On November 21 & 22, The American University of Florence (AUF) will host its biannual “Open Day,” featuring both in-person and virtual events to provide prospective students a closer look into life at the university.

Both events will contain informational meetings about academics, facilities and university programs. Students will also have the opportunity to meet professors of their prospective program, such as faculty in the fashion department, culinary arts, communications or business. During the in-person Open Day November 21, students will receive a full campus tour of AUF facilities. Students will also visit the university Community Engagement Member Institutions (CEMIs) such as FLY, Fedora and Ganzo. CEMIs serve as institutional hubs for students, which are connected to experiential learning courses, providing students opportunities to gain real-world experiences through internships in departments including fashion, hospitality, publishing and others. 

“[Open Day is] meant to give you an overall view of what the university is, and then funnel that down into specifically what you’re interested in,” AUF Digital Content Manager and Internship Supervisor Alex Klein said. “It’s a chance for you to envision yourself living in the city. It’s a chance to see our facilities, see what we offer, and see how the students interact with each other just by walking around for the day.”

During the virtual Open Day November 22, prospective students will join a zoom call featuring a virtual campus tour and an introduction of AUF facilities and resources. Students will also have the opportunity to meet professors and department faculty in their desired program. The virtual Open Day serves as a more accessible way to learn about AUF  as students are not required to travel to the AUF campus. 

“It’s an engaging PowerPoint presentation, going over everything that would have been done in the in-person one, talking about the buildings, talking about the different programs that we offer,” Klein said. “Then at the end, there’s a chance for Q and A’s. A chance for students to get directly in contact with admissions, with academics, to get them set up to hopefully attend the university or answer more questions.”

As a university intended for international students, one of AUF’s priorities is to provide a fully-immersive experience in Italian life. AUF achieves this through its diverse collection of experiential learning opportunities. AUF offers internships in fashion, culinary arts, photography, journalism, public relations, social media and many others. AUF students build real-world experience to add to their resume or portfolio by working directly with department staff, such as working at the university restaurants, Ganzo or Fedora. Students may also work with department faculty, for instance, taking photos of AUF events or for the campus' Palazzi Community Center. 

Students are also encouraged to be fully immersed in Italian life through AUF’s many buildings spread throughout Florence. While many American-style universities may have one secluded campus for all academic classes, AUF’s locations throughout the city encourage students to explore locally-owned Italian businesses, or to practice their Italian. 

“The goal is to have students leave feeling very Italian and feeling very immersed in the local culture,” Klein said. “And the way that we do that is having the buildings placed throughout the city center. So you may have class in Corso Tintori for three hours, then you leave, and then you walk across the city center to San Gallo. Maybe you stop at a sandwich shop and you walk in, you talk to a local vendor, or you meet your friends in the square and you talk about your day, and then you go on to your next class.”

Following graduation, students from AUF have the opportunity to continue their education further through graduate school or join the workforce. Some graduates of AUF have gone on to continue their education in Florence or Italy, while others have continued their education in other parts of Europe or abroad. 

“I had a photography student, Robert Thompson,” Klein said. “After his four years here, he went on to apply for the Royal Academy of the Arts in London, which is one of the top film and photography art schools in the world. He was able to gather a really stacked portfolio of the classes he took from just being involved in this city. He was able to put together a good enough portfolio to move on to a very prestigious educational experience beyond AUF. Part of the goal here is to lead a student to bigger things beyond this.” 

AUF’s tight-knit community with an average yearly student body of 355 students can encourage students to build strong connections with faculty and help them take full advantage of the resources the university has to offer. Students not only build strong bonds with professors, but also with each other. AUF’s small student body can provide a secure and welcoming community within a larger Florentine environment. 

By graduation, students have become more familiar with each other and have gained a broader understanding of culture and society outside the United States. Klein mentioned the tight-knit community that he has seen graduate students share, specifically at graduation. 

“They became friends throughout that one year program,” Klein said. “It didn’t matter what school they were a part of. They all came together to form this one tight knit community. They came to me because I was taking pictures at graduation that day for the university. They’re like ‘Alex, come over here. We want to get a group picture of all the master’s students.’ It was a special moment.” 

Learn more about AUF programs, student life & opportunities at Open Days on-campus Friday, November 21 & online Saturday, November 22. Follow the link below to sign up today.