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Dear Fellow Alumni,
We are now well
embarked on an exciting new academic
year at AUP! The Board of Trustees held
its annual Fall Meeting on campus in
mid-October, which was well attended and
successful. I am so pleased to be able
to report to you that AUP continues to
thrive and amaze with its creativity and
activity. Despite the economic downturn
– with which AUP, like every other
institution of higher learning, is
contending – our enrollment is good,
with only a slight drop in the expected
numbers. With the help of alumni and
friends everywhere, I believe that the
prospects for AUP’s future have never
been brighter.
In writing to you
this time, I want to tell you a little
about how AUP’s Board of Trustees
functions. Through our own commitments
of “work, wealth and wisdom,” each
Trustee works to support AUP in its
priorities and the effective carrying
out of its Mission, helping to provide
guidance and oversight, to open doors,
and to increase the flow of resources.
We have developed and at this last
meeting signed a Trustee Compact which
reflects the Trustees’ deep commitment
to AUP and its governance.
I could go on and
on about AUP and our recent meetings –
but promise I won’t! Instead, let me
share with you a couple of the
highlights of this past October:
• New Masters
Program: The Board approved a
new Masters program in Law and Human
Rights, which was recommended for
approval by the Business Affairs and the
Academic Affairs Committee. This
groundbreaking program will be
implemented in partnership with Oxford
University. It was designed and
presented to the Board by Professor
Susan Perry (Associate Professor of
Political Science; Director, Division of
International Politics, Economics and
Public Policy; Chair, Department of
International and Comparative Politics;
Director, MA in International Affairs).
As a footnote: It is a great pleasure to
see the success of the Masters Programs
at AUP. They draw from AUP’s outstanding
areas of scholarly interest and fill
specific niches in the “market,”
attracting first rate graduates
(including some from AUP itself!) and
further enriching academic life on
campus.
• Meeting and
Listening to Students: The
Board had many chances to meet formally
and informally with students, faculty
and staff while we were on campus. One
of the highlights was a luncheon that
Trustees and students had together at
the Amex on the newly instituted Campus
Day (which will be held annually in
October). We had great conversations
(the buzz in the room was palpable!) and
a very enjoyable time together. We also
learned a lot from each other. Trustees
also attended classes with students. The
classes I attended were outstanding and
made me wish I could go back to school!
• Celebrating
Professor Bittermann’s Légion d’Honneur:
In the company of students, faculty and
staff, the Board celebrated Professor
Jim Bittermann’s recent award of the
Légion d’Honneur. Professor Bittermann –
as many of you know – is a highly
regarded teacher in the Global
Communications Department and a well
known figure in broadcast news from his
work on CNN. He shared with us his
acceptance speech and highlights from
his television career. It was a proud
moment for us all!
• Campus Renewal:
Now that the Board has committed to our
“campus in the 7ème,” the beginnings of
a modest refurbishment campaign are
already making a visible difference to
our physical plant. Beyond the
acquisition of the Combes Building and
continuing to refurbish and enhance our
facilities, as a Board and a university,
we are committed to having a world class
home fitting for the AUP of the future.
We will be asking for your help in this
enterprise.
• AUP’s
Re-accreditation by Middle States:
Every ten years accredited institutions
undergo a review for re-accreditation.
An important part of this process is a
period of “self study.” During this
period, working through Task Forces
composed of various members of the AUP
community, the university reflects on
and considers AUP’s strengths and
weaknesses with respect to fourteen
standards of excellence. AUP has just
completed this part of the process, with
admirable participation from across the
university. A draft self-study report
has been prepared and will soon be
posted also on the AUP website for
everyone to see. The next step, the
preliminary visit to campus of the
Leader of the Middle States Visiting
Committee, was well timed since it took
place just after the Board meeting. The
process of re-accreditation is of course
a critical time for any university, but
I am confident that AUP will not only
fare well but be further strengthened by
this process. The on campus review of
the university will take place in March.
Thank you all for
the continuing support that you give to
AUP – through your on-going connections
and friendship (“The AUP Global
Network”!), through your great
representation by doing what you do and
being who you are as true global
citizens and leaders, and through your
financial support.
As I imagine that
it was for most of you, the time I spent
at AUP (ACP!) was precious and
profoundly important. In closing, let me
say that I take great pride in being
associated with the AUP of today – an
AUP that is still evolving but true to
itself. And, as always, I look forward
to your comments and suggestions as,
together, we seek to strengthen the
special place that is AUP.
With best regards,
Judith
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