Ashraf AboArafe
Director of the Teaching and Learning Center, Dr. Bryn Holmes, and Assistant Professor of the Political Science, Humanities, and Social Sciences Department, Dr. Kai Bruns of the American University of Ras Al Khaimah (AURAK) organized “The Sheikh Zayed Leadership Camp for AURAK Student Leaders” to develop both the leadership skills of the senior peer tutors and reinforce the peer tutoring program, a program designed to assist struggling students receive help in their academic endeavors.
The three day training, led by Dr. Kai, illustrated and developed leadership qualities essential for becoming an outstanding peer tutor such as empathy and the importance of having passion. The peer tutors actively participated in activities that will enable them to get to know their students better, so that they will be better able to serve their students.
The Dean of Student Support Services, Prof. Steven Zani, addressed the students, presenting them with common issues the peer tutoring program is confronted with each year: the lack of awareness among the student body of the advising programs, the misuse of the peer tutors by the student body, and incorporating the international student population into the AURAK student body. They were challenged to develop solutions and prepare presentations for the program administrators by implementing the Storybrand Brandscript activity that helped them to create a story in which they used in their presentation to illustrate the impact their solution would have in solving the program’s weakness. The presentations were viewed by the Manager of the Counseling, Testing, and Disability Department, Dr. Sharon Waller, Prof. Steven, and Dr. Bryn who were delighted with the students’ innovative ideas.
Dr. Sharon was very impressed with progress the students had made in the short amount of time in which they constructed their ideas, “I was amazed at the thought put into problem-solving by these young leaders. Their ideas were refreshing and innovative. They have proven themselves to be insightful and capable of taking on and overcoming challenges.”
AURAK President, Prof. Hassan Hamdan Al Alkim, also took pride in the insight and innovation the students were able to supply in assisting to strengthen the peer tutoring program, “We are always looking for avenues to make a strong program more successful. Each year more and more students have demonstrated improvement due to the advancement of this department, and with this perspective it will be able to improve even further in assisting the AURAK student body to achieve its goals, thus bolstering AURAK success and ensuring Ras Al Khaimah with a brighter future.”
The American University of Ras Al Khaimah, United Arab of Emirates (UAE) is a government-owned institution of higher education which provides an integrated North American-style education. It is accredited by the Ministry of Higher Education and Scientific Research in UAE and offers a total of 22 undergraduate and graduate programs across a wide range of disciplines. The Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges (SACSCOC) awarded the institution candidacy status in July 2017.
