Chancellor's Column
As we enter the last months of the admission cycle, it appears that our concerns may have been without foundation. Once again, it appears that the more pressing problem may be our limited ability to accommodate the number of students who seek admission. As of mid-May, the number of applications stands at 20 percent higher than the number received last year. Perhaps even more significantly, the number of admitted applicants with high school grade point averages of 80 percent has increased by 66 percent compared to last year. If applications continue to arrive in numbers proportional to our experience in previous years (when about 50 percent of the total applications are received in the months of June and July), we can expect virtually every seat to be taken at AUS when the new term begins in August. And not only will the classrooms be fully booked, they will welcome the best prepared group of freshmen in AUS history. Anticipating the need for additional faculty members, the Board of Trustees last year approved a total faculty size of 275. Since then, search committees and deans have been actively recruiting around the world. We anticipate that somewhere between 30 and 40 new faculty members will arrive on campus in August to welcome our new class of scholars. With the growth AUS has experienced, even our facilities, magnificent as they are, will be fully booked, and we are anxious for the completion of the new library so that we can reconfigure spaces for academic use. I am pleased to report also that His Highness Sheikh Dr. Sultan Bin Mohammed Al Qassimi, Member of the Supreme Council and Ruler of Sharjah, has approved the construction of a new women's dormitory, which should be completed by fall 2006. All in all, 2004-05 has been a very successful year for AUS. We look forward to an even better year ahead. To all, I extend my best wishes for an enjoyable and productive summer. Dr. Winfred Thompson
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In September 2004, the staff and I began to discuss the possibility of increasing the requirements for undergraduate admission to the American University of Sharjah. We did so with a conviction that whatever changes we might adopt should be modest, in large part because we were concerned that the increase in standards might affect our enrollment negatively.