Zayed University

http://www.zu.ac.ae/

Introduction

ZayedUniversity was established in 1998 by the federal government of the United Arab Emirates to educate U.A.E. National women. It has campuses inAbu Dhabi and Dubai led by a single administration, and offers similar programs on both campuses. Zayed University currently enrolls approximately 2500 National women. With the opening of a new campus in Dubai in 2006, it expects enrollment there to increase to 5000 students. Enrollment at the existing campus in Abu Dhabi will probably not exceed 1200. A new campus is currently under consideration for Abu Dhabi.

ZayedUniversity is based on an international model of higher education. It is organized academically into five colleges—Arts and Sciences, Business Sciences, Communication and Media Sciences, Education and Information Systems—and theprimary language of instruction is English. The University expects its graduates to be fully bilingual in English and Arabic, proficient in the use of computing technology, and strong in quantitative and research skills. It expects them to achieve significant intellectual and social development. It also expects its graduates to be well-prepared professionals ready to become leaders in government, business, civil society, and family life. The graduates of Zayed University will help shape the future of the United Arab Emirates.

Since it opened in 1998, the University has progressed remarkably. It has graduated three classes. It has instituted—and continues to develop—a broad undergraduate program. It has established an efficient administrative structure and effective academic and operating policies and procedures. It has instituted a unique Academic Program Model which focuses on learning outcomes and incorporates them throughout the curriculum. The University has been accepted for candidacy by a leading accrediting association in the United States, and it has established an external Board of Visitors to provide additional guidance. Zayed University also has established a number of outreach centers and institutes designed to promote the development of public and private sector institutions in the United Arab Emirates.

The mission and development ofZayedUniversity are guided largely by the institution’s responsibility in the national context. The U.A.E. expects the University to educate students and to conduct research for the benefit of the country. While the University continues to build a strong undergraduate program, which is critical for student success, an increasing emphasis is being placed on faculty research that contributes to the national knowledge base. During the next several years, Zayed University will refine this new model of higher education and continue to expand and improve its undergraduate programs. It will also initiate new projects and programs—e.g., in research and graduate study—to more fully realize its purpose and aspirations. Zayed University offers a great and exciting opportunity for the country, the region, and the West. The potential is enormous.

Mission

Zayed University seeks to prepare Emirati students for a meaningful and successful twenty-first century personal and professional life; to graduate students who will help shape the future of the UAE; to support the economic and social advancement of the UAE; to lead innovation in higher education in the UAE through teaching, learning, research, and outreach; and to do so in a culturally diverse, humane, technologically advanced, and increasingly global environment.

To achieve this mission, the University will identify and build on its strengths; continue to strengthen its undergraduate program; establish a role in serving the country’s needs for graduate education; develop a research program that supports the social, economic, technological, and strategic needs of the country; forge innovative and mutually productive relationships with business, industry, civic organizations, other educational institutions, and government; manage resources efficiently; and establish a clear identity as an outstanding and innovative institution.

Faculties:

College of Arts and Sciences

Introduction

The College of Arts and Sciences is the largest and most complex of the five colleges at Zayed University in terms of the number of faculty, fields of study and extent of course offerings. The College takes primary leadership in the Colloquy on Integrated Learning, Zayed University’s core curriculum, in which all ZU students study a full range of subjects recognized as the foundation for modern learning. Specialization through majors provides students with the opportunity to deepen their understanding of the nature and richness of human learning and experience and to apply their knowledge through research and internship experiences.

Mission

Through the study of language (English and Arabic), the core curriculum, and the majors, the College seeks to produce graduates who have acquired the knowledge and skills needed for successful careers, leadership roles and the capacity for lifelong learning, regardless of the student’s major. It also seeks to contribute to the advancement of the U.A.E. through research, service and outreach activities that advance the development of the nation’s intellectual assets.

The College’s programmatic mission includes four different but related goals:

•To provide all Zayed University students with the opportunity to develop their English communicative skills to baccalaureate entry level, and with language-embedded foundation work in information literacy (Readiness Program)

•To contribute to the general knowledge of all university students by designing and offering a range of courses that enhance both subject (discipline) knowledge and skills development (Core Curriculum)

•To serve the needs of the professional colleges by providing elective courses in the humanities, art and design, social and behavioral sciences, and the natural and quantitative sciences, which support their programs (Service Courses)

•To offer majors in selected disciplines that are intellectually and socially meaningful and prepare students for careers which exist today or which may not yet have been invented (Program Majors)

Academic Programs

The College offers academic majors leading to the Bachelor of Arts (B.A.) baccalaureate degree in the following programs:

•Art and Design

•Health Sciences

•Social and Behavioral Sciences

In addition to the three majors, the College offers a range of disciplinary and interdisciplinary courses in the core curriculum, as well as support courses for majors in the other colleges. These programs are provided by

•Arabic and Islamic Studies

•Art and Design

•English Language and Literature

•Natural and Quantitative Sciences

•Social and Behavioral Sciences

Each program and major has its own set of learning outcomes which define the scope of knowledge and skills which arise in that discipline and which provide the necessary knowledge base for the successful pursuit of careers or advanced study in those fields.

In addition to academic majors, the College undertakes the development of competence in English and Arabic of all students from the point of entry to degree completion. The College maintains two language centers, whose responsibility is to provide expertise in the development of language skills at increasingly advanced levels. The ultimate goal of the University is to produce graduates who can use both English and Arabic appropriately in their chosen professions.

The College also provides courses at advanced levels for students in the College of Education so that they can develop teaching specialties in the basic disciplines. Students who want to teach in either government or private schools, kindergarten through twelfth grade, will major in education but take many courses in other subjects to qualify for teaching.

College ofBusiness Sciences

Mission

Empower students with the academic, professional and leadership competencies necessary to achieve success in a globally competitive business environment; and,

Support the economic development of the United Arab Emirates.

Academic Program

The College of Business Sciences prepares students for the many challenging opportunities present in the business world of the 21st century. The focus of the College's educational programs is excellent teaching in a caring, supportive environment that produces educated graduates who possess business skills that will enable them to contribute to their families, their communities, and their nation.

College ofCommunication and Media Sciences

Mission

The College of Communication and Media Sciences offers students opportunities to perfect their communication skills and to discover how they might use those skills to play important leadership roles in their country, in a professional career and in their families. Students master the crafts of written, oral and visual communication through the courses they complete, co-curricular activities on campus, and internships and practicum experiences both on campus and in the workplace.

The mission of the College of Communication and Media Sciences is to:

Provide baccalaureate students with the communication theories, concepts and skills they will need to be successful in professional communication or media fields;

Provide post-baccalaureate, professional development and continuing education opportunities for communication and media practitioners that enable them to stay at the cutting edge of their fields;

Assist in the development and growth of communication and media industries in the region;

Encourage and support communication and media research with special emphasis on the U.AE. and Gulf Region; and,

Achieve international recognition as a leading communication and media college.

Academic Program

Students in the College of Communication and Media Sciences develop strong skills in written and oral communication in Arabic and English. Instruction in most of the College’s courses is in English; some of these courses are partnered with Arabic labs while in other courses students complete assignments in both English and Arabic.

Courses and co-curricular activities of the College of Communication and Media Sciences emphasize development of leadership skills as well as analytical and technical skills. Students must master the use of computers and other leading edge technologies to communicate creatively and effectively. Each student uses her laptop to access, create and submit class assignments, to read e-books, to search the World Wide Web, and to communicate with her instructors and fellow students. The specialized visual communication and graphics technology in the College’s computer laboratories is state-of-the-art.

The College of Communication and Media Sciences offers its full curriculum on both of the University’s campuses. It awards a Bachelor of Science degree in Communication and Media Sciences.

College ofEducation

Mission

There has never been a more exciting time to become a teacher. New advances in what is known about how children learn best, combined with the new frontiers of technology, mean that teaching is an exciting as well as rewarding career. Designed to prepare teachers ready for leadership roles, the teacher preparation program at Zayed University is characterized by international standards; work in schools, technology projects and a close connection to the Ministry of Education.

The mission of the College of Education is to:

Prepare highly competent, committed and creative new educators to lead and serve education in theUnited Arab Emirates;

Foster and maintain a strong and productive partnership with the Ministry of Education for the improvement of birth to Grade 12 education in the United Arab Emirates;

Provide graduate programs, professional development opportunities and outreach activities in areas of identified needs for teachers, principals and other school professionals in the United Arab Emirates; and,

Conduct research that is relevant to the United Arab Emirates and that informs current practice.

The College's Academic Program

The College of Education is committed to providing students with excellent preparation to become beginning teachers. The College's emphasis is on preparing students to teach in both U.A.E. government schools and private schools. Its programs are based on the belief that effective schools are essential to the continued development of the nation.

ZayedUniversity is committed to preparing excellent teachers. Research indicates that the most important school factor in how well children learn is the quality of their teachers. Effective teachers know their subject matter well and they understand how children grow and develop. Effective teachers have high expectations for their students' learning. They know a variety of teaching methods and can use them effectively to help students learn. Effective teachers know how much their students are learning and understand the learning styles and strengths of their students. They are also caring and creative, and they know how to establish a positive learning atmosphere for their students. Zayed University drew upon these understandings to develop its teacher preparation program.

The employment outlook for new teachers is bright. Zayed University is working with the Ministry of Education to ensure that students understand the grades and subject areas for which teachers are most needed. In this context, preparation at Zayed University, with emphasis on fluency in English and Arabic, technology skills and preparation for leadership, will serve both students and the schools.

College ofInformation Systems

Mission

The College of Information Systems (CIS) seeks to produce graduates recognized by business, government, and educational entities in the United Arab Emirates, the Gulf region, and the rest of the world as having a sound, current, and comprehensive education in information systems. The goal of the College of Information Systems is to produce graduates who are adaptable; have a capacity for self-directed learning; have good communication skills; have a strong work ethic; have an understanding of business process and structure;

have sound information technology (IT) skills based on a solid understanding of communication networks, databases, programming and project management; and,

have the capacity to identify, implement, and integrate new applications into existing human/computer systems.

Academic Program

The academic program of theCollege ofInformation Systems is practical, competency based, and designed to prepare students for entry-level positions as information systems professionals. The topics covered in CIS course work include: the role of information technology in global and Islamic society; the development of Internet business sites and electronic commerce; the role of information systems in business and government;

fundamentals of computer programming, data analysis and networking; database concepts, applications and design; and, information systems analysis, design and implementation.

Library

http://www.zu.ac.ae/library/