History
Hellenic American University was founded as an institution of higher learning with degree-granting authority by an Act of the New Hampshire Legislature and the signature of the Governor of New Hampshire on May 11, 2004. Its degree programs are approved, regulated, and monitored by the New Hampshire PostSecondary Education Commission (NHPEC) to insure adherence to the highest quality American standards.
The founding of Hellenic American University was the result of the visionary leadership of Messrs. Chris Spirou and Leonidas Koskos, Chairman and Executive Director, respectively, of the Hellenic American Union and of the decision of the General Assembly of the Hellenic American Union to further its non-profit educational mission at a higher level. The support of the Union enabled the University to move expeditiously in its early years to establish a core student body, high-quality curricula, and a presence on the higher education landscape in Greece.
Hellenic American University began with a small and focused program, a Masters in Business Administration, launched in November of 2004, following approval by the NH Postsecondary Education Commission (NHPEC). Over the ensuing six years, the institution evolved steadily from its initial identity as a business school to its beginnings as a fully developed university: with NHPEC approval, it developed and implemented twelve more degree programs: a Professional Masters in Business Administration (PMBA), a Bachelor of Science in Business Administration (BSBA), a Bachelor of Science in Information Technology (BSIT), a Master of Arts in Applied Linguistics (MAAL), a Bachelor of Arts in English Language and Literature (BAELL), a Master of Science in Information Technology (MSIT), a Master of Arts in Translation (MAT), the University launched a Bachelor of Music (BM), a Bachelor of Science in Psychology (BSPsych), an Associate of Science in Enterprise Network Administration (ASENA), and a Master of Arts in Conference Interpretation (MACI). In September of 2008, the University launched its first doctoral program, a Ph.D. in Applied Linguistics.
Simultaneous with the development and implementation of these programs, Hellenic American University has engaged in the process of seeking accreditation from the New England Association of Schools and Colleges (NEASC). Visits to the University were conducted by NEASC teams in January of 2006 and January of 2008. In April of 2008, the NEASC Commission on Institutions on Higher Education (CIHE) determined that the institution had met the ‘Requirements of Affiliation’ and was therefore eligible to apply to be a Candidate for Accreditation. A third visit was conducted in October of 2008, subsequent to an institution-wide ‘self-study’ which contributed immeasurably to the University’s progress in developing policies, procedures, and standards to support undergraduate and graduate programs of distinction.
Following this visit, the Commission on Institutions of Higher Education (CIHE) of NEASC approved Hellenic American University as a Candidate for Accreditation, effective as of March 2008. The University’s Administration, Board of Trustees, and Faculty are committed to attaining full accreditation at the earliest date possible, consonant with the timelines established by NEASC.
