American University

Encyclopedia : A : AM : AME : American University

For other universities known as American University, see American University (disambiguation).

American University (AU) is a private university in the United States located at Ward Circle, straddling the Spring Valley and American University Park areas of Northwest Washington, D.C. Roughly 5,000 undergraduate students and the same number of graduate students are currently enrolled.

It is served by the Tenleytown-AU station on the Washington Metro, which is located roughly one mile from the main campus in the neighborhood of Tenleytown.

AU is a member of the Consortium of Universities of the Washington Metropolitan Area, allowing students to enroll in courses offered by other member institutions and students at other member institutions to enroll in courses at AU.

Contents

History

Founding

American University traces its history to a letter written by George Washington, in which he expressed a desire for a "national university" to be located in the nation's capital. The university was established in the District of Columbia by an Act of Congress on February 24, 1893 primarily due to the efforts of Methodist Bishop John Fletcher Hurst. Bishop Hurst and his colleagues were concerned with building an institution that would meld the strengths of the best German universities with the strengths of the existing university system in America. As their plans developed during the early years, they began to conceive of American University as an institution that would be:

A privately supported university financed principally by the membership of the churches, particularly the Methodist Episcopal Church, which had been the founders of many of the colleges and universities in the early years of American history.
An internationally minded institution where scholars from across the nation and from throughout the world would gather to dedicate their combined efforts to the advancement and dissemination of knowledge.
A center of higher education and research activities that, while independent of the government, would draw freely on the intellectual and scientific resources of the Nation's Capital to supplement and to extend its own capabilities.
An institution that would contribute to the general cultural life and development of the Capital in much the same manner that state supported universities in other world capitals contributed to their communities.

1900–1948

After more than two decades devoted principally to securing financial support, the university was officially dedicated on May 15, 1914. The first instruction began on October 6 of that year, when 28 students were enrolled (19 of them graduate students, nine of them special students who were not candidates for a degree). The First Annual Commencement, at which no degrees were awarded, was held on June 2, 1915. The Second Annual Commencement was held on June 2, 1916 where the first degrees (one master's degree and two doctor's degrees) were awarded.

Shortly after these early commencement ceremonies, classes were interrupted by war. During World War I, the university allowed the U.S. military to use some of its grounds for testing. In 1917, the U.S. military divided American University into two segments, Camp American University and Camp Leach. Camp American University became the birthplace of the United States' chemical weapons program, and chemical weapons were tested on the grounds; this required a major cleanup effort in the 1990s. Camp Leach was home to advanced research, development and testing of modern camouflage techniques. As of 2006, the Army Corps of Engineers is still removing ordnance including mustard gas and mortar shells.

During the next ten years, instruction was offered at the graduate level only, in accordance with the original plan of the founders. In the Fall of 1925, the College of Liberal Arts (subsequently named the College of Arts and Sciences) was established. Since that date, the University has offered both undergraduate and graduate degrees and programs.

During World War II, the campus again offered its services to the U.S. government and became home to the US Navy Bomb Disposal School and a WAVE barracks. For AU's role in these wartime efforts, the Victory ship SS American Victory was named in honor of the university.

1949–1980

The School of International Service

The present structure of the university began to emerge in 1949. The Washington College of Law became part of the University in that year, having begun in 1896 as the first coeducational institution for the professional study of law in the District of Columbia. Shortly thereafter, three departments were reorganized as schools: the School of Business Administration in 1955 (subsequently named the Robert P. and Arlene R. Kogod College of Business Administration and in 1999 renamed the Kogod School of Business); the School of Government and Public Administration in 1957; and the School of International Service in 1958.

In the early 1960s, the Department of Defense and the Central Intelligence Agency operated a think tank under the guise of Operation Camelot at American University. The government abandoned the think tank after the operation came to public attention. AU's political intertwinement was furthered by President John F. Kennedy's [Spring 1963 commencement address]. In the speech, Kennedy called on the Soviet Union to work with the United States to achieve a nuclear test ban treaty and help reduce the considerable international tensions and the specter of nuclear war during that juncture of the Cold War.

From 1965 to 1977, the College of Continuing Education existed as a degree-granting college with responsibility for on- and off-campus adult education programs. The Lucy Webb Hayes School of Nursing provided undergraduate study in Nursing from 1965 until 1988. In 1972, the School of Government and Public Administration, the School of International Service, the Center for Technology and Administration, and the Center for the Administration of Justice (subsequently named the School of Justice) were incorporated into the College of Public and International Affairs.

In October 1984, President Richard Berendzen announced that the University would purchase the Immaculata Campus in 1986 to help alleviate space problems. This investment would later become the Tenley Campus.

In 1986, construction on the Adnan Khashoggi Sports and Convocation Center began. Financed with a $5 million from and named for Saudi Arabian Trustee Adnan Khashoggi, the building was intended to update athletics facilities and provide a new arena, as well as a parking garage and office space for administrative services. Costing an estimated $19 million, the building represented the largest construction project to date, but met protest by both faculty and students to the University's use of Khashoggi's name on the building due to his involvement in international arms trade (NBC Evening News for Sunday, Jan 11, 1987).

In 1988, the College of Public and International Affairs was reorganized to create two free-standing schools: the School of International Service and the School of Public Affairs, incorporating the School of Government and Public Administration and the School of Justice. That same year, construction on the Adnan Khashoggi Sports Center completed while the Iran-Contra Affair controversy was at its height. Shortly thereafter, the school removed his name from the building after Khashoggi defaulted on his donation obligation.

1990—present

The School of Communication became independent from the College of Arts and Sciences in 1993.

In 1997 AU formally became affiliated with the American University of Sharjah. AU's affiliation with the university in Sharjah will last until at least August 2009.

In 2005, Benjamin Ladner, former AU president, was suspended on August 24, 2005, pending an investigation into possible misuse of university funds for his personal expenses. University faculty [passed] votes of no confidence in President Ladner on September 26, 2005, except in the School of Public Affairs. On October 10, 2005, the Board of Trustees of American University decided that President Ladner would not return to American University as its president. Until a search has been conducted and a new president has been selected, Dr. Cornelius M. Kerwin will continue to serve as interim president of the university.

In the fall of 2005, the much anticipated Katzen Arts Center opened.

AU and the United Methodist Church

The development of AU has been supported by many sources, but particularly important has been the United Methodist Church. As the result of an amendment to its Charter by the Congress of the United States on August 1, 1953, AU became closely associated with one of church's predecessor bodies. The Board of Education of the United Methodist Church makes an annual contribution. Active management of the corporate affairs of the AU is vested in the Board of Trustees.

AU is not sectarian in its educational philosophy or in its academic programs. The United Methodist Church, recognizing the integral place of religion in the human experience of men and women, seeks to provide optimum opportunity for religious development on its campuses. However, it always has taken care to guarantee the values of academic freedom in its colleges and universities. The faculty and the student body of AU represent a diversity of religious as well as academic and national backgrounds and experiences. Moreover, the Board of Trustees has delegated to the faculty basic responsibility for planning and pursuing, according to its best judgment, the academic programs of the university.

Campus

AU has two campuses: the main campus and the Tenley Campus. Additionally, AU owns several buildings in the Tenleytown area including the Washington College of Law building.

Main campus

American's quadrangle, looking at Mary Graydon Center

-->

AU's main campus, designed by Frederick Law Olmsted, occupies 84 acres (340,000 m²) in a residential neighborhood of Northwest Washington, D.C., at Ward Circle, the intersection of Nebraska and Massachusetts Avenues. Highlights of the campus include a main quadrangle surrounded by several academic buildings, six residential halls, a 5,000-seat arena, and an outdoor amphitheatre. The campus is a designated arboretum.

Major buildings

American University Library
Mary Graydon Center, home to the main dining facilities, student organization offices, and the School of Communication. [A history of the building]
Abbey Joel Butler Pavilion, administrative offices for the Office of Campus Life
Sports Center: Bender Arena, Reeves Aquatic Center (see [Athletics] below)
School of International Service, ground broken by President Dwight Eisenhower. A new building is slated to begin construction in 2006.
Hurst Hall, ground was broken for this first building in 1896 for what was to be the College of History.
McKinley Building, had its cornerstone laid by President Theodore Roosevelt. Currently the home of the department of Computer Science, Audio Technology, and Physics. Slated to become the new home to the School of Communication.
Battelle-Tompkins Building, formerly the library until 1977 and now home to the College of Arts and Sciences.
Ward Circle Building, built in 1968 as a home for the School of Government and Public Administration (now the School of Public Affairs). The largest classroom building on campus.

AU Amphitheatre

Kay Spiritual Life Center, a nondenominational place of worship built in 1963, it is the home to the University Chaplains and is used for speeches and performances.
Kogod School of Business, formerly known as the Myers-Hutchins Building, and previous home to the Washington College of Law. Is set to annex the now empty Experimental Theatre and Butler Instructional Center in 2006.
Residences: There are 6 residence halls on the main campus, capable of housing approximately 3000 students. Anderson, Letts and Centennial halls make up the southern cluster of residence halls, and Leonard, McDowell and Hughes halls make up the northern cluster of residence halls. A Moai statue from Easter Island[link], received as a gift from the Embassy of Chile, sits between McDowell and Hughes halls, and is the center of one campus tradition.
[Katzen Arts Center], Provided for by a monetary gift from Cyrus and Myrtle Katzen, the Katzen Arts Center opened in 2005 and is now home to the Department of Performing Arts, the American University Museum at the Katzen Arts Center, as well as other Academic Departments.

Former buildings

Leonard Learning Center/Cassell Center
Clendenen Hall

Tenley campus

This campus, formerly the Immaculata School, is located half a mile east of the main campus, and was purchased by American University in 1987. During the academic year, Tenley Campus is home to the Washington Semester Program students, and during the summer, American University uses the residence halls for summer interns. Administratively, Tenley Campus is home to the Washington Semester Program, the Office of Development, University Marketing, University Publications, and Media Relations.

Capital Hall, the oldest and most ornate of the Tenley Campus buildings, houses 170 students, a fitness center and the stained glass chapel that is used for dance and music recitals.
Congressional Hall, with 156 students, contains the central reception desk for the Tenley Campus
Federal Hall, housing 107 students, contains the mailroom and the cafeteria on its first floor.
Dunblane House, a small administrative building.
Constitution Building, an administrative building.
A sports field used for intramural sport matches.

Academics

American University has a very difficult entrance level, enrolling a little more than 1,000 freshmen each year.[link] [link] The average class size is 23 and the student-faculty ratio is 14:1. [link] AU is ranked among the top universities by US News & World Report's college and university rankings [guide] and enrolls a diverse student body from throughout the U.S. and more than 150 countries.

AU is especially known for promoting international understanding, which is reflected in the university’s course offerings, faculty research and the regular presence of world leaders on campus. AU has earned a reputation among the best schools in the nation for international relations, government and political science, as well as a hub for arts in Washington, DC. AU has a long history of partnership with the Washington metropolitan area, beginning with its charter by the U.S. Congress in 1893. The University takes its responsibility to the community very seriously. In 2001, AU's economic impact on the District of Columbia totaled more than $600 million. WAMU, American’s National Public Radio Station, is one of the top 5 NPR stations in the country. "Over 80% of AU undergraduate students and 60% of graduate students complete at least one internship or other experiential education experience by graduation.... Fifty-seven percent of AU’s undergraduate and 40% of graduate students participate in significant community service in the local community by graduation," according to their website.[link] The university also sponsors a wide array of centers, institutes and special programs. [link]

The Kogod School of Business, the first school of business in Washington, DC, was named by the Wall Street Journal and Business Week magazine as one of the top business schools in the country. "Kogod is positioning itself squarely in the upper echelons of America's finest business schools," according to the Princeton Review.[link] The School of International Service is recognized as the largest of its kind in the U.S., and its School of Communications is among the top 25 in the nation. The School of Public Affairs is ranked among the top 15 programs in the country by U.S. News and World Report. Washington College of Law’s clinical program ranks third in the nation, its international law program is ranked among the top 10 in the nation and the school overall ranks among the top 50 U.S. law schools according to U.S. News and World Report’s America’s Best Colleges.[link]

Notable American University alumni and staff

Main article: List of American University people

Academic organization

College of Arts and Sciences (CAS)

Battelle-Thompkins, College of Arts and Sciences

[Department of American Studies]
[Department of Anthropology]
[Department of Art]
[Department of Biology]
[Department of Computer Science, Audio Technology, and Physics]
[Department of Chemistry]
[Degree Completion Programs]
[Department of Economics]
[Department of Education]
[Department of Environmental Studies]
[Department of Health and Fitness]
[Department of History]
[Department of Jewish Studies]
[Department of Language and Foreign Studies]
[Department of Literature]
[Department of Mathematics and Statistics]
[Department of Performing Arts]
[Department of Philosophy and Religion]
[Department of Psychology]
[Department of Sociology]
[Department of Women's and Gender Studies]

Department of Accounting
Department of Finance
Department of International Business
Department of Management
Department of Marketing
Department of Information Technology

School of Communications (SOC)

[Department of Film and Media Arts]
[Department of Journalism]
[Department of Public Communication]

[Department of Comparative & Regional Studies]
[Department of Global Environmental Politics]
[Department of International Communication]
[Department of International Development]
[Department of International Economic Policy]
[Department of International Peace & Conflict Resolution]
[Department of International Politics]
[Department of U.S. Foreign Policy]

[Department of Government]
[Department of Justice, Law, & Society]
[Department of Public Administration]
Center for Congressional and Presidential Studies

Washington Semester Program (WSP)

Library system

The American University Library system consists of the main library and four branches and special collections: the [University Archives], [Curriculum Materials Center], [Media Services], and the [Music Library] (located in the [Katzen Arts Center]). It is part of the Washington Research Library (WRL) Consortium, which includes numerous schools from the region that pool their resources to provide Interlibrary Loan (ILL) for their students respectively. The WRL Consortium also includes The Catholic University of America, Gallaudet University, George Mason University, George Washington University, Georgetown University, Marymount University, and University of the District of Columbia. The [Pence Law Library], part of the Washington College of Law, is not part of the main university library system, and it even has a separate catalog.

The American University Library contains over one million volumes, nearly 3,000 print periodicals, over 11,000 films and videos (which is rapidly increasing), well over one million microform materials, nearly 37,000 sound recordings, over 13,000 musical scores, 65 newspaper subscriptions, and 14,500 electronic journals. On average, the library attracts roughly 2,000 patrons each day. It circulates nearly 300,000 materials per year, which is impressive given the size of the university, and almost 50,000 reference questions are asked each year.[link]

Because American University is one of the most wireless campuses in the country (see “Technology” below), students can use state-of-the-art technology to connect their laptops, PDAs or cell phones to the Internet from anywhere in the library. The library also has numerous laptops freely available to be loaned out for library use. AU recently succeeded in [digitizing] the University Archive’s photographs and print collection.

[American University Library Home]

Student organizations

Student media

Composed of independent and fee-funded bodies, AU student media covers a number of mediums. Bodies include:

[Eagle], twice weekly student newspaper publishing since 1929
[The Talon], formerly Aucola, yearbook
[''ATV (American Television)], closed circuit student programs
WVAU, heir of the WAMC and WAMU traditions
American Literary, bi-semester literary magazine
AU Daily Jolt, online community
[Vitruvian Perspectives: An Interdisciplinary Journal of Scholars]
[American Word], online news magazine

Student government

Students at American University are represented by three governing bodies. Undergraduates are represented by the [Student Government] and the [Residence Hall Association], while graduates are represented by the [Graduate Leadership Council].

Athletics

A member of the Patriot League, AU is home to a wide variety of athletics, including men and women’s basketball, golf, soccer and tennis. The school is also known for its cross-country, field hockey, women’s lacrosse, swimming & diving, track, volleyball, rugby, softball, wrestling, and cycling teams. Bender Arena, a state-of-the-art multi-purpose facility, hosts many of American’s athletic competitions. Bender Arena officially opened its doors on January 23, 1988, when AU's women's basketball team hosted James Madison University. Located at the center of AU’s main campus, it features several amenities:

The state-of-the-art William I Jacbos Fitness Center
The 25-yard, eight-lane pool and facilities of Reeves Aquatic Center
A six-store mini-mall
AU's Campus Store
A 470-car, seven-level parking structure

Reeves Field, home to AU’s soccer team, is one of the premier soccer fields in Washington, DC. Reeves Field earned the 2002 College Soccer Field of the Year by the Sports Turf Managers Association, hosted its fifth NCAA Tournament game, and served as the training site for the Uruguayan National Soccer team. FC Barcelona and Blackburn used Reeves Field as a training facility. In the summer of 2000, AU served as the practice site for Newcastle United, one of England's premier professional soccer clubs. Major League Soccer's D.C. United, Miami Fusion and San Jose Earthquakes have also practiced at AU. National teams from the USA, Bolivia and Portugal trained at Reeves in 1996 in preparation for Summer Olympic games held at RFK Stadium.

Reeves Field also features a six-lane track to accommodate the track and field programs at AU and creates a multi-purpose event site. During his term as Vice-President, George H. W. Bush regularly traveled in the morning from his home at the U.S. Naval Observatory, located about two miles from American University, to run the track at Reeves Field. AU’s nationally ranked field hockey and women’s lacrosse teams play on the field at the Jacobs Recreational Complex, which also features a softball diamond and two outdoor sand volleyball courts. AU's field hockey team earned the right to host the 2005 Patriot League Tournament, where American defeated Lehigh 7-0 in the semifinals before capturing the league crown for the third straight year by downing Holy Cross 4-2 in the Championship Game.

American University features seven outdoor tennis courts for the use of the intercollegiate tennis teams as well as the University community. Two outdoor basketball courts complete the outdoor recreational facility located next to Reeves Field and behind Bender Arena. AU has hosted three of the last four tennis team championships since joining the Patriot League, with the men's team winning back-to-back titles on the AU hardcourts and setting Patriot League Championship attendance records each year. The women's team last captured the Patriot League title in 2002.

AU abroad

AU offers one of the most comprehensive and renowned study abroad programs in the United States. Open to both AU Students as well as students from other American universities, students can chose to participate in a number of diverse programs around the globe. Utilizing partner institutions as well as AU-operated programs abroad, students can take courses and/or intern in over 30 countries. Additionally, students may arrange to study at a non-partnered or hosted institution abroad through AU Abroad. Programs are offered by semester, year or summer. Over 60% of all AU students will have a study abroad experience before they graduate.

AU Abroad has been dogged with accusations of mismanagement in recent years as the University seeks to expand the number of direct-enrollment partnerships while cutting down on "enclave programs" which have AU staff and professors in the host nation. A particular incident worth noting involved the Fall 2004 South Africa program, which saw Professor Caleb Rossiter removed as Program Director after 37 students lobbied the Washington-area media and academic community to discuss their grievances. Complaints included accusations of negligence, mismanagement, bias in grading, and poor structuring and support of the program. Instances of AU Abroad conflicts with student participants have led to a major shift towards direct enrollment and a movement to lessen AU Abroad's interaction with students in host nations.

[AU Abroad Home]

Washington Semester program

AU also operates the popular "Washington Semester" program, open to subscribing colleges and universities nationwide and internationally. The purpose of the program is to bring students from various backgrounds together for a semester of study combining access to Washington, DC, insiders in a variety of different fields ranging from political science to journalism and the arts. Students enrolled in this program are also expected to find and hold an internship in their field of study during the 3-4 month program.

[Washington Semester Program Home]

Public radio broadcasts

American University also operates a public radio station, WAMU, broadcasting at 88.5 mHz on the FM band. The commercial free station is affiliated with National Public Radio (NPR) and Public Radio International. The station began broadcasting as the student radio station, but developed into a professionally staffed station when the administration spun off the student radio station. Students may still hold internships. Original programming includes The Diane Rehm Show and The Kojo Nnamdi Show.

Technology

Battelle-Tompkins Atrium, College of Arts and Sciences

AU was included as one of the top 50 "wired campuses" in the United States by a 1997 Yahoo! survey. Since adding a campus-wide advanced wireless broadband network in 2001, AU has been classified as one of the most ["unwired" campuses] in the U.S. by Intel. Recently, AU has expanded its wireless presence by teaming with T-Mobile to first convert AU into the first HotSpot campus in 2004 and then again in 2005 when the Kogod School of Business became the first business school to integrate RSS data services with BlackBerry devices distributed to all graduate business students. Shortly after implementing RSS services, the university began providing podcasts for on-demand educational multimedia, such as lectures, playable on such programs as iTunes and compatible MP3 players as Apple's iPod. With the release of video-enabled iPods in 2005, many podcasts will now also feature audio and video playback.

In 2005 AU became one of the first Universities in the country to provide all students in campus housing with access to free and legal downloadable movie and music content via the Ruckus Network.

The University Library also launched a program whereby its Media Services Department is converting films to digital format for exclusive use by faculty in teaching their coursework for streaming media content.

Other facts

-->

Ten U.S. presidents have either served on the AU Board of Trustees or spoken on campus.
AU’s School of Communication trained the cast and crew of MTV’s Road Rules and the Real World in public speaking.
Frederick Law Olmsted, who designed New York City’s Central Park, was AU’s first architect.
AU chancellor Charles C. McCabe taught "The Battle Hymn of the Republic" to Union POWs in the South early in the Civil War and was later invited to the Lincoln White House because of his actions.
The X-Files’ Agent Scully found she had an alien virus as a result of research that had been done in AU’s Paleoclimatology Lab in the fall 1997 season premiere. No such laboratory exists at AU.
In the film Eulogy, Ray Romano plays an incompetent attorney that sports an American University sweatshirt.
During a 2000 episode of The District, it is reported to the Metropolitan Police Chief during an overnight crime briefing that the AU mascot, fictitiously named Otis, is missing.
The Fox television series Bones, produced by an AU alum, features many references to American University. The series' recording studio in Hollywood features a full-scale replica of the Ward 2 lecture-hall where lectures are presented by one of the series' main characters who, in the series, is a part-time AU professor.

External links

[American University] official site
[A digital collection of AU photographs]
[WAMU 88.5FM American University Radio]
[Official history]
[Official timeline]
[Cycling Team website]

* Satellite image from [WikiMapia], [Google Maps] or [Windows Live Local]
* Street map from [MapQuest] or [Google Maps]
* Topographic map from [TopoZone]
* Aerial image from [TerraServer-USA]

From Wikipedia, the Free Encyclopedia. Original article here. Support Wikipedia by contributing or donating.
All text is available under the terms of the GNU Free Documentation License See Wikipedia Copyrights for details.