The American University of Beirut (AUB) is a private, independent,
non-sectarian institution of higher learning founded in 1866. It
functions under a charter from the State of New York and is governed by a
private, autonomous Board of Trustees.
The university has six
faculties: Agricultural and Food Sciences, Arts and Sciences,
Engineering and Architecture, Health Sciences, Medicine (including the
Rafic Hariri School of Nursing), and the Suliman S. Olayan School of
Business. At present, AUB offers programs leading to Bachelor, Master,
MD, and PhD degrees.
The university became co-educational in 1922. The language of instruction is English.
Accreditation
Degrees
awarded by the American University of Beirut are officially registered
with the Ministry of Education and Higher Education in Lebanon and with
the New York State Department of Education in the United States. AUB is
accredited as an institution by the Middle States Commission on Higher
Education (MSCHE) www.msche.org, 3624 Market Street, Philadelphia, PA
19104, (267) 284-5000. The MSCHE is an institutional accrediting agency
recognized by the U.S. Secretary of Education and the Council for Higher
Education (CHEA). MSCHE accreditation is an expression of confidence in
AUB’s mission, goals, resources and performance based upon periodic
internal and external assessment. The university was first accredited in
June 2004, and this accreditation was reaffirmed in 2009, 2014 and
2019.
Six of AUB’s faculties/schools have earned accreditation
from relevant accrediting bodies as listed below. In many cases, AUB’s
faculties/schools are the first or the only ones of their kind outside
of the United States to have programs accredited by US agencies:
The Faculty of Agricultural and Food Sciences’
undergraduate Nutrition and Dietetics Coordinated Program (NDCP) was
the first nutrition and dietetics program in the Middle East to receive
US accreditation, in 2013, from the Accreditation Council for Education
in Nutrition and Dietetics (ACEND), which is the Academy of Nutrition
& Dietetics’ accrediting agency of nutrition education programs. The
program secured full re- accreditation, for the maximum allowable time
of seven years, in 2017.
The Maroun Semaan Faculty of Engineering and Architecture’s
BE in civil engineering, BE in computer and communications engineering,
BE in electrical and computer engineering, and BE in mechanical
engineering were accredited by the Accreditation Board for Engineering
and Technology (ABET) in 2008 (reaffirmed in 2016). MSFEA’s
undergraduate program in chemical engineering was also accredited by
ABET in 2013.
The Public Health Program
at the Faculty of Health Sciences received its initial accreditation in
2006 from the Council on Education for Public Health, an independent
agency recognized by the U.S. Department of Education that accredits
schools of public health and public health programs. In 2012, the
program was reaccredited for a seven- year term. In December 2019, the
CEPH Board voted to renew the accreditation of the program for another
seven-year term, ending in 2026. The accredited Public Health Program
includes the master of public health, master of science in epidemiology,
master of science in environmental health, and the Ph.D. in
epidemiology, as well as the newly launched bachelor of arts in health
communication. In March 2021, the CEPH Board granted accreditation for
the FHS undergraduate Environmental Health Program (BSc in Environmental
Health), ending in 2026. The FHS public health program was the first to
be accredited by CEPH outside the Americas and it remains the only
CEPH- accredited program in the Arab region. Internationally, it is one
of only nine non-US public health programs to hold CEPH accreditation.
This has allowed FHS to become a full member of the Association of
Schools and Programs of Public Health and to join the Delta Omega
Honorary Society in Public Health, which are recognitions of academic
excellence limited to CEPH-accredited schools and programs.
The Faculty of Medicine
was granted full accreditation effective January 1, 2019 and for a
period of six years by the Association for Evaluation and Accreditation
of Medical Education Programs (TEPDAD) International Medical Education
Accreditation Council, the authorized medical school accrediting body of
the World Federation for Medical Education (WFME) based in Turkey. This
accreditation places FM in compliance with the Educational Commission
for Foreign Medical Graduates requirement.
The Faculty of Medicine
has received “initial” institutional accreditation from the
Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education-International
(ACGME-I) in 2015 and currently have “continuous” accreditation till
year 2024. After obtaining initial institutional accreditation, the
Faculty of Medicine’s GME residency programs started applying for
ACGME-I accreditation. Currently, 18 residency programs have received
ACGME-I accreditation (Anesthesiology, Dermatology, Diagnostic
Radiology, Emergency Medicine, Family Medicine, General Surgery,
Internal Medicine, Neurosurgery, Neurology, Obstetrics & Gynecology,
Ophthalmology, Orthopaedic Surgery, Otorhinolaryngology, Pediatrics,
Plastic Surgery, Psychiatry, Radiation Oncology and Urology).
The Rafic Hariri School of Nursing became
the first nursing school outside American territories to have its BSN
and MSN programs accredited by the Commission on Collegiate Nursing
Education (CCNE) in 2007 (reaffirmed in 2012).
The Suliman S. Olayan School of Business
is accredited by the Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of
Business (AACSB International). It was the first school of business in
Lebanon to earn this accreditation in 2009 (reaffirmed in 2014 and
2019).
Continuing Education programs
including Business and Management, Cultural and Humanitarian Studies,
Education, Fine Arts, Foreign Languages, Health Care (Soft Skills),
Media and Communications, Science and Technology are accredited by
Accrediting Council for Continuing Education and Training (ACCET).
(Accreditation 2019, Reaffirmed 2022).
Mission Statement
The
American University of Beirut (AUB) is an institution of higher
learning founded to provide excellence in education, to participate in
the advancement of knowledge through research, and to serve the peoples
of the Middle East and beyond. Chartered in New York State in 1863, the
university bases its educational philosophy, standards and practices on
the American liberal arts model of higher education. The university
believes deeply in and encourages freedom of thought and expression and
seeks to foster tolerance and respect for diversity and dialogue.
Graduates will be individuals committed to creative and critical
thinking, lifelong learning, personal integrity, civic responsibility
and leadership.
History
In 1862, American missionaries in
Lebanon and Syria, under the American Board of Commissioners for Foreign
Missions, asked Dr. Daniel Bliss to withdraw from the evangelical work
of the mission in Lebanon to found a college of higher learning that
would include medical training. It was felt that this college should
have an American educational character, should be administered
independently from the mission, and should be maintained by its own
funds. Dr. Bliss traveled to the United States in the summer of 1862 to
solicit funds for this new enterprise. By August 1864, he had raised
$100,000 but, because of inflation during the Civil War, it was decided
that he should raise a sterling fund in England to start the operations
of the college, leaving the dollar fund to appreciate. After collecting
£4,000 in England, Dr. Bliss traveled to Beirut in March 1866.
On
April 24, 1863, while Dr. Bliss was raising money for the new school,
the State of New York granted a charter under the name of the Syrian
Protestant College. The college opened with its first class of 16
students on December 3, 1866.
The cornerstone of College Hall, the
first building on the present campus in Ras Beirut, was laid on
December 7, 1871, by the Honorable William E. Dodge, Sr., then Treasurer
of the Board of Trustees. At the ceremony, President Daniel Bliss
expressed the guiding principle of the college in these words:
“This
college is for all conditions and classes of men without regard to
color, nationality, race or religion. A man, white, black or yellow,
Christian, Jew, Mohammedan or heathen, may enter and enjoy all the
advantages of this institution for three, four or eight years; and go
out believing in one God, in many gods, or in no God. But it will be
impossible for anyone to continue with us long without knowing what we
believe to be the truth and our reasons for that belief.”
College
Hall and the first medical building were completed and put to use in
1873, and the bell in the tower of College Hall pealed for the first
time in March 1874. However, College Hall was extensively damaged by a
savage explosion in the early morning of November 8, 1991, and the
building had to be demolished. It was later rebuilt, and the new College
Hall was inaugurated in June 1999.
Since the earliest years, the
university has continually expanded and developed new faculties and
programs. In 1867, it started the School of Medicine. Four years later,
in 1871, both a school of pharmacy and a preparatory school were added.
The latter became independent in 1960 and is now known as International
College. In 1900, the university established a school of commerce which
was later incorporated into the Faculty of Arts and Sciences. In 2000,
it regained its independence and was later named the Suliman S. Olayan
School of Business. When the hospital (currently the American University
of Beirut Medical Center) opened in 1905, a school of nursing—today the
Rafic Hariri School of Nursing—was also established. In 1910, the
university opened a School of Dentistry, which operated for thirty
years. In the early years of the 1950s, several program expansions took
place. The Maroun Semaan Faculty of Engineering and Architecture was
established in 1951; the Faculty of Agriculture—now the Faculty of
Agricultural and Food Sciences—first opened its doors in 1952; and the
School of Public Health—now the Faculty of Health Sciences—was founded
in 1954.
On November 18, 1920, the Board of Regents of the
University of the State of New York changed the name of the institution
from the Syrian Protestant College to the American University of Beirut;
other charter amendments expanded the functions of the university.
At the end of June 2018, the number of degrees and diplomas awarded since June 1870 totaled 96,691.
| President | Dr. Daniel Bliss
| 1866–02 |
| President | Dr. Howard S. Bliss | 1902–20 |
| Acting President | Dean Edward F. Nickoley | 1920–23 |
| President | Dr. Bayard Dodge | 1923–48 |
| President | Dr. Stephen B.L. Penrose, Jr. | 1948–54 |
| Acting President | Dr. Constantine K. Zurayk | 1954–57 |
| President | Dr. J. Paul Leonard | 1957–61 |
| President | Mr. Norman Burns | 1961–65 |
| President | Dr. Samuel B. Kirkwood | 1965–76 |
| Interim President | Dr. James Cowan | 1976–77 |
| President | Dr. Harold E. Hoelscher | 1977–81 |
| Acting President | Mr. David S. Dodge | 1981–82 |
| President | Dr. Malcolm H. Kerr | 1982–84 |
| Acting President | Dr. Samir K. Thabet | 1984 |
| President | Dr. Calvin Plimpton | 1984–87 |
| President | Dr. Frederic P. Herter | 1987–93 |
| President | Dr. Robert M. Haddad | 1993–96 |
| President | Mr. David S. Dodge | 1996–97 |
| President | Dr. John Waterbury
| 1998–08 |
| President | Dr. Peter F. Dorman
| 2008–15 |
Marquand
House, completed in 1879, is the campus residence of the president of
the university. All presidents have lived there during their
presidencies, except for Dr. Calvin Plimpton, Dr. Frederic Herter, Dr.
Robert Haddad and Mr. David Dodge.
Three presidents died while
in office: Dr. Howard Bliss, Dr. Stephen Penrose and Dr. Malcolm Kerr.
Dr. Kerr, the ninth president, was assassinated outside of his College
Hall office on January 18, 1984.
Location and Climate
The
university is situated in Beirut, Lebanon, at the crossroads of the
Middle East. The campus on the Ras Beirut peninsula stretches along the
Mediterranean shore and overlooks St. George’s Bay toward northern
Lebanon and the snow-capped mountains to the east. The campus of around
61 acres has 64 buildings, including faculty and administrative
buildings, five libraries, three museums, the Charles W. Hostler Student
Center, two men’s and five women’s dormitories, and the Medical Center.
The luxuriant flowers, shrubs and trees make it one of the most
beautiful campuses in the world.
Lebanon enjoys a Mediterranean
climate and is pleasant and sunny for eight months of the year. The
winter rainy season from November to March, however, is at times damp
and cold. Although most Beirut buildings are centrally heated, warm
clothing is recommended for the winter months. The average annual
rainfall of 86 cm (34 inches) comes chiefly in the winter when the
temperature may drop below 7˚C (50˚F).
Academic Services
Archaeological Museum
Founded
in 1868, the university Archaeological Museum is the third oldest
museum in the Near East. It was established with a donation from General
Cesnola, the American Consul in Cyprus, and the collection has since
grown steadily. In 2006, the museum was completely renovated with the
construction of an additional mezzanine and an extensive reorganization
through a chronological and thematic treatment of its collections. Today
the museum exhibits a wide range of artifacts (15,000 objects; 10,000
coins) from Lebanon and neighboring countries. It traces humankind’s
progress in the Near East from the Early Stone Age to the Islamic
period. The collections on display provide educational benefits to
students and scholars in Near Eastern archaeology.
The museum runs
a research program including field excavations and publications of
museum collections. Several types of educational activities (e.g.,
lectures, exhibitions, children’s programs, trips) are also organized in
collaboration with the Society of the Friends of the Museum, which also
runs the Museum Shop. The museum may be enjoyed by the public free of
charge.
Opening hours are Monday through Friday, 9 am to 5 pm. The museum is closed during official and AUB holidays.
Center for Teaching and Learning (CTL)
The
Office of Information Technology (IT) is AUB’s and AUBMC’s central
information technology service provider. The IT strives to provide
members of the AUB community with secure, state-of-the-art and
cost-effective information technology solutions that empower
stakeholders to excel in the pursuit of their goals and in achieving
leadership in education, research, healthcare and campus life. IT
performs its duties in a team- empowered environment with agility,
integrity, transparency, innovation and excellence as its core values.
IT is composed of specialized departments that are responsible for
revamping, implementing, deploying, supporting and maintaining systems
and technology services aimed at enhancing user productivity through
seamless access to services and resources. The IT departments implement
innovative solutions focusing on functionality, flexibility,
manageability, standardization, security and safeguarding data. The
Office of Information Technology manages, through its various
departments, the hardware, software, intranet and Internet, applications
and services supporting many of the university’s academic, research,
student life, healthcare and administrative functions. These include the
student information system and other student services applications,
Faculty Management Information System, data analysis and dashboards,
academic technology services, the library information systems, the
financial information systems, the asset management and maintenance
system, the learning management system (Moodle), and the integrated
hospital information system amongst many other enterprise services such
as email and file sharing. The smooth and efficient functioning of these
systems is overseen by a team of professional and experienced IT staff.
You can view the services provided by the IT organization by visiting:
www.aub.edu.lb/it/.
Intranet and Internet Services
IT
provides a wired and wireless network infrastructure ensuring secure,
reliable and widespread access for AUB users across the entire campus
and hospital, including all dorms and faculty apartments. AUB students
can connect to the AUB network from public computer labs or personal
laptops and mobile devices via the campus-wide wireless network using
any web browser. Students can access many web enhanced courses and
online material that they are registered in.
With an AUBnet
account, all students, faculty and staff have full access to Internet,
email, personal websites and other services such as network printers,
intranet applications and the High Performance Computing (HPC) system.
AUB
also offers the Eduroam service that allows students, faculty and staff
to access the Internet from other universities around the globe, which
are members of the Eduroam network, using their AUBnet account.
Computer Labs
There
are several computer labs on campus which provide access to the
Internet and a variety of other resources (such as printers) and
applications (such as SPSS).
Students may also request access to
servers hosting applications such as Microsoft Office, special software
for statistics and graphics, and various programming languages.
Microsoft Office
All
current students can download the Microsoft Office 365 suite of
applications on up to 10 devices (5 laptops and 5 mobile devices) free
of charge. For more details, visit www.aub.edu.lb/it/.
Mobile App
AUB
offers a mobile app that allows students to check course holds, grades,
schedule, deadlines, academic calendar as well as program offerings.
The mobile application also facilitates search for library books and
articles as well as access to e-learning (Moodle), Instructor Course
Evaluation (ICE) and the latest issue of MainGate.
IT Help Desk
Friendly
and knowledgeable IT help desk specialists are always ready to support
students, faculty and staff. For IT-related support, contact the IT help
desk by email at it.helpdesk@aub.edu.lb, dial ext. 2260, or visit one
of the many IT support locations on campus in person anytime
Monday-Friday 8:00am-5:00pm (7:30am-3:00pm during summer hours). For
more information, visit our website: www.aub.edu.lb/it.
Medical Center
The
American University of Beirut Medical Center (AUBMC) is a private,
non-profit, in- patient and out-patient teaching facility of the Faculty
of Medicine. As a state-of-the-art tertiary/quaternary medical
facility, it operates 386 beds, serving 34,282 in-patients per year, and
an out-patient facility receiving 332,310 visits (254,350 private;
28,809 general outpatient department; and 49,151 emergencies) per year.
It provides a wide spectrum of medical, nursing and paramedical training
programs at the undergraduate and postgraduate levels in different
specialties and subspecialties with 407 residents and fellows (63
Fellows, 2 PGY VII, 16 PGY VI, 45 PGY V, 68 PGY IV, 78 PGY III, 81 PGY
II, 117 PGY I). It is served by 340 predominantly US-trained
highly-credentialed physicians. AUBMC is considered the primary and
tertiary/quaternary referral medical center in Lebanon and neighboring
countries. It is fully equipped and hosts a number of centers of
excellence.
IT Medical Center Processes and Systems
The IT
Medical Center Processes and Systems (IT MCPS) department serves the
Faculty of Medicine and AUBMC communities by providing IT servers and
solutions to address business, clinical and financial automation needs.
AUBMC is presently going through a fast-paced process re-engineering
effort focused on improving medical care through enhancements of its
business and clinical operations in line with JCI and MOH accreditation
standards. Information technology plays an essential role in achieving
these goals.
Major areas of the Medical Center now have IT
solutions. The current homegrown Hospital Information System (HIS) is
comprised of dozens of business, clinical and financial applications
accessible through a web portal although they may have been developed on
different platforms. This architecture has allowed AUBMC to gradually
use new technologies to significantly improve operations. This has also
facilitated the ability to integrate with procured third party
solutions.
The IT MCPS team continues to leverage emerging
technologies to creatively meet the growing needs by expanding,
upgrading or building new solutions until a new HIS is purchased.
Libraries
AUB
libraries consist of Jafet Memorial Library (the central library of the
AUB campus), the Engineering and Architecture Library, Saab Memorial
Medical Library, and the Science and Agriculture Library, with its annex
AREC (Farm) Library.
The Library has a long history in Lebanon
and the region as reflected in the rich collections it houses. These
collections include 450000 print books, 1450000 electronic books, 5000
print periodicals, 600000 volumes of electronic serial backfiles, and
over 1.1 million audiovisual items of all formats, many of which are
microforms of a substantial number of local and regional journals and
newspapers dating back to the late 19th century. The Archives and
Special Collections unit contains 800 linear feet of archival material;
1800 manuscripts (mostly in Arabic); 10000 volumes of AUB theses,
projects and dissertations dating back to 1907; 5000 posters; 1000
postcards; and 2000 maps; as well as 75000 photographs of unique and
historical nature. The Archives and Special Collections also includes
over 10000 rare books. The Library subscribes to 350 electronic
databases and provides access to 190000 electronic periodicals. The
print and electronic collections of the Library are developed and
enriched on a regular basis to support the academic and research
programs of the university.
All four libraries have their own
student computer labs and share a state-of-the-art electronic classroom.
Secure and reliable wireless connections are available in all four
libraries, and staff in all of them provide customized reference and
instruction services via emails, walk-ins, social media, and in classes;
through an active program of user education, which promotes a culture
of information literacy at all levels. Researchers from Lebanon, the
region and beyond continuously seek out the libraries for their unique,
rich, and historical collections, particularly on Lebanon and the Middle
East.
The libraries employ 35 professional staff, 50 support
staff, and dozens of student assistants. Jafet Library opens a total of
109 hours per week and 24/7 during reading and exam periods. The Science
and Engineering Libraries open 90 hours per week.
The Saab
Memorial Medical Library (SML) is dedicated to the memory of Dr.
Nicholas Saab (AUB School of Medicine graduate, 1959). The Library has
been functioning in its present quarters as part of the Medical Center
since 1975 and qualifies as one of the best medical libraries in the
Middle East. Its collection consists of 5000 e-textbooks and 40000
books, of which over 2000 are of historical value (such as Avicenna’s
Canon of Medicine, 1593). SML acts as a hybrid library that is
constantly increasing its e-resources while maintaining traditional
services. It has all of the most important medical and allied health
databases and provides access to all core medical and health sciences
journals. In 1978, SML was designated by the World Health Organization
as the National Focal Point for Lebanon. The Library has a special
collection called the Lebanese Corner, which includes publications about
Lebanon or by Lebanese authors, in the fields of medicine and other
health related topics. Although SML services are provided mainly to AUB
members, it also provides services to all other medical and allied
health users throughout Lebanon. The Library opens for a total of 109
hours per week. With its rich, up-to-date medical collection, SML aims
to promote research, education and patient care in the medical and
allied health fields. SML provides training to medical librarians and
healthcare professionals in Lebanon and the region.
Office of Institutional Research and Assessment (OIRA)
The
Office of Institutional Research and Assessment (OIRA) coordinates
institutional assessment and research activities. It is responsible for
the collection, analysis and dissemination of accurate and timely
information about the university’s environment and performance. This
information supports institutional management, operations,
decision-making, planning functions and assists to achieve excellence in
student learning community service.
The office also develops and conducts assessments for various purposes at institutional, regional and international levels.
More specifically, the functions of OIRA are to
- coordinate
assessment and evaluation of university programs and processes (e.g.,
registration, admission, advising) to support planning, decision-making
and improvement;
- formulate and implement
data-gathering activities such as surveys, interviews and focus groups
for a wide variety of internal (e.g., accreditation) and external (e.g.,
comparison with peer institutions) uses;
- develop, administer and report assessments required by the university for admission, placement and other educational purposes;
- develop and administer comprehensive assessment plans for student support programs like USP and Mastercard;
- serve as a testing center for various international administrations and organizations (e.g., ACT,ETS, IELTS, FRM, CFA, etc.);
- administer
instructor and course evaluations, and provide feedback to faculty
members to improve teaching and 360 degree evaluations;
- develop recruitment batteries for organizations;
- and
provide consultancies to institutions of higher education on the
development of assessment plans and quality assurance systems.
Office of University Advancement
The
Office of Advancement develops and strengthens relationships with key
AUB constituencies around the world to advance the mission of the
university. Through strategic communications, the office helps to
position the university by engaging alumni, supporters and influential
friends; and by securing philanthropic donations, volunteer involvement
and other support. The office champions the university’s fundraising
priorities including increasing financial aid; reinvigorating liberal
arts education; promoting interdisciplinary research relevant to the
region; advancing academic programs, building projects and fulfilling
the AUBMC 2020 Vision that will reinforce the position of the Medical
Center as the leading provider of health care, medical education and
related research in the region. The office works closely with the
Worldwide Alumni Association of AUB on relations with AUB’s more than
66,000 alumni. The Office of Advancement includes Development, Alumni
Relations and Advancement Services.
In 2016-17, AUB launched its most ambitious fundraising campaign that coincided with the university’s 150th anniversary.
Non-Discrimination Notice
AUB
is committed to the principle of equal opportunity and does not
discriminate on the basis of race, color, religion, age, national or
ethnic identity, sex, gender or gender identity, marital status,
disability, genetic predisposition or carrier status, alienage or
citizenship status, political affiliation, or any legally protected
characteristic, in its programs and activities to the fullest extent
permitted by Lebanese law. This includes prohibition against sexual
harassment and sexual violence as mandated by Title IX of the U.S.
Education Amendments of 1972. Inquiries or complaints may be addressed
to the university’s Equity/Title IX Coordinator at titleix@aub.edu.lb or
+961-1-350000 ext. 2514, or to the Office of the President, College
Hall, 5th Fl., Beirut, Lebanon. You may also contact one of AUB’s Deputy
Title IX Coordinators representing each faculty/school and several key
units. A list is available at www.aub.edu.lb/titleix-people. Student
inquiries related to disability accommodations or special learning needs
should be addressed to the Accessible Education Officer in the Office
of Student Affairs at accessibility@aub. edu.lb or ext. 3246. For AUB’s
full policies, visit www.aub.edu.lb/titleix.