AUA to Modernize Student Services with $465,000 Grant from ASHA

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YEREVAN, Armenia – The American University of Armenia (AUA) recently received a grant for $465,000 from the American Schools and Hospitals Abroad (ASHA) to create the AUA Student Services/Student Excellence Center—a modernized space aimed at encouraging collaborative learning, offering up-to-date technological resources, and providing an increased scope of student support services.

With the launch of AUA’s undergraduate programs in 2013, growth in the student body, especially in the international student population, has already begun and will continue over the coming years. Thanks to the support of ASHA, AUA will be able to maximize the use of its facilities and to support the growing student body, as well as the greater public, with a comprehensive system of services.

The AUA Student Services/Student Excellence Center will be comprised of the Information Desk, the Collaborative Learning Center, the Information Technology (IT) Suite and the Student Health and Counseling Suite. The Information Desk will serve as the first contact point where prospective students, enrolled students, and visitors may come with any type of inquiry. The Collaborative Learning Center will provide an ideal space for students to gather and study together in a relaxed atmosphere. The IT Suite will provide technological resources for course instruction, internet-based standardized testing, and will also function as a writing center for students. The Student Health and Counseling Suite will take a holistic approach to individual development and wellbeing in order to provide physical and mental health services to students.

AUA President Dr. Bruce M. Boghosian shares, “We are grateful for ASHA’s continuous support in creating an advanced and dynamic learning environment for AUA students. This support from the American people allows us to empower students to make the most of their educational experience and to promote a culture of lifelong learning here at AUA.”

With a globally competitive grant application process, ASHA is a USAID program that provides assistance to schools, libraries, and medical centers outside the United States that serve as study and demonstration centers for American ideas and practices. AUA has received support from ASHA for several past projects, including window replacement for increased energy efficiency, renovation of AUA’s AGBU Papazian Library, and the development of integrated technology classrooms.

Founded in 1991, the American University of Armenia (AUA) is a private, independent university located in Yerevan, Armenia and affiliated with the University of California. AUA provides a global education in Armenia and the region, offering high-quality, graduate and undergraduate studies, encouraging civic engagement, and promoting public service and democratic values. 

A rendering of what the Mihran & Elizabeth Agbabian Hall may look like post-renovation. The AUA Student Services/Student Excellence Center will greatly increase the scope of student services provided to AUA students. 

A rendering of what the AUA basement may look like post-renovation. Thanks to the support of ASHA, AUA will be able to maximize the use of its facilities and to support the growing student body.