Over 1,000 freshmen enroll at AUS for Fall 2012

Over 1,000 new students, enrolled at American University of Sharjah (AUS) for the fall semester, attended a welcome session at the AUS Main Auditorium on Friday, September 7, 2012. The event preceded orientation week, which begins today, and is aimed at giving new students a comprehensive understanding of the university and to acclimate them to life at AUS. The enrollees comprise the top 20 percent of their high school classes.

At the special session, Dr. Heath welcomed the new entrants and their parents on behalf of the university's founder and president, His Highness Sheikh Dr. Sultan bin Mohammad Al Qasimi, Member of the UAE Supreme Council and Ruler of Sharjah. "You are about to embark on a wonderful journey of learning and discovery at a university that strives continually for the highest standard possible in higher education. We will give you all the skills of thinking and analysis and teamwork that you need to succeed," said Dr. Heath. 

"The most important thing that you can learn at AUS is how to think clearly; how to analyze logically; how to communicate clearly; and how to be creative in finding solutions for the problems that you face. These are some of the twenty-first century skills that AUS will help you develop," added the chancellor.

The welcome session was conducted by Ali Shuhaimy, Vice Chancellor for Enrollment Management. "Let me congratulate our new students for their academic achievements in their respective secondary education system," he said welcoming the students, their parents and guests to AUS. "This is an achievement you can all be proud of. We encourage and challenge you to maintain the momentum to continue to excel in everything you do. We are confident of your abilities and desire to succeed and we promise to do our best to help you along the way." 

In his remarks, AUS Provost, Dr. Thomas Hochstettler, said, "We at AUS are in a very real sense a family and your presence here today signals that you too are already becoming part of the growing kinship of AUS. 

I predict that your next few years at AUS will change your lives forever. Here you will forge friendships that will endure throughout your lifetimes. Here you will expand your horizons and challenge your assumptions about the world, about how it functions and about your place in it. Here you will find the resources to build for yourselves a life rich with complexity and forever open to exploring new perspectives on the world. Here, if you apply yourselves, you will gain the skills and intellectual tools that will allow you to succeed in your careers after graduation."

At the welcome session, students had the opportunity to find out more about the cultural and social life at AUS. AUS Student Council president, Hamdan Al Maamari, encouraged new students to seek the help of the Student Council. "From the moment you become part of the great AUS family, you become a main concern for us, the Student Council. It is extremely important for us that you know you are not alone. We are here for you. So, if at any moment you feel you are treated unfairly, do not hesitate to pass by the Student Council Office."

As practiced each year, new students were asked to sign the Academic Integrity Pledge which binds them to uphold the highest standards of honesty and to adhere to the rules of the university, thereby creating a culture of integrity. 

Also present at the welcome session were AUS vice chancellors as well as deans and other senior university officials.

During the course of this week, orientation activities scheduled include academic and non-academic orientations, placement tests, leisure activities and class registration.