American University
Encyclopedia
American University is a private
, Methodist, liberal arts, and research university
in Washington, D.C.
The university was chartered by an Act of Congress
on December 5, 1892 as "The American University", which was approved by President Benjamin Harrison
on February 24, 1893. Roughly 6,000 undergraduate
student
s and 3,912 graduate students
are currently enrolled. AU is a member of the Consortium of Universities of the Washington Metropolitan Area
. A member of the Division I Patriot League
, its sports teams compete as the American University Eagles
.
American's main campus is located at the intersection of Nebraska and Massachusetts Avenues
at Ward Circle
in the Spring Valley
neighborhood of Northwest Washington. The area is served by the Tenleytown-AU station on the Washington Metro
subway line in the nearby neighborhood of Tenleytown
.
Notable alumni of American University include journalist David Gregory
, journalist Neil Cavuto
, President and COO of Goldman Sachs
Gary Cohn
, TV personality Judith Sheindlin
"Judge Judy", Bahraini Crown Prince Salman bin Hamad bin Isa Al Khalifa
, former Prime Minister of Grenada Keith Mitchell
, former US Senator Robert Byrd
, author Max Brooks
, TV personality Star Jones
, actress America Ferrera
, Blackboard Inc. co-founders Matthew Pittinsky and Michael Chasen, broadcaster David Aldridge
, cryptographer Bruce Schneier
, and former NBA player Kermit Washington
.
, in which he expressed a desire for a "national university
" to be located in the nation's capital. The university was established in the District of Columbia by an Act of Congress on February 24, 1893, primarily due to the efforts of Methodist Bishop John Fletcher Hurst
. Bishop Hurst and his colleagues were concerned with building an institution that would meld the strengths of the best German
universities with the strengths of the existing university system in America. As their plans developed during the early years, they began to conceive of American University as an institution that would be:
Shortly after these early commencement ceremonies, classes were interrupted by war. During World War I
, the university allowed the U.S. military
to use some of its grounds for testing. In 1917, the U.S. military divided American University into two segments, Camp American University
and Camp Leach
. Camp American University became the birthplace of the United States' chemical weapons program, and chemical weapons were tested on the grounds; this required a major cleanup effort in the 1990s. Camp Leach was home to advanced research, development and testing of modern camouflage
techniques. , the Army Corps of Engineers is still removing ordnance including mustard gas and mortar shells.
During the next ten years, instruction was offered at the graduate level only, in accordance with the original plan of the founders. In the fall of 1925, the College of Liberal Arts (subsequently named the College of Arts and Sciences
) was established. Since that date, the University has offered both undergraduate and graduate degrees and programs. In 1934, the School of Public Affairs was founded.
During World War II
, the campus again offered its services to the U.S. government and became home to the U.S. Navy
Bomb Disposal School and a WAVE barracks. For AU's role in these wartime efforts, the Victory ship
SS American Victory
was named in honor of the university.
became part of the University in that year, having begun in 1896 as the first coeducational institution for the professional study of law in the District of Columbia. Shortly thereafter, three departments were reorganized as schools: the School of Business Administration in 1955 (subsequently named the Robert P. and Arlene R. Kogod College of Business Administration and in 1999 renamed the Kogod School of Business
); the School of Government and Public Administration in 1957; and the School of International Service
in 1958.
In the early 1960s, the Department of Defense
and the Central Intelligence Agency
operated a think tank under the guise of Operation Camelot at American University. The government abandoned the think tank after the operation came to public attention. AU's political intertwinement was furthered by President John F. Kennedy
's Spring 1963 commencement address
. In the speech, Kennedy called on the Soviet Union to work with the United States to achieve a nuclear test ban treaty and help reduce the considerable international tensions and the specter of nuclear war during that juncture of the Cold War
.
From 1965 to 1977, the College of Continuing Education existed as a degree-granting college with responsibility for on- and off-campus adult education programs. The Lucy Webb Hayes School of Nursing provided undergraduate study in Nursing from 1965 until 1988. In 1972, the School of Government and Public Administration, the School of International Service
, the Center for Technology and Administration, and the Center for the Administration of Justice (subsequently named the School of Justice) were incorporated into the College of Public and International Affairs.
The University purchased the Immaculata Campus in 1986 to help alleviate space problems. This would later become the Tenley Campus.
In 1986, construction on the Adnan Khashoggi Sports and Convocation Center began. Financed with $5 million from and named for Saudi Arabian Trustee Adnan Khashoggi
, the building was intended to update athletics facilities and provide a new arena, as well as a parking garage and office space for administrative services. Costing an estimated $19 million, the building represented the largest construction project to date, but met protest by both faculty and students to the University's use of Khashoggi's name on the building due to his involvement in international arms trade.
In 1988, the College of Public and International Affairs was reorganized to create two free-standing schools: the School of International Service
and the School of Public Affairs
, incorporating the School of Government and Public Administration and the School of Justice. That same year, construction on the Adnan Khashoggi Sports Center completed while the Iran-Contra Affair
controversy was at its height although his name was not removed from the building until after Khashoggi defaulted on his donation obligation in the mid to late 1990s.
The School of Communication
became independent from the College of Arts and Sciences
in 1993.
In 1997, American University of Sharjah
, the only coeducational, liberal arts university in the United Arab Emirates
, signed a two year contract with AU to provide academic management, a contract which has since been extended multiple times through August 2009. A team of senior AU administrators relocated to Sharjah
to assist in the establishment of the university and guide it through the Middle States Association of Colleges and Schools
accreditation process.
In 2003, American launched the largest fund raising campaign in its history. The program, ANewAU, has a goal of raising $200 million dollars. As of October 2009, the University has raised $189.6 million dollars. When the campaign is completed, the University's website states that it "will help to attract and retain the finest faculty, increase scholarship support, create and endow research and policy centers, ensure state-of-the-art resources in all of our schools and colleges, expand global programs, and secure the long-term financial health of the university by boosting the endowment."
In the fall of 2005, the new Katzen Arts Center
opened.
Benjamin Ladner
was suspended from his position as president of the university on August 24, 2005, pending an investigation into possible misuse of university funds for his personal expenses. University faculty passed votes of no confidence in President Ladner on September 26. On October 10, 2005, the Board of Trustees of American University decided that Ladner would not return to American University as its president. Dr. Cornelius M. Kerwin
, a long-time AU administrator, served as interim president and was appointed to the position permanently on September 1, 2007, after two outsiders declined an offer from the Board of Trustees. According to The Chronicle of Higher Education
, Ladner received a total compensation of $4,270,665 in his final year of service, the second highest of any university president in the United States.
Ground was broken for the new School of International Service
building on November 14, 2007 and completed in 2010. A speech was given by Senator Daniel K. Inouye (D-HI).
American University has two non-contiguous campuses used for academics and student housing: the main campus on Massachusetts Avenue, and the Tenley Campus
on Nebraska Avenue. An additional facility houses the Washington College of Law
, located half a mile northwest of the main campus on Massachusetts Avenue. Additionally, AU owns several other buildings in the Tenleytown
and Spring Valley
areas.
but was significantly modified over time due to financial constraints. The campus occupies 84 acre
s (340,000 m²) adjacent to Ward Circle
, the intersection of Nebraska and Massachusetts Avenues
. AU's campus is predominantly surrounded by the affluent residential neighborhoods characteristic of the Northwest Quadrant of Washington, D.C. Highlights of the campus include a main quadrangle surrounded by academic buildings, nine residential halls, a 5,000-seat arena, and an outdoor amphitheatre
. The campus has been designated a public garden and arboretum
by the American Public Garden Association, with many foreign and exotic plants and trees dotting the landscape.
In addition to upper classmen that choose to live on campus, all first year students are required to live on campus. During periods of high demand, some students are required to live with three students in a room meant for two. In response, the University has plans to add over 1,000 new beds by 2013.
Residence halls on main campus are grouped into two "campuses".
Formerly the Immaculata School, Tenley Campus
is located half a mile east of the main campus, and was purchased by American University in 1987 specifically for the Washington Semester
program. During the academic year, Tenley Campus is home to the Washington Semester Program students, though students enrolled at AU can also elect to live there. During the summer, the residence halls are used to house summer interns. Administratively, Tenley Campus is home to the main offices of the Washington Semester Program, the Office of Development, University Marketing, University Publications, and Media Relations
Residence Halls:
Administrative Buildings and Other Facilities:
Fall 2006:
Fall 2007:
January 2009:
February 2009:
February 2010:
March 2010:
May 2010:
August 2010:
October 2010:
Fall 2011:
To Be Announced:
American University is rated "Most Selective", by the Princeton Review, with an admissions selectivity rating of 91 (on a scale of 60–99). American University enrolls about 1,500 freshmen each year, with a middle 50% GPA of 3.6–4.1 and middle 50% SAT score of 1220–1390 (critical reading and mathematics only). The average class size is 23 and the student-faculty ratio is 14:1. AU is ranked 79th among "national universities" by US News & World Reports college and university rankings
guide, and is one of the 270 universities that house a chapter of Phi Beta Kappa, the nation's oldest honor society.
In 2008 and 2010, American University was named the most politically active school in the nation in The Princeton Review's
annual survey of college students. In 2006, the Fiske Guide to Colleges ranked AU as a "Best Buy" college for the quality of academic offerings in relation to the cost of attendance. For two years in a row, American University has had more students chosen to receive Presidential Management Fellowships
than any other college or university in the country. In spring 2006, 34 graduate and law students were chosen for the honor.
The Kogod School of Business
, the first school of business in Washington
, was named by The Wall Street Journal and Business Week magazine as one of the top business schools in the country. "Kogod is positioning itself squarely in the upper echelons of America's finest business schools," according to the Princeton Review. The Wall Street Journal ranked the Kogod School of Business in its 2004 “Top 50 MBA Programs.” "On September 16, 2007 the Wall Street Journal announced their 2007 graduate rankings, and the Kogod School of Business was ranked 36 out of the top 51."
The School of International Service
(SIS) is recognized as the largest of its kind in the U.S. Among The Association of Professional Schools of International Affairs
(APSIA) schools, AU's School of International Service has the largest number of minority students and female students and is ranked 6th among APSIA schools in numbers of international students. A review in Foreign Policy Magazine ranked the school 8th in the country for preparing future foreign policy professionals and 25th for academic careers. SIS's undergraduate programs earned a spot at number 11, and its graduate programs were ranked number 8. Because the field of international relations is not evaluated by U.S. News & World Report, the College of William and Mary
recently published the results of their survey, which ranked the AU international relations master's degree in the top 10 in the United States and the doctoral degree in the top 25. The School of Communication
is among the top 25 in the nation, and it graduates the third largest number of communication professionals among U.S. colleges and universities. The School of Public Affairs
is ranked among the top 15 programs in the country by U.S. News and World Report. Washington College of Law
's clinical program ranks second in the nation, its international law program is ranked 6th in the nation and the school overall ranks among the top 50 U.S. law schools according to U.S. News and World Report's America's Best Colleges.
American University is especially known for promoting international understanding. This is reflected in the diverse student body who is from more than 150 countries, the university’s course offerings, the faculty's research, and from the regular presence of world leaders on its campus. American University has the 12th largest number of graduates in current Peace Corps
service (34), and ranks fourth in the number of Peace Corps
volunteers as a percentage of the total undergraduate population.
American University has earned a reputation among the best schools in the nation for international relations, government and political science, as well as a hub for arts in Washington, D.C.
The school has a long history of partnership with the Washington metropolitan area, beginning with its charter by the U.S. Congress in 1893. The University takes its responsibility to the community very seriously. In 2001, AU's economic impact on the District of Columbia totaled more than $600 million. WAMU
, American's National Public Radio Station, is one of the top 5 NPR
stations in the country. "Over 80% of AU undergraduate students and 60% of graduate students complete an internship or other experiential education experience by graduation.... Fifty-seven percent of AU’s undergraduate and 40% of graduate students participate in significant community service in the local community by graduation," according to their website.
The university is composed of six divisions, referred to as colleges or schools, which house its academic programs: College of Arts and Sciences
(CAS), Kogod School of Business
(KSB), School of Communication
(SOC), School of International Service
(SIS), School of Public Affairs
(SPA) and Washington College of Law
(WCL). With the exception of WCL, undergraduate and graduate courses are housed within the same division, although organized into different programs.
Students who do not declare into a specific school are sorted into CAS, which combine with its variety of academic programs to make it the largest division, followed by SIS, SPA, WCL, KSB and SOC.
American University is also home to a unique program known as the Washington Semester
Program. This program partners with institutions around the world to bring students to AU for a semester. The program operates independently from, but in conjunction with, the other academic units. The program combines two seminar courses on three days a week with a two day per week internship that gives students a unique look at Washington, D.C. The program is unique in that the courses are not typical lecture courses; instead, speakers from various sectors of a particular field are invited to address the class, often from different perspectives.
In the Chronicle of Higher Education survey of college presidents' salaries for 2007–08, President Cornelius M. Kerwin
was fifth highest in the nation with a compensation of $1.4 million.
The Jack I. and Dorothy G. Bender Library and Learning Resources Center is the main library facility for the campus. A branch Music Library is located in the Katzen Art Center. The Pence Law Library, part of AU's Washington College of Law, operates separately from the main library system. The University Library is part of the Washington Research Library Consortium (WRLC), which includes seven other libraries. The WRLC operates a consortium loan service between member institutions and has a shared collections site in Upper Marlboro, Maryland. About 20% of American University's collections are held at the WRLC.
The Bender Library provides a variety of individual and group study spaces and includes a Curriculum Materials Center, a digital media studio, Graduate Research Center, classrooms, and a café. Students can connect their laptops, PDAs or cell phones to the Internet from anywhere in the library. About 160 public computer workstations are available throughout the Bender building and researchers also may borrow laptops.
, American University Library provides access to more than 700,000 print books, 60,000 online magazines and journals, over 41,000 media and sound recordings, and over 14,000 musical scores. Recent statistics show that over 625,000 researchers visit the library per year and the web site receives close to 1.4 million unique visits per year.
The Library's Archives and Special Collections houses unique and rare materials and information on the history of the institution. The University Archives is the repository for papers and other documents, including sound recordings and photographs, spanning more than a century of the University's history. Special Collections houses rare materials. Among the more important holdings are the Artemas Martin
collection of mathematical texts, the Charles Nelson Spinks collection of artistic and historical works of Japan, the Irwin M. Heine collection of literary works, and Christopher Johnson collection of William Faulkner books. Playbills form a significant set of the collections with the James Carroll and Iris Lipkowitz collections most notable among them. Other significant collections include the Barlett & Steele Archive, the John R. Hickman Collection, the Friends of Colombia Archives, the Records of the National Peace Corps Association, the Records of the National Commission on the Public Service, the Sally L. Smith Papers, and the Records of Women Strike for Peace.
, The Campus Climate Challenge, Energy Action Network, Step It Up 2007, DC Woodlands, Power Shift
, and the DC Youth Environmental Alliance. An environmental science class at American conducted a study from February to April 2009 to measure the amount of food waste avoided by eliminating trays from one of the college's dining halls. The class found that trayless dinners resulted in 47.1% less solid waste than dinners during which trays were used, spurring a student-driven campaign to go trayless across campus. The University's overall grade on the College Sustainability Report Card improved dramatically between 2008 and 2009 from a "D+" to a "B-", demonstrating the University's commitment to environmental responsibility.
In 2011, the Association for the Advancement of Sustainability in Higher Education (AASHE) awarded American University a gold rating, the highest possible, on their STARS scale for sustainability.
A member of the Patriot League
, AU is home to a wide variety of athletics, including men's and women’s basketball
, soccer, cross-country
, swimming
& diving
, track
, women's volleyball
, field hockey
, and lacrosse
, along with men's wrestling
, not to mention several club sports such as rugby, rowing, and field hockey. Bender Arena
, a state-of-the-art multi-purpose facility, hosts many of American’s athletic competitions. Bender Arena
officially opened its doors on January 23, 1988, when AU's women's basketball team hosted James Madison University
. Located at the center of AU’s main campus, it features several amenities:
Reeves Field, home to AU's soccer team, is one of the premier soccer fields in Washington
. Reeves Field earned the 2002 College Soccer Field of the Year by the Sports Turf Managers Association, hosted its fifth NCAA
Tournament game, and served as the training site for the Uruguayan National Soccer team. FC Barcelona and Blackburn used Reeves Field as a training facility. In the summer of 2000, AU served as the practice site for Newcastle United, one of England's premier professional soccer clubs. Major League Soccer's D.C. United, Miami Fusion and San Jose Earthquakes have also practiced at AU. National teams from the U.S.
, Bolivia
and Portugal
trained at Reeves in 1996 in preparation for Summer Olympic games held at RFK Stadium.
Reeves Field also features a six-lane track to accommodate the track and field programs at AU and functions as a multi-purpose event site. During his term as Vice President, George H. W. Bush
regularly traveled in the morning from his home at the U.S. Naval Observatory, located about two miles (3 km) from American University, to run the track at Reeves Field.
AU's nationally ranked field hockey and women's lacrosse teams play on the field at the Jacobs Recreational Complex, which also features a softball diamond and two outdoor sand volleyball courts. AU's field hockey team earned the right to host the 2005 Patriot League Tournament, where American defeated Lehigh University
7–0 in the semifinals before capturing the league crown for the third straight year by downing Holy Cross
4–2 in the Championship Game.
American University features seven outdoor tennis courts for the use of the intercollegiate tennis teams as well as the University community. Two outdoor basketball courts complete the outdoor recreational facility located next to Reeves Field and behind Bender Arena
. AU has hosted three of the last four tennis team championships since joining the Patriot League, with the men's team winning back-to-back titles on the AU hardcourts and setting Patriot League Championship attendance records each year. The women's team last captured the Patriot League title in 2002. Both tennis teams have since been cut from the athletics program.
In 2007, AU Junior Josh Glenn won the NCAA Division I National Wrestling Title for 197 lb (89.4 kg). This was the first time since 1966 that an AU athlete won a national championship.
On March 14, 2008, AU earned its first NCAA Tournament berth in men's basketball by defeating Colgate University
in the Patriot League Championship Game. However, AU lost its first-round NCAA tournament game against the University of Tennessee
. On March 13, 2009 AU's men's basketball team repeated as Patriot League Champion by defeating Holy Cross 73–57, earning an automatic bid to the NCAA Men's Division I Basketball Championship
. They ultimately lost to Villanova University
in the first round on March 19, 2009 with a final score of 80–67.
For the spring semester of 2009, AU men's swimming and diving team posted a 3.54 GPA, the highest team grade-point average of all Division I swimming and diving programs according to the Collegiate Swim Coaches Association of American (CSCAA).
Where there's a fight, we'll see it through!
You can be sure we'll be triumphant,
When we wear red, white and blue!
All hail the mighty AU Eagles!
We'll conquer all adversity!
So let's all join in and give a yell for AU and victory!!
Into shadows of the past –
So the years will often find us,
Calling days that flew so fast.
Come, come, days that we treasure,
We live in you –
We Yearn now for the pleasure
At college we knew;
Friendships will always bind us;
In youth we live, for mem'ries remind us
Of Red, White, and Blue –
Come, days fullest in measure
Of our A. U.
In 2010, the Institute of International Education
ranked American University 5th in the nation among doctoral institutions for study abroad.
, broadcasting at 88.5 MHz on the FM band. The commercial-free station is affiliated with National Public Radio (NPR) and Public Radio International
. The station began broadcasting as the student radio station, but developed into a professionally staffed station when the administration spun off the student radio station. Students may still hold internships. Original programming includes The Diane Rehm Show
and The Kojo Nnamdi
Show. The student-run radio station's callsign is WVAU, and is an internet-only station.
to first convert AU into the first HotSpot campus in 2004 and then again in 2005 when the Kogod School of Business
became the first business school to integrate RSS
data services with BlackBerry
devices distributed to all graduate business students. Shortly after implementing RSS services, the university began providing podcast
s for on-demand educational multimedia, such as lectures, playable on such programs as iTunes
and compatible MP3
players as Apple
's iPod
. With the release of video-enabled iPods in 2005, many podcasts will now also feature audio and video playback.
The University Library also launched a program whereby its Media Services Department is converting films to digital format for exclusive use by faculty in teaching their coursework for streaming media content.
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...
, Methodist, liberal arts, and research university
University
A university is an institution of higher education and research, which grants academic degrees in a variety of subjects. A university is an organisation that provides both undergraduate education and postgraduate education...
in Washington, D.C.
Washington, D.C.
Washington, D.C., formally the District of Columbia and commonly referred to as Washington, "the District", or simply D.C., is the capital of the United States. On July 16, 1790, the United States Congress approved the creation of a permanent national capital as permitted by the U.S. Constitution....
The university was chartered by an Act of Congress
Act of Congress
An Act of Congress is a statute enacted by government with a legislature named "Congress," such as the United States Congress or the Congress of the Philippines....
on December 5, 1892 as "The American University", which was approved by President Benjamin Harrison
Benjamin Harrison
Benjamin Harrison was the 23rd President of the United States . Harrison, a grandson of President William Henry Harrison, was born in North Bend, Ohio, and moved to Indianapolis, Indiana at age 21, eventually becoming a prominent politician there...
on February 24, 1893. Roughly 6,000 undergraduate
Undergraduate education
Undergraduate education is an education level taken prior to gaining a first degree . Hence, in many subjects in many educational systems, undergraduate education is post-secondary education up to the level of a bachelor's degree, such as in the United States, where a university entry level is...
student
Student
A student is a learner, or someone who attends an educational institution. In some nations, the English term is reserved for those who attend university, while a schoolchild under the age of eighteen is called a pupil in English...
s and 3,912 graduate students
Graduate school
A graduate school is a school that awards advanced academic degrees with the general requirement that students must have earned a previous undergraduate degree...
are currently enrolled. AU is a member of the Consortium of Universities of the Washington Metropolitan Area
Consortium of Universities of the Washington Metropolitan Area
The Consortium of Universities of the Washington Metropolitan Area serves as an intellectual resource for the students and faculty of the member universities in the greater Washington, DC metropolitan area....
. A member of the Division I Patriot League
Patriot League
The Patriot League is a college athletic conference which operates in the northeastern United States. It participates in the NCAA's Division I) for a number of sports; in football, it participates in the Football Championship Subdivision...
, its sports teams compete as the American University Eagles
American University Eagles
The American Eagles are the athletics teams that represent the American University in National Collegiate Athletic Association Division I competition. American is a member of the Patriot League in all sports except wrestling, where it is a member of the Eastern Intercollegiate Wrestling Association...
.
American's main campus is located at the intersection of Nebraska and Massachusetts Avenues
Massachusetts Avenue (Washington, D.C.)
Massachusetts Avenue is a major diagonal transverse road in Washington, D.C., and the Massachusetts Avenue Historic District is a historic district that includes part of it....
at Ward Circle
Ward Circle
Ward Circle is a traffic circle at the intersection of Nebraska Avenue and Massachusetts Avenues in Northwest, Washington, DC. The land on three sides of Ward Circle is owned by American University, the fourth is temporary home to the headquarters of the Department of Homeland Security. The circle...
in the Spring Valley
Spring Valley, Washington, D.C.
Spring Valley is an affluent neighborhood in northwest Washington, D.C., known for its large homes and tree-lined streets.The neighborhood houses the main campus of American University at 4400 Massachusetts Avenue, the Wesley Theological Seminary at 4500 Massachusetts Avenue, and Washington College...
neighborhood of Northwest Washington. The area is served by the Tenleytown-AU station on the Washington Metro
Washington Metro
The Washington Metro, commonly called Metro, and unofficially Metrorail, is the rapid transit system in Washington, D.C., United States, and its surrounding suburbs. It is administered by the Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority , which also operates Metrobus service under the Metro name...
subway line in the nearby neighborhood of Tenleytown
Tenleytown
Tenleytown is a historic neighborhood in Northwest, Washington, DC.-History:In 1790, Washington locals began calling the neighborhood "Tennally's Town" after area tavern owner John Tennally...
.
Notable alumni of American University include journalist David Gregory
David Gregory (journalist)
David Michael Gregory is an American television journalist, and moderator of NBC News' Sunday morning talk show Meet the Press.-Early life:...
, journalist Neil Cavuto
Neil Cavuto
Neil Patrick Cavuto is an American television anchor and commentator on the Fox Business Network and host of three television programs, Your World with Neil Cavuto and Cavuto on Business, both on the Fox News Channel and Cavuto on sister channel Fox Business Network.Cavuto also tapes a nightly...
, President and COO of Goldman Sachs
Goldman Sachs
The Goldman Sachs Group, Inc. is an American multinational bulge bracket investment banking and securities firm that engages in global investment banking, securities, investment management, and other financial services primarily with institutional clients...
Gary Cohn
Gary Cohn
Gary D. Cohn is President and COO of investment banking and securities firm Goldman Sachs.-Personal life:He and his wife, Lisa, grew up in Shaker Heights, Ohio and currently reside in New York City. When he graduated from American University, his first job was for U.S...
, TV personality Judith Sheindlin
Judith Sheindlin
Judith Sheindlin, better known as Judge Judy, is an American lawyer, judge, television personality, and author. Since 1996, Sheindlin has presided over her own syndicated courtroom show, Judge Judy, and is well known for her no-nonsense legal style and powerful personality, sharpness, and quick...
"Judge Judy", Bahraini Crown Prince Salman bin Hamad bin Isa Al Khalifa
Salman bin Hamad bin Isa Al Khalifa
Prince Salman bin Hamad bin Isa Al Khalifa, Crown Prince of Bahrain is the heir apparent of the Kingdom of Bahrain, and is deputy supreme commander of the Bahrain defence force...
, former Prime Minister of Grenada Keith Mitchell
Keith Mitchell
Keith Claudius Mitchell is a Grenadian politician who served as Prime Minister of Grenada from 1995 to 2008. He was the longest serving Prime Minister Grenada has ever had, serving just over 13 years as Prime Minister...
, former US Senator Robert Byrd
Robert Byrd
Robert Carlyle Byrd was a United States Senator from West Virginia. A member of the Democratic Party, Byrd served as a U.S. Representative from 1953 until 1959 and as a U.S. Senator from 1959 to 2010...
, author Max Brooks
Max Brooks
Maximillian Michael "Max" Brooks is an American author and screenwriter, with a particular interest in zombies. Brooks is also a television and voice-over actor.- Early life and education :...
, TV personality Star Jones
Star Jones
Star Jones is an American lawyer, journalist, writer, and television personality. She is known for her role as a co-host of the ABC weekday morning talk show The View...
, actress America Ferrera
America Ferrera
America Georgina Ferrera is an American actress, best known for playing the lead role in the television comedy series Ugly Betty...
, Blackboard Inc. co-founders Matthew Pittinsky and Michael Chasen, broadcaster David Aldridge
David Aldridge
David Aldridge is a reporter for the Turner television networks TNT, TBS and TBD.-Education and early career:...
, cryptographer Bruce Schneier
Bruce Schneier
Bruce Schneier is an American cryptographer, computer security specialist, and writer. He is the author of several books on general security topics, computer security and cryptography, and is the founder and chief technology officer of BT Managed Security Solutions, formerly Counterpane Internet...
, and former NBA player Kermit Washington
Kermit Washington
Kermit Alan Washington is an American former professional basketball player. Washington is best remembered for punching opposing player Rudy Tomjanovich during an on-court fight in 1977. The punch nearly killed Tomjanovich, and it resulted in severe medical problems that ultimately ended his...
.
Founding
An inspiration for the founding of American University was a letter written by George WashingtonGeorge Washington
George Washington was the dominant military and political leader of the new United States of America from 1775 to 1799. He led the American victory over Great Britain in the American Revolutionary War as commander-in-chief of the Continental Army from 1775 to 1783, and presided over the writing of...
, in which he expressed a desire for a "national university
National university
A national university is generally a university created or run by a government, but which at the same time operates autonomously without direct oversight or control by the state. Some national universities are closely associated with national cultural or political aspirations...
" to be located in the nation's capital. The university was established in the District of Columbia by an Act of Congress on February 24, 1893, primarily due to the efforts of Methodist Bishop John Fletcher Hurst
John Fletcher Hurst
John Fletcher Hurst was a bishop in the Methodist Episcopal Church in the United States and first Chancellor of the American University in Washington, D.C.-Biography:...
. Bishop Hurst and his colleagues were concerned with building an institution that would meld the strengths of the best German
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
universities with the strengths of the existing university system in America. As their plans developed during the early years, they began to conceive of American University as an institution that would be:
- A privately supported university financed principally by the membership of the churches, particularly the Methodist Episcopal ChurchMethodist Episcopal ChurchThe Methodist Episcopal Church, sometimes referred to as the M.E. Church, was a development of the first expression of Methodism in the United States. It officially began at the Baltimore Christmas Conference in 1784, with Francis Asbury and Thomas Coke as the first bishops. Through a series of...
, which had been the founders of many of the colleges and universities in the early years of American history. - An internationally minded institution where scholars from across the nation and from throughout the world would gather to dedicate their combined efforts to the advancement and dissemination of knowledge.
- A center of higher education and research activities that, while independent of the government, would draw freely on the intellectual and scientific resources of the Nation's Capital to supplement and to extend its own capabilities.
- An institution that would contribute to the general cultural life and development of the capital in much the same manner that state-supported universities in other world capitals contributed to their communities.
1900–1948
After more than three decades devoted principally to securing financial support, the university was officially dedicated on May 15, 1914. The first instruction began on October 6 of that year, when 28 students were enrolled (19 of them graduate students, nine of them special students who were not candidates for a degree). The First Commencement, at which no degrees were awarded, was held on June 2, 1915. The Second Annual Commencement was held on June 2, 1916 where the first degrees (one master's degree and two doctor's degrees) were awarded.World War I
World War I , which was predominantly called the World War or the Great War from its occurrence until 1939, and the First World War or World War I thereafter, was a major war centred in Europe that began on 28 July 1914 and lasted until 11 November 1918...
, the university allowed the U.S. military
United States armed forces
The United States Armed Forces are the military forces of the United States. They consist of the Army, Navy, Marine Corps, Air Force, and Coast Guard.The United States has a strong tradition of civilian control of the military...
to use some of its grounds for testing. In 1917, the U.S. military divided American University into two segments, Camp American University
Camp American University
Camp American University was the name the U.S. military used for the segment of the Washington, DC main campus of American University during World War I and World War II....
and Camp Leach
Camp Leach
Camp Leach was the name the U.S. military used for the segment of the Washington, DC main campus of American University during World War I and World War II....
. Camp American University became the birthplace of the United States' chemical weapons program, and chemical weapons were tested on the grounds; this required a major cleanup effort in the 1990s. Camp Leach was home to advanced research, development and testing of modern camouflage
Camouflage
Camouflage is a method of concealment that allows an otherwise visible animal, military vehicle, or other object to remain unnoticed, by blending with its environment. Examples include a leopard's spotted coat, the battledress of a modern soldier and a leaf-mimic butterfly...
techniques. , the Army Corps of Engineers is still removing ordnance including mustard gas and mortar shells.
During the next ten years, instruction was offered at the graduate level only, in accordance with the original plan of the founders. In the fall of 1925, the College of Liberal Arts (subsequently named the College of Arts and Sciences
American University College of Arts and Sciences
The College of Arts and Sciences is the oldest and largest academic unit at American University in terms of student enrollment and faculty lines. It offers more than 50 masters, doctoral, and certificate programs taught by award-winning faculty. A low student-to-faculty ratio allows students to...
) was established. Since that date, the University has offered both undergraduate and graduate degrees and programs. In 1934, the School of Public Affairs was founded.
During World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
, the campus again offered its services to the U.S. government and became home to the U.S. Navy
United States Navy
The United States Navy is the naval warfare service branch of the United States Armed Forces and one of the seven uniformed services of the United States. The U.S. Navy is the largest in the world; its battle fleet tonnage is greater than that of the next 13 largest navies combined. The U.S...
Bomb Disposal School and a WAVE barracks. For AU's role in these wartime efforts, the Victory ship
Victory ship
The Victory ship was a type of cargo ship produced in large numbers by North American shipyards during World War II to replace shipping losses caused by German submarines...
SS American Victory
SS American Victory
SS American Victory is a Second World War Victory ship which has been preserved as a museum ship in Tampa, Florida. The ship is the main feature of the American Victory Ship & Museum, also known as the American Victory Mariners Memorial & Museum Ship.-History:Named after American University in...
was named in honor of the university.
1949–1990
The present structure of the university began to emerge in 1949. The Washington College of LawWashington College of Law
American University Washington College of Law is the law school of American University. It is located on Massachusetts Avenue in the Spring Valley neighborhood of northwest Washington. WCL is ranked 50th among law schools by US News and World Report...
became part of the University in that year, having begun in 1896 as the first coeducational institution for the professional study of law in the District of Columbia. Shortly thereafter, three departments were reorganized as schools: the School of Business Administration in 1955 (subsequently named the Robert P. and Arlene R. Kogod College of Business Administration and in 1999 renamed the Kogod School of Business
Kogod School of Business
The Kogod School of Business, commonly referred to as Kogod, serves as the undergraduate and graduate business school at American University in Northwest Washington, DC. Kogod is accredited by the Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business . Kogod offers undergraduate and graduate degree...
); the School of Government and Public Administration in 1957; and the School of International Service
School of International Service
The School of International Service is American University's school of advanced international study in the areas of international politics, international communication, development, international economic relations, peace and conflict resolution, global environmental politics, and U.S...
in 1958.
In the early 1960s, the Department of Defense
United States Department of Defense
The United States Department of Defense is the U.S...
and the Central Intelligence Agency
Central Intelligence Agency
The Central Intelligence Agency is a civilian intelligence agency of the United States government. It is an executive agency and reports directly to the Director of National Intelligence, responsible for providing national security intelligence assessment to senior United States policymakers...
operated a think tank under the guise of Operation Camelot at American University. The government abandoned the think tank after the operation came to public attention. AU's political intertwinement was furthered by President John F. Kennedy
John F. Kennedy
John Fitzgerald "Jack" Kennedy , often referred to by his initials JFK, was the 35th President of the United States, serving from 1961 until his assassination in 1963....
's Spring 1963 commencement address
American University speech
The American University speech, titled A Strategy of Peace, was a commencement address delivered by President John F. Kennedy at the American University in Washington, D.C., on June 10, 1963...
. In the speech, Kennedy called on the Soviet Union to work with the United States to achieve a nuclear test ban treaty and help reduce the considerable international tensions and the specter of nuclear war during that juncture of the Cold War
Cold War
The Cold War was the continuing state from roughly 1946 to 1991 of political conflict, military tension, proxy wars, and economic competition between the Communist World—primarily the Soviet Union and its satellite states and allies—and the powers of the Western world, primarily the United States...
.
From 1965 to 1977, the College of Continuing Education existed as a degree-granting college with responsibility for on- and off-campus adult education programs. The Lucy Webb Hayes School of Nursing provided undergraduate study in Nursing from 1965 until 1988. In 1972, the School of Government and Public Administration, the School of International Service
School of International Service
The School of International Service is American University's school of advanced international study in the areas of international politics, international communication, development, international economic relations, peace and conflict resolution, global environmental politics, and U.S...
, the Center for Technology and Administration, and the Center for the Administration of Justice (subsequently named the School of Justice) were incorporated into the College of Public and International Affairs.
The University purchased the Immaculata Campus in 1986 to help alleviate space problems. This would later become the Tenley Campus.
In 1986, construction on the Adnan Khashoggi Sports and Convocation Center began. Financed with $5 million from and named for Saudi Arabian Trustee Adnan Khashoggi
Adnan Khashoggi
Adnan Khashoggi is a Saudi Arabian arms-dealer and businessman. He is also noted for his engagements with high society in both the Occident and Arabic-speaking worlds, and for his involvement in the Iran–Contra and Lockheed bribery scandals, and numerous other affairs...
, the building was intended to update athletics facilities and provide a new arena, as well as a parking garage and office space for administrative services. Costing an estimated $19 million, the building represented the largest construction project to date, but met protest by both faculty and students to the University's use of Khashoggi's name on the building due to his involvement in international arms trade.
In 1988, the College of Public and International Affairs was reorganized to create two free-standing schools: the School of International Service
School of International Service
The School of International Service is American University's school of advanced international study in the areas of international politics, international communication, development, international economic relations, peace and conflict resolution, global environmental politics, and U.S...
and the School of Public Affairs
American University School of Public Affairs
The American University School of Public Affairs houses three academic departments - Public Administration & Policy, Government, Justice, Law, & Society - as well as the , a research unit jointly sponsored with the School of International Service....
, incorporating the School of Government and Public Administration and the School of Justice. That same year, construction on the Adnan Khashoggi Sports Center completed while the Iran-Contra Affair
Iran-Contra Affair
The Iran–Contra affair , also referred to as Irangate, Contragate or Iran-Contra-Gate, was a political scandal in the United States that came to light in November 1986. During the Reagan administration, senior Reagan administration officials and President Reagan secretly facilitated the sale of...
controversy was at its height although his name was not removed from the building until after Khashoggi defaulted on his donation obligation in the mid to late 1990s.
1990–present
American University School of Communication
The School of Communication at American University is highly regarded for its faculty, facilities, and high professional standards by the Accrediting Council on Education in Journalism and Mass Communications...
became independent from the College of Arts and Sciences
American University College of Arts and Sciences
The College of Arts and Sciences is the oldest and largest academic unit at American University in terms of student enrollment and faculty lines. It offers more than 50 masters, doctoral, and certificate programs taught by award-winning faculty. A low student-to-faculty ratio allows students to...
in 1993.
In 1997, American University of Sharjah
American University of Sharjah
American University of Sharjah is an independent, not-for-profit coeducational higher educational institution in Sharjah, United Arab Emirates, founded in 1997 by Dr. Sultan bin Mohamed Al-Qasimi, Member of the UAE Supreme Council and Ruler of Sharjah...
, the only coeducational, liberal arts university in the United Arab Emirates
United Arab Emirates
The United Arab Emirates, abbreviated as the UAE, or shortened to "the Emirates", is a state situated in the southeast of the Arabian Peninsula in Western Asia on the Persian Gulf, bordering Oman, and Saudi Arabia, and sharing sea borders with Iraq, Kuwait, Bahrain, Qatar, and Iran.The UAE is a...
, signed a two year contract with AU to provide academic management, a contract which has since been extended multiple times through August 2009. A team of senior AU administrators relocated to Sharjah
Sharjah (city)
Sharjah is the third largest and most populous city in the United Arab Emirates. It is located along the southern coast of the Persian Gulf on the Arabian Peninsula.Sharjah is the seat of government of the emirate of Sharjah...
to assist in the establishment of the university and guide it through 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...
accreditation process.
In 2003, American launched the largest fund raising campaign in its history. The program, ANewAU, has a goal of raising $200 million dollars. As of October 2009, the University has raised $189.6 million dollars. When the campaign is completed, the University's website states that it "will help to attract and retain the finest faculty, increase scholarship support, create and endow research and policy centers, ensure state-of-the-art resources in all of our schools and colleges, expand global programs, and secure the long-term financial health of the university by boosting the endowment."
In the fall of 2005, the new Katzen Arts Center
Katzen Arts Center
The Katzen Arts Center is home to all of the visual and performing arts programs at American University and the American University Museum. Located at Ward Circle, the intersection of Nebraska Avenue and Massachusetts Avenue, the Center sits atop Embassy Row in Washington, DC, one of the highest...
opened.
Benjamin Ladner
Benjamin Ladner
Benjamin Mance Ladner, Ph.D. is an academic expert in the fields of philosophy and religion. He was president of the National Faculty of Humanities, Arts and Sciences from 1980–1994 and American University from 1994-2005.His areas of professional interest and research are international relations...
was suspended from his position as president of the university on August 24, 2005, pending an investigation into possible misuse of university funds for his personal expenses. University faculty passed votes of no confidence in President Ladner on September 26. On October 10, 2005, the Board of Trustees of American University decided that Ladner would not return to American University as its president. Dr. Cornelius M. Kerwin
Cornelius M. Kerwin
Cornelius M. "Neil" Kerwin is an American educator in public administration and president of American University.A 1971 undergraduate alumnus of American University, Kerwin continued his education with a Master of Arts degree in political science from the University of Rhode Island in 1973...
, a long-time AU administrator, served as interim president and was appointed to the position permanently on September 1, 2007, after two outsiders declined an offer from the Board of Trustees. According to The Chronicle of Higher Education
The Chronicle of Higher Education
The Chronicle of Higher Education is a newspaper and website that presents news, information, and jobs for college and university faculty, staff members and administrators....
, Ladner received a total compensation of $4,270,665 in his final year of service, the second highest of any university president in the United States.
Ground was broken for the new School of International Service
School of International Service
The School of International Service is American University's school of advanced international study in the areas of international politics, international communication, development, international economic relations, peace and conflict resolution, global environmental politics, and U.S...
building on November 14, 2007 and completed in 2010. A speech was given by Senator Daniel K. Inouye (D-HI).
Campus
Tenley Campus
Tenley Campus is a satellite campus of American University located on Tenley Circle, in Northwest Washington, DC. It is home to the Washington Semester Program, University Publications, Alumni Relations, and Media Relations Departments, and the Osher Lifelong Learning Institute.Purchased in 1987...
on Nebraska Avenue. An additional facility houses the Washington College of Law
Washington College of Law
American University Washington College of Law is the law school of American University. It is located on Massachusetts Avenue in the Spring Valley neighborhood of northwest Washington. WCL is ranked 50th among law schools by US News and World Report...
, located half a mile northwest of the main campus on Massachusetts Avenue. Additionally, AU owns several other buildings in the Tenleytown
Tenleytown
Tenleytown is a historic neighborhood in Northwest, Washington, DC.-History:In 1790, Washington locals began calling the neighborhood "Tennally's Town" after area tavern owner John Tennally...
and Spring Valley
Spring Valley, Washington, D.C.
Spring Valley is an affluent neighborhood in northwest Washington, D.C., known for its large homes and tree-lined streets.The neighborhood houses the main campus of American University at 4400 Massachusetts Avenue, the Wesley Theological Seminary at 4500 Massachusetts Avenue, and Washington College...
areas.
Main Campus
The first design for campus was done by Frederick Law OlmstedFrederick Law Olmsted
Frederick Law Olmsted was an American journalist, social critic, public administrator, and landscape designer. He is popularly considered to be the father of American landscape architecture, although many scholars have bestowed that title upon Andrew Jackson Downing...
but was significantly modified over time due to financial constraints. The campus occupies 84 acre
Acre
The acre is a unit of area in a number of different systems, including the imperial and U.S. customary systems. The most commonly used acres today are the international acre and, in the United States, the survey acre. The most common use of the acre is to measure tracts of land.The acre is related...
s (340,000 m²) adjacent to Ward Circle
Ward Circle
Ward Circle is a traffic circle at the intersection of Nebraska Avenue and Massachusetts Avenues in Northwest, Washington, DC. The land on three sides of Ward Circle is owned by American University, the fourth is temporary home to the headquarters of the Department of Homeland Security. The circle...
, the intersection of Nebraska and Massachusetts Avenues
Massachusetts Avenue (Washington, D.C.)
Massachusetts Avenue is a major diagonal transverse road in Washington, D.C., and the Massachusetts Avenue Historic District is a historic district that includes part of it....
. AU's campus is predominantly surrounded by the affluent residential neighborhoods characteristic of the Northwest Quadrant of Washington, D.C. Highlights of the campus include a main quadrangle surrounded by academic buildings, nine residential halls, a 5,000-seat arena, and an outdoor amphitheatre
Amphitheatre
An amphitheatre is an open-air venue used for entertainment and performances.There are two similar, but distinct, types of structure for which the word "amphitheatre" is used: Ancient Roman amphitheatres were large central performance spaces surrounded by ascending seating, and were commonly used...
. The campus has been designated a public garden and arboretum
Arboretum
An arboretum in a narrow sense is a collection of trees only. Related collections include a fruticetum , and a viticetum, a collection of vines. More commonly, today, an arboretum is a botanical garden containing living collections of woody plants intended at least partly for scientific study...
by the American Public Garden Association, with many foreign and exotic plants and trees dotting the landscape.
Major Buildings
- University (Bender) Library, which holds over a million books
- Hurst Hall, first building of the university, ground broken in 1896 for what was to be the College of History. The architects were Van Brunt & Howe. Now home to departments of Biology and Environmental Science, the University Honors Program, and the Center for Teaching Excellence.
- Mary Graydon Center, home to student organization offices, the main dining facilities, and the School of CommunicationAmerican University School of CommunicationThe School of Communication at American University is highly regarded for its faculty, facilities, and high professional standards by the Accrediting Council on Education in Journalism and Mass Communications...
. - Katzen Arts CenterKatzen Arts CenterThe Katzen Arts Center is home to all of the visual and performing arts programs at American University and the American University Museum. Located at Ward Circle, the intersection of Nebraska Avenue and Massachusetts Avenue, the Center sits atop Embassy Row in Washington, DC, one of the highest...
, Provided for by a monetary gift from Cyrus and Myrtle Katzen, opened in 2005 and is now home to the Departments of Performing Arts, Studio Arts, Graphic Design, and Art History, the American University Museum, and other Academic Departments. - Abbey Joel Butler Pavilion, holds the campus store, the Office of Campus Life, the Career Center, and meeting spaces.
- Sports Center: Bender ArenaBender ArenaBender Arena is a 4,500-seat multi-purpose arena in Washington, DC. The arena opened in 1988. It is home to the American University Eagles basketball, volleyball and wrestling teams....
, Reeves Aquatic Center, Jacobs Fitness Center (see Athletics below) - School of International ServiceSchool of International ServiceThe School of International Service is American University's school of advanced international study in the areas of international politics, international communication, development, international economic relations, peace and conflict resolution, global environmental politics, and U.S...
, ground broken by President Dwight Eisenhower. The new building opened for the 2010–2011 school year, with classes continuing to be held also in the original building next door.
- McKinley Building, cornerstone laid by President Theodore RooseveltTheodore RooseveltTheodore "Teddy" Roosevelt was the 26th President of the United States . He is noted for his exuberant personality, range of interests and achievements, and his leadership of the Progressive Movement, as well as his "cowboy" persona and robust masculinity...
. Currently the home of the departments of Computer Science, Audio Technology, and Physics. Slated to become the new home to the School of CommunicationAmerican University School of CommunicationThe School of Communication at American University is highly regarded for its faculty, facilities, and high professional standards by the Accrediting Council on Education in Journalism and Mass Communications...
. - Battelle-Tompkins Building, the university library until 1977 and now home to the College of Arts and SciencesAmerican University College of Arts and SciencesThe College of Arts and Sciences is the oldest and largest academic unit at American University in terms of student enrollment and faculty lines. It offers more than 50 masters, doctoral, and certificate programs taught by award-winning faculty. A low student-to-faculty ratio allows students to...
. - Ward Circle Building, the largest classroom building on campus, built in 1968 as a home for the School of Government and Public Administration (now the School of Public AffairsAmerican University School of Public AffairsThe American University School of Public Affairs houses three academic departments - Public Administration & Policy, Government, Justice, Law, & Society - as well as the , a research unit jointly sponsored with the School of International Service....
). - Kay Spiritual Life Center, built in 1963, a multi-denominational place of worship, home to the University Chaplains and is used for speeches and performances.
- Kogod School of BusinessKogod School of BusinessThe Kogod School of Business, commonly referred to as Kogod, serves as the undergraduate and graduate business school at American University in Northwest Washington, DC. Kogod is accredited by the Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business . Kogod offers undergraduate and graduate degree...
, formerly known as the Myers-Hutchins Building, and previous home to the Washington College of LawWashington College of LawAmerican University Washington College of Law is the law school of American University. It is located on Massachusetts Avenue in the Spring Valley neighborhood of northwest Washington. WCL is ranked 50th among law schools by US News and World Report...
. Construction finished in January 2009 to annex it to the now empty Experimental Theater and Butler Instructional Center.
Residence halls
Residence halls on main campus are grouped into two "campuses".
- North Campus, commonly referred to as "North Side":
- Hughes Hall,
- Leonard Hall
- McDowell Hall
- Nebraska Hall, located across Massachusetts Avenue from main campus. It features apartment-style residences opened in August 2007.
- South Campus, commonly referred to as "South Side":
- Anderson Hall
- Centennial Hall
- Clark Hall
- Letts Hall, named after John C. Letts, university Trustee and President of the Board 1921–1931.
- Roper Hall
Tenley Campus
Tenley Campus
Tenley Campus is a satellite campus of American University located on Tenley Circle, in Northwest Washington, DC. It is home to the Washington Semester Program, University Publications, Alumni Relations, and Media Relations Departments, and the Osher Lifelong Learning Institute.Purchased in 1987...
is located half a mile east of the main campus, and was purchased by American University in 1987 specifically for the Washington Semester
Washington Semester
The Washington Semester is a semester-long residential program that partners with institutions around the world to bring college students to American University. It is housed at American University's Tenley Campus....
program. During the academic year, Tenley Campus is home to the Washington Semester Program students, though students enrolled at AU can also elect to live there. During the summer, the residence halls are used to house summer interns. Administratively, Tenley Campus is home to the main offices of the Washington Semester Program, the Office of Development, University Marketing, University Publications, and Media Relations
Residence Halls:
- Capital Hall: housing 170 students, Capital Hall is the oldest and most ornate of the Tenley Campus buildings. It also contains a fitness center and the stained glass chapel that is used for dance and music recitals.
- Congressional Hall: houses 156 students and contains the central reception desk for the Tenley Campus.
- Federal Hall: houses 107 students and contains the Mail Room and Tenley Cafe, the Tenley Campus cafeteria
Administrative Buildings and Other Facilities:
- Dunblane House: a small administrative and classroom building.
- Constitution Building: an administrative building.
- A sports field used for intramural sport matches.
Renovations and expansions
Starting in 2006, American University has actively sought to expand and rejuvenate their campus. The proposed renovations and additions to the campus with their expected competition dates are:Fall 2006:
- Renovating the Watkins Art Building to add classrooms and administrative space (Complete).
Fall 2007:
- Renovating the first floor of the Mary Graydon Center which will help in efficiently using the space already available (complete)
- Renovating Nebraska Hall, which currently houses academic classrooms and administrative office space, to create a new suite-style residence hall for 115 upperclassmen. (complete)
- More Watkins Building Renovation-renovating and updating this building (complete)
January 2009:
- Expanding the Kogod School of BusinessKogod School of BusinessThe Kogod School of Business, commonly referred to as Kogod, serves as the undergraduate and graduate business school at American University in Northwest Washington, DC. Kogod is accredited by the Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business . Kogod offers undergraduate and graduate degree...
Building into the adjacent New Lecture Hall/Experimental Theatre (complete)
February 2009:
- Add a canopy over a walkway between the Mary Graydon Center and the Batelle-Tomkins building (complete)
February 2010:
- Repair the canopy over the walkway between the Mary Graydon Center and the Batelle-Tomkins building, which was severely damaged in the Second North American blizzard of 2010Second North American blizzard of 2010The February 9–10, 2010 North American blizzard was a winter storm and severe weather event that afflicted the Midwest, Mid-Atlantic and New England regions of the United States between February 9–11, 2010, affecting some of the same regions that had experienced a historic Nor'easter three days prior...
. (complete)
March 2010:
- Renovating the old Kreeger Music Building to house the Department of Economics (complete).
May 2010:
- New, larger building for the School of International ServiceSchool of International ServiceThe School of International Service is American University's school of advanced international study in the areas of international politics, international communication, development, international economic relations, peace and conflict resolution, global environmental politics, and U.S...
, complete with three levels of underground parking and an environmentally friendly design that meets LEEDLeadership in Energy and Environmental DesignLeadership in Energy and Environmental Design consists of a suite of rating systems for the design, construction and operation of high performance green buildings, homes and neighborhoods....
's Gold Standard Excavation of the construction site began late March 2008, completed May 2010
August 2010:
- Roper Hall converted to student housing (complete).
October 2010:
- Clark Hall converted to student housing (complete).
Fall 2011:
- The old SIS building now known as the East Quad Building will be renovated to house administrative and classroom space for parts of the School of Education, Teaching, and Health, and the Department of Mathematics and Statistics, giving these departments a presence on the Friedheim Quadrangle (in planning stages).
To Be Announced:
- Renovating McKinley Hall to house the School of CommunicationAmerican University School of CommunicationThe School of Communication at American University is highly regarded for its faculty, facilities, and high professional standards by the Accrediting Council on Education in Journalism and Mass Communications...
(in planning stages).
Academics
College and university rankings
College and university rankings are lists of institutions in higher education, ordered by combinations of factors. In addition to entire institutions, specific programs, departments, and schools are ranked...
guide, and is one of the 270 universities that house a chapter of Phi Beta Kappa, the nation's oldest honor society.
In 2008 and 2010, American University was named the most politically active school in the nation in The Princeton Review's
The Princeton Review
The Princeton Review is an American-based standardized test preparation and admissions consulting company. The Princeton Review operates in 41 states and 22 countries across the globe. It offers test preparation for standardized aptitude tests such as the SAT and advice regarding college...
annual survey of college students. In 2006, the Fiske Guide to Colleges ranked AU as a "Best Buy" college for the quality of academic offerings in relation to the cost of attendance. For two years in a row, American University has had more students chosen to receive Presidential Management Fellowships
Presidential Management Fellows Program
The Presidential Management Fellows program is a prestigious two year paid government fellowship sponsored by the Office of Personnel Management for recent graduate students who seek a two year fellowship in a United States government agency. Selection begins with the nomination of the student...
than any other college or university in the country. In spring 2006, 34 graduate and law students were chosen for the honor.
The Kogod School of Business
Kogod School of Business
The Kogod School of Business, commonly referred to as Kogod, serves as the undergraduate and graduate business school at American University in Northwest Washington, DC. Kogod is accredited by the Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business . Kogod offers undergraduate and graduate degree...
, the first school of business in Washington
Washington, D.C.
Washington, D.C., formally the District of Columbia and commonly referred to as Washington, "the District", or simply D.C., is the capital of the United States. On July 16, 1790, the United States Congress approved the creation of a permanent national capital as permitted by the U.S. Constitution....
, was named by The Wall Street Journal and Business Week magazine as one of the top business schools in the country. "Kogod is positioning itself squarely in the upper echelons of America's finest business schools," according to the Princeton Review. The Wall Street Journal ranked the Kogod School of Business in its 2004 “Top 50 MBA Programs.” "On September 16, 2007 the Wall Street Journal announced their 2007 graduate rankings, and the Kogod School of Business was ranked 36 out of the top 51."
The School of International Service
School of International Service
The School of International Service is American University's school of advanced international study in the areas of international politics, international communication, development, international economic relations, peace and conflict resolution, global environmental politics, and U.S...
(SIS) is recognized as the largest of its kind in the U.S. Among The Association of Professional Schools of International Affairs
The Association of Professional Schools of International Affairs
-About APSIA:The Association of Professional Schools of International Affairs is a non-profit educational organization composed of graduate level schools of international affairs. Starting as a network of American graduate schools in the mid-1970s, APSIA was incorporated in 1989 and has since then...
(APSIA) schools, AU's School of International Service has the largest number of minority students and female students and is ranked 6th among APSIA schools in numbers of international students. A review in Foreign Policy Magazine ranked the school 8th in the country for preparing future foreign policy professionals and 25th for academic careers. SIS's undergraduate programs earned a spot at number 11, and its graduate programs were ranked number 8. Because the field of international relations is not evaluated by U.S. News & World Report, the College of William and Mary
College of William and Mary
The College of William & Mary in Virginia is a public research university located in Williamsburg, Virginia, United States...
recently published the results of their survey, which ranked the AU international relations master's degree in the top 10 in the United States and the doctoral degree in the top 25. The School of Communication
American University School of Communication
The School of Communication at American University is highly regarded for its faculty, facilities, and high professional standards by the Accrediting Council on Education in Journalism and Mass Communications...
is among the top 25 in the nation, and it graduates the third largest number of communication professionals among U.S. colleges and universities. The School of Public Affairs
American University School of Public Affairs
The American University School of Public Affairs houses three academic departments - Public Administration & Policy, Government, Justice, Law, & Society - as well as the , a research unit jointly sponsored with the School of International Service....
is ranked among the top 15 programs in the country by U.S. News and World Report. Washington College of Law
Washington College of Law
American University Washington College of Law is the law school of American University. It is located on Massachusetts Avenue in the Spring Valley neighborhood of northwest Washington. WCL is ranked 50th among law schools by US News and World Report...
's clinical program ranks second in the nation, its international law program is ranked 6th in the nation and the school overall ranks among the top 50 U.S. law schools according to U.S. News and World Report's America's Best Colleges.
Peace Corps
The Peace Corps is an American volunteer program run by the United States Government, as well as a government agency of the same name. The mission of the Peace Corps includes three goals: providing technical assistance, helping people outside the United States to understand US culture, and helping...
service (34), and ranks fourth in the number of Peace Corps
Peace Corps
The Peace Corps is an American volunteer program run by the United States Government, as well as a government agency of the same name. The mission of the Peace Corps includes three goals: providing technical assistance, helping people outside the United States to understand US culture, and helping...
volunteers as a percentage of the total undergraduate population.
American University has earned a reputation among the best schools in the nation for international relations, government and political science, as well as a hub for arts in Washington, D.C.
Washington, D.C.
Washington, D.C., formally the District of Columbia and commonly referred to as Washington, "the District", or simply D.C., is the capital of the United States. On July 16, 1790, the United States Congress approved the creation of a permanent national capital as permitted by the U.S. Constitution....
The school has a long history of partnership with the Washington metropolitan area, beginning with its charter by the U.S. Congress in 1893. The University takes its responsibility to the community very seriously. In 2001, AU's economic impact on the District of Columbia totaled more than $600 million. WAMU
WAMU
WAMU is a public radio station that services the greater Washington, D.C. metropolitan area. The station broadcasts on 88.5 FM, online at wamu.org, and on HD Radio at 88.5-HD1, 2 and 3. WAMU is on-air 24 hours a day. It is licensed to American University, and its studios are located near the campus...
, American's National Public Radio Station, is one of the top 5 NPR
NPR
NPR, formerly National Public Radio, is a privately and publicly funded non-profit membership media organization that serves as a national syndicator to a network of 900 public radio stations in the United States. NPR was created in 1970, following congressional passage of the Public Broadcasting...
stations in the country. "Over 80% of AU undergraduate students and 60% of graduate students complete an internship or other experiential education experience by graduation.... Fifty-seven percent of AU’s undergraduate and 40% of graduate students participate in significant community service in the local community by graduation," according to their website.
Centers, institutes and special programs
- American University MuseumAmerican University MuseumThe American University Museum is located in the Katzen Arts Center at the American University in Washington, DC. It is a three-story, museum and sculpture garden located within the university’s Katzen Arts Center. The region’s largest university facility for exhibiting art, the museum’s permanent...
- American University of SharjahAmerican University of SharjahAmerican University of Sharjah is an independent, not-for-profit coeducational higher educational institution in Sharjah, United Arab Emirates, founded in 1997 by Dr. Sultan bin Mohamed Al-Qasimi, Member of the UAE Supreme Council and Ruler of Sharjah...
- AU Abroad
- Center for Asian Studies
- Center for Black Sea-Caspian Studies
- Center for Congressional and Presidential StudiesCenter for Congressional and Presidential StudiesThe Center for Congressional and Presidential Studies is an integrated teaching, research, and study program of the School of Public Affairs at American University, focusing on the United States Congress and the presidency and the interactions between them.-Institutes:Campaign Management...
- Center for Democracy and Election Management (CDEM)
- Center for Environmental Studies
- Center for Global Peace
- Center for the Global South
- Center for Islamic Peace
- Center for Israel Studies
- Center for North American Studies
- Center for Research on Collaboratories and Technology Enhanced Learning CommunitiesCenter for Research on Collaboratories and Technology Enhanced Learning CommunitiesThe Center for Research on Collaboratories and Technology Enhanced Learning Communities is a joint research center of Syracuse University and American University. The center carries out research on socio-technical infrastructure, and geographically distributed teams...
(COTELCO) - Center for the Study of Rulemaking
- Center for Social MediaCenter for Social MediaThe Center for Social Media in the School of Communication at American University examines strategies to use media as creative tools for public knowledge and action. It focuses on social documentaries for civil society and democracy, and on the public media environment that supports them...
- Council on Comparative Studies (CCS)
- Global Intellectual Property Project (GLIPP)
- Institute for Strategic Communication for Nonprofits
- Institute for the Study of Public Policy Implementation (ISPPI)
- Intercultural Management Institute
- Justice Programs Office
- Katzen Arts CenterKatzen Arts CenterThe Katzen Arts Center is home to all of the visual and performing arts programs at American University and the American University Museum. Located at Ward Circle, the intersection of Nebraska Avenue and Massachusetts Avenue, the Center sits atop Embassy Row in Washington, DC, one of the highest...
- Key Executive Program
- Kogod's Center for IT & Global Economy
- National Center for Health and Fitness
- Nuclear Studies InstituteAmerican University Nuclear Studies InstituteThe Nuclear Studies Institute was founded in 1995 at American University in Washington, D.C. as a component of the American University College of Arts and Sciences...
- Program on Conflict Prevention and Peacebuilding
- School of Public Affairs Leadership Program
- Washington Internship for Native Students (WINS)
- Washington Semester ProgramWashington SemesterThe Washington Semester is a semester-long residential program that partners with institutions around the world to bring college students to American University. It is housed at American University's Tenley Campus....
- Women & Politics InstituteWomen & Politics Institute- Overview :The Women & Politics Institute is a research institute located in the School of Public Affairs at American University, in Washington, D.C. The mission of the Women & Politics Institute is to close the gender gap in political leadership...
Academic organization
American University College of Arts and Sciences
The College of Arts and Sciences is the oldest and largest academic unit at American University in terms of student enrollment and faculty lines. It offers more than 50 masters, doctoral, and certificate programs taught by award-winning faculty. A low student-to-faculty ratio allows students to...
(CAS), Kogod School of Business
Kogod School of Business
The Kogod School of Business, commonly referred to as Kogod, serves as the undergraduate and graduate business school at American University in Northwest Washington, DC. Kogod is accredited by the Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business . Kogod offers undergraduate and graduate degree...
(KSB), School of Communication
American University School of Communication
The School of Communication at American University is highly regarded for its faculty, facilities, and high professional standards by the Accrediting Council on Education in Journalism and Mass Communications...
(SOC), School of International Service
School of International Service
The School of International Service is American University's school of advanced international study in the areas of international politics, international communication, development, international economic relations, peace and conflict resolution, global environmental politics, and U.S...
(SIS), School of Public Affairs
American University School of Public Affairs
The American University School of Public Affairs houses three academic departments - Public Administration & Policy, Government, Justice, Law, & Society - as well as the , a research unit jointly sponsored with the School of International Service....
(SPA) and Washington College of Law
Washington College of Law
American University Washington College of Law is the law school of American University. It is located on Massachusetts Avenue in the Spring Valley neighborhood of northwest Washington. WCL is ranked 50th among law schools by US News and World Report...
(WCL). With the exception of WCL, undergraduate and graduate courses are housed within the same division, although organized into different programs.
Students who do not declare into a specific school are sorted into CAS, which combine with its variety of academic programs to make it the largest division, followed by SIS, SPA, WCL, KSB and SOC.
American University is also home to a unique program known as the Washington Semester
Washington Semester
The Washington Semester is a semester-long residential program that partners with institutions around the world to bring college students to American University. It is housed at American University's Tenley Campus....
Program. This program partners with institutions around the world to bring students to AU for a semester. The program operates independently from, but in conjunction with, the other academic units. The program combines two seminar courses on three days a week with a two day per week internship that gives students a unique look at Washington, D.C. The program is unique in that the courses are not typical lecture courses; instead, speakers from various sectors of a particular field are invited to address the class, often from different perspectives.
In the Chronicle of Higher Education survey of college presidents' salaries for 2007–08, President Cornelius M. Kerwin
Cornelius M. Kerwin
Cornelius M. "Neil" Kerwin is an American educator in public administration and president of American University.A 1971 undergraduate alumnus of American University, Kerwin continued his education with a Master of Arts degree in political science from the University of Rhode Island in 1973...
was fifth highest in the nation with a compensation of $1.4 million.
Library system
The Bender Library provides a variety of individual and group study spaces and includes a Curriculum Materials Center, a digital media studio, Graduate Research Center, classrooms, and a café. Students can connect their laptops, PDAs or cell phones to the Internet from anywhere in the library. About 160 public computer workstations are available throughout the Bender building and researchers also may borrow laptops.
, American University Library provides access to more than 700,000 print books, 60,000 online magazines and journals, over 41,000 media and sound recordings, and over 14,000 musical scores. Recent statistics show that over 625,000 researchers visit the library per year and the web site receives close to 1.4 million unique visits per year.
The Library's Archives and Special Collections houses unique and rare materials and information on the history of the institution. The University Archives is the repository for papers and other documents, including sound recordings and photographs, spanning more than a century of the University's history. Special Collections houses rare materials. Among the more important holdings are the Artemas Martin
Artemas Martin
Artemas Martin was a self-educated American mathematician.-Biography:Martin was born on August 3, 1835 in Steuben County, New York and grew up in Venango County, Pennsylvania...
collection of mathematical texts, the Charles Nelson Spinks collection of artistic and historical works of Japan, the Irwin M. Heine collection of literary works, and Christopher Johnson collection of William Faulkner books. Playbills form a significant set of the collections with the James Carroll and Iris Lipkowitz collections most notable among them. Other significant collections include the Barlett & Steele Archive, the John R. Hickman Collection, the Friends of Colombia Archives, the Records of the National Peace Corps Association, the Records of the National Commission on the Public Service, the Sally L. Smith Papers, and the Records of Women Strike for Peace.
Clubs
AU has more than 220 recognized organizations on campus consisting of a wide variety of political, social and academic groups.- The Student Union Board (SUB), a part of the Student Government, is AU's oldest student run organization. Since 1963, SUB has been providing the AU community big name concerts and live entertainment. Acts have ranged from the Grateful DeadGrateful DeadThe Grateful Dead was an American rock band formed in 1965 in the San Francisco Bay Area. The band was known for its unique and eclectic style, which fused elements of rock, folk, bluegrass, blues, reggae, country, improvisational jazz, psychedelia, and space rock, and for live performances of long...
to Ben FoldsBen FoldsBenjamin Scott "Ben" Folds is an American singer-songwriter, record producer, and television personality. From 1995-2000, Folds was the frontman and pianist of the alternative rock band Ben Folds Five. Since the group disbanded, Folds has performed as a solo artist and has toured all over the world...
. Other past acts that have played in recent years include Bob DylanBob DylanBob Dylan is an American singer-songwriter, musician, poet, film director and painter. He has been a major and profoundly influential figure in popular music and culture for five decades. Much of his most celebrated work dates from the 1960s when he was an informal chronicler and a seemingly...
, Andrew WK, Phantom PlanetPhantom PlanetPhantom Planet are an American alternative rock band from Southern California. Formed in 1994 in Los Angeles, the band consists of Alex Greenwald , Darren Robinson , Sam Farrar and Jeff Conrad . The band is best known for its track "California", which became the theme song for the Fox TV series,...
, EverclearEverclear (band)Everclear is a rock band formed in Portland, Oregon in 1992 best known for their radio hits spanning more than a decade. For most of its existence, Everclear has consisted of Art Alexakis , Craig Montoya , and Greg Eklund . Eklund replaced original drummer Scott Cuthbert in 1994...
, Ben KwellerBen KwellerBen Kweller is an American singer, songwriter and multi-instrumentalist.-Early life:Ben Kweller was born in San Francisco, CA in 1981. In 1982, his family relocated to Emory, Texas, where his father, Howard Kweller, became the town's first doctor. In 1986, the Kwellers moved to a much larger city,...
, Jimmy Eat WorldJimmy Eat WorldJimmy Eat World is an American alternative rock band from Mesa, Arizona, that formed in 1993. The band is composed of lead vocalist and guitarist Jim Adkins, guitarist and backing vocalist Tom Linton, bassist Rick Burch and drummer Zach Lind....
, ParamoreParamoreParamore is an American rock band from Franklin, Tennessee, formed in 2004. The band consists of lead vocalist Hayley Williams, bassist Jeremy Davis, and guitarist Taylor York...
, Stephen LynchStephen Lynch (musician)Stephen Andrew Lynch , is an American stand-up comedian, musician and Tony Award-nominated actor who is known for his songs mocking daily life and popular culture. Lynch has released two studio albums and two live albums along with a live DVD...
, Jim GaffiganJim GaffiganJames Christopher "Jim" Gaffigan is an American stand-up comedian and actor.-Early life:Gaffigan was born in Chesterton, Indiana and attended La Lumiere School in La Porte, Indiana. He is the youngest of six children and often jokes about growing up in a large family. He attended one year at...
, Snow PatrolSnow PatrolSnow Patrol are an alternative rock band from Bangor, County Down, Northern Ireland. Formed at the University of Dundee in 1994 as an indie rock band, the band is now based in Glasgow...
, Ghostface KillahGhostface KillahDennis Coles , better known by his stage name Ghostface Killah, is an American rapper and prominent member of the Wu-Tang Clan. After the group achieved breakthrough success in the aftermath of Enter the Wu-Tang , the members went on to pursue solo careers to varying levels of success...
, Ted Leo and the PharmacistsTed Leo and the PharmacistsTed Leo and the Pharmacists are an American rock band formed in 1999 in Washington, D.C. and currently recording for Matador Records. They have released six full-length studio albums and have toured internationally...
, and BlackaliciousBlackaliciousBlackalicious is an American hip hop duo from Sacramento, California made up of rapper Gift of Gab and DJ/producer Chief Xcel . They are noted for Gift of Gab's often "tongue-twisting", multisyllabic, complex rhymes and Chief Xcel's "classic" beats...
. SUB also provides free second run movies to the AU community, known as SUB Cinema.
- American University Rationalists and Atheists (AURA), founded in 2008, was awarded the "Best New Affiliate" in 2009 by the Secular Student AllianceSecular Student AllianceThe Secular Student Alliance , founded in May 2000, is an independent, democratically structured organization in the U.S. that aims to serve the needs of freethinking high school and college students. The Secular Student Alliance is based in Columbus, Ohio...
. Past guest speakers at AURA events include evolutionary biologist Richard DawkinsRichard DawkinsClinton Richard Dawkins, FRS, FRSL , known as Richard Dawkins, is a British ethologist, evolutionary biologist and author...
, comedian Jamie KilsteinJamie KilsteinJamie Alexander Kilstein is an American comedian, writer, and radio host. Kilstein is a left-wing political comic. He is a contributing writer for Timothy McSweeney's and made his TV debut performance on Conan...
, American AtheistsAmerican AtheistsAmerican Atheists is an organization in the United States dedicated to defending the civil liberties of atheists and advocating for the complete separation of church and state. It provides speakers for colleges, universities, clubs and the news media. It also publishes books and the monthly...
President Ed Buckner, Freedom From Religion FoundationFreedom From Religion FoundationThe Freedom From Religion Foundation is an American freethought organization based in Madison, Wisconsin. Its purposes, as stated in its bylaws, are to promote the separation of church and state and to educate the public on matters relating to atheism, agnosticism and nontheism. The FFRF publishes...
President Dan BarkerDan BarkerDan Barker is a prominent American atheist activist who served as a Christian preacher and musician for 19 years but left Christianity in 1984.-Biography:...
, author Tom FlynnTom FlynnThomas Flynn was a cricket Test match umpire. He umpired 4 Test matches, making his debut in the match between Australia and England in Melbourne on 1 January to 6 January 1892, standing with Jim Phillips...
, and Supreme Court plaintiff Ellery SchemppEllery SchemppEllery Schempp is an accomplished physicist and is also famous for being the primary student involved in the landmark 1963 United States Supreme Court case of Abington School District v...
.
- The Kennedy Political Union, a part of the Student Government, has been AU's student-run and student-funded speakers bureau charged with providing quality political speakers since the 1968–1969 academic year.
- The Veterans of American University, a part of Student Activities, provides an unprecedented level of support for military veterans transitioning from military to student life.
- The American University Debate Society competes as a member of the American Parliamentary Debate Association, and is currently ranked 5th in the nation.
- AU has four a cappella groups, including On a Sensual NoteOn a Sensual NoteOn a Sensual Note is the all-male collegiate a cappella singing ensemble of American University. Founded in the fall of 1996, OASN is the University's oldest a cappella ensemble. The ensemble performs regularly at campus events, tours and visits other schools and participates in regional festivals...
, AU's all-male a cappella group.
Student Media Organizations
AU has a varied assortment of eight student-run media organizations that are officially recognized by the university. With the exception of The Eagle, which is financially-independent and editorially-independent of the university, these media organizations are governed by a Student Media Board and are funded through the university's undergraduate student activity fee:- AmLit (American Literary, a student-produced semesterly literary arts magazine
- AmWord, a student-produced monthly online and print news magazine
- ATV (American Television), a student-run online and closed-circuit campus television station
- AWOL (American Way of Life), a student-produced bi-semesterly political and social progressive news/opinion magazine
- Eagle Droppings, a student-run online comedic/satirical news publication
- The Eagle, a student-run weekly campus and community newspaper
- The Talon, a student-produced yearbook
- WVAU, a student-run internet radio station
Other Media Organizations
- WAMUWAMUWAMU is a public radio station that services the greater Washington, D.C. metropolitan area. The station broadcasts on 88.5 FM, online at wamu.org, and on HD Radio at 88.5-HD1, 2 and 3. WAMU is on-air 24 hours a day. It is licensed to American University, and its studios are located near the campus...
88.5 FM, Washington, DC's National Public Radio affiliate, operated by American University - American Magazine, a magazine about American University campus news and developments produced by the university's publications department three times per year
- American Observer, an online news magazine covering Washington metro and campus activities and federal government produced in affiliation with the School of Communication
- American Today, monthly print newspaper covering campus and community news
- The Journal of International Service, the graduate academic journal for the School of International Service
- The Public Purpose: An Interdisciplinary Journal, published annually by the American University School of Public Affairs Graduate Council
- Vitruvian Perspectives: An Interdisciplinary Journal of Scholars, published by the College of Arts and SciencesAmerican University College of Arts and SciencesThe College of Arts and Sciences is the oldest and largest academic unit at American University in terms of student enrollment and faculty lines. It offers more than 50 masters, doctoral, and certificate programs taught by award-winning faculty. A low student-to-faculty ratio allows students to...
Graduate Student Council - Folio, a leading literary magazine, is based at American University
Student governments
Students at American University are represented by four governing bodies:- Student Government (SG) – undergraduate students
- Graduate Leadership Council (GLC) – graduate students
- Student Bar Association (SBA) – law students
- Residence Hall AssociationResidence hall associationIn the United States, a Residence Hall Association is a student-run university residence hall governing body. It is usually the parent organization for individual hall governments. Their function is similar to a student government, except that most of their activities pertain to on-campus living...
(RHA) – undergraduate students living in University housing
Greek life
There are a Panhellenic Association (PHA), Interfraternity Council (IFC), National Pan-Hellenic Council (NPHC), and Multicultural Greek Council (MGC) at American University.- National Panhellenic Conference (Panhellenic Association)
- Alpha Chi OmegaAlpha Chi OmegaAlpha Chi Omega is a women's fraternity founded on October 15, 1885. Currently, there are 135 chapters of Alpha Chi Omega at colleges and universities across the United States and more than 200,000 lifetime members...
- Alpha Epsilon PhiAlpha Epsilon PhiAlpha Epsilon Phi is a sorority and member of the National Panhellenic Conference. It was founded on October 24, 1909 at Barnard College in New York City by seven Jewish women; Helen Phillips Lipman, Ida Beck Carlin, Rose Gerstein Smolin, Augustina "Tina" Hess Solomon, Lee Reiss Liebert, Rose...
- Delta GammaDelta GammaDelta Gamma is one of the oldest and largest women's fraternities in the United States and Canada, with its Executive Offices based in Columbus, Ohio.-History:...
- Sigma Delta TauSigma Delta TauSigma Delta Tau is a national sorority and member of the National Panhellenic Conference, was founded March 25, 1917 at Cornell University in Ithaca, New York. The original name, Sigma Delta Phi, was changed after the women discovered a sorority with the same name already existed...
- Chi OmegaChi OmegaChi Omega is a women's fraternity and the largest member of the National Panhellenic Conference. Chi Omega has 174 active collegiate chapters and over 230 alumnae chapters. Chi Omega's national headquarters is located in Memphis, Tennessee....
- Phi MuPhi MuPhi Mu is the second oldest female fraternal organization established in the United States. It was founded at Wesleyan College in Macon, Georgia. The organization was founded as the Philomathean Society on January 4, 1852, and was announced publicly on March 4 of the same year...
- Phi Sigma SigmaPhi Sigma SigmaPhi Sigma Sigma , colloquially known as "Phi Sig," was the first collegiate nonsectarian fraternity, welcoming women of all faiths and backgrounds...
- Alpha Chi Omega
- National Pan-Hellenic Council
- Alpha Kappa AlphaAlpha Kappa AlphaAlpha Kappa Alpha is the first Greek-lettered sorority established and incorporated by African American college women. The sorority was founded on January 15, 1908, at Howard University in Washington, D.C., by a group of nine students, led by Ethel Hedgeman Lyle...
- Alpha Phi AlphaAlpha Phi AlphaAlpha Phi Alpha is the first Inter-Collegiate Black Greek Letter fraternity. It was founded on December 4, 1906 at Cornell University in Ithaca, New York. Its founders are known as the "Seven Jewels". Alpha Phi Alpha developed a model that was used by the many Black Greek Letter Organizations ...
- Delta Sigma ThetaDelta Sigma ThetaDelta Sigma Theta is a non-profit Greek-lettered sorority of college-educated women who perform public service and place emphasis on the African American community. Delta Sigma Theta Sorority was founded on January 13, 1913 by twenty-two collegiate women at Howard University...
- Zeta Phi BetaZeta Phi BetaZeta Phi Beta is an international, historically black Greek-lettered sorority and a member of the National Pan-Hellenic Council.Zeta Phi Beta is organized into 800+ chapters, in eight intercontinental regions including the USA, Africa, Europe, Asia and the Caribbean...
- Kappa Alpha PsiKappa Alpha PsiKappa Alpha Psi is a collegiate Greek-letter fraternity with a predominantly African American membership. Since the fraternity's founding on January 5, 1911 at Indiana University Bloomington, the fraternity has never limited membership based on color, creed or national origin...
- Sigma Gamma RhoSigma Gamma RhoSigma Gamma Rho Sorority, Inc. was founded on the campus of Butler University on November 12, 1922, by seven school teachers in Indianapolis, Indiana...
- Phi Beta SigmaPhi Beta SigmaPhi Beta Sigma is a predominantly African-American fraternity which was founded at Howard University in Washington, D.C. on January 9, 1914, by three young African-American male students. The founders A. Langston Taylor, Leonard F. Morse, and Charles I...
- Alpha Kappa Alpha
- North American Interfraternity Conference
- Alpha Epsilon PiAlpha Epsilon PiAlpha Epsilon Pi , the Global Jewish college fraternity, has 155 active chapters in the United States, Canada, United Kingdom and Israel with a membership of over 9,000 undergraduates...
- Alpha Sigma PhiAlpha Sigma PhiAlpha Sigma Phi Fraternity is a social fraternity with 71 active chapters and 9 colonies. Founded at Yale in 1845, it is the 10th oldest fraternity in the United States....
- Delta ChiDelta ChiDelta Chi or D-Chi is an international Greek letter college social fraternity formed on October 13, 1890,at Cornell University, initially as a professional fraternity for law students. On April 29, 1922, Delta Chi became a general membership social fraternity, eliminating the requirement for men...
- Delta Tau DeltaDelta Tau DeltaDelta Tau Delta is a U.S.-based international secret letter college fraternity. Delta Tau Delta was founded in 1858 at Bethany College, Bethany, Virginia, . It currently has around 125 student chapters nationwide, as well as more than 25 regional alumni groups. Its national community service...
- Phi Sigma KappaPhi Sigma Kappa-Phi Sigma Kappa's Creed and Cardinal Principles:The 1934 Convention in Ann Arbor brought more changes for the fraternity. Brother Stewart W. Herman of Gettysburg wrote and presented the Creed, and Brother Ralph Watts of Massachusetts drafted and presented the Cardinal Principles.-World War II:The...
- Pi Kappa AlphaPi Kappa AlphaPi Kappa Alpha is a Greek social fraternity with over 230 chapters and colonies and over 250,000 lifetime initiates in the United States and Canada.-History:...
- Pi Kappa PhiPi Kappa PhiPi Kappa Phi is an American social fraternity. It was founded by Andrew Alexander Kroeg, Jr., Lawrence Harry Mixson, and Simon Fogarty, Jr. on December 10, 1904 at the College of Charleston in Charleston, South Carolina...
- Sigma Alpha MuSigma Alpha MuSigma Alpha Mu , also known as "Sammy", is a college fraternity founded at the City College of New York in 1909. Originally only for Jewish men, Sigma Alpha Mu remained so until 1953, when members from all backgrounds were accepted. Originally headquartered in New York, Sigma Alpha Mu has...
- Sigma ChiSigma ChiSigma Chi is the largest and one of the oldest college Greek-letter secret and social fraternities in North America with 244 active chapters and more than . Sigma Chi was founded on June 28, 1855 at Miami University in Oxford, Ohio when members split from Delta Kappa Epsilon...
- Sigma Phi EpsilonSigma Phi EpsilonSigma Phi Epsilon , commonly nicknamed SigEp or SPE, is a social college fraternity for male college students in the United States. It was founded on November 1, 1901, at Richmond College , and its national headquarters remains in Richmond, Virginia. It was founded on three principles: Virtue,...
- Tau Kappa EpsilonTau Kappa EpsilonTau Kappa Epsilon is a college fraternity founded on January 10, 1899 at Illinois Wesleyan University with chapters in the United States, and Canada, and affiliation with a German fraternity system known as the Corps of the Weinheimer Senioren Convent...
- Zeta PsiZeta PsiThe Zeta Psi Fraternity of North America was founded June 1, 1847 as a social college fraternity. The organization now comprises about fifty active chapters and twenty-five inactive chapters, encompassing roughly fifty thousand brothers, and is a founding member of the North-American...
- Alpha Epsilon Pi
- Multicultural Greek Council
- Alpha Nu OmegaAlpha Nu OmegaAlpha Nu Omega is a national Greek letter organization founded in 1988 that comprises both a fraternity and sorority under one Constitution. The Constitution mandates that both branches of ANQ are Christian social Greek letter organizations.-History:...
- Lambda Pi ChiLambda Pi ChiLambda Pi Chi Sorority is a U.S.-based Latina based Greek letter intercollegiate sorority founded on April 16, 1988 at Cornell University...
- LUNA
- Alpha Nu Omega
Sustainability
American University has recently established an Environmental Issues Project Team to make recommendations to the administration about how to fulfill the University community's responsibility to protect the environment. The Team also works to increase environmental awareness on campus. Student environmental activism has grown into a major presence on American's campus. The student environmental group, EcoSense, works with regional and national organizations such as the Chesapeake Climate Action NetworkChesapeake Climate Action Network
The Chesapeake Climate Action Network was officially launched on July 1, 2002 with a seed grant from the Rockefeller Brothers Fund. Chesapeake Climate Action Network is a registered 5013 organization located in Takoma Park, Maryland....
, The Campus Climate Challenge, Energy Action Network, Step It Up 2007, DC Woodlands, Power Shift
Power Shift
For the book by Alvin Toffler, see Powershift: Knowledge, Wealth and Violence at the Edge of the 21st Century. For the driving technique, see Powershifting....
, and the DC Youth Environmental Alliance. An environmental science class at American conducted a study from February to April 2009 to measure the amount of food waste avoided by eliminating trays from one of the college's dining halls. The class found that trayless dinners resulted in 47.1% less solid waste than dinners during which trays were used, spurring a student-driven campaign to go trayless across campus. The University's overall grade on the College Sustainability Report Card improved dramatically between 2008 and 2009 from a "D+" to a "B-", demonstrating the University's commitment to environmental responsibility.
In 2011, the Association for the Advancement of Sustainability in Higher Education (AASHE) awarded American University a gold rating, the highest possible, on their STARS scale for sustainability.
Athletics
Patriot League
The Patriot League is a college athletic conference which operates in the northeastern United States. It participates in the NCAA's Division I) for a number of sports; in football, it participates in the Football Championship Subdivision...
, AU is home to a wide variety of athletics, including men's and women’s basketball
Basketball
Basketball is a team sport in which two teams of five players try to score points by throwing or "shooting" a ball through the top of a basketball hoop while following a set of rules...
, soccer, cross-country
Cross country running
Cross country running is a sport in which people run a race on open-air courses over natural terrain. The course, typically long, may include surfaces of grass and earth, pass through woodlands and open country, and include hills, flat ground and sometimes gravel road...
, swimming
Swimming (sport)
Swimming is a sport governed by the Fédération Internationale de Natation .-History: Competitive swimming in Europe began around 1800 BCE, mostly in the form of the freestyle. In 1873 Steve Bowyer introduced the trudgen to Western swimming competitions, after copying the front crawl used by Native...
& diving
Diving
Diving is the sport of jumping or falling into water from a platform or springboard, sometimes while performing acrobatics. Diving is an internationally-recognized sport that is part of the Olympic Games. In addition, unstructured and non-competitive diving is a recreational pastime.Diving is one...
, track
Track and field
Track and field is a sport comprising various competitive athletic contests based around the activities of running, jumping and throwing. The name of the sport derives from the venue for the competitions: a stadium which features an oval running track surrounding a grassy area...
, women's volleyball
Volleyball
Volleyball is a team sport in which two teams of six players are separated by a net. Each team tries to score points by grounding a ball on the other team's court under organized rules.The complete rules are extensive...
, field hockey
Field hockey
Field Hockey, or Hockey, is a team sport in which a team of players attempts to score goals by hitting, pushing or flicking a ball into an opposing team's goal using sticks...
, and lacrosse
Lacrosse
Lacrosse is a team sport of Native American origin played using a small rubber ball and a long-handled stick called a crosse or lacrosse stick, mainly played in the United States and Canada. It is a contact sport which requires padding. The head of the lacrosse stick is strung with loose mesh...
, along with men's wrestling
Collegiate wrestling
Collegiate wrestling, sometimes known in the United States as Folkstyle wrestling, is a style of amateur wrestling practised at the collegiate and university level in the United States. Collegiate wrestling emerged from the folk wrestling styles practised in the early history of the United States...
, not to mention several club sports such as rugby, rowing, and field hockey. Bender Arena
Bender Arena
Bender Arena is a 4,500-seat multi-purpose arena in Washington, DC. The arena opened in 1988. It is home to the American University Eagles basketball, volleyball and wrestling teams....
, a state-of-the-art multi-purpose facility, hosts many of American’s athletic competitions. Bender Arena
Bender Arena
Bender Arena is a 4,500-seat multi-purpose arena in Washington, DC. The arena opened in 1988. It is home to the American University Eagles basketball, volleyball and wrestling teams....
officially opened its doors on January 23, 1988, when AU's women's basketball team hosted James Madison University
James Madison University
James Madison University is a public coeducational research university located in Harrisonburg, Virginia, U.S. Founded in 1908 as the State Normal and Industrial School for Women at Harrisonburg, the university has undergone four name changes before settling with James Madison University...
. Located at the center of AU’s main campus, it features several amenities:
- William I Jacobs Fitness Center, eight-lane pool and facilities of Reeves Aquatic Center
- Six-store mini-mall
- Campus bookstore
- 470-car, seven-level parking structure
Reeves Field, home to AU's soccer team, is one of the premier soccer fields in Washington
Washington, D.C.
Washington, D.C., formally the District of Columbia and commonly referred to as Washington, "the District", or simply D.C., is the capital of the United States. On July 16, 1790, the United States Congress approved the creation of a permanent national capital as permitted by the U.S. Constitution....
. Reeves Field earned the 2002 College Soccer Field of the Year by the Sports Turf Managers Association, hosted its fifth NCAA
National 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...
Tournament game, and served as the training site for the Uruguayan National Soccer team. FC Barcelona and Blackburn used Reeves Field as a training facility. In the summer of 2000, AU served as the practice site for Newcastle United, one of England's premier professional soccer clubs. Major League Soccer's D.C. United, Miami Fusion and San Jose Earthquakes have also practiced at AU. National teams from the U.S.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
, Bolivia
Bolivia
Bolivia officially known as Plurinational State of Bolivia , is a landlocked country in central South America. It is the poorest country in South America...
and Portugal
Portugal
Portugal , officially the Portuguese Republic is a country situated in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula. Portugal is the westernmost country of Europe, and is bordered by the Atlantic Ocean to the West and South and by Spain to the North and East. The Atlantic archipelagos of the...
trained at Reeves in 1996 in preparation for Summer Olympic games held at RFK Stadium.
George H. W. Bush
George Herbert Walker Bush is an American politician who served as the 41st President of the United States . He had previously served as the 43rd Vice President of the United States , a congressman, an ambassador, and Director of Central Intelligence.Bush was born in Milton, Massachusetts, to...
regularly traveled in the morning from his home at the U.S. Naval Observatory, located about two miles (3 km) from American University, to run the track at Reeves Field.
AU's nationally ranked field hockey and women's lacrosse teams play on the field at the Jacobs Recreational Complex, which also features a softball diamond and two outdoor sand volleyball courts. AU's field hockey team earned the right to host the 2005 Patriot League Tournament, where American defeated 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...
7–0 in the semifinals before capturing the league crown for the third straight year by downing Holy Cross
College of the Holy Cross
The College of the Holy Cross is an undergraduate Roman Catholic liberal arts college located in Worcester, Massachusetts, USA...
4–2 in the Championship Game.
American University features seven outdoor tennis courts for the use of the intercollegiate tennis teams as well as the University community. Two outdoor basketball courts complete the outdoor recreational facility located next to Reeves Field and behind Bender Arena
Bender Arena
Bender Arena is a 4,500-seat multi-purpose arena in Washington, DC. The arena opened in 1988. It is home to the American University Eagles basketball, volleyball and wrestling teams....
. AU has hosted three of the last four tennis team championships since joining the Patriot League, with the men's team winning back-to-back titles on the AU hardcourts and setting Patriot League Championship attendance records each year. The women's team last captured the Patriot League title in 2002. Both tennis teams have since been cut from the athletics program.
In 2007, AU Junior Josh Glenn won the NCAA Division I National Wrestling Title for 197 lb (89.4 kg). This was the first time since 1966 that an AU athlete won a national championship.
On March 14, 2008, AU earned its first NCAA Tournament berth in men's basketball by defeating Colgate University
Colgate University
Colgate University is a private liberal arts college in Hamilton, New York, USA. The school was founded in 1819 as a Baptist seminary and later became non-denominational. It is named for the Colgate family who greatly contributed to the university's endowment in the 19th century.Colgate has 52...
in the Patriot League Championship Game. However, AU lost its first-round NCAA tournament game against the University of Tennessee
University of Tennessee
The University of Tennessee is a public land-grant university headquartered at Knoxville, Tennessee, United States...
. On March 13, 2009 AU's men's basketball team repeated as Patriot League Champion by defeating Holy Cross 73–57, earning an automatic bid to the NCAA Men's Division I Basketball Championship
NCAA Men's Division I Basketball Championship
The NCAA Men's Division I Basketball Championship is a single-elimination tournament held each spring in the United States, featuring 68 college basketball teams, to determine the national championship in the top tier of college basketball...
. They ultimately lost to Villanova University
Villanova University
Villanova University is a private university located in Radnor Township, a suburb northwest of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, in the United States...
in the first round on March 19, 2009 with a final score of 80–67.
For the spring semester of 2009, AU men's swimming and diving team posted a 3.54 GPA, the highest team grade-point average of all Division I swimming and diving programs according to the Collegiate Swim Coaches Association of American (CSCAA).
Fight song
All hail the mighty AU Eagles!Where there's a fight, we'll see it through!
You can be sure we'll be triumphant,
When we wear red, white and blue!
All hail the mighty AU Eagles!
We'll conquer all adversity!
So let's all join in and give a yell for AU and victory!!
Alma mater
Tomorrows pass so soon behind usInto shadows of the past –
So the years will often find us,
Calling days that flew so fast.
Come, come, days that we treasure,
We live in you –
We Yearn now for the pleasure
At college we knew;
Friendships will always bind us;
In youth we live, for mem'ries remind us
Of Red, White, and Blue –
Come, days fullest in measure
Of our A. U.
AU Abroad
AU offers one of the most comprehensive and renowned study abroad programs in the United States. Open to both AU Students as well as students from other American universities, students can choose to participate in a number of diverse programs around the globe. Utilizing partner institutions as well as AU-operated programs abroad, students can take courses and/or intern in 145 different study abroad programs. Additionally, students may arrange to study at a non-partnered or hosted institution abroad through AU Abroad. Programs are offered by semester, year or summer. More than 850 AU students annually study abroad on programs offered by AU Abroad and other areas within the University. Over 60% of all AU students will have a study abroad experience before they graduate.In 2010, the Institute of International Education
Institute of International Education
Institute of International Education - is a non-profit organization promoting international exchange of education and training. It was established in 1919 and is based in the USA....
ranked American University 5th in the nation among doctoral institutions for study abroad.
Academic partnerships
- Ecole Supérieure de Journalisme de ParisEcole Supérieure de Journalisme de ParisThe Ecole Supérieure de Journalisme is an institution of higher education, a French Grande École in Paris dedicated to journalism and related studies...
, France - ESCP Europe, France
Public radio broadcasts
American University also operates a public radio station, WAMUWAMU
WAMU is a public radio station that services the greater Washington, D.C. metropolitan area. The station broadcasts on 88.5 FM, online at wamu.org, and on HD Radio at 88.5-HD1, 2 and 3. WAMU is on-air 24 hours a day. It is licensed to American University, and its studios are located near the campus...
, broadcasting at 88.5 MHz on the FM band. The commercial-free station is affiliated with National Public Radio (NPR) and Public Radio International
Public Radio International
Public Radio International is a Minneapolis-based American public radio organization, with locations in Boston, New York, London and Beijing. PRI's tagline is "Hear a different voice." PRI is a major public media content creator and also distributes programs from many sources...
. The station began broadcasting as the student radio station, but developed into a professionally staffed station when the administration spun off the student radio station. Students may still hold internships. Original programming includes The Diane Rehm Show
The Diane Rehm Show
The Diane Rehm Show is a National Public Radio call-in show based in the United States. In October, 2007, The Diane Rehm Show was named to Audience Research Analysis’ list of the top ten most powerful national programs in public radio – the only talk show on the list...
and The Kojo Nnamdi
Kojo Nnamdi
Kojo Nnamdi is an American radio journalist. He was born on 8 January 1945. He is the host of The Kojo Nnamdi Show, and The Politics Hour on WAMU, and the Evening Exchange broadcast on WHUT-TV.-Biography:...
Show. The student-run radio station's callsign is WVAU, and is an internet-only station.
Technology
Since adding a campus-wide advanced wireless broadband network in 2001, AU has been classified as one of the most "unwired" campuses in the U.S. by Intel. Recently, AU has expanded its wireless presence by teaming with T-MobileT-Mobile
T-Mobile International AG is a German-based holding company for Deutsche Telekom AG's various mobile communications subsidiaries outside Germany. Based in Bonn, Germany, its subsidiaries operate GSM and UMTS-based cellular networks in Europe, the United States, Puerto Rico and the US Virgin Islands...
to first convert AU into the first HotSpot campus in 2004 and then again in 2005 when the Kogod School of Business
Kogod School of Business
The Kogod School of Business, commonly referred to as Kogod, serves as the undergraduate and graduate business school at American University in Northwest Washington, DC. Kogod is accredited by the Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business . Kogod offers undergraduate and graduate degree...
became the first business school to integrate RSS
RSS (file format)
RSS is a family of web feed formats used to publish frequently updated works—such as blog entries, news headlines, audio, and video—in a standardized format...
data services with BlackBerry
BlackBerry
BlackBerry is a line of mobile email and smartphone devices developed and designed by Canadian company Research In Motion since 1999.BlackBerry devices are smartphones, designed to function as personal digital assistants, portable media players, internet browsers, gaming devices, and much more...
devices distributed to all graduate business students. Shortly after implementing RSS services, the university began providing podcast
Podcast
A podcast is a series of digital media files that are released episodically and often downloaded through web syndication...
s for on-demand educational multimedia, such as lectures, playable on such programs as iTunes
ITunes
iTunes is a media player computer program, used for playing, downloading, and organizing digital music and video files on desktop computers. It can also manage contents on iPod, iPhone, iPod Touch and iPad....
and compatible MP3
MP3
MPEG-1 or MPEG-2 Audio Layer III, more commonly referred to as MP3, is a patented digital audio encoding format using a form of lossy data compression...
players as Apple
Apple Computer
Apple Inc. is an American multinational corporation that designs and markets consumer electronics, computer software, and personal computers. The company's best-known hardware products include the Macintosh line of computers, the iPod, the iPhone and the iPad...
's iPod
IPod
iPod is a line of portable media players created and marketed by Apple Inc. The product line-up currently consists of the hard drive-based iPod Classic, the touchscreen iPod Touch, the compact iPod Nano, and the ultra-compact iPod Shuffle...
. With the release of video-enabled iPods in 2005, many podcasts will now also feature audio and video playback.
The University Library also launched a program whereby its Media Services Department is converting films to digital format for exclusive use by faculty in teaching their coursework for streaming media content.
External links
- American University official site
- American University History Photograph and Print Collection – Online images of AU history
- AU Ambassadors Blog – Student-run blog about life as an AU student