13 Questions with the 13th President

President Sonya Stephens joins AUP from her previous role as President of Mount Holyoke College in South Hadley, Massachusetts. She is a scholar of 19th-century French literature and culture and a lifelong Francophile. We asked AUP alumni to send in questions for our feature interview with AUP’s 13th President.

What led you to AUP? I worked in London for 15 years before moving to Indiana University. Some of the most exciting work across French cultural studies of the 19th century was happening in the United States, and it was important to me to develop the connections I’d made through conference attendance, while also embracing a new system of higher education. I had always been interested in higher education administration and was drawn back into that work at IU. A deep interest in undergraduates and a love of the liberal arts, as well as a commitment to the work of women’s colleges, took me to Mount Holyoke, where I held the roles of Vice President for Academic Affairs and acting President before becoming President. Both my experiences in US higher education, and my own academic trajectory, have had a global dimension, and I have always been interested in The American University of Paris because of its role in the European, American and global higher education landscapes. The opportunity to continue doing the work I love at an institution that has always fascinated and impressed me is a perfect combination.

What sparked your passion for 19th-century French literature? The initial interest was not so much in 19th century literature, but in language and form more broadly. I loved the literature of the 19th and 20th centuries because of the way it challenges and experiments with form. How do you distinguish a Baudelaire prose poem from a short story, for example? I read all sorts of prose poetry, short stories and sonnets, from the 19th century right through to contemporary fiction. I’m interested in how we interrogate and reinvent preexisting forms to create new forms of expression. I did my PhD on Baudelaire, but I have written on many 19th-century authors and artists – I’m particularly interested in the intersection between the two. I’m also interested in the ways in which culture is defined and developed in the 19th century, particularly in relation to the city – in this case, Paris.

Speaking of Paris – what are you most looking forward to about living here? France has always been my spiritual home. Being in Paris means I am at the heart of my intellectual interests; engaging with colleagues for whom Paris is a focus is to live and breathe French studies and to look at the world, from this place, with a diversity of perspectives and disciplines. And, of course, Paris is Paris! It seems to me that it gets more beautiful every year. The investment in patrimoine is extraordinary. There’s also cheese! When I was learning French, being able to name the cheeses on the cheese board was a big thing for me – and continues to be. Understanding systems and culture means being able to know them well enough to become integrated within them. That will also be my task at AUP.

How can AUP help its community leverage the opportunity of the Paris 2024 Olympics? I think the Olympics are a wonderful opportunity for everyone associated with AUP. They offer a platform to promote who we are and what our community can do. We have faculty on campus who have things to say about what the Games represent: What does it mean to be a global community? How do we think about the Olympic Games? We also have a diverse and culturally adaptive student body, with individuals who could both contribute to the organization of the Games and find in them a learning experience. We may be able to leverage the opportunity in other ways, too – for example, through our nascent housing program.

What’s your first order of business upon arrival at AUP? It’s the same as for any student arriving at AUP: to learn. I have so much to learn about this amazing institution, and so my first order of business will be to listen, learn and be as thoughtful as I can about everything I do.

What do you think makes AUP unique? The fact we are a global community within the global community that is Paris. Students and faculty come together from all over the world – with such different lived experiences and interests – in this deep learning project. Together, we reflect on contemporary and historical problems, within a liberal arts environment that lets us benefit from the cultural, social and intellectual resources of both Paris and our global community – including our global alumni network.

What makes the liberal arts so important? The importance of the liberal arts is increasingly questioned by the public. But it is increasingly reaffirmed by employers and those who see the long-term value of an education that enables students to become flexible, adaptable thinkers and problem solvers. AUP’s contemporary curriculum consists of exceptional programs that position students to be successful all throughout their careers. Because we know the liberal arts don’t just help you get your first job; they enable you to evolve your skills by encouraging adaptability and flexible thinking.

What will be your biggest talking point when promoting AUP to the French community? We have a real opportunity to talk about the mentored scholarship and learning that our students do here: the small classes, the close academic relationships and the personal growth that comes with this kind of education in this place. There’s much to say about the global education AUP offers, about the innovative classroom experiences and about the opportunities that take students out of the classroom and into the world.

What place do you view for technology in higher education following the Covid-19 pandemic? During the pandemic, we were able to adapt quickly to online learning. Many faculty said, as they emerged from online teaching, that they now saw the value of the flipped classroom: of enabling students to come to class ready to have a discussion. I think that will shape the way we teach for a long time, whether or not we use technology as much as we did during Covid-19. There were great opportunities to bring experts into the classroom via Zoom. But what I heard from students was that they missed the sociability of the classroom. Those connections, those questions that you can ask your peers, make all the difference in the learning curve. We mustn’t lose those informal moments of interaction and learning.

Would you consider implementing the Strategic Antiracism Action Plan from Mount Holyoke at AUP? There is always room for this kind of work, and the work is different at every institution – particularly in the French context. That said, racism is racism wherever it occurs. We all must make both a personal and institutional commitment to anti-racism. For me, the real value of the action plan at Mount Holyoke was the deep work that happened in creating a leadership commitment to antiracism. The collaboration involved and the commitments we publicly made to our community were what were most important. I’ve had some early talks with AUP’s Diversity Council, and I hope we will pursue those conversations.

What are your plans to work with the Board of Trustees to build AUP’s endowment? Building AUP’s financial security is important work. The endowment is vital to the institution’s growth and will secure AUP’s long-term future. It’s the responsibility of all of us to support it. I hope those alumni who remember their time at AUP fondly and who want to see the University grow in new and exciting ways will consider supporting philanthropic endeavors and priorities, and through these grow the endowment.

What will AUP look like ten years from now as it celebrates its 70th anniversary? AUP has just celebrated its 60th anniversary. As we think about the next milestones, I’m very excited to consider how far we will travel and how far we have already come. We will have a strategic planning process, of course. But my intent is that the University will continue to grow in stature, reputation and reach as well as in its educational offerings, so that it will be even stronger as we reach the end of the decade. I’m looking forward to hearing the community’s vision for this next iteration of AUP and for how we will build, together, the future of this extraordinary university.

Do you have a message for the alumni who sent in questions? Thank you! It’s been wonderful for me to have questions from alumni, because it’s my first real way of getting to know what you’re interested in as a community: what you care about, how you think about the institution and what you’re hoping for as we move forward. It’s a unique experience as President to be in interaction with all constituents. I’m looking forward to continuing the conversation with you all. Please continue to send me your questions and ideas. I’d love to hear from you.