A Message from Our Provost, Dr. Themis Kaniklidou
Reading this, you are now one step closer to one of the most important decisions you will make in your life (or that you will help your son or daughter make if you’re a parent). If this path leads you to our classrooms, then I can tell you that it will open for you a world of opportunity, self-discovery, and personal, professional, and intellectual development.
But will it? Will the college or university that you eventually choose be that world?
I’m sure you’ve asked yourself the question if this or that college or university is the right one for you. And as the provost of one of those institutions, I can tell you that there’s no easy answer.
You can’t test drive a college
You can’t take us out for a test drive as you would a car (though you can meet with one of our professors to discuss the program you’re interested in). You can’t try the college out for a few weeks and see if it works for you, as you can when you’re dating someone before committing to a longer-term relationship.
We’re not on Amazon where you could read online reviews. There’s no Yelp for colleges and universities in Greece, no running list of YouTube comments.
But there are student reviews, of a sort
Students do give feedback, though. During their studies at Hellenic American College, our students share their feedback through (anonymous) surveys. They evaluate their courses and instructors after each term. They take surveys on their satisfaction with their degree program, and resources such as the labs and the library.
One of the most important surveys for me is the one that all students take right before they graduate. It asks them to evaluate their entire educational experience at Hellenic American College and the impact it has had on their lives.
And the reviews are strongly positive
The survey starts off with a simple question—and it’s the same the one you’re asking yourself: was Hellenic American College a good fit for their needs, interests, and talents.
Nine out of every ten students say it was.
How is this even possible? I ask myself. Our students are so different!
We have undergraduate students who enter the program not sure what they want to do and others who know exactly what they want to achieve. For some of our students this will be their first time they’ll be taking courses in English, while others arrive having studied or lived abroad (and 1 in 5 students comes from abroad). We have students who have never worked and others who have been working for years.
How could one institution be such a good fit for such a diverse group of students?
The answer is: what they find valuable at Hellenic American College are things nearly all students need and benefit from, whatever their interests or background.
Here’s what they found rewarding
The great majority of our students say that during their studies they frequently had the chance to apply the theoretical knowledge they learned to practical problems. That they often received personal attention from their instructors. That they could network with professionals in the field.
They valued the interaction they had with their professors and other students, but also with professionals in the field who taught as guest lecturers. They appreciated the many ways in which learning took place—the team projects, senior capstones and practicums, and the opportunities they had for research. They say their studies helped them acquire work-related skills, think critically, and communicate clearly and effectively.
And the best thing of all
But here’s the finding I’m probably most proud of as provost: 90% of all the graduating students said that they often or very often felt challenged in their courses to do their best work.
And this is why you can be confident that Hellenic American College is the right place for you. Like nearly all the students who have studied before you, you will find here the inspiration, encouragement, and support to do your best work and realize your full potential.