About APP
The Academic Preparatory Program (APP) prepares non-native English speaking high school graduates to enter the AUIS undergraduate program by teaching them academic English, critical thinking skills, and study habits. All applicants to American University of Iraq, Sulaimani (AUIS) must take an English placement test upon admission. Scores on these exams, based on the English requirements, determine placement. About 90 percent of students will require English training before joining the academic program; they receive this training in APP. The program strengthens students' English language skills and provides them with the student success training and intellectual tools needed not only to do well but to thrive in the academic program.
Mission
APP's mission is to prepare non-native English-speaking high school graduates to enter the AUIS undergraduate program by teaching them academic English, critical thinking skills and study habits. Our goal is to ensure that upon completion of the Program, students have the necessary proficiency in English reading, speaking, and writing, and awareness of academic cultural norms and expectations to succeed in their first year of undergraduate studies at AUIS. Approximately 90% of AUIS undergraduate students pass through APP. Our mandate goes beyond learning English as a Second Language, stressing study skills, critical thinking, and Western academic standards. APP is a trimester-based system, running all year, and students are in classes four days a week, five hours per day, with Thursdays dedicated to program-wide testing. In addition to classes, APP offers Language Centers, and teachers are encouraged to offer one-on-one or group tutoring during their office hours, all of which provide students additional support and instruction outside the classroom. The majority of APP students enter the undergraduate program after one year.
Program Learning Outcomes (PLO's)
Students who complete APP will be able to demonstrate competency in the following areas:
Reading: Students will be able to read and analyze chapter to unit length authentic academic texts on a variety of topics through the application of reading strategies, including surveying the text, identifying and summarizing key points, connecting information across texts, and repairing comprehension problems via contextual vocabulary analysis and identification of contextual function of clauses and phrases.
Writing: Students will be able to use the writing process to generate and organize multi-paragraph arguments, opinions, and reports, with usage of appropriate grammar, structure, and format.
Supporting Skills:
Listening/Speaking: Listen to lectures while simultaneously taking notes that identify key and supporting ideas; participate in class discussions by asking questions for clarification and offering answers or ideas to questions posed by others.
Study Skills: Organize information from readings and lectures into notes and study guides to be used individually and in study groups; apply basic time management skills to individual courses; demonstrate technological literacy through the use of MS Office, Google drive and documents, Moodle, SONIS, email, the World Wide Web, and other relevant academic technologies for language learning and practice.
CEA Accreditation
AUIS is accredited by the Commission on English Language Program Accreditation for the period April 2020 through April 2030 and agrees to uphold the CEA Standards for English Language Programs and Institutions. CEA is recognized by the U.S. Secretary of Education as a nationally recognized accrediting agency for English language programs and institutions in the U.S. For further information about this accreditation, please contact CEA, 1001 North Fairfax Street, Suite 630, Alexandria, VA 22314, (703) 665-3400, www.cea-accredit.org.
APP operates with a high level of quality, with an approved program of study, qualified instructors, adequate resources, and approved recruitment and admissions policies. Through the hard work of the APP staff and instructors, APP has acquired public recognition with this accreditation which indicates that it fully meets US and international standards set by the US Department of Education.
The self-study documents can be found in the APP Administration Office in the Academic Block (Building-B) of the campus and consist of a regular, yearly program review incorporating course/assessment reviews, student/faculty feedback, and other data is conducted at the end of every academic year.
APP was awarded a second 10-year accreditation by CEA in April 2020.
