Author: Rita Offutt

The Renfrew Center’s Live Your Real Life campaign targets college students’ social media 

Features

Rita Offutt, Editor 

Header Image: Renfrew Center

The Renfrew Center for Eating Disorders launched the “Live Your Real Life” campaign, which addresses social media and body image, as part of National Eating Disorders Awareness Week, which runs from Feb. 21-27. 

According to The Renfrew Center’s website, the campaign was developed to “reflect on the impact social media has on your body image and mental health. You deserve to empower yourself and embrace the real you.” 

In a press release about the campaign, the organization described how the “Live Your Real Life” campaign will push against some common social media practices, saying “social media is often referred to as a highlight reel. Posts on platforms with a photo-sharing component tend to depict only the perfect moments of people’s lives rather than the full picture. This National Eating Disorders Awareness Week, The Renfrew Center is encouraging people to reverse this trend by taking pictures of their real-life selves — photos that aren’t perfectly curated for a highlight reel — and sharing them using the hashtag #LiveRealWithRenfrew.”

On social media, the hashtag #LiveRealWithRenfrew has been used to spark conversation about eating disorders and to give those in recovery a platform to share their stories. One community account on Instagram, @boycottthebefore, has partnered with the Renfrew Center to encourage women to share their “authentic” selves. A post from Feb. 16 reads, “The Renfrew Center is a place I hold near and dear to my heart as it was a safe place for me to recover and find community… Many of us get caught up in highlight reels and perfectionism. When we see how we all lead perfectly imperfect lives, we can better embrace our true selves… Together, let’s celebrate the real and the now.” 

The social-media-focused effort coincides with the release of a new study from the Renfrew Center. The nationwide survey asked college students about body image, isolation, depression and social media. According to the Renfrew Center, the survey found:

  • 93 percent of respondents have felt alone or isolated at least sometimes during the current school year. One in four said in the 2021-2022 academic year, they have always felt alone or isolated.
  • 100 percent of surveyed students have felt depressed at some point during the current school year. Fifty-five percent said they felt that way sometimes, while 27 percent said always.
  • 72 percent of respondents agreed with the statement, “I feel alone or isolated more often now than I did before the pandemic (prior to March 2020).” 70 percent reported feeling depressed more often now than pre-pandemic.
  • Two-thirds (67 percent) of surveyed students said their body image has gotten worse since before the pandemic.
  • When given a series of adjectives to describe how they typically feel after scrolling through social media — happy, sad, inspired, depressed, loved and lonely — the most common response was “lonely” at 39 percent, followed by “depressed” at 24 percent. 15 percent of respondents selected “inspired.”

In addition to the “Live Your Real Life” campaign, the Renfrew Center will host free, virtual events. Registration for the events, which include a yoga class and online webinars, is available at the Renfrew Center’s website. 

More information on eating disorders can be found through the National Association of Anorexia Nervosa and Associated Disorders, the Renfrew Center’s services catalog, and this guide to eating disorders. 

Students experiencing difficulty due to social media use, disordered eating or mental health concerns are encouraged to reach out to the La Salle Student Counseling Center. Appointments can be made by emailing studentcounseling@lasalle.edu. 

Valentine’s Day: ancient practices and upcoming events

Features

Rita Offutt, Editor

This year, Valentine’s Day falls on a Monday, helping La Salle students to ring in the fifth week of classes and celebrate their relationships. While there is a lot of controversy surrounding Valentine’s Day, especially regarding its commercialization, there have been few accurate accounts of the history of the holiday. In 2011, the National Public Radio (NPR) published an article about the origins of Valentine’s Day. According to the article:

“From Feb. 13 to 15, the Romans celebrated the feast of Lupercalia…The Roman romantics ‘were drunk. They were naked,’ says Noel Lenski, a historian at the University of Colorado at Boulder. Young women would actually line up for the men to hit them, Lenski says. They believed this would make them fertile. The brutal fete included a matchmaking lottery, in which young men drew the names of women from a jar. The couple would then be, um, coupled up for the duration of the festival — or longer, if the match was right.”

Despite legends about Cupid, most people who celebrate Valentine’s Day are doing so to celebrate preexisting love. For La Salle students, there is no better opportunity than in the City of Brotherly Love. Across the Philadelphia area, businesses and social hubs are ramping up for the holiday. In the spirit of the origins of Valentine’s Day, readers are encouraged to engage in a different type of matchmaking. Listed below are 10 different holiday attractions; readers are invited to close their eyes, randomly select a number, and consider participating in that activity. Consider it fate! Or, feel free to peruse the list at your leisure, and determine if any of the activities feel like the right way to celebrate your best friend, romantic partner or even yourself! A list of upcoming events can be found below the picture of Cupid.

1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10

Upcoming events:

  1. Jinxed heART show

@jinxedstore via Instagram

2. Valentine’s Day Party At The Philadelphia Butterfly Pavilion and Insectarium

Philadelphia Butterfly Pavilion and Insectarium

3. Blue Cross RiverRink Sweetheart Skate

4. Philadelphia’s Magic Gardens Valentine’s Day Tour

5. Mural Arts Love Letters Train Tour

6.  Late Night La Salle’s Build Your Own Bouquet

7. Annual “Laugh Your Heart Out” Valentines Day Comedy Show

8. Betsy Ross House – Tipsy History: A Love Story

9. Valentine’s BYOB G.O.A.T. Happy Hour Fundraiser

10. Candlelight: Classical Valentine’s Day at Michelangelo’s Sistine Chapel

Senior student project tackles COVID-19 vaccinations

Features

Rita Offutt, Editor

Emma Krall, a senior psychology major and chemistry minor, is preparing for the next steps after graduation. For Krall, doing so entails navigating through medical school applications while promoting healthy living on and off campus. As the Director of Harm Reduction and Prevention for Phi Mu Fraternity and the Council Chair for Student Health and Service with the La Salle Honors Program, Krall has an extensive background in navigating conversations about sensitive topics, including mental health and the COVID-19 pandemic. Relating specifically to COVID-19, Krall is passionate about the dissemination of accurate, accessible information. Her combined interest in medicine, the COVID-19 pandemic and student wellbeing prompted Krall to create a 1 minute, 17 second video entitled ‘How mRNA COVID-19 Vaccines (Pfizer & Moderna) Work’. 

Krall’s video was completed to fulfill the requirements of the La Salle Honors Project, a capstone assignment given to students enrolled in the Honors program. When reflecting on her work with the assignment, Krall said, “Because most of my undergraduate career has been centered around memorization and lab work, I wanted my Honors Project to be more on the creative side. During quarantine in Spring 2020, I began getting into digital art, graphic design, and animation as a hobby. My original idea was to create a digital series with the theme ‘Emotions During the Pandemic’ because COVID-19 had such a big impact on my life. However, this topic was extremely broad, and I did not know where to start. Right before I was supposed to have my first meeting…[for the Honors Project], I was scrolling on Instagram and saw that someone posted a COVID-19 vaccine animation. While the video was entertaining and encouraged vaccination, it was not biochemically correct! [The video] sparked my idea to create an animation that was scientifically correct while also being creative and entertaining. This idea seemed to join my passion for a career in medicine with my personal hobbies of art and animation.” 

In developing her video, Krall worked with several La Salle University professors. Geoffery Beatty, a faculty member in La Salle’s Digital Art program, served as the project advisor. Krall cites Beatty as having helped her to “construct my overall project.” Krall also worked with professors Jason Diaz and Kelly Daily. Diaz, who teaches Integrated Business, Science, and Technology, helped Krall to understand how the vaccine works. Daily, a Communication professor, helped Krall to develop her communication style and incorporate important aspects of public health into the video. 

Krall’s video is designed to make information about the COVID-19 vaccines more accessible, to promote understanding and encourage others to consider getting vaccinated. She said, “In my opinion, you should not need a background in medicine or science to understand how the mRNA COVID-19 vaccine works. Especially over the course of the pandemic, the gap of information between the medical community and the public has become very clear to me. I believe bridging this difference, through clear and accurate communication, can better vaccination efforts, promote stronger trust in science, and strengthen everyone’s understanding. I wanted to create an animation that could provide anyone with the terminology and proceedings of the Moderna and Pfizer vaccines…I genuinely hope my video either convinced at least one person to get fully vaccinated or it made one person feel more comfortable and competent in understanding how the vaccine works.” 

Krall’s video, as well as other artistic projects, are publicly available on her Instagram account @byemmacrawl.

Philadelphia bans low-level traffic stops

News

Rita Offutt, Editor

On Nov. 3, Philadelphia Mayor Jim Kenney signed the Driving Equality Bill, making Philadelphia the first major city to enact a law against low-level traffic stops. According to the National Public Radio (NPR), the law “bans stops for: driving with a single broken brake light, driving with a single headlight, having a registration plate that’s not clearly displayed, fastened, or visible, driving without an inspection or emissions sticker, bumper issues, minor obstructions (like something hanging from a rearview mirror) [and] driving without vehicle registration within 60 days of the observed infraction.” Instead of being stopped for these offenses, cars will be ticketed. 

Philadelphia’s city council passed the bill in a 14-2 vote on Oct. 14. It will go into effect in February, allowing the Philadelphia Police Department 120 days to retrain officers in accordance with the legislation. According to NPR, “The Philadelphia Police Department was part of a coalition of stakeholders who helped draft the legislation…to [address] racial disparity without compromising public safety.” CNN reported that the Philadelphia Police Department released a statement saying, “We believe this is a fair and balanced approach to addressing racial disparity without compromising public safety. This modified enforcement model for car stops furthers the Department’s priority of addressing the issue of racial disparity in the Department’s investigative stops and complements the Department’s efforts to address these same issues in pedestrian stops.” 

The Driving Equality Bill was initially proposed by city councilmember Isaiah Thomas in October 2020, and cosponsored by Kenyatta Johnson, Katherine Gilmore Richardson, Jamie Gauthier, Kendra Brooks, Maria Quiñones Sánchez, Cherelle Parker and Curtis Jones. According to NPR, Thomas authored the bill after he was stopped for a traffic violation while his son was in the car. Thomas told CNN, “I am humbled by every person who told my office of the humiliation and trauma experienced in some of these traffic stops. To many people who look like me, a traffic stop is a rite of passage — we pick out cars, we determine routes, we plan our social interactions around the fact that it is likely that we will be pulled over by police.” 

South Philly statue of Christopher Columbus remains covered on Indigenous Peoples Day

News

Rita Offutt, Editor

On Saturday, Oct. 9, the Philadelphia Commonwealth Court decided that the Christopher Columbus statue in Philadelphia’s Marconi Plaza would remain covered, overruling the earlier Common Pleas Court ruling that the plywood box surrounding the statue be removed. The 145-year-old statue was covered by city officials during the summer of 2020, during protests surrounding the death of George Floyd. In July 2020, the Philadelphia Historical Commission voted to take down the statue, but a series of appeals have prevented it from being removed. 

On Friday, Common Pleas Court Judge Paula Patrick issued an emergency order that a contractor could remove the box surrounding the statue. George Bochetto, an attorney acting on behalf of the statue’s supporters, stated the statue would be uncovered by Sunday night. On Saturday afternoon he said the covering would be removed, “if not tonight, first thing tomorrow morning.” South Philadelphia resident Mark Anthony Carlini spoke out in support of the statue to 6abc, saying, “I think it’s a disgrace that they boxed that statue up. This represents the neighborhood. This represents Italian Americans.” Another supporter of the statue, Francis Recchuiti, said, “We are here to honor our heritage, our grandparents who came here…We want to maintain the fact that we have an ethnic identity…there’s no reason to forget your ethnic heritage, and we have. It’s important for our kids and our grandkids to understand there was tremendous discrimination, but we’ve risen above that.” 


The Philadelphia Inquirer
A man dressed as Christopher Columbus drives past the plywood box containing the Christopher Columbus statue.

Following Patrick’s decision, Philadelphia city officials filed an emergency application to vacate her ruling. The Commonwealth Court’s decision to keep the statue covered was released shortly before 11:00 p.m. on Saturday, Oct. 9. According to the Philadelphia Inquirer, “City officials described [Patrick’s decision on Saturday as ‘appalling’], which…came before they had time to respond to the request for permission to uncover the statue.” Representatives spoke out against the removal of the box, including Kevin Lessard, who said uncovering the statue “would pose a serious public safety risk.” Mayor Jim Kenney tweeted, “Grateful that the Commonwealth Court took the time to review this important matter tonight. No action will be taken with respect to the statue at this time.” 

Monday, Oct. 11 marks the first time Philadelphia will celebrate Indigenous People’s Day, replacing the previous Columbus Day holiday after Kenney issued an executive order to change the holiday in January 2021. The annual Columbus Day parade took place on Sunday, Oct. 10 despite the holiday being changed. Throughout both the parade and all of Indigenous People’s Day, the statue remained covered. 

COVID-19 pandemic and social media raise increased concerns about eating disorders

News

Rita Offutt, Editor

On Tuesday, Oct. 5 the United States Subcommittee on Consumer Protection, Product Safety, and Data Security Hearing assembled for a hearing regarding recent allegations against Facebook. The allegations, known as the Facebook Files, were published by The Wall Street Journal in conjunction with whistleblower Frances Haugen. Haugen, who previously worked for Facebook as a data scientist, revealed her identity on the Oct. 2 episode of 60 Minutes. She has produced a body of evidence suggesting that Facebook is harmful for young people and is aware of the harm it is doing, and spoke in accordance with the allegations during the hearing.  

The Facebook Files issue six complaints and have additional articles that support the claims and offer additional information about Haugen. The six complaints are that Facebook has: (1) a secret elite that is exempt from Facebook’s rules; (2) knowledge that Instagram is unhealthy for teenage girls; (3) evidence that Facebook incites anger in its users; (4) weak responses to drug cartels and human traffickers; (5) sown doubt about the effectiveness and safety of COVID-19 vaccines; (6) gradually been recruiting younger audiences. One of the complaints receiving the most attention is Facebook’s knowledge that Instagram is unhealthy for teenage girls. The New York Times reported Senator Richard Blumenthal “recounted to the hearing the real-world impact Instagram has had on a daughter of one of his constituents, who struggled with eating disorders herself.” 

Kathleen Martinez is a Team Leader at The Renfrew Center, a national network of facilities that specialize in the treatment of eating disorders. She described how the social media feeds, such as Facebook and Instagram, are image-based platforms with algorithms that can fuel certain expectations around food, dieting, and body image. Martinez said one of the hallmarks of eating disorders is “a comparison mindset”, and that social media accounts that share unhealthy ideas about dieting or unrealistic body expectations can perpetuate feelings of self-consciousness and damage self-esteem. 

Martinez also shared that eating disorders “thrive in isolation” because of the shame and guilt associated with them. The Renfrew Center has seen a 166% increase in outreach from young adults between the ages of 13-19 since the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic and a 17% increase in prospective college-aged patients. Martinez believes the transition back to campus may also be sparking an increase in unhealthy eating and dieting, since “times of change and transition [can increase] eating disorder behaviors.” New students may struggle with returning to campus, navigating collegiate life, and coping with the lasting effects of the COVID-19 pandemic. Fears about how they will be perceived, a desire for familiarity, and a lacking sense of control can all contribute to unhealthy eating behavior. 

Martinez encourages students to be mindful of their own eating habits and look out for their friends, especially because “eating disorders [fall on] a spectrum, [and while] certain behaviors may not be diagnosable, they are still concerning…a diagnosis is not necessary for treatment.” In other words, students struggling with body image or eating habits don’t need to fall into a specific category. Martinez said, “disordered eating is anything that can be considered problematic or concerning eating, such as food rituals, binging behaviors or an unhealthy relationship with exercise.”

The Renfrew Center offers help to those who may be concerned about their friends or family. Martinez recommends building trust with individuals who may be demonstrating concerning behaviors, and to express concern about general wellbeing as opposed to specific comments about weight and eating. Being empathetic and non-judgemental opens the door for future conversations, especially if worrisome behavior continues. Signs that someone is struggling with an eating disorder or similar issue can include eating alone, using the bathroom frequently after meals, intense exercise, fluctuations in weight, obsessive concerns about body image, swollen salivary glands, restrictive eating, thinning hair, or a complete disinterest in eating. It’s important to monitor changes in eating and exercise habits, as eating disorders don’t always present in a uniform fashion. 

If you are concerned about yourself or someone else, The Renfrew Center has four locations in the Philadelphia area – Radnor, Roxborough, Center City and Mt. Laurel, NJ – and offers assessments to determine if care is needed and if so, what the most appropriate level of care is. They offer resources on their website, www.renfrewcenter.com and can be contacted over the phone at 1-800-RENFREW. The Renfrew Center offers payment options for those who aren’t willing or able to go through insurance, and their website promotes a “full financial support team that interfaces with insurance companies…to negotiate the cost of care covered.” Students struggling with food insecurity are invited to visit The Basket, a free on-campus food pantry open from 12:00 PM-1:30 PM on Wednesdays and Thursday from 11:00 AM-3:00 PM. La Salle’s Student Counseling Center, which is open from 8:30 AM-4:30 PM, also offers support for students struggling with food and body image issues. To schedule an appointment at the Counseling Center, please email studentcounseling@lasalle.edu.

Programming protocols for student organizations

Features

Rita Offutt, Editor

The COVID-19 pandemic has influenced life at La Salle in many ways, such as continued mask-wearing and social distancing. While these measures are critical in order for La Salle to remain safe and healthy, student organizations have suffered tremendously during the COVID-19 pandemic, especially as they try to recruit new members and build a sense of community on campus. However, as the semester has progressed, there has been an increase in the number of student-led programs taking place on campus, spanning organizations such as The Masque (who held a Meet the Masque event on Sept. 15) and Alpha Sigma Tau (who held an anti-hazing event on Sept. 28). Student leaders who are interested in hosting activities or meetings on campus are encouraged to contact the Campus Activities Center (CAC) for review of their event proposal. 

The first step in the process is filling out an Information Request Form (IRF). Students can complete this form virtually or visit the CAC on the third floor of the Union to fill out a paper copy. The IRF will connect students with CAC staff for more information about hosting on-campus events. The IRF is also helpful for student org leaders who have not already received information on programming; protocols for holding events on campus were emailed to every known student org president. If a president of a student organization has not received programming information, it is because the CAC does not have their contact information. Leaders with questions or concerns are strongly encouraged to reach out to Mina Koller (utt@lasalle.edu) or Chris Kazmierczak (kazmierc@lasalle.edu).

After completing the IRF, students can make room reservations for their event. In order to do so, they need to access the Event Management System (EMS) or contact Kyra Spoto (spotok@lasalle.edu). In order to use the EMS, students need to create an account through the La Salle portal. Spoto, the Director of Union Services, can independently facilitate the reservation process or assist with EMS as needed. 

There are two primary considerations for student-led events: the number of people and the presence of food. If a program will have more than 50 people in attendance or will offer food, the event needs to be reviewed by the CAC and La Salle’s COVID-19 Response Team. Student organizations who are interested in holding large events or having food at their events need to contact the CAC before reserving space. The event will be reviewed by CAC staff and they will contact the COVID-19 response team on behalf of the student org. Aside from the primary considerations, student leaders may also want to consider the size of the space they will need for appropriate social distancing and whether a university staff or faculty member should be in attendance. Currently, student organizations are not permitted to have guests from outside the La Salle community, but specific requests will be reviewed on an individual basis.

Finally, once an event has been approved and a space has been reserved, student organizations are responsible for utilizing Presence to track attendance. Presence, a campus engagement platform, is available to every student organization for keeping track of membership, events and attendance. For contact tracing purposes, a full list of event attendees must be uploaded within 12 hours of the conclusion of any event on campus. More information about Presence or EMS will be made available to student leaders who complete an IRF.

Koller and Kazmierczak, who serve the La Salle community as the Assistant Director of Campus Programming and the Director of Campus Life, respectively, understand that programming has extra layers and additional complications now because of public health. Both empathize with the difficulty student organizations are facing and want students to know the CAC is trying to make it as easy as possible for student orgs to get back on their feet. Koller strongly encourages students to ask questions if they need help with programming, saying, “Don’t stop yourself from asking questions. Don’t stop yourself from looking for ways to make your college experience better and more fulfilling…part of the college experience is learning how to navigate the world…[the CAC staff] are here to help guide that experience and provide resources for that experience.” CAC staff, resident assistants, commuter connectors, professors, and student workers are all resources who are able to assist student organizations and student leaders as needed. 

Attached is a copy of the current COVID-19 Student Organization Reservations Protocols. These guidelines are subject to change based on community, state, or national regulations. Additionally, a visual representation of programming procedures has been provided. Student leaders and event planners are invited to reference the protocols and flowchart below as needed.

covid-student-programming-protocol-fall-2021-updated-9-13-21Download
student-programming-flowchart-fall-2021Download

La Salle Panhellenic Council hosts virtual Meet the Greeks

Features

Rita Offutt, Editor

La Salle’s Panhellenic Council is the center of sorority life. All five social organizations are represented, and the different chapters come together to make decisions about Greek life at La Salle. All Greek organizations at La Salle participate in different philanthropic efforts, and the Panhellenic Council typically hosts an event each semester to promote the greater good. Previous events have included making dog toys for animal shelters and promoting body positivity. One of the most prominent issues the Panhellenic Council considers is recruitment, including formal recruitment weekend, which is held every spring, and the continuous-open-bid (COB) process. Alpha Sigma Tau, Alpha Theta Alpha, Delta Phi Epsilon, Gamma Phi Beta, and Phi Mu are all networking to recruit sophomore, junior and senior women as part of the COB process this fall, which is an informal opportunity to consider joining one of the chapters. In order to facilitate this process and familiarize the entire La Salle community with the five sororities, La Salle’s Panhellenic Council is hosting a Meet The Greeks event at 9 PM on October 6th. 

Jessica Nass, the president of the Panhellenic Council, believes, “Meet the Greeks will be a great way to get acquainted with all the incredible organizations La Salle has to offer. I strongly encourage anyone who is even considering Greek life to join us at the event and see what sorority life is all about.” The Meet the Greeks event will be hosted virtually. To access the Zoom link, visit the Instagram page @lasallepanhellenic . 

Erin Sweigert, a sister of Gamma Phi Beta who serves as a delegate on the Panhellenic Council, said, “I went Greek because I wanted to be in a community who accepts me for who I truly am and I’m so thankful I did! I found my forever people!”
Erin Holly, another delegate and sister of Alpha Sigma Tau, said, “My favorite part about Greek life is all of the friendships I have made, not only with my sisters but sisters of other chapters at La Salle!”

International Lasallian Days for Peace promote reflection

News

Rita Offutt, Editor

From Sept. 21 – Oct. 21, the International Council of Young Lasallians (ICYL) is hosting the 15th annual International Lasallian Days for Peace (ILDP). This year the theme is “Rise Together for Peace!” and the five weeks of the event will be marked by virtual activities to encourage reflection on inequality, isolation, peace and hope.

On Sept. 21, the United Nations’ International Day of Peace, the Lasallian Region of North America offered an Opening Prayer Vigil and the global Lasallian community celebrated the start of the ILDP through a global online launch. Resources provided by the District of Ireland, Great Britain and Malta Young Lasallians Council outline activities for each day of the ILDP. The activities are separated into five slideshows that correspond with each of the five weeks of the event. Each day has a different prompt and reflective questions on how to incorporate peace into daily living.

An article about the ILDP from La Salle University is featured on the website for The Brothers of the Christian Schools District of Eastern North America. In the article, Br. Ernest Miller describes the ILDP as “an annual opportunity to provide a globally shared period for Lasallians to commit to building peace.” He goes on to say that La Salle University students, faculty, and staff can foster peace in their lives by “[adopting] a personal commitment to the practice of nonviolence and reconciliation. Adopt a personal commitment to justice creation. We need to see everyday life as not simply ordinary, but the space in which the meaning of existence is disclosed in day-to-day activities and relationships. Beginning in our neighborhood, on our campus, in our family, and in our networks of friends, we must strive to build a wholesome community environment by practicing radical hospitality and inclusion of all peoples—helping others to live well together.”

On Oct. 6, La Salle University is hosting a one-hour virtual event entitled “The Quest for our Shared Humanity: Lasallians as Artisans of Peacebuilding” as part of the International Lasallian Days for Peace. More information can be found on the university calendar on the myLaSalle portal.

La Salle’s bachelor of science in nursing program ranked among top universities

News

Rita Offutt, Editor

On Sept. 13, U.S. News and World Report released their 2022 “Best Colleges” report, which included the first-ever ranking of Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BSN) Programs; out of 694 programs, La Salle was ranked #288. According to U.S. News and World Report, “The rankings are based solely on the judgments of deans and senior faculty members of nursing schools and departments at institutions around the country.” Those judgments, classified as peer assessment scores or reputation scores, were recorded on a 5-point scale, ranging from outstanding (5) to marginal (1). La Salle received a reputation score of 2.9. 

Because the 2022 BSN rankings were based solely on reputation score, and did not include objective metrics such as licensure exam results, many institutions tied. More than forty  universities received a reputation score of 2.9, and because other metrics were not used, they all share the #288 ranking. Other Philadelphia-area schools were also included on the list, including Villanova University (#23), Thomas Jefferson University (#58), Drexel University (#96) and Temple University(#120). The University of Pennsylvania was ranked number one, with a reputation score of 4.6. 

On Jan. 4, 2021, La Salle shared that “Undergraduate students in La Salle University’s nursing program achieved a 94.64-percent first-time pass rate of their national licensure exams for registered nurses…The pass rate posted by La Salle’s nursing students exceeded the national (86.76 percent) and state (91.99 percent) averages for this same cycle, according to the National Council of State Board of Nursing.” Following the “Best Colleges” report, Interim President Tim O’Shaughnessy told La Salle News, “La Salle’s undergraduate nursing program is one of our hallmark undergraduate degree programs, one of which we are incredibly proud. Not only does our BSN program cultivate future leaders of the nursing profession, it trains our graduates in the delivery of compassionate care for the most-vulnerable populations.”

When asked about her experience in La Salle’s nursing program, senior Addison Frazier said, “The program is challenging, but an appropriate amount — I definitely feel like La Salle prioritizes National Council Licensure Examination (NCLEX) prep. The faculty are very supportive and truly want to see us succeed. I’ve had great clinical experiences so far and I feel well prepared from our simulations and classroom preparation. La Salle students are very fortunate to work in a wide variety of clinical sites and be so close to so many highly regarded medical centers.” After reviewing the 2022 “Best Colleges” report, senior nursing major Renata Qunito echoed Frazier’s sentiments, saying, “I’m extremely proud of La Salle’s BSN program. I find it unfair that the schools were ranked based on reputation alone. Other quantifiable measures, such as NCLEX first time pass rate, would better represent the success of La Salle’s students, faculty, and overall program. La Salle produces stellar nurses who go on to accept the same, if not better, job offers as students from other, higher ranking Philadelphia universities.”