Lebanese American University

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Lebanese American University


Established	1835
Type	Private
President	Joseph G. Jabbra
Students	6,000+
Location	Beirut & Byblos, Lebanon
Website	www.lau.edu.lb

The Lebanese American University is an American institution chartered by the Board of Regents of the University of the State of New York and operating in Lebanon. Currently, LAU has two campuses: one located in Beirut, and a second in the Mount Lebanon city of Jbeil (Byblos). The university offers programs leading to Associate's, Bachelor's, and Master's degrees in the arts and sciences, and Doctorates in Pharmacy. LAU is the only institution in the world with an ACPE-accredited pharmacy program outside of the United States.

1 History
2 Politics in LAU
3 Notable faculty
4 References
5 External links

[edit] History

LAU was founded in 1835 by American Presbyterian Missionaries as the American School for Girls. In 1924, the high school was expanded to include a two-year Junior College program. Three years later, the College broke away to become the American Junior College for Women, and moved from downtown to Ras Beirut. In 1933, it relocated once again to its present location in Koreitem, West Beirut.

From 1948-1949, the College was developed into a four-year, university-level institution, and changed its name to the Beirut College for Women. In the same year, it received provisional accreditation from the Board of Regents of the University of the State of New York; in 1955, the Board authorized the College to grant Associate's and Bachelor's degrees.

In the early 1970's, the College began accepting a limited number of men into selected programs. In recognition of this changing reality, the College once again changed its name to the Beirut University College (BUC). BUC became fully co-educational in 1975.

Off-campus programs were initiated in the North and South of the country over the following years. After the Board of Regents extended BUC's charter to include these programs, a new branch of the college was founded in the foothills above Byblos in the north. Classes began at the Byblos branch in 1991.

On January 24, 1987, Jesse Turner, Alan Steen, Robert Polhil and Mithileshwar Singh, academics working at BUC were abducted from the campus and held hostage most likely by Islamic Jihad or another Hizb'allah offshoot.

In 1994, the Board of Regents granted BUC permission to change its name to the Lebanese American University. In 2005, over 6,000 students were enrolled in the four schools of the University: the School of Arts & Sciences, the School of Business, the School of Engineering and Architecture and the School of Pharmacy.

[edit] Politics in LAU

The Lebanese American University also has an important role in politics. The main sects are represented as follows :

1-The Sunna muslim, represented by The Jamaa al-Islameyyah الجماعة الاسلاميّة under the name of Rabitat al-tullab al-Muslemeen رابطة الطلاّب المسلمين and Future youth (شباب المستقبل).

2- The Shia, represented by both Hizb Allah and Amal.

3- The Druze, represented by the Progressive Socialist Party.

4- The Christians, with Tayyar, Lebanese Forces and others all in representation across the different campuses.

5- Other small groups such as the Palestinian Club and the Shabab of Bekaa.