Lebanese American University
The Lebanese American University, LAU or (Arabic: الجامعة اللبنانية الأميركية) is a secular and private American university located in Lebanon. It is chartered by the board of regents of the University of the State of New York and is accredited by the New England Commission of Higher Education, Inc. (NECHE).[4] It has two campuses and offers 58 degrees. [5]
الجامعة اللبنانية الأميركية | |
Former names | American Junior College for Women Beirut College for Women. Beirut University College (BUC) in 1973 |
---|---|
Motto | To strive, to seek, to find, and not to yield |
Type | Private |
Established | 1924 |
Endowment | $543.4 million (2019)[1] |
Provost | Michel Mawad |
Administrative staff | 318 full-time and 526 part-time faculty; 637 full-time and 188 part-time Staff (Fall 2017)[2] |
Students | 8,528 (7,558 Undergraduate, 737 Graduate, 233 Doctoral-Professional) (Fall 2017)[2] |
Location | Beirut 33°53′34.94″N 35°28′40.36″E and Byblos 34°6′56.76″N 35°40′28.03″E , Lebanon[3] |
Language | English |
Colours | Green • White |
Website | www.lau.edu.lb |
Campuses
LAU has two main campuses, one in the capital Beirut and another in the city of Byblos, 35 kilometers north of Beirut. LAU also has a small campus located in New York, NY.[6]
The Byblos campus, inaugurated in 1991, hosts the nursing, medicine, engineering and pharmacy programs, while most of the other programs are offered in both campuses.
LAU's Beirut and Byblos campuses are respectively 2.54 hectares and 15.94 hectares wide. In both campuses, students have access to libraries, gymnasiums, residence halls, theaters, wireless internet, computer centers, laboratories, and academic support services.
On June 30, 2009, LAU acquired the LAU Medical Center-Rizk Hospital (LAUMC-RH).[14] LAUMC-RH offers medical services such as radiology and imaging, dialysis, endoscopy, dermatology, ophthalmology, IVF, and cardiology.[15] In 2013, LAU moved its New York City headquarters to mid-town Manhattan[7] and opened a new Executive Center in downtown Beirut.[8]
In April 2017, the LAU broke ground in its Byblos Campus on a new US$7 Million sports center, the "Antoun Nabil Sehnaoui - SGBL Athletics Center", donated by Lebanese banker and philanthropist Antoun Sehnaoui. The new center will feature an 8,500 square meter athletics center, a swimming pool, a multipurpose indoor court, outdoor football, basketball and tennis fields, as well as a gym and several other related amenities.
Accreditations, Affiliations and Charters[9]
The Lebanese American University is chartered by the board of regents of the University of the State of New York. It is accredited by the New England Commission of Higher Education (NECHE). Its business majors (as well its economics major) are some of the few accredited by the elite Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business.
Some of its programs are also accredited:
Accrediting Entity | Programs |
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ACPE | PharmD |
ABET | BE in civil, computer, electrical, industrial and mechanical engineering BS in computer science |
CCNE | BS in nursing |
AACSB | BS in business studies, economics, hospitality and tourism management Master of Business Administration (MBA) Executive Master of Business Administration (EMBA). |
LAU's Bachelor of Architecture degree is recognized by the French Ministry of Culture & Communication, and is in the process of being reviewed for accreditation by the National Architectural Accrediting Board (NAAB).
Academics and Rankings
LAU has seven schools divided into several departments.[10]
- School of Arts and Sciences: Communication Arts, Computer Science and Mathematics, Education, English, Humanities, Natural Sciences, Social Sciences.[11]
- School of Architecture and Design: Art and Design, Architecture and Interior Design, Foundation Program.
- Adnan Kassar School of Business: Economics, Finance and Accounting, Hospitality Management and Marketing, Information Technology and Operations Management, Management Studies.[12]
- School of Engineering: Civil, Electrical and Computer, Industrial and Mechanical.[13]
- Gilbert and Rose-Marie Chagoury School of Medicine.
- Alice Ramez Chagoury School of Nursing.
- School of Pharmacy.
The university is ranked number 16 in the Arab region and 601 in the world in the 2018 QS World University Rankings.[14]
Student life
Play Productions
The university has three theaters—Gulbenkian and Irwin in Beirut, and Selina Korban in Byblos. Student productions are required of certain majors, and are presented throughout the academic year. The university also offers two major productions, in the fall and spring, and an annual international theater festival that attracts groups from other Middle Eastern universities.[15]
Varsity Sports
Basketball, football, handball, volleyball, tennis, table tennis, swimming, and rugby teams participate in various local, regional and international collegiate tournaments.[16]
Student Governance
Students can participate in the decision-making process by voting and running in elections for the Campus Student Councils and the University Student Council, as well as the Graduate Student Committees.[17]
Libraries
LAU has one library in Beirut and two in Byblos, including a Health Sciences library. The New York Headquarters and Academic Center also has its own library.
The Riyad Nassar Library in Beirut has more than 480 000 print books and 11 000 e-Books. It also hosts special collections related to women's studies, education, Islamic art, and architecture, as well as children's books.[18]
The Byblos Library, inaugurated in November 2018, is home to thousands of books and records and houses several study rooms and state of the art library equipment.
The Arab Institute for Women (AiW)
In 1973, LAU established The Arab Institute for Women (AiW), previously known as the Institute for Women's Studies in the Arab World (IWSAW), with a mission to promote women's empowerment and gender equality in – and for – the Arab world.[19] The institute works on five key areas: Education, Research, Development Projects, Outreach, and LAU Engagement.
Alumni
Alumni chapters
LAU has over 40,000 alumni and 42 chapters around the world, including Beirut, Byblos, Detroit (USA), Dubai (UAE), London (UK), Montreal (Canada).[20]
Notable alumni
- Lamis Mustafa Alami, Current Minister of Education in the Palestinian Authority (class of 1964).
- Rose Ghurayeb, Lebanese writer and professor of Arabic literature
- Saloua Raouda Choucair, Lebanese painter and sculptor (class of 1938).[21]
- Selim El Sayegh, former Lebanese Minister of Social Affairs (class of 1983).[22]
- Tamirace Fakhoury, Lebanese poet and professor at LAU (class of 1999).
- Sethrida Geagea, member of the Lebanese Parliament (class of 1994).
- Saniya Habboub, Lebanese medical doctor.
- Laury Haytayan, MENA officer in the Natural Resource Charter framework, and civil activist in Lebanon.
- Zaven Kouyoumdjian, Lebanese talk show host, television personality, media consultant, and author.
- Rima Maktabi, TV presenter, news anchor and journalist at CNN and Al-Arabiya News channel (class of 2003).
- May Nasr, Lebanese singer and musician (class of 1988).
- Salwa Nassar, nuclear physicist.[23]
- Octavia Nasr, a former CNN journalist and current cohost of MBC's "Kalam Nawaem" (class of 1987).[24]
- Nadine Wilson Njeim, Miss Lebanon 2007, actress and TV presenter (class of 2012).
- Mounira Solh, founder of Al Amal Institute for the Disabled and one of the first Lebanese women running for parliament (class of 1933).
- Vick Vanlian, late founder of interior design company Vick Vanlian / V World SAL
References
- As of June 30, 2019. "U.S. and Canadian Institutions Listed by Fiscal Year (FY) 2019 Endowment Market Value and Change in Endowment Market Value from FY 2018 to FY 2019". National Association of College and University Business Officers and TIAA. Retrieved February 28, 2020.
- "Facts - About LAU - Faculty and Staff" (PDF).
- "LAU Endowment". Official LAU website. Copyright 2019, Lebanon. Retrieved September 20, 2019.
- Accreditation LAU website 2019
- "DEGREES CONFERRED" (PDF). FACT BOOK 2017–2018. Retrieved 2019-08-27.
- Plackett, Benjamin (23 June 2016). "Lebanese American University's Unique Perch in New York". Al-Fanar Media. Retrieved 1 May 2020.
- "LAU - News - LAU inaugurates its Headquarters and Academic Center in New York".
- "LAU - News - LAU unveils Executive Center at Solidere".
- "Accreditation | About LAU". www.lau.edu.lb. Retrieved 2019-08-25.
- "Study at LAU |". www.lau.edu.lb. Retrieved 2019-08-25.
- "LAU School of Arts and Sciences".
- "LAU | Adnan Kassar School of Business". sb.lau.edu.lb. Retrieved 2019-08-25.
- "LAU | School of Engineering". soe.lau.edu.lb. Retrieved 2019-08-25.
- "University Rankings 2017". Top Universities.
- "Communication".
- "LAU - Student life - Athletics".
- "LAU - Student life - Student Councils 2015-2016".
- "Facts - About LAU".
- "The Arab Institute for Women".
- "Lebanese American University Alumni Chapters". Archived from the original on 2019-08-27. Retrieved 2019-08-27.
- https://www.lau.edu.lb/news-events/news/archive/saloua_raouda_choucair_a_70-ye/
- https://www.lau.edu.lb/news-events/news/archive/lau_hosts_first_annual_ngo_fai/
- http://iwsawassets.lau.edu.lb/alraida/alraida-39.pdf
- https://www.lau.edu.lb/news-events/news/archive/octavia_nasr_urges_students_to/