AUP Community Back on Campus for 2020 Fall Semester

Throughout France's confinement period and subsequent months of remote work, The American University of Paris has prioritized – and will continue to prioritize – the health and safety of both its campus and international community. In line with French government guidelines for universities, AUP is this month welcoming staff and faculty back to campus, with vital additional sanitary protocols in place. Students will return to campus, if their circumstances allow them to do so, for Orientation on September 21. This slightly delayed start to the semester has aligned us with the French higher education calendar and has allowed time for the new health checks related to visa processing.

The wellbeing of our community remains a paramount concern. Masks are obligatory in university buildings and hand sanitizer and other disinfectant supplies are freely available across campus. Social distancing is enforced in offices and classrooms, as well as in the AMEX Café, which is following all guidelines laid out for bars and restaurants by the French government.

Having witnessed the extraordinary solidarity of the AUP community over the past six months as countries around the world implemented lockdown measures, we are confident that students, staff and faculty members will support each other in implementing these new sanitary protocols with characteristic care and concern. Services across the University are prepared to offer both remote and in-person services, and to adapt quickly to changing circumstances if need be; our guidance counselors, who have busily supported students in lockdown, are ready to accompany our students throughout the Covid-19 period, responding rapidly to any future preventative measures.

Moving forward, teaching at the University will take a hybrid approach, allowing students either to attend synchronous classes in person or to connect remotely. This agility will be pivotal to ensuring the semester runs as smoothly as possible. Faculty members have received training in flexible instructional design and classrooms have been fitted with new technology to allow for hybrid teaching methods. The aim is to allow our global explorers a range of options and to make it as easy as possible for them to take up or resume their studies.  AUP is prepared for every eventuality, including a return to full remote learning should that become necessary.

“Institutions show their mettle during times of crisis, and I’m proud of the way our whole community came together – students, parents, faculty, staff, Leadership Team and Board of Trustees – to manage the exigencies of Covid-19. Indeed, AUP will continue to put the health and wellbeing of its community first,” said President Celeste Schenck. “We’re calling on all staff, faculty and students to work together to draw a protective circle around our campus. One thing’s for sure, no matter what the teaching medium over the course of this semester, our global explorers will always benefit fully from the kind of rigorous, mentored, global liberal arts education that is AUP’s signature.”