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The American University in Cairo occupies an urban campus. Most graduate students live at home with their families, although most international graduate students (about 18 percent of the student body) share furnished apartments or live in university housing.
Graduate student activities and services are promoted by the Graduate Students’ Association and supervised by the Office of Graduate Studies and Research within the context of university policy and a constitution approved in 1999 by a student body vote, and authorized by the university’s administration. The administration reserves the right of veto in matters of graduate student activities including those mentioned in the GSA constitution.
The many extracurricular activities available at AUC reflect the diverse backgrounds and interests of its students. While some events are sponsored and organized by departments and units, most are initiated and carried out by student groups.
The Graduate Students’ Association
The aim and purpose of the Graduate Students’ Association (GSA) is to provide and improve services offered to graduate students at AUC, and establish communication links between fellow graduate students and the rest of the AUC community. All graduate students are automatically members of the Association. The GSA board members are elected annually.
Academic activities of the GSA in conjunction with the OGSR include a series of workshops: thesis and research proposal writing, how to publish in an academic journal, how to apply for a Ph.D. workshop and theory and methodology workshops.
Conferences
Student organized conferences, such as the Model United Nations and Model Arab League (under the auspices of the Political Science Department), and the Annual AUC Research Conference organized by the Office of Graduate Studies and Research, offer the opportunity for students to learn special skills, expand their knowledge, and participate in a major organizational challenge. Graduate students may also apply for conference grants for presenting a paper at a recognized professional conference.
Music, Dance, and Art Activities
The Choral Group, Music Group, Egyptian Folk Dance Troupe, and Art Group, along with several other cultural activities groups, are trained by competent professionals on an extracurricular basis throughout the academic year, and perform both on and off the campus. They represent AUC every spring with students of Egypt’s other universities in the National University Cultural Activities Competition. Opportunities to represent Egypt and The American University in Cairo at festivals abroad are planned periodically for the Choral and Folk Dance ensembles.
Lectures and Concerts
Lectures held at AUC cover a wide variety of topics and feature scholars, diplomats, political figures, businessmen, and others from the university itself, and from Cairo and abroad. The University’s Distinguished Visiting Professor program enables individual departments to host speakers throughout the year. In addition, student organizations invite guest speakers whose lectures are open to the university community.
Musical performances by visiting artists and AUCians are given throughout the year. Concerts feature a wide variety of music including classical and contemporary Arabic music, jazz, and western classical music performed by local groups like the Cairo Symphony, by international ensembles on tour, and by talented students.
Theatre
The Theatre Program, through its drama productions, is one of the most active student enterprises on campus. All AUC students, theatre majors as well as students from all departments are encouraged to participate. Under the guidance of the Theatre faculty, students from all nationalities act and occasionally design and direct several productions a year ranging from classics to modern experimental theatre. Students also play a major role in constructing sets, costumes, lighting, sound, and make up. Recent plays include Shakespeare’s Macbeth, Feydeau’s A Silly Goose, Pirandello’s Six Characters in Search of an Author, Farag’s Sulayman El Halabi, Sophocles’ Antigone and Ibsen’s Ghosts. Productions in English and Arabic. Plays take place in two new state-of-the art theatres in the Falaki Academic Center.
Films
Films are a favorite form of recreation at AUC and several university units organize regular showings.
Student Publications
Gradnews, the AUC graduate students’ monthly publication, is issued by the Graduate Students’ Association members through the Office of Graduate Studies and Research. It covers AUC news in English that would be of interest to graduate students
The Caravan, the student newspaper, is published weekly, in English and in Arabic, and distributed on campus without charge. It is both a learning laboratory for students majoring in Journalism and mass communication who receive some academic credit for participation, and a co-curricular activity open to participation by reporters, photographers, and students with writing skills or artistic talent from the student body at large. Over the years many Caravan alumni have become professional journalists in Egypt, elsewhere in the Middle East, and in the West. All student publications activities are guided by faculty advisors.
Sports
The university has a state-of-the-art athletic facility for use by students, faculty and staff. The outdoor facilities include a 50 meter pool, six tennis courts, four volleyball courts, a handball court and two basketball courts. The outdoor football field is encircled by a 400 meter track, and includes areas for all field events. Indoor facilities include a 2000 seat arena, multi-purpose and teaching gymnasiums, six squash courts, four weight training and exercise rooms, a table tennis area and a full complement of locker rooms, sauna and steam rooms. All areas are open to men and women, with some hours and activities scheduled for women only.
Participation in a number of sports is sponsored at a highly competitive level against other institutions across Egypt as well as in the Middle East and in Europe. Currently teams are sponsored in football, volleyball, basketball, tennis, swimming and diving, fencing, rowing, , Tae kwon do, frisbee, squash, table tennis, boxing, judo, karate, water polo, rugby, and track and field.
In addition to the competitive programs, lessons and tournaments are offered at various levels in a number of sports for intramural competition within AUC. For a full range of activities, fees, and information check the department website at www.aucegypt.edu/StudentLife/sports/ for updates throughout the year.
Cafeterias and Services
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Cafeterias
The university has cafeterias on the Main Campus and on the Greek Campus. Each serves snacks, sandwiches, drinks, and hot lunches at midday.
Student Center
The university’s student center is located in the Wallace Building and includes a lounge, the Student Union office, and the Office of Student Organization Activities.
Fountain Shop
The Fountain Shop, located in the main campus cafeteria, offers souvenir items, tapes, magazines, film-developing service, and other items and services of interest to the AUC community.
Duplicating Services
Duplicating centers which serve the students and the AUC community are located in the cafeteria on the Main Campus and just inside the library gate on the Greek Campus.
Bookstores
Textbooks and a broad assortment of general books may be purchased in the Hill House Bookstore on the Main Campus. A smaller general bookstore, open to the public, is located in the Zamalek Student Residence.
The Zamalek Student Residence provides accommodation for 300 students with separate sections for men and women. Linen is provided and shuttle transportation to and from AUC included. Meal and laundry service are also available. Applications for housing must be filed with the Student Housing Office.
Orientation, Counseling and Health Services
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An orientation program for new students covers the academic and extra/co-curricular activities at the university. Additional orientation for international graduate students focuses on cultural opportunities, adjustment to Cairo, special procedures, etc.
The university employs qualified counselors at the Student Counseling Center to assist the students with personal difficulties and growth issues. The Director of Graduate Student Services is available for ongoing orientation and counseling of international graduate students. The university physician and counselors refer students to professional help outside the university when necessary.
The university clinic, with the university physician and trained doctors and nurses in attendance, is open every day, except for Fridays and Saturdays, to provide medical services. The clinic is open from 8:00 a.m. till 5:00 p.m. Physicians are available after 3:30 p.m. and a qualified nurse is available till 5:00 p.m. For further information regarding the AUC clinic, you can access the clinic’s Web site http://www.aucegypt.edu/auc/clinic
The university provides limited accident insurance for all students while they are on the campus or engaged in certain university activities. Medical costs beyond the provisions of this insurance must be paid by the student. International students are required to have health-insurance coverage.
The American University in Cairo is a guest in Egypt with a purely educational mission. It encourages open study and examination of all intellectual subjects in its academic work. Both its curriculum and extracurricular activities are dedicated to helping produce informed and independently-minded human beings. But as a matter of basic policy AUC carefully refrains from involving itself in political or religious issues, and it does not permit its campus or facilities to be used by outsiders, by AUC personnel, or students for such involvement. The AUC Board of Trustees does not take positions on political or religious matters, nor are any AUC bodies or entities permitted to do so. The university approves humanitarian assemblies, provided authorized procedures are followed.
Students who attend the university are expected to show concern for each other, for their teachers, and for the university itself. Student behavior is expected to be appropriate to life at an academic institution and to take into account Egyptian society and traditions. Rules of student conduct, intended to perpetuate and reinforce these policies, are explained more fully in the Graduate Student Handbook and other student information materials.
Because of the importance of maintaining the complete integrity of its academic work and of ensuring that AUC remains a purely academic apolitical institution, respected in the community at large and maintaining its liberal education atmosphere, the university views the following violations of AUC policy with special seriousness:
- Cheating (see Academic Integrity Policy under Undergraduate Academic Requirements).
- Involvement in political or religious issues or activities on the campus or in the dormitory or the instigation of or participation in such unauthorized activities.
- Behavior that disturbs university functions and activities.
- Participation in any illegal activity, on or off campus.
- Face veiling “niqab” in any form on university premises or at any university events.
Students violating standards of conduct, particularly those mentioned above, may be subject to disciplinary action, including dismissal.
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