| Anatolia College Κολλέγιο Ανατόλια |
|
|---|---|
|
Dare to Do Right[1]
|
|
| Address | |
| Anatolia / The American College of Thessaloniki (ACT) P.O. Box 21021 555 10 Pylea Thessaloniki, Greece |
|
| Information | |
| School type | Mixed, private, selective, non profit |
| Founded | 1886 (126 years ago) in Merzifon, Ottoman Empire |
| Founder | Charles Tracy |
| Status | Open |
| School board | Board of Trustees Based in Boston, MA[2] |
| President | Hans Giesecke[3] |
| Faculty | 320 |
| Age range | 5-18 |
| Enrollment | 2,200 |
| Medium of language | Greek and English |
| Campus | A side (former Girl's side) B side (former Boy's side) ACT Elementary |
| Campus size | 45 acres (18 ha) |
| Campus type | Suburban |
| Color(s) | navy and yellow |
| Song | Morning Cometh |
| Publication | The Anatolian Alumnus others published by students[4] |
| Yearbook | Anatolian |
| Endowment | $32.8 million (2008) |
| Tuition | ~ $12,000 (secondary) ~ $15,000 (IB) |
| Website | http://www.anatolia.edu.gr |
| Macedonia Hall, the main classroom building on the Boy's Side, completed in 1934. | |
Anatolia College (Greek: Κολλέγιο Ανατόλια, IPA: [koˈleʝio anaˈtolia]), or sometimes the American College (Greek: Αμερικάνικο Κολλέγιο, IPA: [ameriˈkaniko koˈleʝio]), is a private, non-profit, educational institution located in Pylaia, a suburb of Thessaloniki, Greece. The school has three subdivisions: Anatolia Elementary, Anatolia High School (known simply as Anatolia College, which also includes the Anatolia IB) and the American College of Thessaloniki, a private university.[5]
Anatolia College is considered to be the most prestigious school in northern Greece[1] and one of the most prestigious in the country as a whole. This is due to both academic achievement of the students (100% university placement in 2008 and 2010) and the school's long and prestigious history.[6][7] It is the only school in Greece with a full boarding program[1] and retains Greece's most extensive scholarship program.
Contents |
In 1810, the American Board of Commissioners for Foreign Missions was founded in Boston and established the Bebek Seminary outside Constantinople in 1840. In 1862 it was transferred to Merzifon and in 1886 the Anatolia College of Mersovan was founded as a theological seminary with Charles Tracy as President. The students were principally Greek and Armenian, most coming from outside of Merzifon and boarding at the school while the faculty was Greek, Armenian, and American. Enrollment soon reached 115 students. In 1893, the Girl's School was also founded.
In 1920, enrollment stood at 218 students, with an equal number in the Girls' School and the campus consisted of more than 40 New England style buildings. Anatolia included a kindergarten, a school for the deaf, high schools for boys and girls, a college-level program, a theological seminary, one of the largest hospitals in Asia Minor, and an orphanage for 2000 orphans. 2,425 students had graduated since 1886.
With help from Eleftherios Venizelos, Anatolia reopened in Thessaloniki in 1924, renting buildings in Harilaou, with 13 students, mostly refugees. Enrollment soon reached 157, while the Mission School for Girls in Thessaloniki became part of Anatolia College Anatolia in 1927. In 1934 the school moved to the newly constructed campus above the city near the village of Pylaia, on the lower slopes of Mt. Hortiatis.
When Greece entered World War II upon the Italian invasion in 1940, the school closed and the campus was used as military hospital. When Germany invaded Greece the campus was taken over by the Germans as general headquarters for the Balkans. The surrender documentations of Greece were signed in the school's main building, Macedonia Hall. In 1944-45 the campus was occupied by the British Army (the last units would not leave until 1949).
Upon the end of the war, Anatolia reopened, as repair of the damaged campus proceeded. The Girls' School was moved into temporary quarters on the Anatolia campus after its building on Allatini Street burned. For a number of years the schools remained separate, but co-education was completed by the end of the 1980s. However, the two schools are still administrated by different Deans. The final division of Anatolia College, the I.B. school, was established in 1998.
In the meanwhile, a secretariat school was established in 1964. In 1981, the School of Business Administration and Liberal Arts (SBALA) was founded to provide post-secondary instruction in business and the liberal arts and in 1993 the first four-year baccalaureate in liberal arts was awarded. In 1997, the American College of Thessaloniki (ACT) was finally accredited by New England Association of Schools and Colleges.
The American College at Thessaloniki (ACT) offers a four-year Bachelor of Arts (B.A.) and Bachelor of Science (B.S.) program and a Master of Business Administration (MBA). The enrollment is 350 students from over ten countries, including about 100 American students from colleges and universities who are on semester / year abroad programs.
The secondary division of Anatolia is the original element of this educational institution. Anatolia is organized in accordance with Greek law and grants the Greek Apolytirio (the Greek high school diploma) by meeting the requirements established by the Greek Ministry of Education, while students enrolled in the I.B. program receive the I.B. Certificate. Entrance to the regular high school and IB program is based on examinations and previous school records. With the exception of courses in English, Art and Computers, the Greek high school curriculum is taught in Greek, while all I.B. courses are taught in English except Greek Literature that is taught in Greek. Each gymnasium (grades 7-9) and lyceum (grades 10-12) has its own Dean and Deputy Dean, and the I.B. program has its own Director. The High School as a whole is overseen by the Vice President for Secondary Education. In the school year 2007-2008, 100% of the students who applied to universities in Greece and abroad were accepted.
The Anatolia Elementary was Established in 2004 and formally opened in 2005, and includes a kindergarten and an elementary school. The enrollment is 450 students.
There are 230 faculty members at Anatolia College, divided among the three divisions as follows: Elementary School (32), High School (156), and ACT (42). The majority of the faculty members are Greek, with the following other nationalities represented: British, American, dual nationals and other European nationalities. The student to teacher ratio is 1:9 throughout the entire institution. The administration of the school, with the exception of the President, is Greek, with some members having dual citizenship.
Anatolia College is governed by a Board of Trustees with headquarters in Boston, Massachusetts. Approximately half of the Trustees reside in the New England region while most of the remainder represent other areas of the United States. Several Trustees are Greek residing in Greece. The Trustees maintain an office in Boston to conduct fund-raising and otherwise serve the College.
Over its history, Anatolia has had 10 presidents, all from the United States of America.[8] The current president of Dr. Hans Giesecke.[8] The longest-lasting president of Anatolia was Charles Tracy, whose tenure lasted for 26 years, followed closely by Dr. William McGrew, who was president for 25 years. The shortest presidency was that of Joseph Kennedy, who was president for 3 years.
| No. | President[8] | Tenure[8] | Nationality[8] | School locations named after[9] |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Charles Tracy | 1886-1912 | United States | Tracy Hall |
| 2 | Dr. George White | 1913-1933 | White House | |
| 3 | Ernest Riggs | 1933-1950 | Riggs Hall | |
| 4 | Dr. Carl Compton | 1950-1958 | Compton Hall | |
| 5 | Dr. Howard Johnston | 1958-1964 | ||
| 6 | Robert Hayden | 1964-1972 | ||
| 7 | Joseph Kennedy | 1972-1974 | ||
| 8 | Dr. Willian McGrew | 1974-1999 | ||
| 9 | Richard Jackson | 1999-2009 | ||
| 10 | Dr. Hans Giesecke | 2009-present |
Anatolia College's high school, apart from the Greek Ministry of Education Program, hosts an International Baccauleureate Organisation Program, the IB, for the two final years of high school. Entrance is competitive, and upon entrance, students can select a subject from each of the six fields of study the IB offers: Two languages, one primary and one secondary, Mathematics, Science, Social Sciences, and Arts. In addition to the six subjects, (three of which are in the Standard Level, and three of which are in the Higher Level), it is compulsory for each student to compose an Extended Essay in the Subject of his/her choice, as well as take part in a Theory of Knowledge Course.
Students wishing to sit for the IB, can receive up to 7 point per subject, and a total of 3 points from Theory of Knowledge and the Extended Essay. Grades are given in total out of 45 points.
Anatolia College students are given a choice of over 70 clubs which they can join during their school years.[10] The emphasis on sports and culture has been in the center of the Anatolia College philosophy since the college was established and this tradition continues to the present day. Many students have earned national and international awards through participation in the school clubs, such as the Anatolia College Model United Nations, which is hosted annually, the Drama Club, which was a long and prestigious history of performing English musicals to a high standard, and the Greek Drama Club, mostly performing comedies or ancient Greek plays. The college also has a long history of presence at the Youth Parliament of Greece.
The Aegean Tournament is hosted every year at Anatolia College. Students from schools all over Greece attend and compete in various sports.[11] Field Day is also hosted once a year, and students of Anatolia College are given the opportunity to compete in sports, dance competitions and other such events. The school's sports teams have won numerous awards on a national level.[11]
