American College of Greece
The American College of Greece (ACG) is a private college, graduate business school and high school in Agia Paraskevi, Greece. It was founded by United Church of Christ American missionaries in 1875.[2] It was originally a primary and secondary school for girls but now consists of 3 divisions; Pierce, Deree, and Alba. As of 2020, it had 5,774 students enrolled in all three of its divisions.[3]
| Motto | Non Ministrari, Sed Ministrare (Latin) |
|---|---|
Motto in English | Not to be Served, but to Serve |
| Type | Private, co-educational elementary, secondary school, college, graduate school |
| Established | 1875 (148 years ago) Smyrna, Ottoman Empire |
| Endowment | $300M |
| President | David G. Horner[1] |
| Location | , , 38°00′09″N 23°49′46″E / 38.0025°N 23.8295°E |
| Campus | Agia Paraskevi campus, Spata East campus, downtown Athens campus |
| Nickname | ACG |
| Affiliations | NECHE; AAICU; Open University UK; AMBA; MSA accreditation |
| Mascot | Griffins |
| Website | http://www.acg.edu/ |
The American College of Greece is chartered in the United States and Greece, offering undergraduate and graduate degree programs as well as programs of study for visiting and non-degree students.
Structure Edit
The college is run by the namesake organization based in Boston, Massachusetts, United States.[4]
John S. Bailey served as president from 1975 to 2008.[5] David G. Horner has been the president since 2008.[6] The college is governed by a board of trustees.[7]
The college has three divisions:
- Pierce College, for primary and secondary education.
- Deree College, for undergraduate and postgraduate
- Alba Graduate Business School
High school Edit
The American College of Greece was founded in Smyrna (currently Izmir, Turkey), in Ottoman Empire in 1875 as a school for girls. It was relocated to Hellenikon, Athens, after the loss of Asia minor to the Turks at the invitation of then Prime Minister of Greece Eleftherios Venizelos. During the Axis occupation of Greece, its premises were used as a hospital under German command. After the war, the college reopened at Hellenikon, where it remained until it moved to its new campus in the Athens suburb of Agia Paraskevi, where it operates to this day.
Pierce won the British Council International School Award for the academic years 2015-2018 bestowed by the British Council in Greece and is a member of the International Schools Theater Association.[8]
As of January 2016, Pierce is an authorized IB World School[9] and has been offering IB Diploma Programme since September 2016.[10]
Deree College Edit
Deree College focuses on the liberal arts.[11] Its 64-acre main campus is located in the northeastern Athenian suburb of Agia Paraskevi.
In Greece, Deree College is officially referred to as "εκπαιδευτικός φορέας μη τυπικής μεταλυκειακής εκπαίδευσης"[12] without degree awarding powers because of Article 16.[13][14][15] However, the Deree College undergraduate programmes related to degrees validated and issued by the Open University of the United Kingdom are recognised by the Hellenic Republic.[16][17][18]
History Edit
When the American College of Greece was founded in Smyrna, Asia Minor, it was initially an all-girls secondary school. On 1885, it became an institution of higher education,[citation needed] the predecessor of today's Deree College.
Deree College was shut down in 1922 during the mass immigration of Greeks from Asia Minor following the Asia Minor Disaster in the aftermath of World War I. On 1923, Prime Minister Eleftherios Venizelos invited Deree to reopen in Athens. It did so that same year and survived the World War II Nazi occupation of the country.
In the 1970s, the undergraduate division of the American College of Greece was renamed Deree College in honor of William Deree, a wealthy Greek American philanthropist from Chicago.
Academics Edit
Deree has been accredited by the New England Association of Schools and Colleges (NEASC) since 1981. Its degrees are equivalent to degrees issued by US colleges and universities. Deree has a 64-acre campus in Agia Paraskevi, a suburb of Athens 6 miles from the center. Deree College - The American College of Greece offers 21 undergraduate majors leading to BA or BS degrees, and 8 graduate specialties leading to MA or MS degrees. It also offers many graduate diplomas, certificates and continuing education courses.[19]
Graduate Business School Edit
In 2012 the American College of Greece's Degree division formed an alliance with Alba Graduate Business School an institution funded by student tuition and fees that offers MBA programs in shipping, financial services and banking."[20]
The two institutions are distinct legal entities with integrated governance and organizational structures. Under this arrangement, Alba is also accredited by NEASC under Degree-ACG's accreditation.[21]
ACG Athletic Club Edit
The Deree College Athletic Club was established in 1986 and began re-operating in September 2011, when it started running the Deree Sports Academy for children and the ACG Fitness Program for adults. The Deree Sports Academy departments consist of athletics, swimming, tennis, basketball, volleyball, and soccer.[22]
Administration Edit
ACG's highest governing authority is its board of trustees. The institution's current president of The American College of Greece is David G. Horner. Horner joined ACG in July 2008 as its seventh president. ACG’s highest governing authority is its board of trustees. On December 2022, Ambassador Daniel Bennett Smith was elected to the position of Chair of the ACG Board of Trustees.
References Edit
- ^ "President Horner Interviewed on CNN.gr". The American College of Greece. 21 March 2016. Retrieved 9 May 2017.
- ^ . Archived from the original on 2014-01-19. Retrieved 2014-02-14.
- ^ "Annual Report 2020" (PDF). acg.edu.
- ^ . American College of Greece. Archived from the original on 2 April 2015. Retrieved 1 March 2015.
- ^ Rogakos, Megakles. "Dr. John S. Bailey". www.acgart.gr. Retrieved 1 July 2018.
- ^ "President's Biography". The American College of Greece. 2016-05-12. Retrieved 2018-07-01.
- ^ "The Board of Trustees". The American College of Greece. 2016-05-12. Retrieved 1 July 2018.
- ^ "Πιστοποιήσεις | Pierce".
- ^ "The American College of Greece, PIERCE". International Baccalaureate. Retrieved 2018-07-01.
- ^ "Pierce is now an authorized IB World School (beginning September 2016)". www.pierce.gr. Retrieved 2018-07-01.
- ^ "The American College of Greece | Key Facts". The American College of Greece. Retrieved 2023-02-15.
- ^ "ΥΠΟΥΡΓΕΙΟ ΠΑΙΔΕΙΑΣ & ΘΡΗΣΚΕΥΜΑΤΩΝ - Κολλέγια". www.minedu.gov.gr. Retrieved 2023-02-15.
- ^ "The American College of Greece | ACG Strategic Plan & Annual Report". The American College of Greece. Retrieved 2023-02-15.
- ^ "Άρθρο 16 - Σύνταγμα της Ελλάδος - Παιδεία, τέχνη, επιστήμη". Lawspot (in Greek). 2014-11-12. Retrieved 2023-02-15.
- ^ To Syntagma tis Elladas (PDF).
- ^ "The Open University". www.open.ac.uk. Retrieved 2023-02-15.
- ^ "The American College of Greece | Key Facts". The American College of Greece. Retrieved 2023-02-15.
- ^ "The American College of Greece | Deree Degree Recognition". The American College of Greece. Retrieved 2023-02-15.
- ^ . Acg.edu. Archived from the original on 2013-08-04. Retrieved 2013-08-15.
- ^ "Alba Graduate Business School". Financial Times. 2011-09-18. Retrieved 2019-12-16.
- ^ Purinton, Ted; Skaggs, Jennifer (2017-10-20). American Universities Abroad: The Leadership of Independent Transnational Higher Education Institutions. Oxford University Press. ISBN 978-1-61797-847-0.
- ^ "Deree Sports Academy". acg.edu. The American College of Greece. 2016.
External links Edit
- Official website