Welcome to Alvernia University

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Welcome - Francis Hall

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Francis Hall is where it all began when our beloved "Bernardine" Sisters founded Alvernia in 1958. This regal and historic building is the oldest on campus and serves as a hub of academic and social activity. Home to the University’s Welcome Center and Francis Hall Theatre, it’s a gathering spot for student productions, guest lectures and community forums. It features classrooms, faculty offices, the Miller Art Gallery, and a small chapel for quiet reflection. It is also the location of vital student services, like Student Financial Services. With its beautiful outdoor patio, it’s a great spot to relax between classes."In case this is your first visit, here are some tips to help you get started: -Click on the forward-facing arrow to start walking ahead or select the ""Next"" button to jump to the next destination. -If you already know where you want to go, simply select that location from the list on the sidebar OR click directly on the map below. -And remember to explore each destination in more detail by clicking the interactive icons included throughout each location."

John R. Post Center

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The John R. Post Center at Reading CollegeTowne is Alvernia’s new downtown Reading facility. The dynamic extension of main campus showcases Alvernia’s student-centric approach to learning. The five-story complex brings hundreds students, faculty and staff to downtown Reading every day, nurturing economic development in the City and bringing a thriving new energy to the Penn Street corridor. The center is the university’s largest single facility and features many collaborative student and community gathering spaces. The Post Center is the home of the College of Business, Communication and Leadership and the College of Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts and Math.

You are now on the 5th point on the Welcome trail coming from John R. Post Center on your way to Campus Commons.

You are now on the 7th point on the Welcome trail coming from John R. Post Center on your way to Campus Commons.

O’Pake Institute for Economic Development and Entrepreneurship

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The O’Pake Institute for Economic Development and Entrepreneurship plays a pivotal role in educating students for participation in a global economy. The O’Pake Fellows Program provides elite undergraduate and graduate students with hands-on distinctive experiential learning opportunities. Students of high academic standing, from diverse majors and backgrounds, can work directly with regional entrepreneurs, small business owners, faculty researchers and industry leaders. While fellows can grow both personally and professionally, they are also put in an environment where they can think outside the box, experiment, fail, grow and succeed. By creating this type of environment, students can transition into their desired professions while being creative and ethical leaders.

Trading Lab

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Alvernia’s state-of-the-art trading lab features a collaborative learning space and access to the Bloomberg Terminal, a service used by leading business and financial professionals worldwide. The Bloomberg Terminal provides real-time and historical data, market-moving news, and analytics to help leading business and financial professionals worldwide make better-informed investment decisions. It also features electronic trading for every asset class, research, and a global network to communicate securely and reliably. The terminal serves as a resource for both students and professors. It will enable students to become familiar with tools used in financial services, reinforcing classroom theory, while professors can use it to further their own research.

John R. Post School of Engineering

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We prepare students majoring in engineering to be fundamentally sound and application-ready and currently offer three concentrations in Electrical, Industrial and Mechanical Engineering. During the first three semesters, all engineering majors take the same sequence of courses. This affords students the opportunity to be exposed to each of the engineering majors offered before deciding on their area of concentration. Alvernia's Engineering Program is closely partnered with local industry and business, resulting in a program that is cutting-edge, market-driven and provides students with a wealth of local experiential learning opportunities and fast tracks securing full-time positions upon graduation.

John R. Post Center Classrooms

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The John R. Post Center features state-of-the-art classrooms for business, communication, engineering and many other students. Collaborative computer and engineering labs are also available on the ground floor. With the university's plans for the second phase of renovation, the second and third floor will feature classrooms and interdisciplinary labs for the university's nursing, physician assocaite and occupational therapy students.

BCTV Studio

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BCTV is one of the oldest and longest-serving cable access managers in the country and is now housed in a state-of-the-art studio at the John R. Post Center. BCTV works with the Alvernia Communication Department and O'Pake Institute to develop experiential learning opportunities for Alvernia students and local businesses and entrepreneurs in the university's student-powered business incubator. Alvernia students, faculty and staff will work together to develop engaging content, including programming, podcasts, blogs, PSA campaigns, social media takeovers and local event coverage.

E-Sports Arena

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The John R. Post Center is the home of the the university’s new Esports program. The state-of-the-art arena in equipped with gaming PCs for the student-athletes who compete in League of Legends, Overwatch, Rocket League, Super Smash Bros. Ultimate and Valorant. Alvernia is a member of the National Association of Collegiate Esports and competes in a national schedule against teams the university rarely otherwise competes against--including some larger Division I schools--without leaving campus. The Esports Arena also hosts events for other local gaming clubs at the middle and high school levels.

PLEX

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The Tom & Helen Flynn Complex or Plex (PLECKS) is more than 100,000 square feet of academic, recreation and athletic space. With specialty teaching labs that offer state of the art, interdisciplinary healthcare learning, the PLEX features specialized classrooms for our Physical Therapy and Athletic Training programs and interprofessional learning spaces for Nursing, Occupational Therapy and other health science programs. The virtual dissection lab features four innovative virtual dissection tables which enhance student learning and provide deep instruction in subjects like gross anatomy and anatomy and physiology.The PLEX also offers a 70,000 square foot field house, a competition indoor track, four indoor courts, a weight room, locker rooms and recreation space for intramurals and year-round training. It’s also home to Freshens, a healthy café offering 100% clean ingredients.

Nursing Resource Center

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Nurses are in high demand and Alvernia's nursing programs are expanding. Our graduates have an excellent record of passing the NCLEX-RN (N Klecks – R N) licensure exam. The Nursing Resource Center, or NRC (N R C), houses nursing labs that feature simulation spaces for future registered nurses to learn, practice and develop vital skills for their careers. For our nursing students, the NRC becomes a home away from home, with highly-trained faculty who mentor and prepare these future healthcare professionals for positions in virtually every setting, from community health clinics and hospitals to schools and nursing homes.

Bernardine Hall

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Bernardine (Burn a deen) Hall is home to classrooms, labs, a lecture hall and the Kestral (kes trul) Café, where you can order your favorite Starbucks coffee before class. If you’re an occupational therapy major, you’ll spend plenty of time in Bernardine’s (Burn a deen ) OT simulation labs, where students put into practice what they’ve learned in the classroom preparing them for their clinical experiences. Bernardine (Burn a deen) is also home to our highly-regarded criminal justice department, our Academic Success Center, Office of Career Development, and Holleran Center for Community and Global Engagement, which cultivates community partnerships, providing experiential learning opportunities and developing a lifelong commitment to service.

You are now on the 27th point on the Welcome trail coming from Bernardine Hall on your way to Campus Commons.

O'Pake Science Center

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The O’Pake (O Pake) Science Center is the heart of campus for Alvernia’s science majors. So, if you’re interested in a career in scientific fields such as biochemistry, biology, forensic science, and chemistry – the O’Pake Science Center will be a big part of your academic experience here. In addition to classroom spaces, the center is home to a variety of vital educational laboratories, like our laser lab on the basement level, an instrument lab, and a molecular cell laboratory for biological research on the main floor.

Franco Library

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Open 24 hours a day, the Franco (Frank o) Library is committed to excellence in providing academic resources and services to our learning community. The library is home to nearly 100,000 books, periodicals, and DVDs. Our students have access to virtual materials too – like video tutorials, over 200,000 eBooks, 46,000 electronic journals and 125 research guides. One-on-one librarian consultations are available to students and our librarians are super helpful and guide students to find, evaluate and use the many resources available to them both ethically and legally. You’ll also find a variety of technology-enhanced work spaces, group study rooms and of course, quiet study spots. The library is also home to the university's Office of Public Safety.

You are now on the 33rd point on the Welcome trail coming from Franco Library on your way to Campus Commons.

Upland Center

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Upland (Up lind) Center is home to our Graduate and Adult Learning team, who assist busy adults earn their bachelor’s, Master’s or Doctoral degrees, as well as teaching and other professional certificates. With campuses in Philadelphia and Pottsville and plans for expansion throughout eastern Pennsylvania, Alvernia serves adult students in many convenient locations. Upland is also home to our Information Technology and Human Resources Department and our Office of Institutional Advancement – which includes external engagement and alumni and parent relations, and our highly regarded Education faculty, who provide our future educators with a broad-based liberal arts foundation and education courses that prepare students for life in the classroom.

Stadium

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Upgraded in 2018 in preparation for the start of a new football program, Alvernia made a number of exterior improvements to its stadium, including additions to stadium seating, a new freestanding locker room building, grandstand with underneath storage, a press box with a VIP hospitality suite, and a new stadium plaza to welcome Golden Wolves fans. In addition to football, these upgrades enhanced the University’s support for other sports that share this venue, including field hockey, soccer, lacrosse and track and field.

Physical Education Center

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If you’re an athlete – like nearly 43% of Alvernia undergraduates – you’ll want to see the Physical Education Center, or PEC (P EE Cee) which is a multipurpose indoor facility that’s home to our Golden Wolves volleyball and basketball teams. The PEC features newly renovated locker rooms, a sports medicine room, athletics offices, and the Courtside Café – THE stop for pre-game snacks.Our Golden Wolves compete at the NCAA Division III level – and we’ve made 35 appearances in championships tournaments, with baseball appearing 14 times! Men’s and women’s basketball, men’s and women’s golf, and men’s and women’s tennis have also appeared in respective tournaments.

Residence Halls

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Alvernia University believes that living on campus can be an integral part of a student’s college experience. Our campus has 10 furnished, comfortable residence halls, with three dedicated to freshman living – Clare, Veronica and Francis. Our sophomores and transfer students reside in Anthony, Judge and Holleran halls. And, our juniors, seniors and graduate students live in Pacelli or Zygmunta halls, our academic village which is called Elherman Hall, and in the Assisi and Siena Hall Townhouses. Each one of our living spaces is air conditioned, with high speed internet access and laundry facilities. On-site resident assistants help students develop leadership skills and enjoy group activities in each building.

Campus Quad

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The Campus Quad is a central courtyard that’s anchored by university buildings and located in the center of campus. Alvernia’s Quad is a beautiful space and commonly used as a gathering location for campus events, activities or just hanging out with your friends. From watching movies on a big screen, to playing lawn games and volleyball, enjoying a fire at the new fire pit to enjoying the campus carnival and spring fling, there’s always something fun going on.

You are now on the 45th point on the Welcome trail coming from Campus Quad on your way to Campus Commons.

Student Center

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At the Student Center you’ll find the Dining Hall and bookstore. The recently renovated dining space offers many food choices and comfy, stylish seating. You can also cozy up next to one of the outdoor patio fireplaces and dine al fresco.Now let’s talk about the food: from made-to-order waffles and omelets at breakfast, to lunchtime wood-oven pizzas and custom sandwiches, not to mention nourishing, well balanced dinners – there’s so many delicious choices. Vegan, vegetarian, gluten and allergy-aware options are always available too.Adjacent to the dining hall, you’ll find Alvernia’s bookstore which stocks everything you need for class, as well as the latest Alvernia swag.

Campus Commons

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Campus Commons is a great place to hang out and is where most Alvernia clubs meet. The large living room with comfy seats and fireplace, is perfect for relaxing, watching TV or sharing a pizza. A spacious two-story fitness center, equipped with weight machines, free weights and cardio gear is ideal for burning off some energy.The Commons is also home to Alvernia’s Office of Mission & Ministry, which lives out our Franciscan mission by building relationships and assisting students in finding their own calling. From celebrating Sunday Masses, serving on alternative breaks or participating in interfaith coffee hours, students are invited to talk, ask questions and explore their spirituality.

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