The Chancellor's Newsletter | July 4, 2024

Firefly-abstract-blended-colors,-less-details-849

Dear AUS Community,

As you may be aware, AUS is making notable strides toward becoming a truly accessible and inclusive institution, particularly in serving our students with disabilities. Our current Board of Trustees is also dedicated to supporting these efforts.

Earlier this year, an AUS Accessibility and Inclusion Working Group was created. Headed by myself, and led by Rasha Tawfik, this working group is supported by two of our Board Members: Trustee Sultan Sooud Al-Qassemi and Trustee Bedour Saeed Al Raqbani. It includes major stakeholders across campus: the Academic Support Center, Safety and Crisis Management, Office of Student Affairs, Library, Campus Development, and ICT & IT Security. As a result of this working group, several projects are currently underway:

improving the AUS website and learning platforms to ensure they are accessible to all users
installing evacuation chairs and visual alerts in various campus areas to enhance safety and security for all
enhancing campus infrastructure to increase adherence to accessibility requirements
encouraging greater involvement of students with disabilities in campus activities and student life
collaborating with the AUS Library to augment its accessibility services

Additionally, the Accessibility and Inclusion Working Group is in communication with various external consultants and partnerships that will enhance AUS’ efforts in both accessibility and inclusivity. You can follow AUS’ accessibility journey on the newly created webpage on the AUS Website – Empowering Every Student: Accessibility Support.

On a different yet related topic, and in adherence to the Ministry of Education directives, all faculty and staff will undergo a foundational online training course on disabilities. This course will cover common disabilities and how to detect them, understanding AUS’ approach to students with disabilities, and appropriate etiquette when interacting with students with disabilities. This training will begin next semester. Consequently, we aim to provide faculty training on integrating inclusivity into our teaching practices for students with disabilities.

This commitment represents an important direction for AUS, and as these projects unfold, your involvement and support are invaluable. It is also crucial for us to align our efforts efficiently to achieve our goals effectively. If you have any connections, leads, or questions that could support our efforts, or would like to have a conversation about this, please reach out to Rasha or myself.

Sincerely,