- AUS honors 299 students at the special convocation ceremony
- Female students – outperform their male peers 2:1
- Engineering students lead the rankings in the awards list
- Students must have maintained a cumulative GPA of 3.5 out of 4.0 or above for two consecutive terms to appear on the Dean’s List
American University of Sharjah (AUS) honored the achievements of 299 of its outstanding students for Fall 2011 and Spring 2012 at the Annual Honors Convocation held last evening, Wednesday October 17, on campus.
At this year’s awards, 193 female AUS students were recognized overtaking their male colleagues by a ratio of approaching 2:1. To qualify for this list, a student must have been named on the Dean’s List and have maintained a cumulative Grade Point Average of 3.5 or above out of 4.0 for two consecutive terms. The GPA is calculated by taking the number of grade points a student earned in a given period of time, divided by the total number of credits taken and the GPA score can be used by potential employers or further post-secondary institutions to assess and compare applicants.
While addressing the nominated students and their parents, AUS Chancellor Dr. Peter Heath highlighted the importance of this achievement and said that the occasion marked a great day of pride not just for the students and their families, but also for the whole AUS community as it demonstrates the caliber of the students at AUS as well as the excellent quality of education and support/devotion provided by the faculty. “Tonight your names will be inscribed onto the lists of those who have achieved sufficient academic achievement and scholarly distinction to deserve special recognition,” said Chancellor Heath. “This signifies that each of the students here, each in their own way, has demonstrated the required intellectual ability and the personal qualities of hard work, perseverance and accomplishment to attain a special mark of recognition.”
The number of AUS students being awarded in this ceremony has been steadily increasing over the past few years, at a rate aligned with an increase in number of students enrolled at AUS. In Fall 2008, 249 students were honored, the following year 262, Fall 2010 saw a greater increase with 293 awards and in Fall 2011 280 students were recognized, demonstrating the students’ outstanding intellectual and academic commitment to their field of study.
The Honors Convocation is one of the university’s most important academic traditions and these figures clearly demonstrate the university’s commitment to the pursuit of knowledge, quality leadership and innovative education for a diverse range of students. The university is dedicated to developing students to their full potential, helping them become future leaders and make valued contributions in their chosen careers and in their local and regional communities.
This year, out of the 299 students honored, 193 were female and 106 were male. An impressive 59 students received Gold awards which represents honors convocation for the third or fourth time, 88 students received Silver awards representing a second recognition and 152 students were presented Bronze awards for their first year on the prestigious list.
The evening also saw the Sheikh Khalifa Scholarships being awarded to four exceptional students, namely Shaima Rizvi from the college of Architecture, Art and Design, Siham Syed from the College of Arts and Sciences, Waleed Hijazi from the College of Engineering and Juhi Chanchalani from the School of Business and Management. The scholarship is awarded to juniors and seniors and recognizes academic excellence, leadership potential, service to community, demonstrated talent in the field of study and participation in extracurricular and university activities. Awarded through an annual competition conducted within each college/school, it is granted for up to four consecutive semesters or until graduation requirements are complete.
Juhi Chanchalani, one of the students honored yesterday, said: “I am thrilled to have made it onto the Dean’s list for the third consecutive year. I feel motivated by our great teachers here at the university and hope to go on achieving great results. It is amazing to be recognized in this way. I am proud to add this accolade to my CV!”
The breakdown of the students honored in the Annual Honors Convocation is as follows:
• College of Architecture, Art and Design: 39
• College of Arts and Sciences: 38
• School of Business and Management: 92
• College of Engineering: 130
Dr. Thomas Hochstettler, Provost, said that the convocation was celebrating the achievements of 299 outstanding students. “To say that we are tremendously proud of them is an understatement,” he said. “Each of these young people has met the intellectual challenges of the course of study that we have laid before them and has succeeded in full measure in meeting those extraordinary challenges. They have earned the right for their name to be placed on the Chancellor’s List, which is the highest academic attainment that a matriculated student at AUS can achieve.”
