DeSales University
Encyclopedia
DeSales University is a private
Catholic
university for men and women, located in Lehigh County, Pennsylvania
, in the United States
. Before 2001, it was known as Allentown College of St. Francis de Sales.
. This Diocese is composed of five counties in northeast Pennsylvania: Berks
, Carbon
, Lehigh
, Northampton
and Schuylkill
. One of the first actions of Bishop McShea was to make a study of the educational facilities of the Diocese. Since the Allentown Diocese had been split off from the Archdiocese of Philadelphia, it already possessed a well-organized elementary and high school educational system. It was evident, however, that the system needed to be enlarged. Bishop McShea announced that there would be a drive to obtain funds for the expansion of the high school system, and at the same time, he called attention to the fact that there was no Catholic college for men in the Diocese. At the request of the Bishop, the Oblates of St. Francis de Sales
agreed to assume the responsibility for establishing a liberal arts college to serve this need.
Planning for the new college began in April 1962, and the charter for Allentown College of St. Francis de Sales, with full power to award the Bachelor of Arts
and Bachelor of Science
degrees, was granted by the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania on May 27, 1964. Classes began for freshmen in September 1965. Allentown College was fully accredited by the Middle States Association of Colleges and Schools
during the 1969-1970 academic year. In September 1970, the College became a co-educational institution. ACCESS, the College's continuing education department, was established in the fall of 1977. In the spring of 1988, the College opened the Easton campus, an extension of its ACCESS evening degree program.
The College's course offerings continued to grow. A Master of Science in Nursing degree was introduced in 1984; the Master of Science in Management Information Systems in September 1988; and an M.Ed. program in the summer of 1989. In August 1991, the College began its MBA program and in 1995, developed an MBA track in health and systems management, offered on the main campus and via distance learning in Harrisburg. In the fall of 1998, Allentown College began offering an undergraduate degree in elementary education with a special education minor, and the College became the first Catholic College in the country to offer a major in marriage and family studies.
On March 1, 2000, Allentown College received official notification from the Pennsylvania Department of Education
that its application for university status had been approved. In addition, the department approved the use of the name "DeSales University"; (DSU). The College's Board of Trustees voted in favor of these changes on April 13, 2000. The name and status changes, effective January 1, 2001, were made in recognition of the institution's academic excellence, faculty commitment, Catholic heritage and continued growth in graduate education.
The 2009 edition of Best Colleges from US News & World Report ranked DeSales University as 52 in the "Universities-Master's (North)" category.
The 2008 edition of Best Colleges from US News & World Report's ranked DeSales in its "Selective" admissions category and 57th in the "Universities-Master's (North)" category.
.
, Lafayette College
, Lehigh University
, Moravian College
, and Muhlenberg College
.
Division III within the Freedom Conference of the Middle Atlantic Corporation
. Men's teams include: basketball, baseball, soccer, lacrosse, tennis, cross country, golf, and track. Women's teams include: basketball, volleyball, tennis, cross country, soccer, softball, field hockey, and track.
DeSales Men's Basketball won back to back MAC Freedom Conference tournaments in 2009 and 2010. In 2009, they made it to the "Elite 8" in the Division III NCAA Tournament. In 2010, they advanced to the "Sweet 16."
Private university
Private universities are universities not operated by governments, although many receive public subsidies, especially in the form of tax breaks and public student loans and grants. Depending on their location, private universities may be subject to government regulation. Private universities are...
Catholic
Catholic
The word catholic comes from the Greek phrase , meaning "on the whole," "according to the whole" or "in general", and is a combination of the Greek words meaning "about" and meaning "whole"...
university for men and women, located in Lehigh County, Pennsylvania
Lehigh County, Pennsylvania
-Climate:Most of the county's climate is considered to fall in the humid continental climate zone. Summers are typically hot and muggy, fall and spring are generally mild, and winter is cold. Precipitation is almost uniformly distributed throughout the year....
, in the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
. Before 2001, it was known as Allentown College of St. Francis de Sales.
History
On February 11, 1961, Joseph McShea was appointed Bishop of the Allentown Diocese by Pope John XXIIIPope John XXIII
-Papal election:Following the death of Pope Pius XII in 1958, Roncalli was elected Pope, to his great surprise. He had even arrived in the Vatican with a return train ticket to Venice. Many had considered Giovanni Battista Montini, Archbishop of Milan, a possible candidate, but, although archbishop...
. This Diocese is composed of five counties in northeast Pennsylvania: Berks
Berks County, Pennsylvania
-Demographics:As of the census of 2000, there were 373,638 people, 141,570 households, and 98,532 families residing in the county. The population density was 435 people per square mile . There were 150,222 housing units at an average density of 175 per square mile...
, Carbon
Carbon County, Pennsylvania
As of the census of 2000, there were 58,802 people, 23,701 households, and 16,424 families residing in the county. The population density was 154 people per square mile . There were 30,492 housing units at an average density of 80 per square mile...
, Lehigh
Lehigh County, Pennsylvania
-Climate:Most of the county's climate is considered to fall in the humid continental climate zone. Summers are typically hot and muggy, fall and spring are generally mild, and winter is cold. Precipitation is almost uniformly distributed throughout the year....
, Northampton
Northampton County, Pennsylvania
As of the 2010 census, the county was 86.3% White, 5.0% Black or African American, 0.2% Native American or Alaskan Native, 2.4% Asian, 0.0% Native Hawaiian, 2.2% were two or more races, and 3.8% were some other race. 10.5% of the population were of Hispanic or Latino ancestry.As of the census of...
and Schuylkill
Schuylkill County, Pennsylvania
-Notable people:*Boxing heavyweight great Muhammad Ali had his training camp in Deer Lake.*Charles Justin Bailey, commanding general of the 81st Division in World War I, was born in Tamaqua on June 21, 1859....
. One of the first actions of Bishop McShea was to make a study of the educational facilities of the Diocese. Since the Allentown Diocese had been split off from the Archdiocese of Philadelphia, it already possessed a well-organized elementary and high school educational system. It was evident, however, that the system needed to be enlarged. Bishop McShea announced that there would be a drive to obtain funds for the expansion of the high school system, and at the same time, he called attention to the fact that there was no Catholic college for men in the Diocese. At the request of the Bishop, the Oblates of St. Francis de Sales
Oblates of St. Francis de Sales
The Oblates of St. Francis de Sales are a congregation of Roman Catholic priests and brothers who base their spirituality on the teachings of St. Francis de Sales and St. Jane de Chantal. The Oblates of St. Francis de Sales (Latin: Oblati Sancti Francisci Salesii, O.S.F.S.) are a congregation of...
agreed to assume the responsibility for establishing a liberal arts college to serve this need.
Planning for the new college began in April 1962, and the charter for Allentown College of St. Francis de Sales, with full power to award the Bachelor of Arts
Bachelor of Arts
A Bachelor of Arts , from the Latin artium baccalaureus, is a bachelor's degree awarded for an undergraduate course or program in either the liberal arts, the sciences, or both...
and Bachelor of Science
Bachelor of Science
A Bachelor of Science is an undergraduate academic degree awarded for completed courses that generally last three to five years .-Australia:In Australia, the BSc is a 3 year degree, offered from 1st year on...
degrees, was granted by the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania on May 27, 1964. Classes began for freshmen in September 1965. Allentown College was fully accredited by the Middle States Association of Colleges and Schools
Middle States Association of Colleges and Schools
The Middle States Association of Colleges and Schools is a voluntary, peer-based, non-profit association dedicated to educational excellence and improvement through peer evaluation and accreditation...
during the 1969-1970 academic year. In September 1970, the College became a co-educational institution. ACCESS, the College's continuing education department, was established in the fall of 1977. In the spring of 1988, the College opened the Easton campus, an extension of its ACCESS evening degree program.
The College's course offerings continued to grow. A Master of Science in Nursing degree was introduced in 1984; the Master of Science in Management Information Systems in September 1988; and an M.Ed. program in the summer of 1989. In August 1991, the College began its MBA program and in 1995, developed an MBA track in health and systems management, offered on the main campus and via distance learning in Harrisburg. In the fall of 1998, Allentown College began offering an undergraduate degree in elementary education with a special education minor, and the College became the first Catholic College in the country to offer a major in marriage and family studies.
On March 1, 2000, Allentown College received official notification from the Pennsylvania Department of Education
Pennsylvania Department of Education
The Pennsylvania Department of Education is the executive department of the state charged with K-12 and adult educational budgeting, management and guidelines. As the state education agency, its activities are directed by Pennsylvania's Secretary of Education, Gerald L. Zahorchak...
that its application for university status had been approved. In addition, the department approved the use of the name "DeSales University"; (DSU). The College's Board of Trustees voted in favor of these changes on April 13, 2000. The name and status changes, effective January 1, 2001, were made in recognition of the institution's academic excellence, faculty commitment, Catholic heritage and continued growth in graduate education.
Academics
The 2011 edition of Best Colleges from US News & World Report ranked DeSales University as 67 in the "Universities-Master's (North)" category.The 2009 edition of Best Colleges from US News & World Report ranked DeSales University as 52 in the "Universities-Master's (North)" category.
The 2008 edition of Best Colleges from US News & World Report's ranked DeSales in its "Selective" admissions category and 57th in the "Universities-Master's (North)" category.
Affiliation
DeSales is a private, four-year Catholic university for men and women administered by the Oblates of St. Francis de SalesOblates of St. Francis de Sales
The Oblates of St. Francis de Sales are a congregation of Roman Catholic priests and brothers who base their spirituality on the teachings of St. Francis de Sales and St. Jane de Chantal. The Oblates of St. Francis de Sales (Latin: Oblati Sancti Francisci Salesii, O.S.F.S.) are a congregation of...
.
Accreditations
DeSales is accredited by the Middle States Association of Colleges and Secondary Schools and the National League for Nursing. The Physician Assistant Program also holds accreditation from the Commission on the Accreditation of Allied Health Programs (CAAHEP). All business programs are accredited by the Association of Collegiate Business Schools and Programs (ACBSP). DeSales is also a member of the Lehigh Valley Association of Independent Colleges, which offers cross-registration and interlibrary loan with the Lehigh Valley-based Cedar Crest CollegeCedar Crest College
Cedar Crest College is a private liberal arts women's college in Allentown, Pennsylvania, in the United States. During the 2006-2007 academic year, the college had 1,000 full-time and 800 part-time undergraduates and 85 graduate students...
, Lafayette College
Lafayette College
Lafayette College is a private coeducational liberal arts and engineering college located in Easton, Pennsylvania, USA. The school, founded in 1826 by James Madison Porter,son of General Andrew Porter of Norristown and citizens of Easton, first began holding classes in 1832...
, Lehigh University
Lehigh University
Lehigh University is a private, co-educational university located in Bethlehem, Pennsylvania, in the Lehigh Valley region of the United States. It was established in 1865 by Asa Packer as a four-year technical school, but has grown to include studies in a wide variety of disciplines...
, Moravian College
Moravian College
Moravian College a private liberal arts college, and the associated Moravian Theological Seminary are located in Bethlehem, Pennsylvania, United States, in the Lehigh Valley region.-History:...
, and Muhlenberg College
Muhlenberg College
Muhlenberg College is a private liberal arts college located in Allentown, Pennsylvania, United States. Founded in 1848, Muhlenberg is affiliated with the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America and is named for Henry Melchior Muhlenberg, the patriarch of the Lutheran Church in America.- History...
.
Athletics
DeSales has sixteen athletic teams. They compete in NCAANational Collegiate Athletic Association
The National Collegiate Athletic Association is a semi-voluntary association of 1,281 institutions, conferences, organizations and individuals that organizes the athletic programs of many colleges and universities in the United States...
Division III within the Freedom Conference of the Middle Atlantic Corporation
Middle Atlantic Corporation
Founded in 1912, the Middle Atlantic Conferences is an umbrella organization of three athletic conferences which competes in the NCAA's Division III. The 16-member teams are located in the Mid-Atlantic United States....
. Men's teams include: basketball, baseball, soccer, lacrosse, tennis, cross country, golf, and track. Women's teams include: basketball, volleyball, tennis, cross country, soccer, softball, field hockey, and track.
DeSales Men's Basketball won back to back MAC Freedom Conference tournaments in 2009 and 2010. In 2009, they made it to the "Elite 8" in the Division III NCAA Tournament. In 2010, they advanced to the "Sweet 16."
Notable alumni
- Steven Burns, former host, Blue's CluesBlue's CluesBlue's Clues is an American children's television show airing on the Nickelodeon family of channels. The show premiered on September 8, 1996 and airs on Nick Jr. and other channels, although production of new episodes ceased by 2006. Versions of the show have been produced in other countries,...
on NickelodeonNickelodeon (TV channel)Nickelodeon, often simply called Nick and originally named Pinwheel, is an American children's channel owned by MTV Networks, a subsidiary of Viacom International. The channel is primarily aimed at children ages 7–17, with the exception of their weekday morning program block aimed at preschoolers...
. - Alexie GilmoreAlexie GilmoreAlexie Gilmore is an American actress who starred in the television series New Amsterdam as Dr. Sara Dillane. She is featured in the 2008 movie Definitely, Maybe and starred alongside Matthew McConaughey in the 2008 movie Surfer, Dude....
, actress, Dr. Sara Dillane on the FoxFox Broadcasting CompanyFox Broadcasting Company, commonly referred to as Fox Network or simply Fox , is an American commercial broadcasting television network owned by Fox Entertainment Group, part of Rupert Murdoch's News Corporation. Launched on October 9, 1986, Fox was the highest-rated broadcast network in the...
television series New AmsterdamNew Amsterdam (TV series)New Amsterdam is an American television drama, which premiered March 4, 2008 on Fox, and ended after its eighth episode.-Premise and plot:...
. - Dee RoscioliDee RoscioliDee Roscioli is an American singer and actress, who is known for her performances as "Elphaba" in the Chicago, San Francisco, Broadway and national touring productions of the musical Wicked.-Education:She graduated from Wilson Area High School in 1995 and DeSales University in 1999...
actress, Elphaba in the Broadway production of the musical Wicked (musical)Wicked (musical)Wicked is a musical with music and lyrics by Stephen Schwartz and a book by Winnie Holzman. It is based on the Gregory Maguire novel Wicked: The Life and Times of the Wicked Witch of the West , a parallel novel of the 1939 film The Wizard of Oz and L. Frank Baum's classic story The Wonderful Wizard... - Marnie SchulenburgMarnie SchulenburgMarnie Schulenburg is an American actress. She is known for her role as Alison Stewart on As the World Turns .-Private life:...
, Actress