By Alaa Alhaj Fares
UNIVERSITY CITY, SHARJAH – The American University of Sharjah anticipates almost all classes resuming “full face-to-face” learning next term, albeit with safety protocols in mind, its chancellor announced Wednesday.
Dr. Susan Mumm wrote that the change was in keeping with a recent UAE Ministry of Education decision affecting all of the country’s universities.
Mumm, whose email noted the new term will begin Jan. 16, wrote that safety measures will include all AUS community members showing proof of vaccination via the Al Hosn app, and by continuing to wear masks as necessary. A full list of safety protocols will be made public as soon as it is received from the ministry, she added.
Mumm thanked the AUS community for their cooperation throughout the pandemic. She acknowledged the effect the latter had on faculty and students, who she praised for transitioning into hybrid and online learning this term.
Responding to an email on Thursday, Mumm noted that AUS is especially waiting for rules regarding physical distancing, and that some classes may remain in hybrid form because of classroom size. “Our intention is to teach in-class as much as the regulations permit,” she added.
Responding to government directives as the pandemic worsened, AUS closed its campus on March 8, 2020, switching initially to online-only learning. The campus reopened for the current semester with hybrid instructional measures in place.
