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La Salle University's First Female President Goes To Work

PHILADELPHIA (CBS) – For the first time in over a century, the President's office at La Salle University is occupied by a woman.

Monday is Dr. Colleen Hanycz's first day on the job, and her first order of business is creating a new Twitter handle and sending out an official tweet.

"I tweeted what I plan to do, [which is] plan our future," Dr. Hanycz explained.

And change is already here, in the form of the University's first female president in its 152-year history.

Until now, the president has always been a Christian brother.

Dr. Hanycz says she'll keep the same values but offer a new perspective.

She comes to Philadelphia from Canada, where, as the president of a college in Ontario, she focused on boosting the school's national profile and student enrollment – all goals at La Salle, too.

Even on this day of firsts, Dr. Hanycz says the core mission at La Salle will remain much the same.

"We have 152 years of Christian brotherhood. You never want to lose that," she says.

And Dr. Hanycz will have help on the ground: her son will be a freshman here in the fall.

She says she's deeply honored and humbled by this opportunity in Philadelphia.

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