The Lebanese American University is committed to the advancement of its students. In its Student and University Policy, LAU “seeks to develop responsible students with leadership skills and community awareness.” It also “shall provide its students with opportunities to develop academically, physically, intellectually, socially, and morally, in order to meet the challenges they may face in life.”

Campus and student life at LAU is dedicated to helping students, staff, and faculty experience university life at its fullest. There is a profound commitment to the diversity of university community and a focus on creating an environment where one can thrive. Through the wide array of programs and services, LAU provides opportunities and experiences that build the community, help students grow personally and professionally, and create a place that they may call home now and throughout life.

Office of the Dean of Students

Drawing its inspiration from LAU’s mission to educate the whole person, the Office of the Dean of Students is charged with providing students with opportunities for academic growth and personal development in order to enrich their overall experience at LAU. Each student is seen as a professional-in-training, deserving high-quality service and personalized attention.

New Student Orientation & Registration Program

The New Student Orientation & Registration Program (NSORP) is organized twice annually by the Office of the Dean of Students, at the beginning of the fall and spring semesters.

The New Student Orientation & Registration Program aims to:

• introduce students to various academic programs, services and activities that support their academic and personal success,
• acquaint new students with university life and further encourage them to become active members of the LAU community,
• familiarize students with the main resources available online and on campus, and
• address issues and problems that students may face as they strive to become active members of the LAU community.

The Registration Program aims to:

• conduct a one-on-one advising/registration session with each new student, and
• help students select and register their courses prior to the beginning of their term.

For more information, visit Orientation.

Counseling Services

Counseling is designed to help students address academic, personal, and emotional concerns. Counselors meet with students on a regular basis to:

• provide quality assessment for an array of psychological issues and set up appropriate intervention and evaluation plans,
• offer prevention programs for students who are at risk of academic failure, suspension, or dropping out,
• provide intervention in crisis and emergency circumstances throughout the academic year,
• establish prevention and intervention strategies related to mental health and learning disabilities,
• offer referrals, as needed or requested by students, to external professionals for services that exceed the scope of care of the office,
• offer consultation services for faculty, staff, and students who are trying to help another person through difficult times,
• refer students, as needed, to the numerous services available through Office of Student Affairs,
• deliver workshops to students and faculty to promote awareness of mental health, wellness topics, and preventive measures, and
• organize awareness campaigns in collaboration with the Health Services Office (visit Health Education & Campaigns).

All consultation and medical records are kept strictly confidential. No information is ever released to or discussed with anyone without the consent of the student.

For more information, visit Health.

Professional Academic Advising Services

Professional Academic Advising Services aim at assisting all students in understanding the purposes, opportunities and challenges of higher education. The advising service empowers students to develop and implement an educational plan consistent with their interests, abilities and careers. It also strives to:

• Communicate to prospective and current students relevant information on the university’s undergraduate and graduate programs, admission requirements, course selection, academic regulations and requirements,
• provide one-on-one advising to newly admitted students and help them register their courses
• follow up on all freshman students to ensure they sit for SAT II, obtain their freshman equivalency to the Lebanese Baccalaureate, and declare their major,
• propose strategies and create a trusting relationship with students  to promote student retention and academic success,
• provide students with sound academic advice and assist them in identifying their areas of weakness,
• identify students with academic difficulties, evaluate their academic situation, advise and encourage them to implement educational and action plans, and propose mentoring activities using all available resources within the University,
• assess students’ need for non-academic support and direct them to other specialized staff when necessary (e.g., to the university counselor in case of test anxiety, anger, depression),
• coordinate with career advisors to assess students’ interests through career assessment tools, and empower them to develop and implement an educational plan consistent with their interests and abilities, and
• help students chart a path to their degrees and ensure that they meet the requirements of their major toward graduation.

Career Guidance & Placement Services

Graduate and undergraduate students and alumni benefit from the Office of Career Guidance & Placement Services. Career advisors encourage students to explore career options, develop effective planning skills, create job plans, and identify career goals. Career advisors help students:

• clarify their academic and career interests and choose the right major,
• identify connections between each student’s major and career options,
• determine a course of action to meet career objectives,
• write effective résumés and cover letters,
• explore job search strategies,
• prepare for interviews, and
• research and evaluate job offers from potential employers.

The university hosts an annual Career & Internship Fair in which local and international companies offer LAU students full-time or part-time employment, as well as internship opportunities. The career services hold professional development workshops and other career guidance events, and collaborate with the Alumni Relations Office to organize an Annual Business Networking Reception.

The career guidance office facilitates liaison between students, alumni, career guidance staff, and employers through an online one-stop-shop recruitment portal.

For more information and upcoming events, visit Career Guidance.

Health Services Office

The Health Services Office at LAU supports the various health and wellness needs of students, faculty, and staff, through providing a broad range of high-quality professional services listed below. Directed by a registered nurse, the Health Services Office is open weekdays from 8:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. and has an open-door policy. Consultation and medical records are kept strictly confidential. No information is ever released to or discussed with anyone without the consent of the student.

• treatment for minor, acute, and chronic illnesses and injuries,
• emergency assistance and first aid,
• supply of over-the-counter drugs for emergency relief,
• information about medications and medical conditions,
• routine preventative and health assessment exams, such as blood sugar, triglycerides, cholesterol level as well as blood pressure monitoring,
• vaccines for eligible students, as well as following up on immunization requirements  for health professionals, athletes and LAU dorm residents,
• education to promote healthy living and self-care,
• referrals to community health-care providers or specialists,
• identification of blood donors for hospitalized patients in need,
• validation of medical reports (for students with prolonged health-related absences, who should notify the university prior to their return),
• health-related information collection for new students from the Enrollment Health Record and Physical Health Form (for physical education classes and gym users),
• creation of students’ files with records and health-related data that are kept updated on Banner system based on the Student Enrollment Health Form.
• appropriate arrangement, in collaboration with the Red Cross and the Education Department, for basic first aid and first-responder refresher training sessions,
• provision of clinical clearance document based on immunization requirements set by LAU for all health professional students
• promotion of wellness through planning special health-related programs and activities along with advising the  Red Cross – Youth Department and First Responder Clubs in their activities and events.

For more information on relevant programs and activities, visit Health.

Extracurricular Activities

Under the mentorship and coaching of the Office of the Dean of Students, LAU students plan and participate in extracurricular activities through a variety of student-initiated campus clubs. Clubs such as Astronomy, Social Work, UNESCO, Red Cross, Event Organization, Nutrition, Music, International Affairs, Debate, Engineering, etc., serve as practical arenas for students to further develop the skills they learn in class.

The Office of the Dean of Students coordinates the formation of clubs, while faculty advisors provide assistance toward achieving their objectives. By creating venues to recruit student involvement, the office helps in the development of marketing, management, leadership, creativity, and productivity skills on campus and beyond.

Through these means the Office of the Dean of Students works on establishing an atmosphere where students develop skills to be leaders, champions, and responsible citizens, and exercise their mind, body and soul in a fair and harmonious environment.

For more information on LAU’s activities, visit Activities.

National Cultural Clubs

With the different nationalities represented on its campuses, LAU has developed programs to help international students adapt to the Lebanese way of life and fully integrate into the LAU community. Through various national cultural clubs, students network with peers from their countries, while learning to appreciate diversity. Both LAU and the students celebrate the richness of such diversity through annual activities that include the International Heritage Day exhibitions and the Mini Football Tournament.

Student Honor Society

Organized by the schools themselves, students at LAU are recognized and honored for their academic achievement at an annual ceremony where they receive awards and certificates of appreciation for completing 24 credits with a minimum cumulative GPA of 3.5. Financial awards are also granted to students with the highest cumulative GPAs in each school.

Student Representation

The University Student Council (USC) and Campus Student Councils (CSC) in Beirut and Byblos are an executive authority recognized by the Board of Trustees, and are charged with representing the students and allowing them to communicate their views. Members of the council, elected through campus-wide elections, provide resources for the various student organizations and clubs, offering guidance and support in an attempt to build a generation that is established on the notions of teamwork, dedication and responsibility.

Council bylaws are written by a committee of students and university officials. The student councils:

• represent students in the regulation and coordination of all phases of student governance,
• promote LAU’s highest interests,
• cultivate the university’s culture as stated in its mission and vision,
• advance the welfare and concerns of the LAU student population,
• enhance LAU’s campus atmosphere and life through extra-curricular activities, and
• act as an effective liaison between students, faculty, staff and administration.

For more information, visit Student Councils.

Athletics Office

The Athletics program plays a necessary role in the academic and extracurricular life of students. The mission of the program is to provide athletic training, education, and competition opportunities for LAU students. The Athletics Office oversees a wide range of sports and extra-curricular activities that are well suited for the needs of students and the LAU community as a whole.

The following sports are currently offered for both male and female students as extracurricular activities: aerobics, badminton, free play basketball, cheerleading, dabké, fitness, Latin dance, hip-hop, swimming, table-tennis, taekwondo, kickboxing, tennis, and yoga. Varsity sports include badminton, basketball, futsal, swimming, table-tennis, taekwondo, kickboxing, tennis, track and field, soccer, volleyball, handball and rugby league (all for both genders).

Throughout the year, the LAU Athletics Office organizes intercollegiate, intramural, high school, and, whenever possible, international tournaments, in addition to coordinating student athletes’ participation in many other local, regional and international events. Most of the varsity teams are exposed to high-level competition locally and internationally, and participate in the Lebanese Federation of University Sports (FSUL) sanctioned championships, the USC League (University Sports Conference), as well as playing against all officially recognized universities and colleges in Lebanon. At the end of each academic year, an Athletics Awards banquet is held to recognize and honor LAU’s best and most dedicated athletes and coaches.

In addition to the many activities, the athletics office organizes the LAU Fit Fair - a platform for strength and conditioning professionals in the region - the LAU Fun Day - a stress-free day for all students to enjoy - and also organizes the LAU Alumni Athletics Day, a fun-filled event that brings back former varsity alumni, to compete on campus.

For more information, visit Athletics.

Residence Halls

LAU provides residence halls for its students on both campuses:

• In Beirut, three separate residence halls, Santona, Berkeley Hotel,  and Capital Suites are available. Capital Suites is for men and offers apartment-style living.
• In Byblos, there are two non-coed residence halls: Dorm B is conveniently located just across the street from the campus main gate and offers four types of accommodation and Dorm C is off campus just a few minutes’ walk. It offers apartment-style living.

On each campus, a residence hall supervisor and a team of assistants run the dormitories and provide social and extracurricular activities for resident students. The comfortable premises  support the students’ academic and social needs.

All settings provide comfortable accommodations that meet students’ academic and social needs. Rooms are neatly furnished with beds, desks, cupboards, safe boxes, and bed sheets and covers. Cable TV, Internet connection, and internal telephone lines are also provided. The buildings are equipped with heating and cooling.

Lounges equipped with TVs and Internet connections and other amenities provide social space and a venue for activities organized by the residence hall team. Students are also welcome to bring their small refrigerators, dishes, and cutlery. Meals can be ordered from any of the surrounding restaurants.

Students who wish to reside on campus must submit an application as soon as they receive their acceptance.

For more information and application, visit Living at LAU.