What's New at AIU London?

August 6, 2009

The racial gap in higher education is narrowing as an increasing number of minority students are enrolling in college. In fact, in 2005, about 5 million minorities enrolled in higher education, up from 3.4 million in 1995 – an increase of 50 percent. Diverse Issues in Higher Education annually ranks the top degree granting schools to minorities and today American InterContinental University (AIU) Online announced that it ranked among the top five in several categories for the 2006-2007 school year.

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July 2, 2009

As the country prepares to celebrate its independence, American InterContinental University (AIU) announces its participation in a program that will support those who have worked to protect the freedoms enjoyed by Americans.

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June 22, 2009

The governing board of American InterContinental University (AIU) has appointed Stephen J. Tober Chief Executive Officer of the AIU University system and President of AIU Online. The AIU system serves more than 22,000 students worldwide and includes four U.S. ground campuses, an international campus in London and a fully online university. AIU is a member of the Career Education Corporation (NASDAQ:CECO) network of colleges, universities and schools.

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June 16, 2009

James-Paul Ancheta, a 28-year-old freelance fashion designer and recent graduate of American InterContinental University London, is among the fashion designers competing in the popular new Bravo reality show, "The Fashion Show." He is competing for a $125,000 grand prize and the chance to have his designs sold in the competitive fashion market.

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June 4, 2009

We are proud to announce that the AIU Virtual Campus, our innovative, student-focused online learning community, was recognized this week as "best of the best" in the Computerworld Honors Program, which acknowledges companies and individuals each year for outstanding new uses of technology that benefit society.

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Hoffman Estates, IL - May 18, 2009 – American InterContinental University (AIU) is pleased to announce that it has been granted initial accreditation by the Chicago-based Higher Learning Commission (HLC) of the North Central Association of Colleges and Schools. AIU, which has been accredited by the Commission on Colleges of the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools (SACS) since 1987, chose to seek HLC accreditation in order to better reflect the fact that the majority of its students are served through its Internet-based campus which is based in the HLC geographic region. SACS and HLC are among the six regional accrediting organizations recognized by the U.S. Department of Education.

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"Starfish makes a huge difference to thousands of vulnerable and orphaned children as a result of HIV/AIDS. As a small charity we demonstrate the importance of a little going a long way. Starfish believe that helping one child at a time is the key to helping many more. The HIV/AIDS pandemic has had a devastating impact in South Africa with up to 1,000 adults currently dying as a result of AIDS every day.

Fundamental to Starfish Greathearts Foundation is reaching out to people and raising awareness of the plight of millions of children in southern Africa.

We are therefore proud to be working with AIU London Fashion Department as we raise awareness and educate people about these important issues while celebrating the high quality of student work as demonstrated at the March Fashion show. We look forward to an excellent Fashion Collections show in May 2009."

Alice Gilkes

Chicago, May 4, 2009 – American InterContinental University (AIU), which offers flexible and accessible education options for adults, and Women Employed, a leading national advocacy organization for women's economic advancement, today launched WomenAchieve.org, a new online resource for women seeking to advance their education and career options and improve the lives of their families.

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AIU London traditionally offers its students the chance of visiting various parts of the world to help acquaint the students with an understanding of a range of world cultures and equip them with knowledge of how their field of study is practiced in different regions. Recent trips have visited locations as varied as Tokyo, Bangkok, Mumbai, Buenos Aires, Cape Town, Hong Kong and Los Angeles, but this was the University's first trip to Dubai and we caught the city, at such a fascinating point in its history.

As one of the world's most vibrant emerging cities, it was fascinating to learn of Dubai's incredible ambition to become the world city of the 21st-century, especially against the backdrop of the current Credit Crunch. During the tour, the group visited many of the city's extra-ordinary development projects such as the impressive Business Bay Downtown area, the proposed Dubailand theme park and the Palm Jumeirah land reclamation project. We met with many working professionals who have been part of the city's recent transformation including the architect who designed the world's tallest building, the Burj.

AIU's study tours are designed not just to enable our students to meet with professionals working within their chosen field but the University feels it is just as important for students to have the opportunity to explore and understand the history and culture of whichever host country we visit. To this end the group also enjoyed a series of visits aimed at educating them into the traditions, cultural norms and practices of people in the UAE: we made, for example, visits to the Jumeirah Mosque to learn about the Islamic faith, we had dinner in a traditional Emirati family home and took a trip to neighbouring Abu Dhabi where we learned of how the country is governed.

At the end of the tour all students agreed that it had been one of the most fulfilling experiences of their time at University. Next year will be a different destination, for the AIU Study Tour, but for those who went to Dubai the memories of such an exciting city will last a life-time!

Testimonials from students:

"It was a great trip and an opportunity to share with people and get to know different cultures. I would definitely recommend it." - Maria Pantino-Rojas. Colombia

"It was great fun. As a Business student, it was nice to learn of the architecture of Dubai which I found really interesting and useful." - Farhan Rajar, Pakistan

"I would recommend the study tour to a friend because it was a great way to experience a new culture and bond with AIU's students and faculty." - Seif ElSeif, Saudi Arabia

"Amazing!" - Sheheryar Arshad, Pakistan

If you take a look online, you will find there are numerous universities and colleges in the United States and the UK where you can get an education in the area of Interior Design. Since you want to get the best education possible, it is only natural you will be looking for the university or college that has the very best reputation in the area of their Interior Design curriculum.

The college in the United States with the best reputation for Interior Design is the University of Cincinnati in Ohio. Each student is to complete two years of the program with their learning being in the area of basic concepts so that they have a very solid foundation of Interior Design that they can build upon during the remaining three years of the Interior Design program.

Each student works in various co-op projects during that three year period. This allows them to work on actual projects in a work setting. They also have the chance to build their portfolio. During their senior year each Interior Design student gets to take on a major Interior Design project of their own choosing. This is their opportunity to show all the skills they have learned and compile them into a very important piece of work.

The American InterContinental University in London has the best reputation in the entire UK as the best Interior Design program. Students have the choice of completing an Associates, Bachelors degree program in the area of Interior Design. Each student has the responsibility of compiling a unique portfolio of their work throughout the program of their choice.

Since both of these Interior Design schools have excellent reputations for the quality of the Interior Design program, you can expect plenty of competing for getting into them. However, you shouldn't let that prevent you from applying and taking the proper steps to ensure you have such an opportunity.

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Hoffman Estates, Illinois – November 06, 2008 – American InterContinental University (AIU) announced today that it has initiated the process to change the University's accreditation from the Commission on Colleges of the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools (SACS) to the Higher Learning Commission (HLC) of the North Central Association of Colleges and Schools.

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May 9, 2008 - Sheena Payne was just a year shy of her bachelor's degree from Florida State University when she found out she was pregnant. As a single mom, she moved to Orlando so she and her daughter, Laila, could be near her family. Now her essay about how online courses would help her finally clinch that diploma has won her an unforgettable Mother's Day gift: a full scholarship from American InterContinental University (AIU).
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April 10, 2008 - "I graduated from AIU London's Fashion Marketing programme in June 2005 and moved back to my home country, Belgium. Through my senior thesis which provided a historical, sociological and anthropological analysis of Belgian fashion and its marketing strategies, I started an internship in the commercial team of a Belgian avant-garde designer in Antwerp, after which I was hired as a commercial assistant. A few weeks later, I was picked up by another Belgian avant-garde designer, and I became his head of production. I made sure his collection was produced correctly and on time, and supervised deliveries to our client, who were mainly Japanese. Next to this, I regularly delivered guest lectures.

Currently I am currently working as the area visual merchandiser for New Look Belgium. We are in the process of setting up the visual merchandising department at New Look's divisions on the continent, i.e. France (8 branches) and Belgium (5 branches). The company is in rapid expansion, so it is terribly exciting to be a part of that. I manage with the store visual merchandisers, and report to the regional business manager in Belgium and the visual identity manager in Paris.

At New Look, I was told that they consider my education to be an asset to their business.

I would not have been able to make such swift progression my career were it not for the freedom I enjoyed at AIU to pursue my own ideas and develop them to the fullest. It's amazing to see how quickly things can grow, if you really have a passion for something."

March 5, 2008, New York, NY – Christian Siriano, formerly an AIU London student, was selected as the winning fashion designer on Bravo TV's Season 4 finale of Project Runway. Project Runway provides budding designers with an opportunity to launch their careers in the world of fashion. The hugely successful reality series has become one of television's most talked-about shows.

Each season, fifteen talented fashion designers are selected from thousands of hopefuls to compete for the opportunity to show their creative work at New York's Fashion Week. Supermodel Heidi Klum heads a panel of industry luminaries, including top women's and men's wear designer Michael Kors and Elle Magazine fashion director Nina Garcia, who serve as judges and mentors charged with selecting and molding the budding designers. Tim Gunn, Chief Creative Officer at Liz Claiborne, Inc., acts as mentor to the program's contestants. Project Runway Season 4 episodes, videos, and collections designed by Christian can be viewed at: http://www.seenon.com/project-runway/

Christian's winning design abilities were molded while a Fashion Design student at AIU's London campus from 2004-2006. Staff members at AIU London were instrumental in helping Christian land assignments with world-renowned designers, Vivienne Westwood and Alexander McQueen.

Details about AIU can be viewed at www.aiuniv.edu and information about AIU's London Fashion Design program can be found at this link: AIU London's fashion design degree programs

March 4, 2008, Atlanta, GA – American InterContinental University (AIU) is pleased to announce its partnership with Big Brothers Big Sisters (BBBS). Perfectly matching AIU's goal of providing a high-quality career-focused education to students who otherwise might not have the opportunity, with BBBS' experience at improving the lives of children, the partnership is destined for success.

AIU has made a financial commitment to Big Brothers Big Sisters to help fund several initiatives, and has also committed to 20 full-ride bachelor degree scholarships that are valued at as much as $1.2 million. Most promising, though, is the chance to further the Mentoring Towards College (MTC) initiative. MTC is a program that identifies children who have shown that, with a little help, they have the capacity to be successful university students.

Mentoring Towards College pairs teens, or the "Littles," who have demonstrated a capacity and the motivation to succeed, with adults, or the "Bigs." And most of the Bigs in the program have degrees themselves, so they are well-positioned to understand what challenges await the Littles. Recognizing that the first year or so of college can be trying even for gifted students from stable home environments, the mentors selected for the MTC program have committed to staying with their mentees through at least one year of college study.

State of the World's Children, a report published by UNICEF, documents that the way to ensure better-educated children is to also educate others in their support structure – especially mothers. Recognizing that children in the Big Brothers Big Sisters program often don't have the financial means to attend college, a home life that's conducive to a climb up the higher education ladder, or a family history of experience with education beyond high school, the leadership teams at AIU and BBBS applied a little "outside the box" thinking. Consequently, scholarships will be available to motivated high school students in the MTC program and to parents of children in the program. The scholarships will be awarded for study at AIU's on-ground campuses and its online campus.

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In response to a growing number of career-focused students who express a preference for hybrid learning opportunities that combine online and on-campus courses, AIU is proud to offer a new class of convenience designed to accommodate today's real-world lifestyles. Students now have the option of combining classes on campus with courses online to earn an industry-current Associate's or Bachelor's degree.

Now, students can engage their instructors, interact with classmates and complete assignments from any Internet-connected computer.

Associate's or Bachelor's degree programs:
Students have the freedom to take many general education courses in their chosen curriculum online. Upper-level and concentration courses are taken on campus.

AIU London is pleased to announce that two of its Visual Communication students, Ilya Krylov and Dominic Aleandri, have received a professional licentiateship award from the British Institute of Professional Photographers (BIPP). This award represents a significant accomplishment for both students, who will now be entitled to list LBIPP after their names. The BIPP licentiateship award is puts these students on the first rung of the ladder toward a successful professional photographic career.

To receive the award, both students were asked to submit a portfolio of fashion photography to a panel of top photographers in their field. These members of the BIPP were very impressed with the work presented.

All students in the AIU London Visual Communication degree program who are enrolled in the Photography concentration, which specializes in commercial (fashion) work, are encouraged to apply for the BIPP award.

The AIU London faculty and staff are pleased to announce that Gerry Slamon has been named AIU Educator of the Year. Mr. Slamon, who is a principal and long-serving instructor of public speaking, is the first recipient of this award, which will be presented in Atlanta, Georgia in the autumn.

This award is no only a well-deserved triumph for Mr. Slamon, who was named AIU London Educator of the Year last November, but also an honour for the London campus and a recognition of the pivotal role of Public Speaking and of General Education in the London curriculum.

Visual Communication student Philippe Teixeira was invited to New York this spring to art direct the entire Versace autumn campaign with photographer Mario Testino. Philippe designed the collection concept and will art direct the fashion shoots (as well as those for shoes and accessories) at Mario's New York studio. He will be working with top model Kate Moss, amongst others.

Another Visual Communication student, Christopher Miggels, received a professional Licentiateship (in fashion photography) from the British Institute of Professional Photographers (BIPP). To earn the honor, Miggels submitted of a portfolio of 20 images for review by a panel of six judges, all professional photographers. The panel was so impressed by his work, the encouraged Miggels to apply for full membership to the society, which is linked with the Professional Bureau of Professional Photographers in the USA.