When Syrian national Eliea Abboud enrolled in the University of Balamand, it was a family affair. His whole family, sisters included, traveled to neighboring Lebanon to drop him off at the school to begin his studies.
“My father suggested to me to study outside Syria. Since I’m the only guy in the family, my parents did not want me to go far,” says Abboud, who is pursuing a bachelor’s degree in business administration with a concentration in finance.
Most Arab region universities expect and encourage parent and family involvement in a student’s academic life. The families of Arab international students naturally have many concerns and questions for school administrators. From admissions to enrollment and the entire academic experience, parents who want to get involved can find many programs and services to address their needs.
[Find out the factors to consider when choosing a university in the Arab region.]
At Zayed University in the United Arab Emirates, for example, parents of Arab international students are welcomed with open arms. Roslyn Trezevant Haley, an associate professor and director of undergraduate student academic success, says the university’s parent orientation programs include parent night, new student orientation, and student success and academic advising sessions for both parents and students to attend. Ongoing family support programs and sessions are offered every semester in both English and Arabic, and individual appointments are available upon request.
Haley says last semester the university started the Student Success Off-Campus Learning Community for female students, which provides parent-student activities on weekends and evenings. She says these activities outside of campus give parents additional opportunities to see their children’s academic progress.
“It also gives mothers who are traveling to Dubai an opportunity to relax with their daughters in a lovely environment where academic support programs are facilitated and where they can also participate in student support workshops for parents and their students,” Haley said via email. Examples include student art exhibitions and faculty lectures.
Before Abboud’s big send-off, his first visit to the campus of the University of Balamand started with his father Saadeh. They were invited to visit the campus to participate in orientation along with other parents and students.
“First off, I went to the dean of admissions and registration, Dr. Walid Moubayed. He welcomed us in a very good way. Then he started telling us more about the university’s past and future,” says Saadeh, who received help from the staff to register his son. “Then we met the dean of student affairs, Dr. Tony Gergess. He welcomed us and told me many interesting things about the university.”
Since returning to Syria, Saadeh says he has not received any correspondence or invitations from the school, adding, “maybe because I am far away from the university.” But he says his son keeps him up to date.
[Don’t make these mistakes when choosing a university in the Arab region.]
While some parental involvement ends at orientation, some continues throughout the school year. Yemeni national Hala Hezam says her aunt plays a major role in her academic life at the University of Wollongong in Dubai, where Hezam is studying human resources. For both her and older sister Huda, her aunt visited the campus; handled the entire admissions process, including scheduling the International English Language Testing System, or IELTS test, and following up on transcripts; took part in orientation; helped with choice of major; and more.
“When I went they answered my questions,” says her aunt, Mai Hezam. “I dropped off the transcripts and they were welcoming and polite and answered all my questions every time.”
Recently Mai made an appointment with Hala’s major adviser to coordinate subjects for her to graduate in the summer, as some subjects are only offered later, in the fall. She discussed Hala’s options with the adviser, including the possibility of taking classes at another university.
“They were very helpful and until this moment if I have an inquiry or question they answer me or if I ask to meet anyone they accept,” says Mai.
In general, universities in the Arab region seek to accommodate parents and address their concerns. Some universities, like Georgetown University School of Foreign Service in Qatar, have sections on their websites entirely devoted to parents, containing everything from admissions events to vocational counseling. Each year, the school invites newly admitted students and their families to an on-campus event where parents can “meet everyone from deans to peer tutors and tour our campus, residence halls and tour Qatar itself,” says Moamar Qazafi, a spokesman for the university.
Canadian University Dubai encourages parents to be involved in their child’s education beginning with an open house that introduces prospective students to the university’s programs and student life, says Christophe Savard, chief advancement officer. He says prior regional student recruitment events like the Gulf Education and Training Exhibition and Najah exhibitions, geared toward prospective students, also give parents a chance to interact with university staff.
Savard says the university has “a very strong culture of community engagement,” which encourages family members to participate in campus events like exhibitions, special performances, guest lectures, cultural activities and special award ceremonies celebrating student accomplishments in internal and external competitions.
[Learn about the growth of extracurriculars at Arab region universities.]
He says that parents have access to guidance and support from the admissions, registration, student services and academic teams, addressing concerns ranging from transferring to one of the school’s partner institutions in Canada to accessing scholarships for those facing financial hardship.
University of Balamand student Abboud jokes that after his family “delivered” him to campus, they promptly returned to Syria without him — but he feels the school was the best choice for him.
His father says he’s happy that his son is studying at the university and while he — and the entire family – may not always have the opportunity for on-campus visits, he feels his son is in good hands.
See the complete rankings of the Best Arab Region Universities.
More from U.S. News
Attend Arab Region Universities for Skills, Insight to Apply at Home
Decide Between English, Arabic Programs at Arab Region Universities
Scholarships Entice Students to Arab Region Universities
Arab Universities Welcome Parental Involvement originally appeared on usnews.com
