American University
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| American University | |
| | |
| Motto | Pro deo et patria (For God and Country) |
| Established | 1893 |
| School type | Private |
| President | Benjamin Ladner |
| Location | Washington, District of Columbia, USA |
| Campus | Urban |
| Enrollment | 5,870 undergraduate, 3,579 graduate 1,652 law |
| Faculty | 577 full time 475 adjunct |
| Mascot | Eagle |
| Study Abroad | 470 programs |
| Homepage | www.american.edu |
American University is a fully accredited university located in Washington, DC. It currently has roughly 5,000 undergraduate students, and approximately the same number of graduates.
It is served by the Tenleytown-AU station on the Washington Metro, which is located roughly a mile from the main campus, and is located in and around the neighborhood of Tenleytown.
AU has recently entered the first tier of US News & World Report's college and university rankings guide.
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History
AU traces its history back 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. AU was chartered by an act of the United States Congress in 1893, nearly a century after Washington's death, and ground was broken in 1896. After some difficulties with funding, the first degrees were given out in 1916, and undergraduates were not admitted until 1925.
During both World War I and World War II, the university allowed the U.S. military to use some of its grounds for testing. In WWI especially, chemical weapons were tested on the grounds; this led to a major cleanup effort in the 1990s.
American took over the previously unaffiliated Washington College of Law in 1949, and added a business school and an international relations program in the 1950s.
Organization
- College of Arts and Sciences (CAS)
- Kogod School of Business (KSB)
- School of Public Affairs (SPA)
- School of International Service (SIS)
- School of Communications (SOC)
- Washington College of Law (WCL)
Professors of American University
- Akbar S. Ahmed
- Julian Bond
- Karen O'Connor
- Jane Hall
- Max Cleland (former professor)
- Ofield Dukes (former professor)
- Ben Stein (former professor)
