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GENERAL
INFORMATION
1. A Short History of American University
American University was established in the District
of Columbia by an Act of Congress approved on February
24, 1893, primarily as a result of the efforts of
Methodist Bishop John Fletcher Hurst (1834-1903).
Bishop Hurst and his colleagues were concerned with
building an institution that would meld the strengths
of the 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
which 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 which, 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 which 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;
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
twenty-eight students were enrolled (nineteen of
them graduate students, nine of them special students
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, and at that time the first degrees
(one master's degree and two doctor's degrees) were
awarded.
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, both undergraduate and graduate
degrees and programs have been offered by the University.
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 (1955)(subsequently named the Robert
P. and Arlene R. Kogod College of Business Administration
and in 1999 renamed again the Kogod School of Business);
the School of Government and Public Administration
(1957); and the School of International Service
(1958). 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 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. The School of Communication
became independent from the College of Arts and
Sciences in 1993.
2. The University and the United Methodist Church
The development of the University 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, the University
became closely associated with the Board of Education
of the United Methodist Church, which makes an annual
contribution to the University. Active management
of the corporate affairs of the University is, of
course, vested in the Board of Trustees.
American University is non-sectarian in its educational
philosophy and academic programs. The United Methodist
Church, recognizing the integral place of religion
in the human experience, seeks to provide optimum
opportunity for religious development on its campus.
But it always has taken care to guarantee the values
of academic freedom. The faculty and the student
body of American University represent a diversity
of religious as well as academic and national backgrounds
and experiences. The Board of Trustees has delegated
to the faculty basic responsibility for the academic
programs of the University.
3. Statement of Common Purpose
In November 1994, the Faculty Senate and the president
recommended and the Board of Trustees approved the
following Statement of Common Purpose for American
University.
Statement of Common Purpose
The place of American University among major universities
with first-rate faculties and academic programs
grounded in the arts and sciences is secured by
its enduring commitment to uncompromising quality
in the education of its students. But its distinctive
feature, unique in higher education, is its capacity
as a national and international university to turn
ideas into action and action into service by emphasizing
the arts and sciences, then connecting them to the
issues of contemporary public affairs writ large,
notably in the areas of government, communication,
business, law and international service.
Recognized for its emphasis on personalized teaching
and experiential education, the University provides
for the direct involvement of faculty and students
in the institutions and culture of the most important
capital city in the world. Since its founding by
an Act of Congress in 1893 as a private, independent,
coeducational institution, under the auspices of
The United Methodist Church, American University
has been a national and international university.
This is reflected in the scope of its teaching and
research programs and the diversity of its faculty,
staff, alumni, trustees, and student body, today
representing 145 countries.
The University actively encourages a commitment
to public service, inclusive participation in University
governance, equity and equal access, and an appreciation
of diverse cultures and viewpoints. Its commitment
to social justice, its ability to respond to the
needs of a changing world while retaining its core
values, and its capacity to turn to educational
advantage the resources of the nation's capital
are hallmarks of the institution.
The University distinguishes itself through a broad
array of undergraduate and graduate programs that
stem from these primary commitments:
• Interdisciplinary inquiry transcending
traditional boundaries among academic disciplines
and between administrative units;
• International understanding reflected
in curriculum offerings, faculty research, study
abroad and internship programs, student and faculty
representation, and the regular presence of world
leaders on campus;
• Interactive teaching providing
personalized educational experiences for students,
in and out of the classroom;
• Research and creative endeavors
consistent with its distinctive mission, generating
new knowledge beneficial to society;
• Practical application of
knowledge through experiential learning, taking
full advantage of the resources of the Washington,
D.C. metropolitan area.
The central commitment of American University is
to the development of thoughtful, responsible human
beings in the context of a challenging yet supportive
academic community.
4. The Washington College of Law
In 1949, the Washington College of Law, which prior
to that time had functioned as an ABA approved independent
law school in the District of Columbia, became an
integral part of American University pursuant to
the terms of a Merger Agreement entered into on
March 28, 1949. The Merger Agreement provides in
pertinent part as follows:
American University agrees to operate as an integral
part of the University a law school to be known
as the Washington College of Law of American University,
which name shall be maintained for so long as the
University continues to operate a school or college
of law.
and:
American University agrees to use its best efforts
to operate said law school in such fashion as shall
entitle it to retain the present accreditment extended
to the Washington College of Law by the Association
of American Law Schools and the American Bar Association
or the then equivalent accrediting agencies.
and:
American University agrees to promote faithfully
the development of the Washington College of Law
as a division of American University and to maintain
the principles and traditions of the Washington
College of Law.
and:
...the merger of the Washington College of Law with
American University...shall [be] approved by the
Association of American Law Schools.
The Merger Agreement also incorporated the terms
of admission of the Washington College of Law into
the Association of American Law Schools which had
occurred in 1947. The by-laws of the Association
impose somewhat more detailed and rigorous standards
than those applied by the American Bar Association.
On June 9, 1963, the Board of Trustees of American
University accepted the Report of the President
of the University which included the plan for the
University's Faculty Organization, arising from
the self-study in connection with the Middle States
Evaluation. That plan, effective in the Fall of
1963, provides in pertinent part:
It shall be understood that the specific procedures
within the professional schools shall at all times
conform to the professional standards of the school
in question.
The Washington College of Law of American University
is a professional school and has as its mission
the preparation of students for the practice of
law. In virtually all states of the Union, a qualifying
examination must be passed before a candidate is
permitted to engage in the practice of law. In most
of these states, receipt of a degree from a law
school accredited by the American Bar Association
or approved by the Association of American Law Schools
is required as a prerequisite to sitting for the
qualifying examination. The Washington College of
Law must, therefore, be accredited by the American
Bar Association and maintain itself in good standing
by continuing to meet the applicable standards of
that organization as set forth in the American Bar
Association Standard for Approval of Law Schools.
The Washington College of Law must also meet the
requirements for maintaining membership in the Association
of American Law Schools.
Standards 203 and 204 of the American Bar Association
Standards for Approval of Law Schools state further:
The law school shall be governed by a Board whose
members are dedicated to the maintenance of a sound
educational institution, possess the capability
of participating in the formulation and development
of such an institution, and have no financial interest
in the operation of the law school.
The Governing Board may establish general policies
for the law school, provided they are consistent
with a sound educational program and the Standards.
In the case of the Washington College of Law, the
Governing Board is the Board of Trustees of American
University.
Section 205 of the American Bar Association Standards
reads as follows:
Within those general policies, the Dean and faculty
of the law school shall have the responsibility
for formulating and administering the program of
the school, including such matters as faculty selection,
retention, promotion and tenure; curriculum; methods
of instruction; admission policies; and academic
standards for retention, advancement, and graduation
of students.
5. Academic Freedom at American University
American University endorses the Statement of
Principles on Academic Freedom and Tenure issued
jointly in 1940 by the American Association of University
Professors and the Association of American Colleges.
The principles with respect to tenure set forth
in that document are incorporated in the relevant
entry in Section 14. of this Manual. With respect
to academic freedom, the principles in effect at
American University are best described in the words
of the 1940 Statement, as follows:
(a) The teacher is entitled to full freedom in research
and in the publication of the results, subject to
the adequate performance of his/her other academic
duties; but research for pecuniary return should
be based upon an understanding with the authorities
of the institution.
(b) The teacher is entitled to freedom in the classroom
in discussing his/her subject, but he/she should
be careful not to introduce into his/her teaching
controversial matter which has no relation to the
subject. Limitations of academic freedom because
of religious or other aims of the institution should
be clearly stated in writing at the time of the
appointment.
(c) The college or university teacher is a citizen,
a member of a learned profession, and an officer
of an educational institution. When he/she speaks
or writes as a citizen, he/she should be free from
institutional censorship or discipline, but his/her
special position in the community imposes special
obligations. As a man/woman of learning and an educational
officer, he/she should remember that the public
may judge his/her profession and his/her institution
by his/her utterances. Hence he/she should show
respect for the opinions of others, and should make
every effort to indicate that he/she is not an institutional
spokesperson.
Note: Gender references in the 1940 Statement
have been altered by the University from the original
document.
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