Academic Initiatives

Goal

In pursuit of continuous improvement, advancing the quality of education and the AUC experience and fostering the academic excellence of teaching and learning at AUC, Provost Ehab Abdel-Rahman established a task force to define and assess the quality of education at AUC.

The 2017 task force was formed in 2017 to conduct extensive research and develop an action plan for implementation 2018 - 2023. This task force focused on setting priorities for:

a. improving the learning experience of students

b. enhancing and supporting quality teaching

c. admitting outstanding students.

2023 Task Force

In 2023, Provost Ehab Abdel-Rahman reconvened a task force to redefine the quality of education, explore the various dimensions of quality education and the learning experience at AUC. With participation from hundreds of AUC community members and the support of the Center for Learning and Teaching (CLT) and the Office of Strategy Management and Institutional Effectiveness (SMIE), the task force took an expansive look at relevant institutional data pertaining to the quality of education and collected new data through student, faculty, chair, leadership, academic staff and alumni focus groups and interviews.

2017 Task Force

AUC moved towards implementing the 2017 task force recommendations in 2018 with key areas of success, including but not limited to the AUC learning spaces strategic plan, institutionalizing teaching professional development, redesigning the end-of-semester student evaluation of teaching, creating a channel of communication between students and chairs through senior focus groups and strategically redesigning student admission and financial support.

The academic program review is a process that ensures each degree program at AUC undergoes a comprehensive cyclic process of assessment of quality, potential, and sustainability for the purpose of enhancing academic quality and students’ experience, and ensuring resources are used efficiently and allocated to support AUC’s mission and strategic plan. Between Spring 2020 and Fall 2024, the Office of the Associate Provost for Assessment and Accreditation completed the review for all 90 AUC academic programs, and each department developed an action plan that addresses the recommendations of the review process. The first cycle of the program review generated in-depth communication between the academic departments and the university administration, helped departments identify areas of strength and opportunities for improvement in their academic programs and supported these programs in developing clearer plans on what should be maintained, enhanced, transformed, or phased out. 

For the full academic program review process, click here.

The Office of the Provost developed a process for comprehensive reappointment reviews for deans. The process provides the opportunity for faculty and other constituencies to give constructive input and provide data to the provost to make a decision on renewing the dean’s term. The implementation of the process started in Spring 2020. We also developed guidelines for the appointment and review of department chairs. Performance review of department chairs are now conducted in the final year of the three-year term of all chairs. In addition, and in coordination with SMIE, all chairs receive annual chair evaluation survey reports to provide feedback to department chairs to help them understand how they may more effectively support the work of the department.

Review Process of Deans

Guidelines for the Appointment and Review of Department Chairs

In Spring 2018, AUC Provost formed an advisory committee from three highly regarded academics from top universities in the US to review the current policies and processes related to promotion and tenure at AUC. The advisory committee viewed the promotion and tenure review as one phase in a continuous process that is connected to other phases in the faculty’s career. Hence, any reform of this review should include not only the review phase that takes place at the sixth or seventh year, but also all the phases prior to this review. 

View the complete report of the provost’s advisory committee for review of tenure process here.

In Fall 2018, following receiving the report of the advisory committee, the provost assigned a task force the mandate of analyzing the report and formulating an action plan pertaining to the report’s recommendations. The task force adopted a methodology by which it looked at all the phases in a faculty member’s journey at AUC. Such a journey starts with the initial step of identifying the need for faculty lines, followed by recruitment and hiring, mentoring, first year review, third year review, annual performance review and up to and including the last phase of promotion and tenure review. 

View the provost’s task force on promotion and tenure here.

In the academic year 2020/2021, the Office of the Provost in collaboration with academic departments is piloting a new faculty mentoring program that includes valuable professional and personal guidance in different domains. This is to help ensure a smooth integration of new faculty, enhance their ability to add value to the institution and promote a more positive institutional climate. The faculty mentoring program will include both one-on-one and group mentoring, to increase the exposure of new faculty to a broad array of experienced colleagues. 

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