Introduction

The establishment of the American University of Madaba (AUM) in Jordan is intended to serve as a landmark for Jordan. AUM is a not-for–profit World Class institution that will distinguish itself academically, socially and culturally by contributing positively to the intellectual and professional human capital of Jordan and the region.

AUM was established with the intention of making a difference in higher education at the national and regional levels, placing quality education, multifaceted student growth and faculty excellence at the top of its priorities. The University received its license in 2005, and later, His Holiness Pope Benedict XVI, during His pontifical pilgrimage and pastoral visit to Jordan on May 9/2009, blessed the corner stone of the University.

Location

Jordan is rapidly becoming an important economic and social location in the region. It is thus an appropriate and differentiated setting for AUM, given stability, security and strategic location in the heart of the Middle East, besides good governance and openness.

A.  Jordan’s Topography, Demography and Economy

Jordan is a small country (89,400 km²) located at the crossroads of the Middle East. It shares borders with Iraq, Syria, Palestine and Saudi Arabia. The Gulf of Aqaba is its farthest edge to the south on the Red Sea.

The golden beaches of Aqaba, the marvelous sandstones of Petra, the historicity of the Dead Sea, the bedazzling sands and mountains of Wadi Rum and, finally, the more than 5,000 years of history witnessed by outstanding archaeological and cultural sites have all brought Jordan into the focus of world tourism.

Jordan has almost a six-million population, with about 35% of its inhabitants below the age of 15, while between 15-64 year-old people make up 61%. About 75% of the Jordanian youth at the age of 17 years are enrolled in secondary schools each year.  This is one of the important indicators for the high demand for education at the higher level.

Jordan’s population has deep roots in Arab traditions, and its society is marked by a high degree of tolerance, hospitality, pluralism, religious sects and subcultures. Arabic is its official language, but English is widely used as a second/foreign language. Almost all languages – from the Far East to Europe – are taught at the University of Jordan and some other public and private universities in the country.

For the economy, Jordan has few natural resources, namely phosphate, limestone and oil shale. It suffers from shortages of water and oil. Although Jordan has made great strides ahead since its inception as a country, foreign debt, poverty and unemployment continue to be real challenges facing the Jordanian Economy.

Guided by His Majesty King Abdullah II, Jordan’s governments embarked on substantial economic and political reform programs that have improved the lives of Jordanians and boosted Jordan’s image in the international arena.

The Kingdom of Jordan has worked closely with International Financial Institutions and implemented the privatization program. As its economy has assumed liberalism, Jordan has become a member of WTO, signed a Free Trade Agreement with the USA and another Free Trade Agreement with the EU. At home, the Social Economic Transformation Program is in place, too.

Tourism has emerged, in the last two decades, as one of the country’s most rapidly growing industries. About 1.2 million people visited Jordan in the millennium year, attracted by the country’s breathtaking landscape, fascinating cultural heritage, and world-class historical sites that are ubiquitous throughout Jordan (be they archaeological, religious, therapeutic or entertainment).

Nature reserves abound across the Kingdom. Mount Nebo in Madaba and the Baptism site (Bethany) on the Jordan River annually attract visitors from five continents. The Jordan Valley, the haunting wilderness of Wadi Rum, the Red Sea Coral Reefs, and restful spas are areas of mesmerizing beauty and contrast. The most unique attraction is the country’s stunning rock-carved city of Petra, a UNESCO World Heritage site, and one of the Seven Wonders of the World.

Yet, the primary and paramount concern of Jordan is investment in its human resources.  Many Jordanians are well educated, and have, for decades, contributed not only to the development of their country, but also to those of the region at large, namely in the Gulf, with their quality skills, professionalism in several fields, especially education, engineering, and health services.

B. Madaba: Location of the American University of Madaba

Madaba is part and parcel of this long historical, cultural and religious heritage. In its existence, it belongs to the Neolithic period, became a Moabite border city, noted for its mosaic art, especially the mosaic map of Palestine and the Nile delta from the time of both the Umayyad and Byzantine, and was the venue of the resettlement of the Arab Christian tribes from Karak Region.

Today, Madaba is the metropolitan of Madaba governorate, with a 60,000 population.  It lies 33 km south-west Amman, 60 km north of Karak, and 21 km east of the Dead Sea. It maintains connecting roads with all major cities in the Kingdom. Its highest hill is about 800 m above sea level, whereas the lowest is 740 m. The Greek Orthodox Saint George Church looms over that point. It contains a mosaic map of the Holy Lands since 560 AD, depicting the Phoenician cities of Tyre and Sidon in the North, to Egypt in the South, and from the Mediterranean Sea in the West to the Arabian Desert in the East.

Madaba has its own distinguished architecture. Its buildings and houses are of 1 or 2 floors, and constructed as high as 8 m above street level. Few buildings rise to 3 stories.  All of these buildings have their own characteristics, pending the periods of their construction over the past 140-150 years. They also vary from vernacular (traditional) to urban, commercial, and modern touristic architecture.

Thanks to its Moslem and Christian heritage, where minarets and towers rise as main features, on the one hand, and its rare mosaic architectural art, on the other, Madaba has become a focal point of attraction to thousands of indigenous and foreign visitors and tourists every year. Eventually, tourism has turned to be a significant industry in the economic and commercial life of Madaba and its surrounding area, and so the Ministry of Tourism and Antiquities embarked on several programs of promotion and development of this sector there.

In light of this reality, the Latin Patriarchate of Jerusalem in Jordan decided to establish the American University of Madaba, not because Madaba is the only governorate in the Kingdom without a university, but because the city and the surrounding area need such a project to contribute to raising its people’s efficiency, by preparing quality educated and effective, employable, trained cadres, as well as by developing their capabilities, talents and skills that are necessary for that development.

Just about 30 km south east Madaba is the historic village of Umm Al-Rasas (Kastron Mepha’at is its ancient name), which was declared by UNESCO in 2004 a World Heritage Site.

The area in and around Umm Al-Rasas abounds with churches that earn the most significant works of mosaic. Inside the village walls are the ruins of four churches, while there are 12 others outside it. The two most important are the Byzantine Churches of the 6^th and 7^th centuries that seem to have been used well into the Islamic period.

The mosaic art in these two churches show a complete and well-preserved mosaic floors going back to the 6^th century, and the names of the main cities of the period on the east and west banks of River Jordan, such as Jerusalem, Nablus, Gaza and Amman (Philadelphia).

Jerusalem is given a distinguished place in this mosaic map, i.e., next to the altar, and labeled as the “Holy City”, whereas Kastron Mepha’at is placed next to it, and represented by a pillar and a church. The other Jordanian cities in this map are:  Madaba, Hisban, Ma’in, Rabba, and Karak. Beneath Jerusalem are the Palestinian cities of Nablus, Sebastia, Caesarea, Lidda, Beit Jibrin and Askalon. The site was discovered in 1986.

Vision

AUM is intended to provide a role model as a pioneering, distinguished and forward-looking environmentally sustainable academic institution of higher education, capable of contributing meaningfully and effectively to human, socio-economic, cultural and professional development of Jordan and the region, by means of preparing a new generation of outstanding leaders and professionals.  In its various operations and functions, the University shall commit itself to the values of integrity, equality, justice, social responsibility and rigorous scientific research.

Mission

The University’s mission is to make a palpable and extolable difference in the way we teach, the way we learn, and the way we give back to our communities, placing excellent education, multifaceted student growth and faculty distinction at the top of its priorities. AUM is committed to providing quality education on the basis of a holistic approach, focusing on the whole person, designed to promote excellence and develop the student’s full capabilities, talents, and personality. The university’s ultimate objective will be the preparation of qualified men and women to take place in society, equipped with professional skills, knowledgeable in their field, and educated in the values of wisdom, astuteness, probity and peace.

AUM will develop the talents and character of students by preparing them to serve their wider community and global society, by transmitting knowledge and instilling in them the love of truth and adherence to sound values and universal ethics; and by sharpening their critical skills by exposing them to robust methods of inquiry and collaborative pedagogies.

AUM supports its mission through an educational philosophy that is informed by cultural heritage and a pedagogical process of understanding; and through a higher education experience that provides a distinctive quality of services for students and scholars, complemented by requirements to participate in physical, cultural and social activities, in a state-of-the-art self-contained environmentally sustainable campus.

To implement its vision and mission statement, the university implemented the essential parts of its Master Plan to prepare the suitable environment for its programs and activities as outlined in the preceding sections.

The university has developed its complete sports complex that includes a swimming pool, indoor and outdoor sports facilities, Student Union for student's societies and social and cultural activities, lounges for reading, listening and music, an exhibition hall, which will provide opportunities for interaction among students themselves, and with the university staff as well.

Yet, it should be especially noted that physical fitness courses as well as courses for social and cultural development will be required for all students as compulsory university requirement for graduation. Participation in such activities will, indeed, provide students with opportunities to develop positive relationships, active experiences, and memorable campus life, and thus will enable them to develop well-rounded personalities.

In order to provide quality education, AUM endorses a holistic approach that focuses on the whole person, promotes distinction and develops the student's full capabilities, talents, skills and personality. Its ultimate aim is to produce well educated and all-rounded graduates equipped with sound moral values, state-of-the-art knowledge, and employable skills in local, regional and global markets.

Moreover, AUM plans to become a hub for national, regional and international conferences and events. And by its research projects and innovative thematic investigations which are streamlined to target national and regional needs, AUM strives to be an international center for knowledge sharing and debate.

Goals

AUM’s mission is to be achieved through adopting highly qualitative approaches to teaching/learning methods which would have positive impact on society.  It also aims at preparing a new generation of outstanding leaders and professionals, fully equipped with knowledge and practical skills, through developing their capabilities and talents holistically.

Governance

Board of Trustees

The Board of Trustees (BT) is the highest governing body of the AUM.  It is appointed by the Jordanian Ministry of Higher Education & Scientific Research (MoHE) in consultation with the Latin Patriarchate of Jerusalem, the founder of the university.  According to the Law of Jordanian Universities of 2009 and its amendments, the BT of a private university presently consists of 15 members, including the President of the University.  Though the law provides that all BT members must be holders of a minimum of the first university degree (Bachelor), the AUM BT has 6 full professors and 3 other Ph.D. holders as members.  The BT meets once a month as required by the Higher Education Council.   All minutes, decisions and recommendations are recorded and filed in hard and electronic copies.  The BT of AUM has the following responsibilities:

• Set the general policy of the university,
• Approve of the yearly plans and strategies, based on the recommendations of the University Council,
• Evaluate the overall academic performance of the university, including administrative and financial aspects, as well as infrastructure development,
• Appoint vice-presidents, deans and the president of the university,
• Recommend the establishment of faculties (colleges), departments, institutes and scientific centers of the university,
• Set the educational tuition fees the university will charge students (such fees may be variable, depending on the field of study) based on the recommendations of the University Council,
• Approve the yearly budget and financial accounts, review the Annual Financial Report, after its approval by the University Council, and obtain an audit of AUM accounts,
• Seek financial support for the university through gifts, grants and donations, and oversee the investment of university financial resources,
• Accept donations, grants and trust funds,
• Approve agreements and memoranda of understanding for scientific and technological cooperation between the university and other institutions of higher education,
• Any other matters that the Chairperson of the Board deems necessary, provided that such issues do not interfere with the responsibilities of other personnel or councils of the university, and
• Recommend to the Council for Higher Education the appointment of the President of the University.

University Council

The University Council (UC) consists of the University President (4-year term), Vice-Presidents (3 year-terms), Deans (2-year terms), one elected member of each faculty/college/degree, 3 members from AUM academic, technical and administrative units, 2 members from the local community, one AUM student and one AUM graduate, all of whom will serve one-year terms.

The UC has, among others, the following responsibilities:

1. To raise the level of the services offered by the university in terms of education, scientific research, internships and local community service,
2. To study the university’s annual plan for developmental projects, (which is prepared by the President), report the plan to the Board of Trustees, and issue any relevant decisions,
3. To recommend the amount of students’ tuition and fees to the Board of Trustees who makes the final decisions,
4. To discuss draft rules and regulations of the university, and follow up with any necessary procedures in this regard,
5. To approve the university’s annual draft budget and its final financial data, and prepare all financial data for submission to the Board of Trustees, and
6. To consider any other issues that concern the university under the direction of the president.

Deans Council

The Deans Council (DC) consists of the University President, Vice-President(s), and Deans, and has the following responsibilities (According to By-Laws and Regulations, the Deans Council reports directly to the Board of Trustees in some cases, while in others its recommendations have to be first discussed and approved by the University Council before they are forwarded to the BT):

1. To recommend the establishment of faculties (colleges), institutes, disciplines/departments/degrees and scientific centers to the Board of Trustees,
2. To recommend the establishment of new programs and academic degrees/majors to the Board of Trustees, in addition to integrating or cancelling programs which are already in place at the University,
3. To employ, promote, and transfer faculty members, in addition to accrediting, delegating, or transferring them.  Any leave requests, including sabbatical or unpaid leave, will be at their discretion, in addition to accepting resignations, terminating employment, or transferring staff from one faculty to another,
4. To evaluate staff members’ work, academic activities, teaching methods and scientific research, and to make appropriate decisions based on these evaluations,
5. To supervise all staff members, whether full-time instructors, research assistants or technical workers in the academic field, and any other associate members who have a connection with the university by means of scholarships, scientific missions or training courses according to the currently valid university policy,
6. To consider and evaluate all course plans and projects offered by the faculty councils, institutes and centers, in addition to discussing and making all relevant decisions concerning them,
7. To evaluate the academic level and progress of the university,
8. To grant scientific degrees, honorary degrees and certificates,
9. To institute named professorships within the university,

10.  To recommend to the DC and UC the optimal number of students to be accepted annually at all programs and degree/majors in the university, and

11.  To consider any other matter related to academic issues proposed by the president that is not related to the specialization of any other committee, according to university regulations.

Distinguishing Features of AUM

• To address the issue of providing quality education, AUM will adopt a set of policies designed to exploit the full potential of 3 major pillars of the university, namely its students, staff, and campus infrastructure.

• The University's policy will seek to attract talented and distinguished students with high academic records, and will provide them with opportunities to develop their talents, capabilities and personalities. Students will be drawn from Jordan, the Arab region and from further afield to enrich student diversity and exposure to various cultures.

• The university’s policy is to attract experienced faculty members with a success record in teaching and proven research abilities, who are equipped with impeccable credentials and are truly excelling in their fields of specialization. It will also select distinguished doctoral candidates who are studying at well-known universities abroad and provide them with fellowships to complete their studies and return home to join the university. It will also establish a professional development program for all teaching and administrative staff. In so doing, the university aims at developing its own faculty and providing them with long-term incentives.

• The Latin Patriarchate of Jerusalem, the owner of the University, contracted a specialized engineering firm (Buro Happold) from the UK to define the principles of sustainability that include a functional and environment-friendly "Green Campus".  The resultant strategy from Buro Happold's study was then reported to the Jordanian firm (SIGMA-Consulting Engineers), which was selected to prepare the campus Master Plan and the detailed architectural and engineering designs. At the request of the Latin Patriarchate, SIGMA contracted a German firm (HWP) for assistance and review of the Master Plan. One of Buro Happold's recommendations for having an environment-friendly "Green Campus" is to have a pedestrian campus and to use walking and cycling. To implement this recommendation, SIGMA proposed a single Ring Road around the university campus.

• AUM design and Master Plan takes two key aspects into account:  little or no impact on the environment, and a reflection of Madaba's historic vernacular architecture to ensure smooth integration of the development in the surrounding landscape.

• The innovative standards of the campus design set an example of a sustainable urban development in the country. They champion a sustainable environment that essentially considers the future needs of generations in the region. By using geothermal systems in cooling and heating, it reduces gas emission to a minimum and saves energy. By having a waste water treatment plant, it will reuse water for irrigation. By establishing a strictly pedestrian campus and a Ring Road, with a track for walking and another for cycling, AUM actually ensures a genuinely safe and friendly environment on campus.

• To improve operational efficiency of the university and to reduce its long-term recurrent cost, AUM has implemented a "Building Management System" (BMS) to control various mechanical and electrical systems, and a Smart System to control various technological systems, including Access Control, Security, CCTV, Fire Alarm, Public Address and Telephony which has been connected to the internet via Fiber Optics Network

AUM Core Values

AUM distinguishes itself through contributing to the society's development and advancement not only through the acquisition of information and knowledge, but most importantly, through conveying to its student body a set of core values and principles that would help them enrich their environment and preserve, if not develop, their nation's legacy. These values include, but are not limited to:

Academic Freedom

AUM adopts pure scientific approach that fosters freedom of expression, academic freedom, respect of others' opinions, team work, and responsible critical thinking.

Leadership and Collegiality

AUM instills in its students the value of team work which is essential to comprehending the true meaning of leadership.

Accountability

AUM enhances institutional responsibility and accountability as conditions for the accomplishments of its mission and goals.

Ethics and Social Responsibility

AUM is entrusted with the task of educating its students and endowing them with the ethical values that can help them become better citizens serving their community, guided in this with their deep sense of belonging to their nation.

Supportive Learning Environment

AUM provides a supportive and conducive learning environment that stimulates creative thinking, scholarship and distinction.

Quality

AUM is committed to maintaining quality in its academic, administrative and research activities and operations.

Creativity

AUM promotes and rewards creativity and innovation in the pursuit of professional excellence.

Outreach and Global Outlook

AUM reaches constructive links with the community, with a view to facilitating the transfer of know-how, the linking of instruction with the work place and the private sector, cultural enrichment, and positive contribution to the welfare of the people.

Academic Degrees and Qualifications

AUM offers the Bachelor degree in the following fields:

• Engineering:

- Civil Engineering

- Electrical Engineering

- Mechanical Engineering

• Science:

- Biotechnology and Biology

- Chemistry

- Physics and Materials Science

• Health Sciences:

- Medical Labs

- Nutrition and Dietetics

- Pharmacy

• Information Technology:

- Computer Science

• Business and Finance:

- Accounting

- Business Administration

- Marketing

- Risk Management

• Art and Design:

- Graphic Design

• Languages and Communication:

- Arabic Language and Literature

- English Language and Literature

- Translation

These programs and those planned for the future are to be in line with Jordan's current labor market necessities, and shall promote the formation of high skilled professionals and boost economic development in sectors pertaining to IT and financial services. More significantly, the programs, accompanied by field training and soft skills will equip graduates with necessary skills and qualifications that make them highly sought by employers.

AUM embodies the principles of an American liberal arts education across its entire programs. It is developing programs and a campus environment that support the delivery of a liberal arts education.

AUM distinguishes itself by ensuring excellence in teaching, in terms of the quality of its programs and the breadth of its education. The style of teaching is streamlined to promulgate life-long learning, the combination of traditional and online modern methodologies of course delivery, with the ultimate objective of instilling in its students inquisitiveness and critical thinking.

Medium of Instruction

The medium of instruction is English.  New students are required to demonstrate good command of the language to prove that they are capable of receiving instruction in English.  Otherwise, they would be required to take intensive training in various English language skills to help them overcome any language difficulties they might have prior to commencing their programs of study.

A. English Proficiency Exam

This is a language exam, comparable to standardized international exams such as TOEFL and IELTS.  It focuses on various language skills, such as reading comprehension, listening comprehension, speaking, and writing, in addition to vocabulary, spelling, structure and grammar.  The test consists of the following two parts:

Part 1: A computerized multiple-choice exam, focusing on reading comprehension, listening comprehension, structure and grammar, and vocabulary. (70% of the total grade)

Part 2: Writing, in which students are requested to write an essay on a topic to be selected from a number of topics provided to them. (30% of the total grade)

The questions in each category above will be randomly selected from a large corpus of questions, so that students next to each other will not get the same questions, and if the test is repeated students will get different questions.

The results of the English Proficiency Exam are further analyzed by a team of experts to figure out where the focus should be in the remedial English course (0900099).

B. Exemption from the English Proficiency Exam

The following categories of students are exempted from taking the exam:

a)      Students who were enrolled in international programs, such as IGCE, GCE, IB, SAT-2, etc., in which the language of instruction was English.

b)      Students who have scored 500 or above in the TOEFL test.

c)      Students who have scored 6 or above in the IELTS test.

Students of the (b) and (c) categories above have to provide an official affidavit showing the score they have achieved in the TOEFL or IELTS test before they are officially exempted from taking the English Proficiency Exam.

C. Remedial English (0900099)

Students who fail the English Proficiency Exam are required to enroll in the Remedial English course (0900099) (3 credit hours), which counts as zero hours for the purposes of graduation and the computation of the cumulative average.  This course is designed in such a way as to focus on the language skills needed most by the majority of the students to enable them to get smoothly integrated into their academic programs of study.  In addition to the in-class activities, students are directed towards free online lessons and tests.

Accreditation and Validation

In line with the expectations mentioned above, and as part of confirming its hallmarks of quality, AUM is in the process of accomplishing the following actions:

• Incorporation in the Department of Education in the State of New Hampshire in the USA to enhance its international status, and to strengthen its position as a distinguished university.
• Registering with the Internal Revenue Service in the USA for a not-for-profit status to enable it to benefit from tax-exempted donations.

• Affiliation with a regional accreditation association, namely The New England Association of Schools and Colleges (NEASC) in Boston, Massachusetts, to accredit its programs.
• Obtaining the local institutional and programmatic accreditation from the Commission for the Accreditation of Higher Education Institutions in Jordan.

Partnership and Affiliation

As a means of assuring the quality of its programs, AUM will  have affiliations with leading American Universities in the form of "Advisory Relationships"  that are established at a faculty level. The idea is that each faculty of AUM will seek to be affiliated with a counterpart faculty of an American university that has a strong reputation in the same field. At the same time, AUM will seek partnership with one or more well acclaimed American universities with a view to obtaining license to teach its curricula and to exchange expertise in varied domains.

The university has already established strong links and signed cooperation agreements and memoranda with a number of renowned international universities and institutions for cultural cooperation and student & faculty exchange.  These institutions include:

1. Notre Dame University, Indiana, U.S.A.
2. Gannon University, Pennsylvania, U.S.A.
3. Politecnico Di Milano, Milan, Italy
4. Università Degli Studi Di Genova, Genoa, Italy
5. Università Cattolica del Sacro Cuore, Milan, Italy
6. L'università Degli Studi Di Pavia, Pavia, Italy
7. Università Kore di Enna, Enna, Italy
8. Pazmany Peter Catholic University, Budapest, Hungary

Student Body

Once fully operational, the prospective AUM is to attract some 8000 highly-qualified students. The student body will be composed of:

1) Jordanian students who may currently go abroad for their higher education.

2) Foreign students who wish to pursue their university education in Jordan.

3) Jordanian high school graduates who are not satisfied with the quality of the existing universities.

These students will be tutored and supervised by around 200 faculty members with remarkable reputation. In that, the University is to maintain a student to faculty ratio of 20:1 with a lower ratio in the early years of its inception in order to maintain quality.

Nevertheless, the University will continue to adopt a selective process of admission and an uncompromising emphasis on command of English.

Faculty Members

AUM did recruit credible, competent and experienced staff that has an affinity to the region whether by virtue of their cultural or ethnic background or because of a special interest in Arab countries. It will create a vehicle for repatriating able Arab academics who currently reside in the West, thereby partly reversing the 'brain drain' that occurred over the past few decades.

At the same time, AUM is adopting a strict set of standards for recruitment and retention of faculty members.

Graduates

The graduates of the university are expected to develop skills, knowledge and attributes that enable them to possess:

A. Knowledge and Thinking Skills, including but not limited to:

• Specialized knowledge in the fields of study.
• Analysis and synthesis skills.
• Transforming information to knowledge.
• Application of knowledge.
• Logical thinking.
• Critical thinking.

B. Problem solving, including but not limited to:

• Communication skills.
• Utilization of data and information.
• Research and Study Skills.

C. Personal Skills and Attributes, including but not limited to:

• Self-confidence.
• Self-control.
• Identification of strengths and weaknesses.
• Innovation.
• Self-dependence.
• Appreciation of relationships.
• Desire for advancing one's knowledge.

D. World of Work Skills, including but not limited to:

• Leadership and responsibility.
• Developing relations.
• Identifying priorities.
• Persistency.
• Explaining and convincing.
• Making good use of the given opportunities.
• Mastering foreign languages.
• Enthusiasm and commitment.
• Adaptation.

E. Societal Competencies, including but not limited to:

• Participating in social activities and NGOs.
  • Possessing knowledge, experience and skills to serve as leaders in their communities.
  • Adaptability to societal changes and life-long learning.
  • Emphasizing their well-rounded personality as positive citizens.
  • Conducting public lectures.

Infrastructure and Facilities

AUM has ample buildings and spacious facilities, offices, and classrooms to accommodate its faculty and students. A major part of the infrastructure comprises of teaching and research laboratories, industrial incubators that epitomize the real world of industry, well-equipped academic resources, workshops, entrepreneurial facilities and utilities.

Leisure, sports and music facilities and playgrounds are to occupy an essential part of the campus. These include the following:

• Indoor and outdoor athletic fields and physical fitness halls,
• Indoor educational swimming pool,
• Female student dormitories run and supervised by nuns from Italy,
• Faculty of Engineering workshops,
• Kiosks to serve students in various locations around campus,
• Cafeterias and main restaurant,
• Free internet service covering all locations on campus,
• Health insurance,
• A comprehensive medical center,
• Visa & residence permit issuance service for non-Jordanian students,
• Office for helping students find proper housing,
• Parking lots, and
• Student Activities Complex for cultural, artistic, & social activities.

Academic Support Services

Information Technology Center (ITC)

ITC provides the following services: Software development, Software installation, and Closed Circuit TV (CCTV).  We have at present 175 indoor and outdoor cameras, which enable us to monitor the entire campus 24/7, with a storage capability for 30 days.

The Building Management System (BMS) is used for energy saving, monitoring and controlling for:

1. Lighting systems, through motion detectors.
2. Heating and cooling systems through thermostat units.
3. Mechanical Systems through sensors for bumps, chillers, solar systems, water and electricity counters, and water level.

The CCTV system is used for:

- Access Control to control the entrance and exit for every building.

- Attendance systems developed and integrated with the HR Department by the software section through five biometric stations (finger prints).

- Video calls. A total of four locations for video calls have been set up, three on campus and one off campus for video calls, locally and globally.

Engineering Office

The Engineering Office was founded at the beginning of work on campus in order to conduct necessary engineering supervision and planning for the establishment of the university buildings and facilities, as well as to prepare and process necessary plans and projects for further construction stages.

The Engineering Workshops and Maintenance Division were subordinated to the Engineering Office in order to forma a central integrated unit, which carries out the responsibility of different engineering works on various levels. There are two divisions:

Maintenance Division

The Maintenance Division is organized into:

- Mechanical maintenance section: Responsible for the maintenance of the networks for water, sanitary and heating and cooling systems.

- Electrical maintenance section: Responsible for the maintenance of electrical networks for lighting and electrical supply to devices, facilities, and building’s smart management systems.

- Construction maintenance section: Responsible for the restoration of buildings, and urgent constructional modifications of the buildings, interior and exterior pathways, fences, pavements, handrails including guard steel of windows, doors and false ceilings.

The Library

The permanent and full sized library for AUM will be constructed in Phase II of campus construction in accordance with the University Master Plan. However, interim arrangements were planned in Phase I to have sufficient space for library holdings, including books, reference material, and journals in addition to several reading rooms distributed in the academic buildings that are operational in Phase I. According to this interim arrangement for library space, two large rooms were designed and constructed to hold all library materials, one for science-related subjects, and the other for non-science subjects. Currently, the two sets of materials are housed in the building of the Faculty of Business and Finance. Each one of these rooms has an area of 100 square meters (1230 square feet). These rooms are fully furnished with shelves and stacks.

The interim arrangement also provides 8 reading rooms, each room also with 100 square meters, and fully furnished with reading tables, computers, and chairs for library users.

The permanent AUM library is currently being designed and the bidding documents for construction are nearing completion. Construction of the library will be completed in about 12 months.

Standard library services provided to students include:

• Circulation: intranet style system, accessed by means of computer terminals. As with most contemporary systems, students access lending facilities without the assistance of staff, by means of their university identity card.
• Reference services are housed in a separate section of the library, with no borrowing privileges for either faculty or students. It is expected that some of the reference collection will be accessible by means of the virtual library.
• Instruction: all freshman students and commencing faculty members will be provided with instruction on how to access library materials efficiently and effectively, particularly the virtual collection, as they may not have used such a facility previously. All students will have access to free instruction on study techniques, essay writing, how to reference materials, research practice and conventions for academic standards.
• Interlibrary loans: It is not possible to determine the precise extent or procedures for interlibrary loans at this time.

Admission and Registration

The Department of Admission and Registration is primarily concerned with:

• Admitting students and completing their registration according to the principles set up by the Ministry of Higher Education & Scientific Research.
• Keeping student records.
• Posting course timetables and final exam schedules.
• Issuing student academic transcripts.
• Issuing and posting university calendars.

A. Admission Requirements

The following certificates are accepted for admission into the university:

• The Jordanian General Secondary School Certificate (Tawjihi).
• High School Diploma: SAT2, IB, IGCE, GCE, etc., and other non-Jordanian certificates, provided they are accompanied by an equivalence certificate issued by the Jordan Ministry of Education.

B. Required documents

• Original copy of the transcript of the Jordanian General Secondary Certificate (or its equivalent) or a duly authenticated copy of it (Arabic and English).
• A certified copy of the birth certificate.
• A certified copy of the identification card (for Jordanians) or the passport (for non-Jordanians).
• A copy of the Military Service Booklet or Exemption from Service Certificate (for Jordanians).
• (3) Three recent color photos.

In addition to the documents mentioned above, transfer students are also required to submit the following documents:

• An original copy of the university transcript, duly authenticated by the Jordan Ministry of Higher Education & Scientific Research.
• Description of all courses passed, certified by the previous university.
• Clearance and Good Conduct certificate issued by the previous university.

C. Document authentication

• Non-Jordanian certificates are authenticated by the Embassy of Jordan in the country where they were issued, and by the Jordan Foreign Ministry.
• Non-Jordanian Secondary School Certificates are authenticated by the Jordan Ministry of Education and the Jordan Foreign Ministry.
• Equivalence certificates to Non-Jordanian Secondary School Certificates are issued by the Jordan Ministry of Education.

D. Available Programs and Fees

University Document Fees

Refund Regulation for Semester withdrawal

AUM Refund regulation is as follows:

ü  In addition to the JD 100 deposit,   students get a 75% of tuition refund if they withdraw the semester during or before the end of the Add/Drop Period.

ü  Students who withdraw the semester after the Add/Drop period are not eligible for the registration and tuition fees refund, except for the refundable deposit fee.

E. Grants and Incentives

In line with the university policy to attract talented and distinguished students with high academic records, a set of regulations have been established for the distribution of grants, whereby such students are awarded tuition waiver ranging between 25% and 100% of the semester tuition fees, in addition to the incentives to be awarded to students during the academic year based on their academic performance (semester average, cumulative average, and number of credit hours completed) by waiving the tuition fees for a number of credit hours.  AUM is also keen on offering incentives to students who have athletic or artistic talents, and students having financial straits. The regulations specify all required conditions for eligibility for these grants.

F. Initial Registration

Students having the Jordanian General Secondary Certificate (or its equivalent) may submit an online application for initial admission and registration through AUM website: www.aum.edu.jo.

Student Records

AUM has implemented a record keeping structure that ensures the following:

(1) Students academic records will be kept according to the requirements of the MoHE regulations including mid-semester assessments, records for preliminary exams, and end-of-semester student assessments. Student’s work will be kept by the individual staff members for a period of not less than two (2) semesters. Final-semester assessment records for final semester exams, student papers and answer keys to such papers will be kept by the university in secure storage for a minimum of seven (7) semesters. Student assessment records will be maintained according to the individual requirements of the faculty (college) in which they are enrolled. Records will clearly demonstrate that students have been assessed according to a variety of techniques, in order to facilitate maximum achievement of all learning styles.  Further, AUM will conduct post-graduation surveys to determine employment success, in and external to student study area specialization.

(2) All student access to the Health Clinic will be documented according to international medical conventions. Strict guidelines to ensure privacy of all patients will be promulgated and followed.

All student access to the student counseling service will be documented according to standard practice. Again, strict guidelines to ensure privacy, which will be aligned with the FERPA of the U.S. and to eliminate discrimination will be initiated and followed.

(3) The awarding of financial aid and associated records will not be limited to financial assistance to disadvantaged students. In addition, student applications for local and international scholarship programs will be archived, together with all documentation concerning success or failure to attain such aid. In this way, previous applications may be used to improve candidates’ potential for success.

The Office of the Dean of Student Affairs will be entrusted with the task of conducting exit interviews of graduates, to ascertain the rate and field of employment of graduates.

The Office of the Dean of Student Affairs will also be entrusted with the task of collecting and maintaining data on AUM students as regards to further study, not only locally or regionally, but on an international basis. This will be done in conjunction with the previously mentioned data collection for employment, both immediately after graduation and in the medium term for at least the first five (5) years after graduation.

Records will be maintained for those students who require licensing by an official accreditation process, such as health practitioners. It is particularly important to scrutinize success rates for such licensing processes; graduates must maintain high rates of success in this process if the university is to be successful in its mission.

All care will be taken to make certain that the risk to hard copy archival material is minimal. As stated in this document, AUM will achieve and maintain the highest academic standards of any university in Jordan; this is not only relevant to academic process, but in all aspects of university infrastructure. All buildings and office furniture and equipment will be of international standard, and maintained on a regular basis. Care will also be taken to make certain that the risk to electronic archival material is minimal. Initial electronic systems are state-of-the-art, and it is intended to update such systems on a regular basis. All privacy and anti-virus programs will be maintained regularly, and updated as required.

Duplicates of written and electronic records shall be periodically made and separately stored to assure security of records.

AUM operates an IT based system, with fully trained technical administrators, who will satisfy the most rigorous international standards. All servers will be maintained and backed up according to standard practice and conventions for sensitive and essential data. Written records will be stored in fireproof cabinets separate from the main buildings.

Academic Calendar 2011/2012

Medical Center

The Medical Center comprises a number of clinics equipped with state-of-the-art equipment and instruments, and supervised by a distinguished medical team, to provide the best medical services to students, faculty, and staff, who are covered by medical insurance.  The Center has been provided with an ambulance for emergencies.