It's been three years since Dr Peter Heath was appointed chancellor of the American University of Sharjah and during those years of strategic planning, the university is raring to go with its ambitious expansion plans.
While some projects are to the tune of several million dirhams, others are cost-saving measures that will conserve resources and some are outreach initiatives that will not only benefit the university community but members of the public and business stakeholders he said. Heath told Gulf News the leadership at AUS has identified four strategic directions to pursue — improving academics on a continuing basis, building its internal community, which includes alumni, organising external relations with the community, improved career services for students and interns and institutional efficiency.
Heath said the leadership focused on having a mental shift on what a community was. The university has worked on building its relationship with students, faculty and alumni but now wants to improve its ties with members of the public and government and business entities in Sharjah and beyond.
"We've spent the last three years since I joined working on strategic planning and have created a time line for our initiatives and budget connected to the internal promise to ourselves," said Heath. There are about 40 initiatives that are part of the plan.
Green initiatives
In 2012, AUS will no longer receive a subsidy from the government of Sharjah for utilities (water and electricity), which means the university has had to adjust its budget and planning accordingly.
"This was part of an agreement — His Highness [Dr Shaikh Sultan Bin Mohammad Al Qasimi, Member of Supreme Council and Ruler of Sharjah] gave us 15 years to stand on our own two legs as an institution," said Heath.
"There are two ways to handle utilities: you either have the budget to cover the amounts or the other option is to reduce our need. Right now our utility bill is in the region of Dh30 million per year and we expect the price to go up. We won't put this on students' tuition but take the savings over time so it will be a self-sustaining effort."
AUS chose to reduce its energy needs by setting a goal to reduce the campus' electricity bill by 30 per cent by 2012. Over the summer the university's operations department has been installing electric meters across campus, analysing the way it does business and reducing its air conditioning usage. "Our main building has nine chillers and it was freezing — our new engineer, who is an air conditioning specialist said it was overcapacity and shut off the first two and then another two and suddenly we are using half as much energy with no complaints."
It also changed its attitude to hiring. "For example, we have hired an architect who has a background in sustainability and engineers who can reorient our maintenance programmes to save us money," said Heath. The university's 13-year-old buildings are currently being renovated and new buildings are also being designed with sustainability in mind.
"Last summer and this summer we've focused on our two architecture buildings but we'll have a rolling programme of renovations and refit buildings for a more sustainable use of electricity." Management is also in discussion with several global firms to partner up for the long term on how to use modern technology. "We'll be a technology model for the local environment. A multinational firm will have the technology and our faculty and students will work towards how to best use it here."
Branching into schools
While there are a handful of universities — mainly in the US — that have Kindergarten to Grade 12 schools attached to them, it is unusual for universities to venture into primary and secondary education. In 2013/2014 , AUS will have built its Dh180 million school, which will be able to accommodate 1,800 students from kindergarten to Grade 12.
"His Highness gave us a plot of land of about 80 hectares in the spring earlier this year. His Highness and the board of trustees have been thinking about building a school for a number of years and wanted to develop in 2008 but it was put on hold," said Heath.
"The environment is still not great but it's improved and we've had time to study the school. We're still working on the financing aspect ... [and] we are planning the curriculum."
The Kindergarten to Grade 12 school will be built with the goal of being academically strong and will be modelled on the AUS in some ways. Dr Heath said it will be a combination of the American model and the International Baccalaureate and will be unique in that it will be a dual language school with strong focus on English and Arabic.
what's in store
- The university aims to reduce its electricity bill by 30 per cent come 2012 when the Sharjah government withdraws its subsidies for utilities. This is part of a long term sustainability initiative.
- Construction on the new business building will be completed in early 2011 and will be able to accommodate 900 students per hour.
- A Dh180 million Kindergarten to Grade 12 school that will be completed in 2013/2014.
- The AUS board of trustees is considering approving an incubator unit on campus to provide support to students and faculty members in creating small businesses.
- Plans to create the new Research, Technology and Innovative Park on a 177-hectare piece of land that will provide best practices in sustainable, environmentally-friendly engineering.
- Plans to launch a master's programme in Architecture.
- The ongoing accreditation of the School of Business and Management to be completed by the end of this year.
