By Abdalrahman Ayad
UNIVERSITY CITY, SHARJAH – The American University of Sharjah is preparing for a mid-November visit by a major US accrediting body, part of the regular reaccreditation process, the administration announced Monday.
The Middle States Commission on Higher Education has accredited AUS since June 2004. Princeton University, the University of Pennsylvania, Johns Hopkins University, and the American Universities of Beirut, Cairo, and Paris are among the institutions holding MSCHE accreditation.
Reaccreditation visits occur periodically. To meet its liaison team in a few weeks, AUS has begun a required self-study process, Vice Chancellor for Academic Affairs and Provost Dr. Matthias Ruth said in an email. Ruth added that AUS appointed a steering committee of faculty and administrators to draft a self-study design. The latter examines seven areas of campus life, involving topics such as mission, ethics, student learning and experience, and administration. Each is being studied by a separate working group.
Ruth noted that AUS’s “successful reaccreditation affirms to our students, faculty, and external partners that we continue to meet internationally recognized standards of academic quality, integrity, and institutional effectiveness.” To that end, he asked all members of the AUS community to support the working groups with any request for information.
