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AUC Returns to Full Face-to-Face Instruction in Fall 2021

The American University in Cairo (AUC) has announced that Fall 2021 will follow a full face-to-face instruction model for all undergraduate and graduate classes. Social distancing precautions and face masks will still be required, along with proof of vaccination. In collaboration with the Ministry of Health, AUC recently announced a first round of vaccination for faculty, staff and students, who have signed up on the government registry to receive the first round of COVID-19 vaccinations. The second round of vaccination is expected to start soon.

“We are taking all the needed measures to the finest detail to make sure that we open the campus and that our people are safe,” said Ehab Abdel Rahman, AUC Provost. To ensure the safety of all community members, individuals who have received their first doses of vaccination only will be permitted to access campus, but they will need to take the second dose at the soonest. AUC doesn’t require a specific type of COVID-19 vaccination as long as proof of vaccination is presented.

AUC Counselor Ashraf Hatem noted that the situation in Egypt is fairly good. “We are in the descending limb of the third wave of COVID-19, so the number of confirmed cases is going down.” He added that hospitals now have plenty of empty beds, and there are also empty beds in ICUs. But again, as we all know that this is a wave, and maybe there could be another wave, that’s why vaccination is essential.”

AUC will provide accommodations for individuals with medical exemptions or who have other reasons not to get vaccinated. Students with medical issues may request an exemption request presented with a medical report by their physician to the AUC Clinic to receive final confirmation for their exemption.

With the expected return to face-to-face instruction next Fall, Abdel Rahman said that very few classrooms are currently being prepared for dual-mode delivery for sections with high enrollment (30+ students) to ensure social distancing. Dual-mode delivery entails half of the students inside the classroom and the other half outside the classroom but still on campus and attending the class online,” he added.

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Founded in 1919, The American University in Cairo (AUC) is a leading English-language, American- accredited institution of higher education and center of the intellectual, social, and cultural life of the Arab world. It is a vital bridge between East and West, linking Egypt and the region to the world through scholarly research, partnerships with academic and research institutions and study abroad programs. 

The University offers 39 undergraduate, 52 master’s and two PhD programs rooted in a liberal arts education that encourages students to think critically and find creative solutions to conflicts and challenges facing both the region and the world. 

An independent, nonprofit, politically non-partisan, non-sectarian and equal opportunity institution, AUC is fully accredited in Egypt and the United States.