American University,
Washington DC 20016
http://www.american.edu
email: afa@american.edu
American University
Washington, DC 20016
Multicultural Profile
“Sit for a while on a campus bench at AU and observe the life around you. You’ll see students, faculty, and administrators from diverse cultural backgrounds, many racial and ethnic groups, and virtually every corner of the world. In this respect, American University truly represents the great American university of the future.”
David Owens, Director
Office of Multicultural Affairs
American University has a long history of openness to diversity. In 1915, the first class at AU included John Wesley Edward Bowen Jr., an African American. In 1936, the university’s graduate board voted unanimously to admit African Americans to the Graduate School and by August 1944, at a time when most universities were segregated, three percent of the student body in AU’s School of Social Sciences and Public Affairs was African American.
Today, African Americans, Hispanic Americans, Asian Americans and American Indians make up approximately 16 percent of AU’s undergraduate student body. Another 14 percent are international students from over 140 nations around the world. Student groups such as Alpha Kappa Alpha sorority, Alpha Phi Alpha fraternity, Caribbean Circle, Japan-America Club, and the Latino and American Student Organization offer excellent networking opportunities.
AU’s Office of Multicultural Affairs enhances the quality of campus life for all students by sponsoring seminars, historical tours, ethnic festivals, and other events that foster a welcoming environment. At the end of each year, Multicultural Affairs and the Office of International Student Services holds a special awards ceremony recognizing the achievements of our students. Counseling and tutorial services are available, including our six-week Summer Transition Enrichment Program.
The top 15 percent of freshman are invited to enter our Honors Program. American University also provides or sponsors a variety of merit and athletic scholarships for high-achieving students including the American Excellence Scholarship, Frederick Douglass Scholarship, National Achievement Scholarship, National Hispanic Scholarship, the Presidential and Deans Scholarships, and the Phi Theta Kappa Scholarship for transfer applicants.
Located in Washington, D.C., at the top of what is known as Embassy Row, AU is minutes away from the many diverse neighborhoods that make up the city. You can participate in community festivals, eat at ethnic restaurants, and get involved in local outreach programs that serve our neighbors, such as the DC Reads tutoring program and other volunteer and mentoring programs that address such issues as homelessness, AIDS awareness, poverty and pollution.
Our distinguished alumni—including Tony Perkins, anchor/weather caster of ABC’s “Good Morning America”; Pedro Aviles of the Latin Civil Rights Task Force; Anthony Cohen, historian and author who retraced the Underground Railroad; and Star Jones, co-host of ABC Daytime’s “The View”—attest to AU’s commitment to diversity.