| Lebanese American University (LAU) الجامعة اللبنانية الأميركية |
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|---|---|
| Motto | To strive, to seek, to find, and not to yield |
| Established | 1924 |
| Type | Private |
| Endowment | $216.4 million[1] |
| President | Joseph G. Jabbra |
| Provost | Abdallah Sfeir |
| Admin. staff | 302 full-time and 385 part-time instructional faculty [2] |
| Students | 8000+[2] |
| Location | Beirut and Byblos, Lebanon |
| Website | www.lau.edu.lb |
The Lebanese American University (LAU) (Arabic: الجامعة اللبنانية الأميركية ) is a secular, private and independent American university located in Lebanon. LAU is consistently ranked as one of the top universities in the Middle East and North Africa region.[3]
LAU is chartered by the Board of Regents of the University of the State of New York and is accredited by the Commission on Institutions of Higher Education of the New England Association of Schools and Colleges (CIHE–NEASC).[4] LAU is composed of two separate campuses, one in Beirut and the other in Byblos. LAU offers programs leading to degrees in Arts, Engineering, Nursing, Sciences, Pharmacy, and Medicine.
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LAU’s early days in 1835 find a reminder in an engraved stone in Beirut’s city center: “Site of the first edifice built as a school for girls in the Turkish Empire.” The engraving refers to the American School for Girls, established in Beirut by American Presbyterian Missionaries. In 1924, the high school added a two-year junior college program. Three years later, the LAU was separated as 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.[5] The founding institution was a force for the education of women in Lebanon and the Middle East long before most of the world recognized the need and moral obligation to educate women in a collegiate setting.[6]
In 1948-1949, LAU expanded into a four-year, university-level institution, and changed its name to the Beirut College for Women. In 1955, the LAU was chartered by the Board of Regents of the State of New York. In 1970 the Bachelor's degree program was recognized by the Lebanese government as equivalent to the License. In 1974, fifty years after its founding, the became co-educational and was renamed Beirut University College.
Adding to LAU’s constantly evolving programs, in 1985, the Board of Regents amended the charter to include two campuses. In 1987, based on the amended charter, BUC opened its northern branch on a hill above the historical port-city of Byblos and in rented buildings in Amsheet. Classes started in the newly built campus in October 1991, and LAU Byblos was officially inaugurated on July 16, 1992.
In 1994, the college changed its name to Lebanese American University ( LAU ). As of 2011, over 8,000 students were enrolled in the seven schools of the University: the School of Arts and Sciences, the School of Business, the School of Engineering, the School of Architecture & Design, the School of Medicine, the School of Nursing, and the School of Pharmacy.
In 2009, businessman, philanthropist, and LAU board member Gilbert R. Chagoury and his wife, Rose-Marie, provided a donation of $10 million dollars to fund the medical school and $3.5 million for the construction of the Alice Ramez Chagoury School of Nursing.[1]
LAU has two campuses within Lebanon, one in Beirut and the other in Byblos. LAU's Beirut Campus has expanded over the past five years. New buildings for the School of Business as well as a larger library (the Riyad Nassar Library) have been completed. The Beirut campus maintains its historic look and architecture, but is being continuously renovated to meet the requirements and needs of a growing student population. It hosts the School of Business, the School of Arts and Sciences, and the new School of Architecture and Design.
The Byblos campus is home of the five professional schools at LAU: the School of Engineering, the School of Pharmacy, the Gilbert and Rose-Marie Chagoury School of Medicine, and the Alice Ramez Chagoury School of Nursing. In Addition, the Byblos campus also houses the School of Arts and Sciences, the School of Design and Architecture, and the School of Business. LAU Byblos has major plans for campus expansion. The Frem Civic Center was recently completed and opened to students.[7] Projects currently under construction at LAU Byblos include a new and larger library, new buildings for the Medical and Nursing Schools, as well as a multi-level underground student parking garage.
Since 1949, LAU has operated under a charter from the Board of Regents of the University of the State of New York. USNY is a purely administrative body which, among other functions, accredits colleges and universities in the state.[8] On September 21, 2007, the Commission on Institutions of Higher Education of the New England Association of Schools and Colleges (NEASC) granted candidacy status to LAU. According to President Joseph G. Jabbra, he said he felt "very strongly" that LAU would receive full accreditation in 2009.[9] In 2010 the Lebanese American University (LAU) received full NEASC accreditation as per a letter sent to President Jabbra.
LAU's five-year Bachelor in Architecture program is accredited by the French government, which allows the graduates to practice in France and the European Union.[10]
The School of Pharmacy is a full member of the American Association of Colleges of Pharmacy (AACP).[11] Currently, the Doctor of Pharmacy program at LAU is the only one outside the United States of America that is accredited by the Accreditation Council for Pharmacy Education (ACPE).The initial accreditation review took place in 2002, when full accreditation was granted. Hence, LAU's Pharm.D graduates are eligible for licensure to work as Pharmacists in most US states and provinces.
The Department of Computer Science and Mathematics is ABET accredited, and is the first and only ABET-accredited Computer Science program in Lebanon.[12]
All of LAU's School of Engineering programs are accredited by the Accreditation Board for Engineering and Technology (ABET). In the academic year 2006-2007, the school started laying out the groundwork for a self-study required by ABET. Full ABET accreditation was received during the Fall semester of 2011. In addition, LAU plans to seek European accreditation for its engineering programs to expand the recognition of its degrees to a global level.[13]
The School of Business is currently pursuing accreditation through the Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business (AACSB), the oldest and largest business accreditation association in the world. In light of the time frame involved in AACSB accreditation, the school is in the interim exploring the option of accreditation from the European Quality Improvement System (EQUIS), a leading international system of quality assessment, improvement and accreditation of higher education institutions in management and business administration. LAU School of Business is a member of EFMD which is recognized globally as an accreditation body of quality in management education and has established accreditation services for business schools and business school programmes, corporate universities and technology-enhanced learning programmes.
The Alice Ramez Chaghoury School of Nursing plans to seek accreditation for its Bachelor of Science in Nursing through the Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education (CCNE) in the near future.
LAU and Partners Harvard Medical International (PHMI), the medical-consulting arm of Harvard Medical School (HMS), have signed an innovative 10-year collaboration agreement that will significantly reinforce LAU's Medical School standing. Additionally, LAU is partnered with the Clemenceau Medical Center (CMS), an affiliate of Johns Hopkins International. The Rafik Hariri University Hospital and UMC Rizk Hospital also allow students to practice in clinical element of the program.[14]
The school was inaugurated in Fall 2009 bringing together under its name the 5 disciplines of design offered at LAU. LAU is expected to broaden to include Fashion Design and Photography majors in the future. LAU's school of architecture and design is the only accredited American University that offers a B.A in Interior Architecture, and B.A in Interior Design.[15] Degrees offered include: Bachelor of Architecture[16] B.A. in Fine Arts[17] B.A. in Interior Architecture[18] B.S. in Graphic Design B.S. in Interior Design[19] Minor in Advertising[20] Minor in Computer Graphics[21] Minor in Islamic Art and Architecture (IAAD)[22]
The School of Arts and Sciences is the heart of LAU and its oldest school. The School is the home of the liberal arts core, which is at the heart of the mission of the University, and is the major provider of service courses to all Schools at LAU. The School houses the Computer Science and Mathematics Department, the Natural Sciences Department, the Social Science Department, the Education Department, and the Humanities Department. The school administers the Software Institute, the Peace and Justice Institute, the Institute for Migration Studies, and the Institute for Diplomacy and Conflict Transformation.
The school offers five graduate degrees, and 17 undergraduate degrees follows:
The Department offers B.S. in Computer Science,[23] M.S. in Computer Science,[23] B.S. in Mathematics,[23] B.S. in Mathematics Education,[23] Minor in Mathematics,[23] Minor in Computer Science,[23] and Minor in Actuarial Studies.[23] The Department of Computer Science and Mathematics aims to achieve ABET accreditation effective Fall 2010. The department has developed a comprehensive plan to assess all courses as well as program outcomes and objectives, starting in spring 2008. The department applied for ABET Accreditation in Fall 2009. The program was officially accredited by ABET effective October 1, 2010. The program as such became the first and only ABET accredited program in Lebanon.
The Department offers: B.A. in Political Science,[24] B.A. in Political Science/International Affairs , B.A. in Psychology,[24] B.A. in Social Work,[24] M.A. in International Affairs,[24]Minor in Legal Studies,[24] Minor in Political Science/International Affairs,[24] Minor in Psychology,[24] Minor in Sociology[24]
The Department offers a B.A. in Communication Arts[25]
The Department offers the following degree:B.A. in English,[26] B.A. in History,[27] B.A. in Philosophy,[28] M.A. in Comparative Literature,[29] Minor in Arabic Language and Literature[30]
The Department offers a B.S. in Biology,[31] B.S. in Chemistry,[32] B.S. in Nutrition,[33] M.S. in Molecular Biology,[34] Minor in Biology,[35] and a Minor in Chemistry.[36]
The Department offers the following degrees; B.A. in Education,[37] M.A. in Education,[38] and a Teaching Diploma.[39]
LAU School of Business has built a reputation as a leading regional Business School. LAU's Business school is well recognized as one of the best schools in Lebanon.[15]The school is currently pursuing accreditation through the Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business (AACSB), the oldest and largest business accreditation association in the world, which provides the gold standard by which business education is measured. AACSB accreditation will mark a high point in the growth of the school’s international reputation.[40] In light of the time frame involved in AACSB accreditation, the school is in the interim exploring the option of accreditation from the European Quality Improvement System (EQUIS), a leading international system of quality assessment, improvement and accreditation of higher education institutions in management and business administration.[41] LAU school of business is a member of EFMD which is recognized globally as an accreditation body of quality in management education and has established accreditation services for business schools and business school programmes, corporate universities and technology-enhanced learning programmes.[42] Degrees offered include: B.S. in Business studies (Emphases in Accounting, Banking and Finance, Economics, Family and Entrepreneurial Business Management, Hospitality Management, International Business, Management, Management Information Systems, Marketing).[43] B.S. in Economics (Tracks of study in Finance, Management, Mathematics, Political Science/International Affairs)[44] B.S. in Hospitality and Tourism Management[45] Master of Business Administration (MBA)[46]
The school offers five undergraduate engineering programs, And three graduate programs. Degrees offered include:
BE in Civil Engineering[47] - BE in Mechanical Engineering [47]- BE in IndustrialEngineering [47] - BE in Electrical Engineering[47] - BE in Computer Engineering [47] - MS in Computer Engineering [47] - MS in Civil & Environmental Engineering[47] - MS in Industrial Engineering & Engineering management[47]
In September 2009, the Gilbert and Rose-Marie Chagoury School of Medicine admitted its first class of students. [2]
The $18 million complex is a 12,500-square-meter structure, built and designed with significant input from Harvard Medical International (now Partners Harvard Medical International). The affiliation with Harvard Medical International (HMI ) was established in 2007 as part of a 10-year collaborative effort in which representatives are consulted on issues such as curriculum development, faculty standards, and admissions processes. [3]
Faculty members hail from the United States, Canada, the U.K., Lebanon, and other Arab countries, and come from diverse specializations—general surgery, cardiology, neurology, genetics, oncology, radiology, obstetrics, gynecology, dermatology, and gastroenterology.
The school has a four-year program (Med I-Med IV) at the end of which a Medical Doctor (M.D.) degree will be granted to successful candidates.
Traditional curricula are lecture-based, discipline-oriented, and impart basic medical sciences (anatomy, physiology, pathology, biochemistry, pharmacology, microbiology, and genetics) in the first two years, followed by clinical disciplines in the last two years. In this curriculum, basic and clinical sciences are integrated and taught simultaneously from Med I to Med IV, with clinical exposure right from the start, including new learning situations and new assessment methods.
Degree offered:Doctor of Medicine (MD)
The School of Pharmacy, located at the Byblos campus, was established in 1993 as an integral part of LAU to meet the demand of a clinical pharmacy practice in Lebanon and the Middle East.
The School offers two professional degree programs: a five-year program leading to a Bachelor of Science Pharmacy (B.S. in Pharmacy),[48] and the six-year program which is a continuation of the BS in Pharmacy leading to a Doctor of Pharmacy (Pharm.D) degree. [49]
The LAU School of Pharmacy is a full member of the American Association of Colleges of Pharmacy (AACP). Currently, the Doctor of Pharmacy program at LAU is the only one outside the United States of America that is accredited by the Accreditation Council for Pharmacy Education (ACPE). The initial accreditation review took place in 2002, when full accreditation was granted. Hence, graduates of LAU's six-year Pharm.D program are eligible for licensure to work as Pharmacists throughout the United States of America.
Established at LAU in 2009 with funding provided by philanthropist Gilbert Chagoury, this is LAU’s first school of nursing and is part of the new medical school on the Byblos campus. It is named the Alice Ramez Chagoury School of Nursing, in honor and commemoration of Chagoury’s mother. [4]
The School of Nursing admitted its first class of students in fall 2010. Students will receive a Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BSN), after a three-year program.
Dr. Nancy Hoffart joined LAU in October 2009, as the Founding Dean and Professor.[5]
The School is committed to helping address the critical shortage of professional nurses in Lebanon and around the world. [6] Students who join the School can take advantage of co-operative education internships.
Clubs are initiated and organized by students for students and focus on a wide range of interests, including academic majors, culture, sports, human rights, and the arts. They provide students with the opportunity to engage in extracurricular pursuits and hobbies and to establish diverse relationships, contributing to the LAU goal of developing the whole person.[50]
LAU has three theaters—Gulbenkian and Irwin in Beirut, and Selina Korban in Byblos—that are active year-round. Student productions are required of certain majors, and are presented throughout the academic year. LAU also offers two major productions, in the fall and spring, and an annual international theater festival that attracts groups from other Middle Eastern universities. Participation in play productions is open to students of any major. For more information, contact the Arts and Communications Department (Beirut) or the Humanities Department (Byblos).
The basketball, football, handball, volleyball, tennis, table tennis, swimming, and rugby teams participate in various local, regional and international collegiate tournaments.
Participation in LAU's Campus Student Councils and the University Student Council, as well as the Graduate Student Committees on both campuses gives students a voice in the decision-making sphere. Students choose their representatives during elections held in accordance with the respective bylaws.
The Riyad Nassar Library (Beirut campus) named after LAU’s president from 1982 to 2004 started functioning on September 19, 2005.The library at LAU has over 250,000 information records. There are 492 current print periodical subscriptions and four special collections. Orientation, individual instruction, training sessions and research assistance are available to library users throughout the year.[51]
LAU 's Byblos Campus was created in 1986 following a Board decision to expand LAU into a multi-campus university. It has about 135,000 volumes of books and non-book materials and over 455 current periodicals — current and retrospective.The library also includes many internet workstations from which users can access the Library Catalog and other electronic resources.[52]