Newsletter # 3
The students were promised a cafeteria by the beginning of the first semester and here we were, the second semester started and no construction has been made. So the USFC organized a sit-in on March 16, 2010 to get them started with it. Therefore, if you pass by you can notice that the work has started!
Speaker’s Corner or Hyde Park was abolished in AUB 36 years ago. Today, the USFC has asked to re-launch it. The problem is that the administration did not agree upon it. After a lot of discussions the USFC managed to convince the administation by agreeing to this freedom of speech under the condition of excluding two very important topics: religion and politics. This seems like a parados and a lot of students were infuriated by this idea thinking that they are beng mocked. But it is a first step. And if we, students, can demonstrate that we can handle freedom of speech we shall be able to eventually talk about politics and religion and whatever topic that interests the students. Until then other topics can be discussed freely. Students can send topics proposalsl on the usfc i-mail (usfc@aub.edu.lb).
It was proposed by the USFC to lauch a “Class Ring Ceremony” yearly in significance of the students’ graduation with the souvenir of their education at AUB.
During the week of April 4, 2010, the USFC organized an Awarness week about the following topics: drugs, smoking, car accidents, environmental issues, HIV, and violence against women. NGOs were invited to discuss these issues that concerns every one of us explicitly or implicitly.
The USFC decided to allocate 800$ for every club and society (since they have not received any budget for two years). This amount will not be transferred until it is needed.
As usual funding requests are sent to the USFC and discussed in order to try helping as much as possible the students who are asking for funding.
Reading Period
The AUB calendar had set 3 days for the reading period of the final exams of the Spring semester 2009-2010, just as last Fall. That convicted students into a lot of stress especially that most final exams are cumulative and comprehensive. Therefore, the USFC members proposed deducting the last two teaching days, May 27 and May 28, out of the curriculum and adding them to the reading period.
This proposal was sent to the Board of Deans that agreed upon it.
Activities
The USFC receives funding requests from clubs or individual students concerning conferences or activities that would benefit AUB students.
Three funding requests were made so far.
Students who have any coherent request should fill out the funding request form available on the USFC website and submit it to Ms. Hiba Hamade.
One of the most important events of the year is approaching: the annual graduation party. The committee has been set, it mostly includes USFC members: Elias Ghanem, Nadine Hamdan, Yehya Oueini, Roger Kahil, Johnny Bassil, Ali Halas, Nour El Jalbout, Jad Dimien, Nourhan Farhat and Hisham Mansour.
We are going to start working on the party in order to make it as successful as possible!
Humanitarian activities
On January 12, 2010 Haiti’s capital and most populated region, Port-au-Prince, was subject to an earthquake. This catastrophe affected 3 million people among whom 300,000 were injured, 1 million homeless and 230,000 dead.
Believing in social and humanitarian responsibility, the USFC acted in good faith and called for money donations from AUB students. A stand is going to be installed during the week of March 8, 2010 in order to collect money donations.
AUB forever
The AUB Alumni Committee needed the USFC’s approval for its request. It was proposed that students get their Alumni ID Card during their clearance process and its 15,000L.L fee would be deducted out of the students’ deposit. Since the USFC is not entitled to impose payments on students, so it was agreed that the students can have their ID card during the clearance process as long as they agree upon it by signing a certain form.
Student Feedback
On Monday February 22, 2010 the USFC installed a stand in West Hall where students could fill a form regarding the suggestions, ideas and comments that they wanted to share with the USFC. The USFC is preparing a statistical study of the students’ proposals and will present it in the following meetings.
Contact info
University Student Faculty Committee
West Hall: Room 328 Ext: 3185
American University of Beirut
Email: usfc@aub.edu.lb