Lebanese American University
The Lebanese American University, LAU or 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.. It has two campuses and offers 58 degrees.
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.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.Lebanese American University#cite note-ReferenceX-14| LAUMC-RH offers medical services such as radiology and imaging, dialysis, endoscopy, dermatology, ophthalmology, IVF, and cardiology.Lebanese American University#cite note-15| In 2013, LAU moved its New York City headquarters to mid-town Manhattan and opened a new Executive Center in downtown Beirut.
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{{Cite web|url=https://www.lau.edu.lb/about/accreditation.php|title=Accreditation About LAU|website=www.lau.edu.lb|access-date=2019-08-25}}
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. Its business majors are some of the few accredited by the elite Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business.Some of its programs are also accredited:
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.
Academics and Rankings
LAU has seven schools divided into several departments.- School of Arts and Sciences: Communication Arts, Computer Science and Mathematics, Education, English, Humanities, Natural Sciences, Social Sciences.
- 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.
- School of Engineering: Civil, Electrical and Computer, Industrial and Mechanical.
- Gilbert and Rose-Marie Chagoury School of Medicine.
- Alice Ramez Chagoury School of Nursing.
- School of Pharmacy.
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.Varsity Sports
Basketball, football, handball, volleyball, tennis, table tennis, swimming, and rugby teams participate in various local, regional and international collegiate tournaments.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.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.
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, previously known as the Institute for Women's Studies in the Arab World, with a mission to promote women's empowerment and gender equality in – and for – the Arab world. 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, Dubai, London, Montreal.Notable alumni
- :fr:Lamis al-Alami|Lamis Mustafa Alami, Current Minister of Education in the Palestinian Authority.
- Rose Ghurayeb, Lebanese writer and professor of Arabic literature
- Saloua Raouda Choucair, Lebanese painter and sculptor.
- Selim El Sayegh, former Lebanese Minister of Social Affairs.
- Tamirace Fakhoury, Lebanese poet and professor at LAU.
- Sethrida Geagea, member of the Lebanese Parliament.
- 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.
- May Nasr, Lebanese singer and musician.
- Salwa Nassar, nuclear physicist.
- Octavia Nasr, a former CNN journalist and current cohost of MBC's "Kalam Nawaem".
- Nadine Wilson Njeim, Miss Lebanon 2007, actress and TV presenter.
- Mounira Solh, founder of Al Amal Institute for the Disabled and one of the first Lebanese women running for parliament.
- Vick Vanlian, late founder of interior design company Vick Vanlian / V World SAL