His Highness Sheikh Dr. Sultan Bin Mohammad Al Qassimi, Member of the Supreme Council of the United Arab Emirates, Ruler of Sharjah and President of American University of Sharjah (AUS), visited the university's Student Council elections yesterday, May 14, 2014 and observed students as they voted to elect their new Student Council Board for 2014-2015. The election this year had an unprecedented turnout of almost 2,000 voters.

He praised the well-organized elections and the well-structured campaigns and expressed his satisfaction at the manner in which the university conducts the Student Council elections. He thanked the outgoing Student Council president for his efforts throughout the year and expressed his best wishes for this year's candidates.

The Student Council serves a voice for the student body and works directly with the university administration. The Student Council aims to initiate programs and projects that cater to the demands of the student body as well as promote leadership and teamwork.

Dr. Moza Al Shehhi, Vice Chancellor for Student Affairs thanked His Highness the Ruler of Sharjah for visiting the Student Council during the elections and congratulated the student Saud Mohammad Saud Al Qassimi for winning the election and becoming the new President of the AUS Student Council for this year.

"Our students' interest in expressing their thoughts about student life has grown steadily year after year. This resulted in an unprecedented turnout of almost 2,000 voters this year. Competition for Student Council posts has become more stringent, with our students using new and creative methods of campaigning to gain their peers' support. The fact that we have more students who are willing to take up leadership roles is an indication that the Office of Student Affairs' vision of shaping future leaders is unfolding. I congratulate all the winners, and, most of all, I thank His Highness Sheikh Dr. Sultan for visiting us during the elections," said Dr. Moza Al Shehhi, Vice Chancellor for Student Affairs.

Mechanical engineering student Fazal Afzal said, "The Student Council acts like a bridge between the students and the management; thus by voting and selecting a committee, we can voice our opinions with the belief that it will be heard and some action might be taken." Journalism major Noor Al-Badrawi said, "If someone can voice our concerns in a better way or better manner, then why not take the opportunity to have our voices heard?"

The Student Council election, organized by the AUS Office of Student Affairs, was the culmination of week-long electoral activities in which candidates canvassed for votes.

The 14 students elected to the Student Council for the 2014-2015 academic year are:

President: Saud Mohammad. Saud Al Qassimi

Vice President: Mina Najib Zuberi

Vice President for Public Relations: Doaa Salim Samhan Al Kathiri

Executive Secretary and Office Director: Doa'a Mousa Nassar

Treasurer: Muhammad Aqdas Muzaffar

Events and Activities Coordinator: AbdulRahman Marwan Asaad

Athletics and Sports Coordinator: Hakeem Jamil Al-Hashash

Communication and Media Coordinator: Munirah A.E. Alshami

Student Organizations and Campus Services Coordinator: Mariam Mohamed Kamel

College of Architecture, Art and Design Representative: Ibrahim Ibrahim

College of Arts and Sciences Representative: Ashley Ann Mansour

College of Engineering Representative: AbdulSamad Mohammad Zahir

School of Business Administration Representative: Hana Hamad AlShamsi

Achievement Academy Bridge Program Representative: Abdul Bari Nijrabi