus by buying part of Germantown Hospital. La Salle's campus has three parts: North, South, and West campus.
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College Hall
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Connelly Library
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Roland Holroyd Science Center
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Hansen Quad
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Wister Hall
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Communications Center
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North Residence Halls Complex at 20th & Olney Ave.
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St. John Baptiste De La Salle with a student.
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La Salle University Art Museum
The La Salle Art Museum is located in Olney Hall. It has a collection of European and American art from different time periods. The museum also has special collections, like Japanese prints. You can also see the Walking Madonna sculpture there, which is one of only four made by the British artist Dame Elisabeth Frink.
Student Housing
In 2011, St. Basil's Court was named one of the best dorms in the country. It is often home to honors students, athletes, and older students.
Dorms have different living styles. In some, boys and girls live in the same building but on different floors. In others, they might be on the same floor but on different sides. In the St. Miguel Townhouses and Apartments, students live with others of the same gender in their own living space with a kitchen and bathrooms. In 2016, students voted to have gender-neutral housing in the St. Miguel Townhouses. This means students can choose to live with anyone, regardless of gender. This was a big change for a Catholic university.
Campus Growth and Changes
La Salle has spent about $75 million on renovations since 2005. In 2005, they built Tree Tops Cafe (a dining hall) and St. Basil Court (a dorm). St. Basil's can house about 430 students.
In 2007, the university bought the nearby Germantown Hospital. This added 24 acres to the campus, making it 25% larger. A shopping center with a supermarket opened across from the hospital in 2008. The Holroyd Science Center was updated in 2009, and a new business school opened in West Campus in 2016.
In 2016, a building called McShain Hall was taken down and replaced with a new green space, which was named Hansen Quad.
La Salle also has a satellite campus in Newtown, Bucks County, Pennsylvania, called the La Salle University Bucks County Center. It offers classes for graduate students and some undergraduate nursing courses.
In 2016, La Salle changed its motto from "Never Stop Exploring" to "Explorers are Never Lost." This change came with the announcement that tuition would be lowered.
Student Life at La Salle
Students at La Salle have many ways to get involved. There are many clubs and organizations, and a student programming center that plans fun activities like games, movie nights, and trips. The Communication Department runs La Salle TV, a cable TV station that reaches many homes in Philadelphia. The university also has a student-run radio station, WEXP, and a student newspaper, The Collegian. There are over 100 other clubs and NCAA Division I sports.
La Salle offers many services for students, including tutoring, career help, and health services. The campus also has safety and security services, like 24-hour patrols and emergency phones.
Student Media
La Salle TV
La Salle TV is a TV station run by students. It's an educational channel available on cable in Philadelphia. The station reaches over 300,000 homes and provides educational and fun programs for students and neighbors. It's also a place where students interested in communication can get hands-on experience. La Salle TV broadcasts student-made shows, including sports, entertainment, and discussions about social issues.
The Collegian Newspaper
The Collegian is the only newspaper on campus for La Salle. It started in 1931 and is published every Thursday during the school year. Students write, edit, and produce the newspaper with help from a faculty adviser.
WEXP Radio Station
WEXP is a college radio station run by students. It used to broadcast on AM radio in Philadelphia but is now an Internet radio-only station. WEXP opened its studio in 1972. The station became more popular when it started broadcasting online in 2002, reaching listeners on campus and across the country.
Greek Life
La Salle has different Greek life organizations, which are like social clubs. There are fourteen in total: ten traditional fraternities and sororities, two historically black organizations, and two co-educational fraternities.
Fraternities
La Salle has six fraternities. Most of them are recognized nationally. Sigma Phi Lambda was La Salle University's first and oldest fraternity.
| National Fraternity | Greek Letters |
|---|---|
| Sigma Phi Epsilon | ΣΦΕ |
| Alpha Chi Rho | ΑΧΡ |
| Alpha Phi Delta | ΑΦΔ |
| Delta Sigma Phi | ΔΣΦ |
| Sigma Phi Lambda | ΣΦΛ |
| Phi Beta Sigma | ΦΒΣ |
Sororities
La Salle has six sororities. Sororities started at La Salle after 1970, when women were admitted to the school. Most of them are recognized nationally. Alpha Theta Alpha was La Salle University's first sorority.
| National Fraternity | Greek Letters |
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| Alpha Theta Alpha | ΑΘΑ |
| Alpha Sigma Tau | ΑΣΤ |
| Gamma Phi Beta | ΓΦΒ |
| Delta Phi Epsilon | ΔΦΕ |
| Phi Mu | ΦΜ |
| Zeta Phi Beta | ΖΦΒ |
Co-educational Fraternities
La Salle also has two fraternities that include both male and female students. One is a business fraternity called Delta Sigma Pi, and the other is a community service fraternity called Epsilon Sigma Alpha.
| National Fraternity | Greek Letters |
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| Epsilon Sigma Alpha | ΕΣΑ |
| Delta Sigma Pi | ΔΣΠ |
University Ministry and Service
La Salle's University Ministry and Service (UMAS) program offers students ways to get involved in religious activities and community service. Students can volunteer in Philadelphia at places like food banks and homeless shelters. La Salle also holds religious services every week.
Students can also go on service trips, called Lasallian Immersion and Volunteer Experiences (LIVE). These trips happen in the U.S. and in other countries like Kenya and the Dominican Republic.
Famous People Who Went to La Salle
Many people who went to La Salle have achieved great things. They have won awards like an Emmy award and a Pulitzer Prize. Some have won Olympic gold medals and many Fulbright scholarships. Several alumni have become important politicians, including members of the United States House of Representatives.
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William J. Burns, Director of the Central Intelligence Agency
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Jim Kenney, Former Mayor of Philadelphia
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Tom Gola, former basketball player and Hall of Famer
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Brian Fitzpatrick, U.S. Representative
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Peter Boyle, actor
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Jessica Barth, actress
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Bill Raftery, college basketball analyst and former coach
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Madeleine Dean, U.S. Representative
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Joe Bryant, basketball coach and father of Kobe Bryant
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Matthew Quick, author of Silver Linings Playbook
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Fran Dunphy, college basketball coach
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Meredith Marakovits, New York Yankees reporter
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Michael J. Stack III, former Lieutenant Governor of Pennsylvania
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See also
In Spanish: Universidad de La Salle (Pensilvania) para niños
- List of colleges and universities in Philadelphia
- Lasallian educational institutions
