aau student handbook 2011-2012

The Late SheikhZayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan

H.H.Sheikh Khalifa bin Zayed Al NahyanPresident of the United Arab Emirates

H.H.Sheikh Mohammad bin Zayed Al NahyanCrown Prince of Abu Dhabi

Deputy Supreme Commander of the Armed Forces

AAU Student Handbook 2011/2012

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2011/2012AAU Student Handbook

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Table of Contents

Contents

About this Handbook ............................................................................ 13

Welcome from the President of the University ..................................... 14

History of Al Ain University of Science and Technology ........................ 16

University Vision and Mission Statement ............................................. 17

Academic Calendar for 2011/2012 ....................................................... 18

Glossary of Terms ................................................................................. 21

AAU General Admission Requirements................................................ 22

Admission Requirements and Required Documents ............................ 23

General Secondary Students ............................................................... 24

College Admission Requirements......................................................... 28

English Language Proficiency and English Language Level Regulations 28

Degree Programs ................................................................................. 30

Obtaining a Student’s Personal Information ......................................... 31

Undergraduate Academic Regulations ............................................ 32

Study Plan ............................................................................................ 32

Limits on the Duration of Study for the BA Degree ............................... 33

Academic Load ..................................................................................... 33

The Academic Year............................................................................... 34

Academic Attendance ........................................................................... 34

Student Assessment ............................................................................. 35

Final Exams .......................................................................................... 36

Course Grading System ....................................................................... 36


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Calculation of Grade Point Averages .................................................... 37

GPA Rating ........................................................................................... 38

Incomplete Grades ............................................................................... 38

Appealing a Final Exam Grade............................................................. 38

Re-sit Exams ........................................................................................ 39

Academic Warning and Academic Probation ....................................... 39

Transfer Credits .................................................................................... 40

Academic Advising ............................................................................... 41

Course Registration .............................................................................. 42

Adding and Dropping Courses ............................................................. 42

Change of Major ................................................................................... 43

Postponement of Study ........................................................................ 43

Withdrawal from AAU ........................................................................... 44

Disenrollment from AAU ....................................................................... 44

Studying Courses at Other Institutions ................................................. 45

Studying a Substitute Course ............................................................... 45

Repeating a Course.............................................................................. 45

Graduation Requirements .................................................................... 46

College Honour’s List ........................................................................... 46

University Honour’s List ........................................................................ 47

Financial Information ............................................................................ 47

Tuition Fees and Other Fees ................................................................ 47

Grants and Financial Aid ................................................................... 50

Humanitarian Financial Aid ................................................................... 52

Deanship of Student Affairs .............................................................. 54


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Vision .................................................................................................... 54

The Duties of the Dean of Student Affairs ............................................ 54

The Deanship of Student Affairs Unit ................................................... 55

First Student Counselling Unit .............................................................. 55

1. Student Counselling and Advising .................................................... 55

2. Alumni Association............................................................................ 55

Second Student Activities Unit.............................................................. 56

Student Associations ............................................................................ 57

AAU Student Council and Council Committees.................................... 60

Student Council Committees ................................................................ 61

Revoking Membership of an Association.............................................. 64

Dissolving the Student Council ............................................................. 64

Third Student Services Department ..................................................... 64

Dormitories ........................................................................................... 64

Transportation ...................................................................................... 65

Security................................................................................................. 65

Student Disciplinary Regulations ..................................................... 65

Regulations for Cheating in Academic Work ........................................ 69

First Time Cheating Penalties............................................................... 69

Second Time Cheating Penalties ......................................................... 69

Procedure ............................................................................................. 69

AAU Library .......................................................................................... 70

Technical Departments ......................................................................... 70

Library Regulations............................................................................... 70

Library Services .................................................................................... 71


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Databases and the Internet Search Service ......................................... 72

Photocopying services.......................................................................... 73

Library Collections ................................................................................ 73

Glossary of Terms Related to the Library ............................................. 74

Internship .............................................................................................. 75

College of Engineering and Information Technology ............................ 75

College of Pharmacy: ........................................................................... 75

College of Law: ..................................................................................... 76

College of Education ............................................................................ 76

College of Business Administration: ..................................................... 76


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About this Handbook

The purpose of this Handbook is to gather all the information you will need during the course of your study at Al Ain University of Science & Technology. Some information are in form of rules and regulations. These regulations have been drawn up to ensure that everyone is informed coherently, and treated equally.

For further information, please get in touch with your department which will clarify the specifics of your degree. The Registration and Administration offices are open Sunday through Thursday, and can deal with many inquiries over the counter. The Deanship of Student affairs also has advice and guidance services available.

There may be changes to the detail of the regulations from year to year. You can always consult the current handbook in your college office or at the Registration. Alternatively, the student handbook is also accessible on the AAU website: www.aau.ac.ae


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Welcome from the President of the University

Dear Students,

Congratulations on having decided to become a student at Al Ain University of Science and Technology. We are hopeful that your academic journey at AAU will be distinguished in every aspect.

AAU degrees encourage both in-depth and comparative study. Every degree program has a systematic structure, designed to provide knowledge and training in a specific field. We aim to ensure that students have as much opportunity as possible to develop their own interests, drawing upon the rich variety of courses we offer.

Ahead of you lie encounters and interactions with many different cultures, ideas, and perspectives. Take full advantage, not only in the classrooms and library, but among your fellow students as well. Those who study here are themselves a great educational resource.

If you work steadily, value your subjects of study, build on your interests, and manage your time sensibly, then your time here will be very rewarding.

This Student Handbook was written to help you understand Al Ain University of Science and Technology's policies, rules, regulations, and procedures. We encourage you to familiarize yourself with the many resources and opportunities which AAU offers in the areas of career guidance, counseling, academic support, leadership, social events, athletics, and housing assistance.

The University prides itself on its student-centered approach and encourages you to take full advantage of its various activities and extracurricular opportunities, designed to complement the academic programs. The University believes that the students should, in addition, be responsible for


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the consequences of violating the AAU rules and policies mentioned in the handbook.

We hope you have an enjoyable and enriching experience at AAU, and wish you all the best in your future endeavors.

The President


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History of Al Ain University of Science and Technology

The intention behind establishing Al Ain University of Science and Technology, came in response to guidance from His Highness the late Sheikh Zayed Bin Sultan Al-Nahyan, the 1st President of the UAE. This was in regard to nurturing the people of the UAE on foundations of knowledge and science, and to contribute to the development of the UAE, as well as respond to the challenges precipitated by the twenty-first century evolution of technology and mass media.

Great consideration was also taken in regards to the Federal Decree No. (4) Of 1994 of the Ministry of Higher Education and Scientific Research's Decree No. (1) Of 1992 in relation to the rules and regulations of licensing higher educational institutions, and to the MOHESR's "Standards for Licensure and Accreditation 2003".

Upon the completion of all studies conducted for the purpose of establishing this educational monument with a vision of its own, a constructive philosophy and a creative mission had developed. Al Ain University of Science and Technology was established in 2004 with full commitment to the rules and regulations issued by the MOHESR.


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University Vision and Mission Statement

AAU Vision

AAU aspires to be amongst the leading educational centers and institutions in the region, by working to achieve international quality standards in teaching, research, and community service.

AAU Mission

AAU strives to be a learning center of excellence that responds to market needs, and prepares graduates who possess the scientific and technological competencies that are needed for their careers. The University plays an active role in the creation of knowledge through quality teaching and research methods. It values community service and nurtures partnerships with institutions and organizations, through a commitment to the educational, technological, and economic development of the country and region.


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Academic Calendar for 2011/2012Fi

rst S

emes

ter

Day and Date EventsTue, September 6, 2011 Faculty report to work

Wed, September 7, 2011 English placement test

Wed, September 7, 2011 Deadline for course transfer requests

Thu, September 8, 2011 New students orientation day

Sun, September 11 – Thu, September 15, 2011 Academic advisement and registration

Sun, September 18, 2011 Classes start

Sun, September 18 – Thu, September 22, 2011 Add and drop period

Sun, September 25 – Thu, September 29, 2011 Withdrawal with 40 % fine

Wed, September 28 – Thu, September 29, 2011 Incomplete exams

Sun, October 2 – Thu, October 6, 2011 Withdrawal with 100 % fine

Sun, October 9, 2011 Beginning of withdrawal without failure «W»

Sun, November 13, – Thu, November 17, 2011 Midterms examination period

Tue, December 6, 2011 New students admission for the second semester.

Sun, December 18, – Thu, December 22, 2011 Academic orientation and early registration for the second semester

Tue, January 3, 2012 Beginning of withdrawal with failure «F»

Sun, January 8 – Thu, January 12, 2012 Final examinations period

Tue, January 17, 2012 Grades announced

5 working days from the final exam of the course

Deadline for Incomplete Requests

Tue, January 17, 2012 Beginning of Inter-College Transfer Applications

Thu, January 24, 2012 Deadline for Appeal for Final Exam Score

Sun, January 29, 2012 Intersession begins


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Seco

nd S

emes

ter

Day and Date EventsSun, February 12, 2012 Faculty report to work

Tue, February 15, 2012 English placement test

Wed, February 15, 2012 Deadline for course transfer requests

Thu, February 16, 2012 New students orientation day

Sun, February 12 – Thu, February 16, 2012 Academic advisement and registration

Sun, February 19, 2012 Classes start

Sun, February 19 – Thu, February 23, 2012 Add and drop period

Sun, February 26 – Thu, March 1, 2012 Withdrawal with 40 % fine

Wed, February 29 – Thu, March 1, 2012 Incomplete exams

Sun, March 4 – Thu, March 8, 2012 Withdrawal with 100 % fine

Sun, March 11, 2012 Beginning of withdrawal without failure «W»

Sun, April 8 – Thu, April 12, 2012 Midterm examinations period

Sun, April 22, 2012 New students admission for summer semester

Sun, May 6 – Thu, May 10, 2012 Academic orientation and early registration for the summer semester

Sun, May 20 – Thu, May 24, 2012 Academic advisement and early registration for the first semester of the academic year 20122013/

Tue, May 29, 2012 Beginning of withdrawal with failure “F”

Sun, June 3 – Thu, June 7, 2012 Final examinations period

Tue, June 12, 2012 Grades announced



Tue, June 12, 2012 Beginning of Inter-College Transfer Applications

Thu, June 19, 2012 Deadline for appeal for Final Exam Score

Sun, June 24, 2012 Summer break begins for faculty members


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Sum

mer

Sem

este

rDay and Date Events

Sun, June 17 – Thu, June 21, 2012 Academic advisement and registration

Sun, June 24, 2012 Classes start

Sun, June 24 – Mon, June 25, 2012 Add and drop period

Tue, June 26 – Thu, June 28, 2012 Withdrawal with 100 % fine

Sun, July 1, 2012 Beginning of withdrawal without failure «W»

Sun, July 8, 2012 New students admission for first semester 2012/2013

Tue, July 10 – Wed, July 11, 2012 Midterm examinations period

Wed, July 25, 2012 Beginning of withdrawal with failure «F»

Mon, July 30 – Tue, July 31, 2012 Final examinations period

Sun, August 5, 2012 Grades announced- Beginning of Inter-College Transfer applications



Sun, August 26, 2012 Faculty report to work


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Glossary of Terms

Student ID: The student’s official university number. It indicates the academic year and semester when the student joined the university. The last four digits indicate the student’s unique serial number at AAU.

Academic Year: The Academic Year consists of two semesters, each lasting 16 weeks.

Summer Session: An optional semester that lasts for 6 (six) weeks.

Credit Hour(s): Is the unit of the number of hours the student needs to attend per week throughout the semester. Each lecture counts as one credit hour. For labs and practicum, each credit hour is at least two lab hours or practical hours.

Study Plan: A group of elective and compulsory courses that a student has to successfully complete in order to obtain a degree in his/her major.

Compulsory Requirements: The group of courses included in the Study Plan which the student needs to successfully complete including the program’s General University Requirements, College Requirements, and Major Requirements.

Elective Requirements: The group of courses included in the Study Plan from which the student can choose the required credit hours to successfully complete the General University Requirements, College Requirements, and Major Requirements.

Free Elective: A course that the student chooses from the courses offered by the University to complete his/her Study Plan.


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Prerequisite: A course that the student must study in order to enrol in a course that follows in the Study Plan.

Incomplete Grade: In case of failure to attend the final exam for unavoidable circumstances, the student is given an incomplete grade upon the approval of the college dean.

Academic Load: The total number of credit hours in which the student has enrolled in a given semester.

Semester Grade Point Average (SGPA): The average of the grades of all the courses which the student has studied in a semester, regardless of whether the student has passed or failed a course.

Cumulative Grade Point Average (CGPA): The average of the grades of all the courses which the student has studied from the study plan to date, regardless of whether the student has passed or failed these courses.

AAU General Admission Requirements

AAU student admission policy is based on the student’s academic achievements in the secondary school certificate or its equivalent, regardless of his/her gender, ethnicity, religion, age, disability, or national origin of the student. If, for any reason, documents presented by the applicant are deemed to be fraudulent, AAU reserves the right to expel the student without refund, or prior notice.

The following are the general admission requirements. Applicants are required to:

I. Possess a secondary school certificate or its equivalent with a grade average of no less than 60%;


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II. Possess a Foundation Year certificate if his/her grade average in the general secondary examination is less than 60%;

III. Satisfy any additional admission requirements of the college that he/she intends to apply to;

IV. Hold a valid English Language Proficiency score of at least 500 in the TOEFL exam, or Band 5 in the IELTS exam. (Applicants to the College of Law are exempt from this requirement).

All documents submitted for admission purposes become the property of AAU and are no longer returned to the student.

Admission Requirements and Required Documents

A student who wishes to enrol at AAU fills out an application form from the Admission and Registration Office, pays the non-refundable application fee at the Financial Department, and submits the application according to the dates announced by AAU.

A student will not be accepted at AAU unless his/her academic file is complete. This file includes an application form that is to be signed by the applicant as well the documents discussed below.


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General Secondary Students

Science and Arts Stream

Any student who has a General Secondary certificate with an average of 60% or above may enrol at AAU, and must include the following documents with his/her application form:

I. A General Secondary school certificate/ transcript, or its equivalent attested by the Ministry of Education in the UAE (An attested copy may be submitted);

II. An English Language Proficiency certificate of no less than 500 in the TOEFL exam, or Band 5 in IELTS exam;

III. A copy of a valid passport;IV. Two (2) passport-sized photographs;V. A Health Certificate.

Technical Stream

Any student who has a Technical Secondary Certificate with an average of 70% or above may apply to AAU in any of the following colleges; Business Administration, Education, and Law.

The applicant must meet the admission requirements of the specified college he/she wishes to join, and should include the following documents with his/her application form:

I. A General Secondary certificate transcript. (An attested copy may be submitted);

II. A certificate of equivalency that is issued by the Ministry of Education in the UAE;

III. An English Language Proficiency certificate of no less than 500 in the


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TOEFL exam, or Band 5 in IELTS exam;IV. A copy of a valid passport;V. Two (2) passport-sized photographs;VI. A Health Certificate.

Students Transferring from Other Universities or Colleges

A student who is registered at another university or college may apply to transfer to Al Ain University, provided that the university or college from which the student is transferring is accredited by the Ministry of Higher Education and Scientific Research in the UAE.

Admission Requirements for Transfer Students

The following regulations apply to transfer students:

I. The student must meet the general admission requirements of AAU as well as the admission requirements of the specified college he/she wishes to attend;

II. The student must have successfully completed at least nine (9) credit hours at his/her previous university or college;

III. The student had to have been a full time student at the previous university or college.

The following documents must be included with the student’s application:

I. A General Secondary certificate transcript or its equivalent attested by the Ministry of Education in the UAE. (An attested copy may be submitted);


III. A copy of a valid passport;


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IV. Two (2) passport-sized photographs;V. A Health Certificate;

In addition, an official, attested transcript from the previous university or college showing all earned credits and grades, along with the university’s course catalogue, describing the courses the student had previously taken.

Students who hold a Diploma

Students who hold a diploma may apply to Al Ain University, provided that the university or college from which the student obtained the diploma is accredited by the Ministry of Higher Education and Scientific Research in the UAE. The student must also meet the general admission requirements of AAU as well as the admission requirements of the specified college he/she wishes to attend.

The following documents must be included with the application:

I. A General Secondary certificate transcript or its equivalent attested by the Ministry of Education in the UAE. (An attested copy may be submitted);


III. A copy of a valid passport;IV. Two (2) passport-sized photographs;V. A Health Certificate;VI. An official, attested transcript from the previous university or college

showing all earned credits and grades, along with the university’s course catalogue, describing the courses the student had previously taken;

In addition, a certificate of equivalency for the diploma which has been issued by the Ministry of Higher Education and Scientific Research in the UAE should be shown, if the diploma is from another country other than the UAE.


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Visiting Students

Individuals may enrol at AAU for knowledge and professional development purposes on either a full-time or part-time basis without obtaining a degree. A visiting student who wishes to study at AAU is required to obtain the approval of the relevant College Dean. If a visiting student who has previously attended courses at AAU wishes to obtain a degree, he/she must meet the admission requirements at AAU and the college in which he/she wishes to enrol.


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College Admission Requirements

Students may be admitted into a college at AAU based on the special admission requirements that are determined by each college. The following table specifies the different college admission requirements:

College ProgramMinimum

Grade Average

Track

Science Arts

Engineering and Information Technology

Computer Science 60% √Software Engineering 60% √Computer Engineering 60% √Networks and Communications Engineering 60% √

Pharmacy Pharmacy 70% √Law Law 60% √ √Education English Language Teacher Education 60% √ √

Information Technology Teacher Education 60% √

Professional Diploma in Teaching 2.0 out of 4.0 GPA

√ √

Business Administration

Accounting 60% √ √Finance and Banking 60% √ √Management Information Systems 60% √ √

English Language Proficiency and English Language Level Regulations

With the exception of the College of Law, the English language is the medium of instruction at AAU. A student who has not submitted an English Language Proficiency Certificate with his/her application needs to sit for the AAU English Placement Test.

Based on the results of the test, the student will be placed in one of the English language levels. In addition to the language level courses, a student is allowed to register for General University courses as follows:


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I. Students at Level 1 are allowed to register for one (1) General University Course taught in Arabic;

II. Students at Level 2 are allowed to register for two (2) General University Courses taught in Arabic;

III. Students at Level 3 are allowed to register for three (3) General University Courses.

If the student obtains the required English Language Proficiency certificate while studying at any of the levels prescribed, then he/she may drop the language level taking into consideration AAU regulations and the academic calendar.

If the student obtains a result in the placement test that exempts him/her from taking a language level, he/she is allowed to register for any of the General University courses for up to a maximum of 18 credit hours.

A student may not study more than 18 credit hours before obtaining the required English Language Proficiency certificate.

For the College of Law students, if a student fails to obtain the required grade in the placement test, then he/she is required to register for the English Training Course. He/she can also register for up to 9 credit hours along with the English Training Course.


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Degree Programs

AAU offers the following accredited academic programs:

Undergraduate Programs

College Program

Credit

Hours

Required

Campus

Engineering and Information Technology

Bachelor of Science in Software Engineering 123 Al Ain

Bachelor of Science in Computer Science 123 Al AinBachelor of Science in Computer Engineering 140 Al AinBachelor of Science in Networks and Communications Engineering

140 Al Ain

Pharmacy Bachelor of Science in Pharmacy 158 Al Ain

LawBachelor of Law 129 Abu Dhabi and Al

Ain

Education

Bachelor of Education in English Language Teacher Education

126 Al Ain

Bachelor of Education in IT Teacher Education 126 Al Ain


Bachelor of Business Administration in Accounting

123 Abu Dhabi and Al Ain

Bachelor of Business Administration in Banking and Finance


Bachelor of Business Administration in Management Information Systems



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Graduate Programs

College ProgramsCredit Hours

RequiredCampus


Master Program in:• MBA-(General) • MBA-(Accounting)• MBA-(Finance and Banking)• MBA-(Marketing)• MBA-(Management Information

Systems )• MBA-(Human Resources)

33 Al Ain

Education Professional Diploma in Teaching 24 Al Ain

Obtaining a Student’s Personal Information

A student’s file is considered to be a confidential document. Nobody is allowed to access the file except for the student, the student’s parents, his/her sponsor, the AAU President, the Vice President, and/or the Registrar General.

I. The University may disclose routine information without prior notice or written consent from the student. Such information is limited only to the following; the student’s name, degree received, major of study, and any awards that the student may have received while at the University.

II. A student has the right to inspect, and review all documents that are kept in his/her record, and request to change or update his/her personal data. The university may release information other than routine information upon written consent from the student.

III. This consent must specify the information that is to be disclosed by the University, and provide the names and addresses of the individuals or institutions, to which the disclosure is to be made.

IV. The university reserves the right to disclose the student’s academic records to the student’s parents, and/or to any private or public authority that might be sponsoring the student.


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Undergraduate Academic Regulations

Study Plan

The study plan for each major offered by AAU within an undergraduate degree consists of the following requirements:

General University Requirements

33 credit hours are allocated for the General University Requirements, which are divided into (i) compulsory requirements of 24 credit hours which all students are to study, and (ii) elective requirements of 9 credit hours, the students is required to choose only one course from each group .

College Requirements

Students are required to complete a number of credit hours as ‘College Requirements’ for the different colleges. The actual number of credit hours is specified in the University Catalogue.

Major Requirements

Students are required to complete a number of credit hours within the different colleges as ‘Major Requirements’. The ‘Major Requirements’ are divided into compulsory courses and elective courses as specified in the University Catalogue.

Free Electives

An allocated number of credit hours which the student chooses according to his/her study plan.


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Limits on the Duration of Study for the BA Degree

• For programs that usually require eight semesters for graduation, the minimum duration of study is six regular semesters. Should the program usually take ten semesters to complete, then the minimum duration in which the student can complete the program is eight semesters.

• For programs that usually require eight semesters for graduation, the maximum duration of study is fourteen regular semesters. Should the program usually take ten semesters to complete, then the maximum duration in which the student can complete the program is sixteen semesters.

• The minimum and maximum study duration for transfer students is calculated based on the number of transferred credit hours, taking into account the regulations specified above.

Academic Load

The following regulations specify issues relevant to a student’s academic load:

• The maximum number of credit hours for which the students can register is 18 hours, while the minimum is 9 hours.

• In some special cases, a student may register for up to a maximum of 21 credit hours under the following conditions:

I. If the student’s CGPA or SGPA is 3.6 or above;II. If this load will enable the student to graduate at the end of the semester

as specified.


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• A student may register for less than 9 credit hours in the semester in which he/she plans to graduate, and a student may register for up to 6 credit hours in the summer session.

• A student may register for up to 9 credit hours in the summer session if:

I. The student’s CGPA is 3.0 or above;II. This load will enable the student to graduate at the end of the summer

session.

• In all cases where the student’s academic load limits are exceeded, approval from the Dean Council.

The Academic Year

I. The academic year consists of two 16-week compulsory semesters, and a 6-week optional summer session.

II. The First semester begins on the first Sunday of September of each year. The Second semester begins on the first Sunday of February of each year.

III. The Registrar announces the academic calendar of the following academic year during the first month of the second semester.

IV. All religious and national holidays in the United Arab Emirates are official holidays for the university.

Academic Attendance

Students are expected to attend all scheduled lectures. Absence does not exempt a student from submitting his/her work, that he/she is required to complete within the course requirements. Absences will lead to:

I. A first warning for absence of 10 % of the course hours;


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II. A second warning for absence of 20% of the course hours;III. A failing grade (FA) in the course for absence of 25% of the course

hours.

A student whose absences exceed 25% of the course hours may be considered as ‘withdrawn’ from the course. Should he/she submit an excuse which describes any extenuating circumstances for the absences, then these circumstances will be considered and accepted by the course instructor and the Dean of the College.

Student Assessment

A student’s performance in the courses in which he/she is registered is assessed according to the assessment processes applied by AAU.

The passing grade for a course is 60%.

The final result of each course is the sum of the grades of the final exam, the midterm exam, and the coursework that is completed by the student.

The final grade for a course is out of 100, rounded to the closest whole number as follows:

I. coursework: 40%II. midterm exam: 20%III. final exam: 40%


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Final Exams

The final exams take place during the 16th week of the semester. The duration of the final exam shall be two hours only. A student shall not be required to take more than two final examinations on the same day.

Students who are scheduled for more than two examinations on the same day are entitled to reschedule one of the exams, and take it on another day during the final examination period.

No tests or examinations of any kind, may be given on any of the seven calendar days that precede the first day of final examinations, except for practical exams, English Language placement tests, and discussion of graduation projects.

In the summer session, the final examination period consists of the last three scheduled days of the session.

Course grades are to be submitted to the Registration Office within 48 hours of conducting the final exam.

Revision of a student’s final grade is allowed in exceptional cases which should be justified by the course instructor, in writing, to the College Dean within five days after the grade has been submitted to the Registrar. The Dean, in turn, will present the matter to the College Council and inform the Registrar of the council’s decision.

The final exams are supervised by the AAU Examination Committee.

Course Grading System

AAU uses a letter system in recording the students’ final results in a course.


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Each letter is converted to a number of points that are used in calculating the SGPA and CGPA.

Percentage Grade Letter Symbol GPA Points90 -100 A 4.085 - 89 B+ 3.580 - 84 B 3.075 -79 C+ 2.570 - 74 C 2.065 - 69 D+ 1.560 - 64 D 1.0

< 60 F 0- FA Fail due to absent - P ‘Pass’- I ‘Incomplete’- IP ‘In Progress’- W ‘Withdrawn’

Calculation of Grade Point Averages

The SGPA is calculated by multiplying the grade of each course by the number of the course’s credit hours, and then dividing the total by the number of total credit hours taken by the student in the semester.

The CGPA is calculated by multiplying the grade of each course by the number of the course’s credit hours, and then dividing the total of all courses by the number of total credit hours taken for all previous semesters.


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GPA Rating

The SGPA and CGPA are categorized according to the following ratings:

Grade Point Average Evaluation

3.6 - 4.00 Excellent

3.0 - 3.59 Very Good

2.5 - 2.99 Good

2.0 - 2.49 Satisfactory

Less than 2.0 Unsatisfactory

Incomplete Grades

A student who is unable to attend the final examination of a course, due to extenuating circumstances during the final examination period, may seek an incomplete grade “I” for the course. The student must submit an “Incomplete” application form which is available from the Admission and Registration Department within five working days after the date of the final exam.

The student must take the final exam for the course no later than the end of the second week of the following semester, (if the student is registered in that semester), otherwise an “F” is recorded for that course.

Appealing a Final Exam Grade

A student has the right to appeal a final exam result in any course under the following conditions:

I. The student must complete an appeal form and submit it to the Admission and Registration Department within five working days of the announcement of the final grades.


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II. The Admission and Registration Department submits the appeal form to the specified college responsible for that course. The college will then respond within seven days of receiving the form.

III. The College Dean forms a committee of three faculty members to revise the final exam paper. The revision will be guided by an answer key which is prepared by the course instructor.

IV. If an error is found, the course instructor will correct it and submit the result to the Registrar General, and Admission and Registration Department after receiving the approval of the College Dean.

The decision of the college is final.

Re-sit Exams

If a student fails a course in the semester in which he/she is supposed to graduate and his/her CGPA is >= 2.0, the student is allowed to re-sit that final exam after paying the required fees. The student’s name can be added to the list of graduating students for that semester if he/she has fulfilled all of the graduation requirements.

If the student fails the final exam, he/she must retake the course in the following semester.

Academic Warning and Academic Probation

A student receives a first academic warning if his/her CGPA drops below 2.0 by the end of any semester (except his/her first semester at AAU). Having received the first warning, he/she is not allowed to register for more than 15 credit hours in the following semester.

Should a student fail to raise his/her CGPA to at least 2.0 in the following semester, then he/she will be given a second warning and will not be allowed


40

to register for more than 12 credit hours.

Should a student fail to raise his/her CGPA to at least 2.0, the student becomes liable to one of the following actions based on the College Council’s decision:

I. transfer the student to another major within the same collegeII. transfer the student to another college

A student is given two semesters to raise his/her CGPA after changing his/her major or college. Should the student fail to do this, he/she will be expelled from the university.

If a student’s CGPA is at least 1.9, and he/she has completed at least 75% of the credit hours required for graduation, then he/she will not be dismissed from the university, but will be permitted to continue in the same major until he/she reaches the maximum study duration.

The summer session does not count for an academic warning period.

Transfer Credits

If a student transfers from a university or college that is accredited by the Ministry of Higher Education and Scientific Research, and wishes to transfer the credits for courses successfully completed at the previous university or college, then he/she has to submit a course equivalency application to the Admission and Registration Office where it is referred to the relevant college. Course equivalency is calculated according to the following principles:

I. The university or college from which the student is transferring must be accredited by the Ministry of Higher Education and Scientific Research;

II. The student’s CGPA should be 2.0 or above;


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III. The student must be a full time student;IV. The credits for a course are transferred if the student obtained ‘C’ or

above in the course;V. The content of the transferred course is equivalent to at least 80% of

the content of the course at AAU;VI. The credit hours of the transferred course should be the same as that

of the AAU course;VII. If a student’s CGPA is below 2.0, he/she is allowed to transfer credit

courses, provided that they meet the credit transfer requirements. In such a case, the student must enrol in a major which is different to the major that he/she is transferring from;

VIII. The maximum credit hours that can be transferred are 50% of the total credits required for the program at AAU;

IX. No credit is granted for pass/fail courses.

Transferred credits are not used in calculating the student’s CGPA at AAU.

The student can request a revision or appeal a course equivalency decision within two weeks of receiving the decision.

Academic Advising

The university strongly recommends that all new students attend the academic advising sessions, (both the General and Special Advising sessions, which are routinely held at the beginning of each semester).

The General Advising session aims to familiarize students with the academic system at AAU, the services, the student activities, and educational resources available at AAU. Special Advising is normally conducted after the students have entered their colleges, where they are familiarized with their respective Study Plans, the exams, and graduation requirements.


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They will also meet their academic advisor(s) who will guide and advise the students until they fulfil their graduation requirements.

Course Registration

AAU students in every semester must carry out registration according to the stated dates in AAU’s academic calendar, as instructed below:

I. A student must obtain a registration form from his/her college, and write the courses he/she wishes to register for based on the Study Plan;

II. A student is not allowed to take a course unless he/she has studied the prerequisite(s) for that course;

III. The student is not allowed to register for a course and its prerequisite(s) in the same semester, unless these courses are in the final semester before the student plans to graduate, or if the student is re-taking the prerequisite(s). In this case, the student needs to obtain the Dean’s approval;

IV. The student must go to his/her academic advisor to approve the courses, and then proceed to the Finance Department;

V. The student must also go to the Admission and Registration Office where the data is entered into the student’s electronic file, after double checking for presence of the academic advisor’s, and the Finance Department’s stamps on the form.

Adding and Dropping Courses

During the first week of the semester, or in the first three days of the summer session, a student may add or drop one or more courses after receiving the approval of the academic advisor. In order for a student to drop or add courses, he/she needs to obtain an add-and-drop form from the Admission and Registration Office, and then follow the same steps required for registration above.


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Change of Major

A student may change his/her major provided that he/she meets the following requirements:

I. The student must submit an application to the Admission and Registration Office within the period specified in the academic calendar;

II. The student must meet the admission requirements of the new major or college;

III. The student should not have been previously dismissed from the department/college that he/she wished to transfer from;

IV. When a student changes to a new major or college, he/she may select courses which he/she had taken beforehand in order to be transferred, (provided these courses are part of the student’s new Study Plan). The grades of these transferred credits are taken into account when the student’s CGPA is calculated;

V. A student is entitled to only one change of major or college throughout his/her enrolment at AAU.

Postponement of Study

If a student wishes to postpone his/her studies for a semester, he/she needs to obtain a form from the Admission and Registration Office, and to submit it to the Admission and Registration Office before the end of the drop-and-add period of the semester he/she wishes to postpone.

I. The student may postpone his/her study for a period of time. This period must not exceed two consecutive semesters or four non-consecutive semesters during the entire period of study;

II. The postponement period will not be considered as part of the maximum study duration;


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III. A new student or a transfer student is not allowed to postpone his/her first semester at AAU;

IV. A student who has an "Incomplete" grade must remove the "Incomplete" grade before he/she postpones his/her studies.

Withdrawal from AAU

If a student wishes to withdraw from AAU, he/she needs to submit a withdrawal form along with a clearance form. His/her academic record will show as "Withdrawn".

Should a student wish to join AAU again, he/she has to re-apply. In the case where the student is accepted to the same major, the student can keep his/her previous academic record, provided he/she completes the graduation requirements according to the Study Plan that is applicable at AAU at the time of re-joining. If the student is accepted into a different major, point (iv) of Changing Major (see above) will apply.

Disenrollment from AAU

If the student fails to provide an official record of enrolment at AAU for one or more semesters, (excluding the summer semester), without an official notification of postponement, then he/she shall be disqualified from reserving a seat at AAU.

Should the student wish to join AAU again, he/she has the right to re-apply. In the case where the student is accepted into the same major, the student can keep his/her previous academic record, provided that he/she completes the graduation requirements according to the Study Plan that is applicable at AAU at the time of re-joining.


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Studying Courses at Other Institutions

An AAU student who wishes to study courses at another institution may do so according to the following regulations:

I. The credit hours the student wishes to take outside of AAU should not exceed more than 6 credit hours;

II. Prior to taking the courses, the student needs to obtain written approval from the College Dean;

III. The university where the student wishes to study has to be accredited by the Ministry of Higher Education and Scientific Research;

IV. Only general university requirments and college courses can the student study outside the university;

VI. A student is not allowed to study courses outside AAU during the last two semesters (30 gredit hours).

Studying a Substitute Course

If the student’s graduation depends on a course that is not offered in the semester in which he/she is supposed to graduate, or if the course time clashes with another course, the student may, upon approval from the College Dean, study a substitute course.

Repeating a Course

A student may repeat a course in order to raise his/her CGPA.

The student may choose a different elective or free elective, and substitute this for an elective or free elective in which he/she has previously failed.

If a student repeats a course, the credit hours of the course are calculated as part of the hours required for graduation only once.


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In all cases, the higher grade for a repeated course is calculated into the CGPA.

Graduation Requirements

A student obtains his/her degree after fulfilling the following requirements:

I. The student has passed all the required and relevant courses according to the approved Study Plan;

II. The student has achieved a CGPA of no less than 2.0;III. The student has not exceeded the maximum number of years for

graduation stated in these regulations;IV. The student has spent the minimum study duration and time, in learning

for the degree;V. The student must be registered at AAU during his/her graduation

semester;VI. The relevant college issues a graduation decision.

College Honour’s List

At the end of each semester, the Admission and Registration announces the college Honour’s List. A student is included in this list if he/she meets the following requirements:

i. To obtain on SGPA of 3.6 or higher that semester;ii. To be registered for at least 15 credit hours in that semester all of which

are included in the GPA;iii. Not to have received any disciplinary warnings.iv. Not to have an «Incomplete» grade in his/her transcript.The phrase (College Honor’s List) is added to the students transcript.


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University Honour’s List

At the end of each semester, the Admission and Registration announces the college Honour’s List. A student is included in this list if he/she meets the following requirements:

i. To obtain on SGPA of 3.6 or higher for 3 consecutive semester;ii. To be registered for at least 15 credit hours in each of those semesters

all of which are included in the GPA;iii. Not to have received any disciplinary warnings.iv. Not to have an «Incomplete» grade in his/her transcript.The phrase (University Honor’s List) is added to the students transcript.

Financial Information

Tuition Fees and Other Fees

The university charges the following tuition fees and other university fees to registered students. The university reserves the right to make changes without prior notice to the published tuition fees and other fees.

Al Ain Campus

Item AED

Application to join AAU 500 (non refundable)

Registration fees 300 (for each semester)


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Item AED

Tuition fees 700 per credit hour for the University Requirement Courses

800 per credit hour in the College of Business Administration 900 per credit hour in the College of Law700 per credit hour in the College of Education

2200 per credit hour in the MBA Program

1050 per credit hour at the College of Pharmacy

900 per credit hour for the Teaching Diploma

750 per credit hour for CS and SWE (College of Engineering and IT)1000 per credit hour for CE and CNE (College of Engineering and IT)

English Placement Test 300

Orientation Fees 300 (paid once)

Student Activities 200 (per semester)

Late Registration Fee for the First Week 500

Late Registration Fee after the First Week 700

Re-sit Exam Fee 1000Readmission Fee 500Deposit money* 1000 (refundable on graduation)

*The deposit money is an amount from which the university may make deductions with respect to any outstanding fees, fines, damages, or any other charges that might be incurred by the student.

Abu Dhabi Campus

Item AED

Application to join AAU 500 (non refundable)

Registration fees 300 (for each semester)


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Tuition fees 1000 per credit hour for the University Requirement Courses

1100 per credit hour in the College of Business Administration

1200 per credit hour in the College of Law

English Proficiency Placement Test 300

Orientation Fees 300 (paid once)

Student Activities 200 (per semester)

Late Registration Fee for the First Week 500

Late Registration Fee after the First Week

700

Re-sit Exam Fee 1000Official Transcript Fee 100Readmission Fee 500Deposit money 1000 (refundable on graduation)

*The deposit money is an amount from which the university may make deductions with respect to any outstanding fees, fines, damages, or any other charges that might be incurred by the student.

Refund Policy

A registered student who applies to cancel his/her registration, or withdraw from the university before a semester is completed, will be granted a pro rate refund of that semester’s tuition fees according to the schedule below:

I. Within the first week of the semester 100% refundII. During the second week of the semester 60% refundIII. After the second week of the semester no refund

A student who is suspended or expelled from the University for disciplinary reasons, forfeits all rights to a refund.


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Grants and Financial Aid

The purpose of the Grants and Financial Aid fund is to offer financial grants to students who excel academically or in extracurricular activities. It also offers financial awards to students who attain scientific achievements. It is a priority for this fund to cover students' financial needs and assist them in completing their academic studies.

Academic Excellence and Extracurricular Activities Grants

The University offers grants to the General Secondary School students according to the following criteria:

I. The top five students in the country are offered a full grant;II. Students who achieve a grade average of 95% or above in the General

Secondary School, in either the literary or scientific streams, are offered a grant that is equivalent to a 40% discount of the fees for the credit hours they register for at AAU;

III. Students who achieve a grade average of between 90% and 94.9% in the General Secondary School, in either the literary or scientific streams, are offered a grant equivalent to a 30% discount of the credit hour fees.

IV. For the continuation of a grant, the student’s cumulative Grade Point Average in each academic semester should not be less than 3.6, and the student must register for at least 15 credit hours.

The university offers excellence grants that are equivalent to 30% of the credit hour fees to any student whose general grade point average in a semester is not less than 3.6, with the condition that he/she has completed 15 credit hours in that semester.

The University offers grants for one academic semester to students with


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excellence in sports as follows:

I. 30% to those who receive Gold Medals;II. 20% to those who receive Silver Medals;III. 10% to those who receive Bronze Medals.

The university also offers grants for one semester for students who distinguish themselves in cultural and social activities. The Fund Committee shall assess the amount of such a reward on a case-by-case basis.

Sibling Grants

The University offers grants to the siblings and relatives of currently enrolled students as per the following:

I. With the exception of the first student, each of the student’s siblings who register in each semester are offered a grant equivalent to a 20% discount of the credit hour fees.

II. Parents, sons and daughters, and spouses, registered in each semester are treated as siblings.

AAU Employee Grants

The university offers the sons and daughters of the university’s academic and administrative staff, grants up to the value of 50% of the credit hour fees, with the exception of graduate students.

Procedure

The student fills out the relevant form which is available at the Admission and Registration Office and submits it to the Financial Department. For Extracurricular Activities Grants, the student must complete the form which


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is available from the Deanship of Student Affairs. The Grants Committee determines the amount of the grant.

Humanitarian Financial Aid

Based on the recommendation of the Deans` Council at the beginning of each academic year, the university president forms a committee called (Grants and Financial Aid Committee). The committee shell be responsible for making decisions regarding humanitarian financial aid granted to students.

The University offers grants to students when their father (or their primary provider) passes away during their university studies. This grant is 50% of the student’s tuition fees, and continues until the student is awarded a Bachelor Degree by AAU. The following rules govern this type of grant:

I. An attested death certificate shall be submitted;II. The student has not been awarded another scholarship from any other

official party;III. The student will only benefit from this grant in the semester following

the submission of the relevant death certificate;IV. The student does not have other resources which enable him/her to

continue his/her university studies.

Students with special needs are offered a discount of 50% of the tuition fees, should they prove that they are in need of financial aid.

Grant Conditions

The following conditions are considered by AAU in offering grants:

I. The student should not have received an official warning during the semester he/she received a grant;


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II. The student should not have received any disciplinary penalties;III. Grants are not backdated;IV. Grants and tuition fee discounts do not cover courses that are repeated

by the student;V. A student cannot receive two grants simultaneously; if the student is

eligible for more than one grant, then the student is offered the higher grant;

VI. Grants and discounts are not effective in the summer semester;VII. The grants and discounts cannot be used for studies at the English

Language Center (i.e., English language levels).VIII. The minimum CGPA for the continuation of a grant is 2.5, with the

exception of the General Secondary School Certificate and Academic Excellence grants – in these cases the CGPA should be no less than 3.6.


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Deanship of Student Affairs

Vision

The Deanship of Student Affairs at Al Ain University of Science and Technology seeks to be a model for student-centered initiatives and to become the most prominent of its kind in the UAE. The Deanship’s vision revolves around creating the largest possible network of activities and services that meet the needs and concerns of students from all different cultures, both inside and outside the classroom, in addition to constant communication with alumni and the community. Our vision supports the success and development of our students as global citizens and distinguished leaders.

The Duties of the Dean of Student Affairs

The duties of the Dean of Student affairs include:

I. Looking after AAU students’ affairs, advising, and counselling students in order to help them attain their goals and overcome any difficulties that they may encounter whilst at University;

II. Following up with graduates, communicating with them, and helping them find future job opportunities;

III. Coordinating with the dormitories, transportation and security departments in a way that safeguards the students’ rights, and offers them appropriate accommodation;

IV. Taking part in organizing cultural, intellectual, and social meetings, as well as participating in religious and national events;

V. Supervising all extracurricular student activities at AAU, and organizing them whether they be sports, cultural, or social activities;

VI. Fostering student talents in different fields, and directing students towards developing their hobbies;

VII. Establishing student clubs and associations, in order to facilitate


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the organization and practice of student activities, offering voluntary services, and organizing scientific and recreational trips.

The Deanship of Student Affairs Unit

First Student Counselling Unit

1. Student Counselling and Advising

This unit seeks to achieve the following goals:

I. Assisting students in understanding the size of the problems they are faced with, and trying to find appropriate solutions to these issues at hand;

II. Advising students academically and educationally through lectures and seminars;

III. Assisting students in identifying their abilities and capabilities, and investing in on-campus and off-campus activities;

IV. Assisting students in understanding and resolving their academic, psychological, and social problems.

2. Alumni Association

The Alumni Association, in accordance with AAU’s philosophy and vision, seeks to instil a spirit of communication between AAU students and the alumni on one hand, as well as amongst the alumni themselves.

The Alumni Association performs the following activities:

I. Enhancing long-term professional and personal relationships between AAU and its alumni;

II. Opening channels of communication with professional institutions, in


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order to identify new job opportunities for fresh graduates in a way that is congruent with AAU’s principle of bridging the gap between academic life, and the community.

Second Student Activities Unit

Student activities are a social and cultural must as they are considered a major component of the modern curriculum in its broad sense, (which is not restricted to knowledge and information offered by textbooks). In fact, the educational process is based on the student’s participation in acquiring knowledge and skill. Various extracurricular activities are a way and method used to enrich the curriculum through acquiring valuable experiences.

Student activities are stimulated through the following:

I. student committeesII. student associations and the Student Council

The Regulations of AAU Student Associations and the Student Council

The Student Associations and the Student Council aim at achieving the following:

I. Promoting a sense of belonging to AAU and the nation;II. Developing the students’ social, cultural, and athletic abilities;III. Taking part in student activities;IV. Developing the students’ abilities and helping them practice their

hobbies, through a variety of programs and activities;V. Developing leadership amongst students, and allowing the students

opportunities for dialogue, to respect the other’s opinion, and responsibly express such opinions;

VI. Participating in community service on and off-campus;


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VII. Reinforcing a spirit of cooperation, social work, and bonding between students and AAU academic and administrative staff;

VIII. Taking part with AAU faculty in developing student activities;IX. Spreading awareness amongst students about their rights and duties

in accordance with AAU regulations.

Student Associations

Election of Students’ Representatives in Student Associations

The elections are held in each college or department according to the following guidelines:

I. During the second week of the first semester, the Dean of Student Affairs announces the election timetable. The timetable must provide the students with full details about the procedure of nomination, the rules for nomination, the starting date for nomination, the deadline for nomination, the deadline for withdrawal from nomination, and the procedure and locations for advertising.

II. Students who wish to nominate themselves for the Student Association should submit their nomination to the Dean of Student Affairs by filling in an election form, which includes the student’s name, AAU ID, and GPA.

III. The nominated student can advertise his/herself by all means within the ethics and rules made for publications within the university. The Dean of Student Affairs selects the members of the election committee which includes a faculty member, and the head of the student activities department. The election committee prepares all the facilities that are required for the elections.

IV. The election committee should hold free and fair elections to select the representatives of the student associations. The nominated students or their representatives can attend and monitor the process of the


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election. After casting the votes by the students, the counting of the votes should be done publicly and invalid votes should be cancelled. If two nominees get the same number of votes, the committee shall decide on the winner by a draw in the presence of the nominees.

V. The two students who gain the highest number of votes will be elected as Chair and Deputy Chair of the Association. The secretary shall be chosen by the members of the association.

VI. The results of the elections are to be announced on the same day of the elections. Any student who loses the elections has the right to check the number of votes after submitting a written application to the Dean of Student Affairs.

VII. Student Association elections are to be held once every academic year.

The Rules for Membership in a Student Association

The student nominated for membership in an Association should:

I. Be registered in the college on behalf of which he/she is being nominated;

II. Have good conduct, and should not have received a disciplinary punishment;

III. Be a student at AAU for at least one semester;IV. Have a GPA no less than 2.0 and should not have an academic

warning.

The Rules for Voting at the Associations Elections

A student who wishes to vote in an election must:

I. Be a regular student registered at the college;II. Have completed at least one semester;


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III. Hold an election card or its equivalent;IV. Practice his/her right in the elections by his/herself.

The Responsibilities of Student Association Members

The responsibilities of the Chairperson of the Association are to:

I. Call for meetings in collaboration with the secretary;II. Allocate the duties of the members;III. Undertake the execution of the board’s decisions in collaboration with

the secretary;IV. Submit an annual report to the Student Activities Officer, on the

activities of the Student Association with suggestions for improvement for the coming year;

The responsibilities of the Deputy Chairperson of the Association

I. Substitute for the Chairperson in his/her absence;II. Assist the Chairperson.

The responsibilities for the Secretary of the Association

I. Coordinate the different activities of the association;II. Implement the suggestions given by the students to activate the student

association;III. Be responsible for the execution of all decisions made by the

association;IV. Prepare the meeting agenda and minutes and keep all the documents

of the association filed;


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AAU Student Council and Council CommitteesThe Structure and Membership of the Council

The AAU Student Council comprises of the Chairperson and Deputy Chairperson of each College Student Association. An election committee is formed to appoint the Chairperson, Deputy Chairperson, and Secretary of the Student Council through an Internal Election Committee which comprises of the Dean of Student Affairs, or a representative, the Student Activities’ Officer and the members of the Student Council.

The Responsibilities of the Members of the Student Council

The responsibilities of the Chairperson of the Student Council are to:

I. Call for Student Council meetings;II. Undertake the execution of the board’s decisions in collaboration with

the Dean of Student Affairs;III. Represent the students in meetings with the AAU administration;IV. Represent the university in internal and external activities;V. Give an annual report to the Dean of Student Affairs on the activities of

the Student Council with suggestions for improvement for the coming year.

The responsibilities of the Deputy Chairperson of the Student Council

I. Perform the Chairperson’s responsibilities in his/her absence;II. Assist the Chairperson.


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The responsibilities of the Secretary of the Student Council

I. Coordinate the activities of the associations;II. Implement suggestions given by the students to activate the student

associations;III. Be responsible for the execution of all of the decisions by the Student

Council;IV. Prepare the meeting agenda and minutes, and keep all the documents

of the Council filed.

Student Council Committees

The Student Council elects the heads of committees and deputies from its members. The committees can seek the assistance of students who they deem appropriate after obtaining the approval of the Deanship of Student Affairs.The general duties of Student Committees are to:

I. Prepare an annual timeline for the committee’s activities and integrate this timeline into the general plan;

II. Provide all the facilities and necessary arrangements for student activities;

III. Suggest a budget for each activity;IV. Participate in external activities;V. File, document, and archive all correspondence and reports;VI. Coordinate between the student activities’ unit and college departments,

so as to ensure the success of the activitiesVII. Observe the rules and regulations of AAU and the UAE in each

activity;VIII. Be aware and take care of media items;IX. Follow up with the implementation of all activities suggested in the

plan;X. Prepare semester and annual reports.


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Student Committees

For the purposes of carrying out its duties, the Student Council will form the following permanent committees:

The Cultural Committee

The Cultural Committee seeks to employ Arabic in the students' scientific life, and develop the students' cultural skills and talents. The duties of the cultural committee include:

I. Organizing lectures and symposia on Islamic, and cultural activities inside the university;

II. Preparing and disseminating magazines;III. Organizing cultural competitions.

The Social Committee

Social activities help nurture students who have the ability to lead, and in addition prepares young men and women to carry out certain social responsibilities. This committee also develops the students' relationships with each other and with the university environment.

The role of the Social Committee includes:

I. Participating in organization for lectures and symposia pertaining to social activities;

II. Visiting national humanitarian facilities (orphanages and nursing homes);

III. Conducting social research.


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Sports Committee

Sports activities encourage athletic talents, and challenge students to express themselves and their energy, through helping their physical and mental development. The duties of the sports committee includes:

I. Organizing sports competitions between the students in the college(s), the university, and outside the university;

II. Arranging fitness exercises;III. Organizing competitions amongst college teams.

Media and Promotion Committee

This committee is one of the most important and prominent committees that support communication and interaction between AAU and the community, through promoting its activities and cooperating with cultural affairs at AAU.

The objectives of the committee are to:

I. Take part in organizing media exhibitions at AAU;II. Take part in organizing orientation visits to educational institutions;III. Advertise AAU to as many people and institutions as possible;

Rangers Committee

The Scouts Association is an educational, voluntary movement that is open to everyone. The association aims at taking part in developing young people’s physical, mental, social and spiritual abilities so that they may become positive individuals who participate in the service of the local community.


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The objectives of the committee are to:

I. Prepare young adults for wise leadership;II. Organize training camps during the academic year.

Revoking Membership of an Association

Membership is revoked in the following cases:

I. Failure to attend the Council's meeting without an excuse for three consecutive times, or six non-consecutive times, following the approval of two thirds of the members;

II. Losing a condition for membership;III. Written resignation.

Dissolving the Student Council

The Council is dissolved when half of its members resign. To ensure that the educational process runs smoothly, and to maintain a fraternal student spirit, the AAU President has the authority to dissolve the Council after an action that violates the Council's goals or jeopardizes its reputation has been committed.

Third Student Services Department

Dormitories

AAU provides prospective students with appropriate dormitories that have all means of comfort and stability to create a healthy atmosphere for studying. The tasks of the Dorms Unit include receiving new students, providing them with necessary advice and instructions, informing them of the dorms’ rules and regulations, their responsibilities, assisting students in resolving the problems they face, and following up special cases that require health care.


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Transportation

AAU provides transportation in modern, air-conditioned, and comfortable buses for male and female students to and from AAU campus' to Al Ain and Al Buraimi. Other transportation includes scientific trips, recreational trips, and official work trips.

Security

The role of AAU security is the 24-hour protection of AAU. The tasks of the security are the following:

I. At the end of every day, ensure electricity and air conditioners are all switched off and all doors are locked;

II. Monitor and ensure male and female students do not mix;III. Organize traffic at the main gates of the university;IV. Monitor female students' exit permits.

Student Disciplinary Regulations

The articles of these regulations apply to all students enrolled at AAU.

Disciplinary Violations

The following actions are considered offences and any student who is found to have committed any such action is subject to the disciplinary punishment set forth in these regulations:

I. Violation of AAU rules, regulations, decisions, or the incitement to violate any such rules;

II. Refraining intentionally from attending lectures and lessons, which require attendance by regulations, or the incitement of others to be


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absent from a lecture;III. An action which is taken that affects the honour, dignity, and ethics,

or is contrary to good conduct or jeopardizes the reputation of the university or any of its staff. This applies to any act committed by a student outside the campus in activities involving AAU, or in which AAU takes part;

IV. Cheating in an exam, participating in cheating, the initiation of cheating, breaching exam regulations, and/or disrupting the quiet atmosphere of an exam;

V. Participation in the organization of any activity on campus without a prior permit from the competent authorities at AAU, or the participation in any activity in violation of the regulations in force at AAU, or the incitement to perform such actions;

VI. The use of university buildings and facilities for purposes other than those intended for them;

VII. The distribution of leaflets, the issuance of bulletins, or the collection of signatures or donations, prior to obtaining approval from the competent authorities at AAU or the abuse of such approval;

VIII. Damaging any AAU moveable property or stealing it;IX. Engaging in any act of violence, whether physical, or verbal symbolic

violence;X. Causing disorder during lectures and seminars organized by the

university;XI. Impersonating others in any matter related to AAU affairs;XII. Providing incorrect information in any forms or applications that are

submitted by a student to AAU.

A student who takes an exam instead of the designated student is considered as cheating, to which cheating penalties are applied to both students.

However, in the case where the person who enters the examination room is not an AAU student, he/she will be referred to the competent security authorities.


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Disciplinary Punishments

If a student commits any of the disciplinary violations set forth in these regulations, after questioning him/her, he/she shall be subject to one or more of the following disciplinary punishments according to the gravity and circumstances of the violation:

Written Reprimand

All levels of warning, first and second. If a student receives a third warning, he/she will be expelled from the university for one semester. Other penalties include:

I. Fines of at least two-thirds of the current price of any object(s) that the student may have destroyed;

II. Deprivation for a limited period of use of university services provided by one or more of the AAU facilities where the violation took place;

III. Deprivation for a limited period of taking part in student activity/activities during which the violation took place;

IV. Dropping one or more courses in the semester during which the violation took place;

V. Cancelling the final exams of one or more courses in the semester during which the violation took place and giving the student zero in the cancelled course(s);

VI. Temporary suspension from AAU for a period of one to four semesters. The summer session is not considered a semester for this purpose. In addition to this, courses that may be studied at another institution during the period of suspension will not be accepted as transferred credit by AAU;

VII. Final expulsion from AAU;VIII. Postponing the student’s degree.


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Disciplinary Procedures

The Chair of the Student Disciplinary Committee calls for a meeting and summons the student who is accused of committing the offence to appear before the Committee. The Chair of the Committee shall be responsible for the committee’s meetings, recording the minutes, and preparing reports.

The student has the right to submit any information to the Committee including requesting witnesses. The Committee signs the minutes of the investigation, and the testimony of witnesses and students referred to it. Everyone whose testimony the Committee hears also signs the minutes.

All disciplinary decisions of the Committee are final following the approval of the Deans' Council. A student who receives a penalty may appeal to the Deans' Council within fifteen days from the date of the decision. If the student does not appeal the penalty decision within the time limit, the disciplinary decision issued against him/her is considered final.

The decision of the disciplinary punishment shall be kept in the student's file. The student's guardian or the person/organization that is responsible for his/her scholarship will be notified of the decision. The AAU President, the Deans, relevant department chairs, Directors of centres, and heads of departments at AAU shall be responsible for implementing the provisions of these regulations.

Student Disciplinary Committee

Based on the recommendation of the Deans’ Council at the beginning of each academic year, the AAU President forms a Student Disciplinary Committee.

The Committee investigates violations committed by students. It also gathers information, verifies it, and recommends the appropriate penalty.


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Regulations for Cheating in Academic Work

Cheating in academic work is represented by submitting academic work that is not the student’s. It is also through the student obtaining information illegally through different means; this may include carrying a mobile phone or other unauthorized electronic devices inside the examination hall.

First Time Cheating Penalties

If a student is found cheating or attempts to cheat in a quiz, midterm exam, final exam, and/or any other coursework, the following penalties are applicable:

The student will fail all courses in which he/she has enrolled for during the semester in which he/she was found cheating.

A disciplinary warning will be added to his/her file.

Second Time Cheating Penalties

If a student is found cheating or attempts to cheat in a quiz, midterm exam, final exam, and/or any other coursework for a second time, he/she will be expelled from the university.

Procedure

The faculty member who finds a student cheating or attempting to cheat in any academic work should report the incident in full detail to the Dean of the College, who, in turn, will report the case to the Student Disciplinary Committee.

The Chair of the Committee will then call for a meeting to discuss the case of cheating and in turn make a suitable decision.


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The student may appeal the decision within one week of the issuance of the decision. The appeal is to be submitted to the College Dean who, in turn, will refer it to the AAU President.

AAU Library

Khalifah Library provides information in print and electronic forms, and it offers advice, loans, reservations, and other services.

The library houses over 18,000 titles including books, periodicals, and multimedia. It also has several subscriptions to electronic databases and journals.

The library follows the Anglo-American cataloguing system and the Library of Congress classification system. All library services are computerized using an integrated system, Symphony, which facilitates access to the catalogues inside and outside the library.

Technical Departments

Acquisition Department: The department is responsible for the development of the library collections and the selection of resources as well as providing them in collaboration with the deans and department heads.

Catalogues and Classification Department: The Department is responsible for providing bibliographic information for users.

Library Regulations

AAU faculty members, administrative staff, and students are entitled to take advantage of the services offered by the library. Visitors from outside the university are allowed to make use of the library services for a registration fee


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of AED 10 and AED 1000 (refundable deposit).

The library offers its services from 8:00 am to 7:00 pm Sunday through Wednesday; on Thursdays the library is open until 4:30 pm. The library is closed on Fridays, Saturdays and public holidays.

All library users are to abide by the following:

I. Maintain a quiet environment in the library;II. Present the student's ID when required;III. Not to leave the books on the table when done with them;IV. Not to use mobile phones inside the library;V. Not to smoke inside the library;VI. Not to eat or drink inside the library.

Library Services

The Library conducts courses and induction programs to enable users to handle the resources and services available at the library. The library offers the following services:

Lending Services

Users can borrow from the library as follows:

I. A faculty member can borrow 15 books for 120 days; II. A graduate student can borrow 12 books for 14 days; III. An undergraduate student can borrow 7 books for 7 days.

Users are to abide by the regulations governing lending services as follows:

I. Borrowed materials are to be returned by the end of the lending period


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to avoid paying a fine. Users will not be allowed to borrow library materials until the fine is paid.

II. Borrowed materials can be renewed through the library website, by phone, or by bringing the materials into the library before the end of the lending period.

III. If the material borrowed is lost or damaged, an amount of double the price of the material is to be paid, or the damaged material is to be replaced by the user.

Reservation of Library Materials

Library users may reserve available resources by visiting the library, through the website, or by telephone. The validity of the reservation is 3 days only.

Inter-library Loan(s)

The library offers the service of borrowing materials from other libraries within and outside the UAE. Some of the materials borrowed from outside the UAE may require special fees.

E-search Services in the Library

Library users may search the library collections through the use of automated catalogues to obtain the location of the required book or article by the classification number, and to get all the information on this item (on loan, reserved, etc).

Databases and the Internet Search Service

The library has subscriptions to databases that support all the university disciplines, and users can take advantage of these databases at any time both on-campus and off-campus.


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Photocopying services

The library provides photocopying services for students for a nominal fee.

Library Collections

The library contains seven (7) kinds of collections: general references, textbooks, basic resources, multimedia, reserved books, periodicals, and electronic resources.

General References: A major part of the Library's collections are not for loan. These include references that are used in research and scientific projects.

Multimedia: These include audio-visual materials (cassettes, videos, CD-ROM, DVD, etc…)

Textbooks: Include all textbooks and related materials.

Basic references: These include dictionaries, encyclopaedias, manuals, handbooks, bibliographic data, yearbooks, etc…

Reserved books: These books are rare or very important, such as theses, research papers, illustrated books, exam questions, official publications, and small-sized publications.

Periodicals: These include scientific and non-scientific, local and international journals.

E-Library: Consists of newspapers, books and electronic journals, and databases, available on the library website.


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Glossary of Terms Related to the Library

Periodical: A publication published at regular intervals, and has one clear and distinct title which appears on the first page of each of its issues. A number of writers and scholars take part in writing the articles of the periodical.

Theses/Dissertations: Scientific work submitted by a graduate student to obtain a Masters or a Doctorate degree.

Biographies: Publications containing a brief or detailed account of the lives of people and their achievements.

Manuals: Publications providing information on institutions, organizations, and scientific bodies.

Bibliographies: Reference publications which compile intellectual output and categorize it (books, periodicals, printed, and non-print materials) at the national, regional, and international levels.

Indexes: Reference publications concerned with articles and materials of scientific journals, both general and specialized, as well as newspaper articles, writers, and themes. Indexes facilitate obtaining articles, studies and news for readers and researchers quickly and easily.


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Internship

Internship is a compulsory course in all disciplines; the importance of this course is to train students to be qualified and able to meet the needs of the community to work in different areas, which is congruent with the mission of the university to cover the needs of the labour market. Following is a brief description of the training field in each college:

College of Engineering and Information Technology

The student may enrol in the Internship when he/she has successfully completed at least 75 credit hours and if he/she has a CGPA no less than 2.0.

During the first and second semesters, the internship lasts 12 weeks at 20 hours a week while during the summer semester; the internship lasts 6 weeks at 40 hours a week. At the end of the internship period, the student is assessed by the field supervisor as well as the academic advisor.

College of Pharmacy:

College of pharmacy provides a continuum of pharmacy practice experiences throughout the curriculum, from introductory to advanced Professional Practice Experience (PPE). Professional pharmacy practices is carried out under the supervision of qualified pharmacy preceptors in a variety of settings and in collaboration with other health care professionals. Professional Practice Experience involves 920 of instructional hours which are equivalent to 23 credit hours distributed as follows:

i. Training at Community Pharmacy (9 Credit Hours) ii. Training at Hospitals (12 Credit Hours)iii. Training at Pharmaceutical Industry (2 Credit Hours)


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College of Law:

Prerequisite: • Civil Procedural Law1 (0301301)• Criminal Procedural Law (0301305)

The internship program lasts 16 weeks: 10 weeks for internal training, 2 weeks for external training, and 4 weeks for the preparation and performance of a mock trial.

College of Education• Practicum for Undergraduate Students• Practicum for Diploma Students

The practicum spans a full semester during which students- teachers are trained at a school in the UAE for 5 hours a day at 5 days a week for undergraduate students and 4 days a week for Diploma students. During the practicum, student-teachers observe the teaching process for a week and then gradually assume the role of the regular teachers.

College of Business Administration:

The student may enrol in the internship when he/she has successfully completed at least 75 credit hours and if he/she has s CGPA no less than 2.0.

The internship lasts 6 weeks at 5 days a week and 8 hours a day with a total of 240 hours of training. At the end of the internship period, the student is required to write a report and give presentation about his/her experience. The grade for the internship is either Pass or Fail.

aau student handbook 2011-2012

Documents

academic warning

academic probation

academic calendar

academic load

academic year

academic attendance

academic advising

student assessment