Campus Comes Alive, Semester in Full Swing

By: Nourhan Amer

Photographer: Julia Khlaifat

After a long summer vacation, the campus is once again bustling with activity and liveliness as students hurry to their classes and enjoy the events held during assembly hour in Bartlett Plaza.

This academic year, the AUC administration is keen to improve the student experience by enhancing communication and access to information.

“AUC looks forward to having better communication with the students [to make them] feel comfortable enough to ask and seek help when needed to overcome issues they face,” said Interim Dean of Students Michelle Henry.

Another topic generally considered crucial within the community is being highlighted this semester.
“AUC President Ahmed Dallal stressed on the mental health initiative, ensuring that students, faculty, and staff are aware of their mental health’s importance and how it affects their daily lives in all aspects,” said Henry.

Since this is the first semester that AUC is fully back on campus after the Covid-19 pandemic, the university is trying to find its new normal. In one sense, that means strengthening the efficiency of the First Year Program (FYP), which Henry says not only helps newcomers understand the university better, but also makes them feel like AUC is their second
home.

“AUC is always striving to better itself from all aspects and looking for opportunities to innovate and strengthen its system, curriculum, etc. to provide the best services for its community,” said Rania Nafie, First Year Program Manager. Faculty members are equally excited to aid students in various ways to excel.

“One of the things I find very rewarding is getting students in my classes and especially my travel writing class to succeed, which happened recently. And as a teacher, seeing one of your students succeed is incredibly rewarding. So I’d like that to happen again,” said Richard Hoath, senior instructor II in the Department of Rhetoric and Composition.

Part of that success comes by way of engagement through student-led groups and activities.

“Students, including newcomers, are joining clubs and organizations that require them to step out of their comfort zone and socialize as well as have new experiences while trying new things. It is important to create new memories from various experiences as AUC aims that students not only learn academically but also learn from .being active in the community,” Henry said.

For Rawan Badr, a Communications and Media Arts sophomore, the ease and speed with which she settled into the semester came as a welcome surprise.

“I’m very satisfied with my schedule and the workload is actually well for this semester,” said Badr.
Although workloads and schedules seem intact, students are now facing another issue – overcrowding.
“I’m trying to find a place that is not crowded. Even the Sports Complex is crowded nowadays,” says Mohaned Hani, a Marketing and Business Management sophomore.

Nevertheless, there appears to be a sense of optimism on campus not felt in years. Henry sees  “a good-spirited and enthusiastic community buzzing with high energy and motivation as the start of this fall 2022 semester is not only a good promise of a new semester but for the rest of the academic year”.