In a brief ceremony in College Hall on October 10, 2000, four AUB employees received the first President's Service Excellence Awards and medals granted under the University's new Service Quality Initiative.

• Sadik Al-Assaad , Associate Director of the Development Office, AUB. 
   
• Nellie Ayvazian , Registered Nurse in the Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, AUBMC. 
   
• Suha Kiwan , Secretary in the Dietary Department, AUBMC. 
   
• Wafa Masri , Endoscopy Technician, AUBMC.

Also present were Provost Peter Heath, Vice President John Bernson, department heads of the employees receiving the awards, and SQI Task Team members Karma el-Hassan and Ziad Yamut.

According to Physical Plant Director Ziad Yamut, the awards were based "on a history of consistent high quality service towards the community of the University and its customers, measured through feedback from past records, supervisors, peers, and entities receiving the service."

The four awardees were again honored when some 250 AUB supervisors and managers gathered in Issam Fares Hall on October 12, 2002 for a comprehensive overview of the University's Service Quality Initiative.