Governance

Feb 27, 2023

In its meeting on February 27, 2023, the Management Committee adopted the Policy and Procedures for the Enhancement of Teaching and Learning, which proposes a few changes aimed at adding new data points for the enhancement of teaching and learning. The new provisions are:

• regulating the recent adjustments in the methodology of the student course evaluations, which aim at ensuring that AUS makes better use of the student feedback and that the areas in need of improvement are identified, addressed and the actions taken by AUS are disseminated to students;
• adding more structure for the faculty observations, as from next term to be scheduled and conducted according to a published calendar, in line with rubrics communicated to faculty, and leading to developmental conversations between the Dean of Academics and individual faculty members to identify areas of improvement;
• adding the Community of Practice Observations, conducted amongst peers to promote the sharing of good practice, inter-faculty support and individual development. They are designed to contribute to the development of the AUS learning community as a whole and to creating an engaged culture of peer learning among faculty.
• adding Learning Visits led by the AUS academic management and consisting of observing the classes for a brief period of time with the aim to provide opportunity for best practice to be recognised and shared; enable particular themes to be explored e.g. Active learning, Engaged and Critical Pedagogy, Student-Centred Learning, Flipped Classroom etc; identify themes that can be focused on during community of practice observations; allow academic managers to observe teaching practice and student reactions first-hand; identify possible institutional-wide needs for faculty continuous professional development and to support faculty in their own development activities.

Feb 13, 2023

In its meeting on February 13, 2023, the Management Committee decided the following:

1. Student survey report published for the first time
AUS has started disseminating its student survey reports to its academic community. The first report includes consolidated data from the course evaluations conducted in December, as well as the institutional commitments on several aspects that we are addressing immediately based on student feedback. Additionally, AUS has decided on a few changes in regard to the course evaluation survey:
revising the questions included in the course evaluations;
moving the surveys fully online;
transparently publishing survey results across the academic community;
discussing survey results with individual faculty members more consistently and finding opportunities for improvement;
tailoring and implementing solutions for the areas identified by the students;
monitoring improvements and sharing them with the students as well.

2. Approval of the Regulations for Student Enrollment, Registration, Suspension of Studies, Withdrawal, Dismissal, and Graduation
The documented was created to regulate the student journey from admission to graduation transparently; the document uses the provisions of the Student Manual as a starting point but expands on all areas to create a more predictable experience for the students, as well as to secure alignment with the provisions of the ECTS Users Guide and the Lisbon Convention.

3. Approval of the Policy and Procedures for Scholarships
The Committee approved this document in order to provide more transparency on the criteria and process for scholarships, which is beneficial for both the students and the AUS Administration.

Feb 6, 2023

In its meeting on February 6, 2023, the Management Committee decided the following:

1) Approval of the revised Research Strategy
As a follow-up from adopting a revised Strategic Plan for 2022 - 2027 in November and in light of the recently increased human capital on the research front, AUS has adopted its revised Research Strategy, led by Giuseppe Catenazzo, the AUS Head of Research. The revised strategy is built around three main pillars:

• Knowledge: Aligned with the research priorities set in AUS Strategic Plan 2022-2027, this strategic pillar entails nurturing research knowledge and skills for students and faculty members to drive them to the forefront of business research. Knowledge, collaboration (students-faculty and external partners), integrity, innovation, and decision-making stand for the principles that inspire the AUS research endeavors;
• Impact: Promote and develop applied research with explicit implications for decision-makers within and outside businesses and organizations. Research at AUS implies cooperating with businesses, educational institutes, and governmental and not-for-profit organizations. Research efforts should impact locally or globally whilst pursuing a culture of collaboration, integrity, and research ethics;
• Visibility: Make AUS research acknowledged among local and global stakeholders. Research must become a fundamental lever to drive the Institute's credibility and popularity not only in Higher Education but also among practitioners and governmental decision-makers. Increased visibility also benefits the school from new collaboration opportunities and access to new funding opportunities. Research endeavors conducted at the Institute should inspire partners and other institutions internationally.

The Research Strategy includes specific goals and actions that operationalize these pillars, as well as KPIs attached to timelines and accountable individuals.

2) Approval of the Credit transfer policy and procedure
Building on its existing procedures for academic credit transfer, AUS adopted a policy that ensures transparency and consistency in how the arrangements for credit transfer are organised at AUS. The main features of the document are:

• alignment to the ECTS User Guide and Lisbon Convention;
• the assessment of the comparability of courses and credits lies with the Academic Committee;
• in order to be transferred, a course must have been assigned a passing grade;
• students cannot transfer more than 50% of the total number of credits required for the graduation of a program;
• AUS does not accept transfer credits for internships.

Jan 30, 2023

In its meeting on January 30, 2023, the Management Committee decided the following:

The Committee discussed and approved the following documents:

1. Student Agreement - Describes the terms and conditions for all students at AUS and it represents the relationship between the student and the institution from admission to graduation. The document will be rolled out to be acknowledged and signed by both new students entering AUS, as well as existing students.
2. Student Code of Conduct - Defines the behavior expectations AUS has from its students, and it also provides an extensive list of rights and obligations students have during their studies at AUS.
3. Student Disciplinary Procedures - Determines the procedures for the investigation and sanctioning of all breaches in the behavior expectations, as defined by the Code of Conduct. The document will standardize the institutional approaches to disciplinary breaches.

Jan 23, 2023

In its meeting on January 23, 2023, the Management Committee decided the following:

The Committee discussed and approved a new section in its Strategic Plan 2022 - 2027 to encompass its Sustainable Development commitments. As part of this new chapter, AUS will:

1. Use the European sustainability competence framework (GreenComp) for initial teacher training and as a reference for continued professional development providers when preparing teachers and educators to teach such sustainability competencies;
2. Review course and program learning objectives on a regular basis to ensure they are inclusive of sustainability competencies at multiple points in the curriculum;
3. Engage the Student Affairs team and other AUS departments to ensure sustainability values are incorporated into the culture of our campus community;
4. Integrate sustainability into the institutional operations, research, and teaching;
5. Prioritize environmentally conscious and sustainable practices in new construction and maintenance of existing buildings.

With this additional chapter completed, AUS will now progress to conducting the consultation processes that will collect input and feedback from its students, faculty and external stakeholders, before proceeding to drafting its Annual Operational Plans.


Jan 16, 2023

In its meeting on January 16, 2023, the Management Committee decided the following:
The Committee discussed and approved the Policy and Procedures for Admissions; the document has been expanded on so that it presents the admission requirements and the admissions process in a more comprehensive and structured way. More importantly, the admissions decision-making process has been expanded to include the Admissions Committee, which allows for a more comprehensive and collective assessment of applications by its membership - the Head of Student Affairs, the Dean of Academics, the Quality Assurance Director, and Heads of Programs. Finally, the policy expands on the process of recognition and equivalency of foreign qualifications; AUS has also detailed its provisions for credit transfer and scholarships in order to ensure more transparency and predictability, but these have been separated into new policies that will be completed and adopted in the upcoming weeks.
The policy has been published on the AUS website in the Policies section and will also be used to align all admissions details from the website accordingly.


Jan 3, 2023

In its meeting on January 3rd, 2023, the Management Committee welcomed to AUS Dr. Gaidi Faraj as the new Dean of Academics.

Dr. Gaidi Faraj’s professional career spans three decades and includes a variety of leadership and management roles in higher education and international business. As a global citizen, Dr. Faraj has lived and worked on four continents. His academic approach and interests are in the intersection of global challenges and future thinking. He is focused on building sustainable institutions and evolving higher education to meet the needs of a diverse, rapidly changing world.

Most recently, Dr. Faraj served as Head of College at African Leadership University (ALU) in Kigali, Rwanda, where he led a dynamic team of 100+ staff members from over 15 countries and oversaw a campus of 1,000 students from 35 countries. While at ALU, Dr. Faraj pioneered the first Global Challenges degree program on the African continent. Prior to joining ALU, Dr. Faraj managed multiple lines of business, including construction, hospitality, and financial services, as the Vice-President of Operations for a transatlantic investment firm. He is also the founder of a business development consultancy.
Dr. Faraj holds a Ph.D. from the University of California at Berkeley and a Master’s degree in Teaching from Troy State University in Montgomery, Alabama. He is a past research fellow at Harvard University and a former University of Massachusetts Amherst W.E.B. DuBois Scholar.


Dec 20, 2023

In its meeting on December 20, 2022, the Management Committee decided the following:

1. The Committee discussed and approved the Policy and procedure for staff performance management (published on the AUS website), differentiated between probation period and annual performance review, as well as between academic and administrative staff, where the latter is also divided between student-facing and non-student-facing. The document is to be operated in conjunction with the Continuous Professional Development (CPD) Framework regulates the AUS approach to staff growth in areas in need of development. Finally, the document provides arrangements in case of unsatisfactory performance, and the timeline given to staff for remediation in case of poor performance.

2. The Committee revisited the employment regulatory framework for its Adjunct Lecturers, which has been separated for greater clarity between the Contract, the Job description and the Code of Conduct. In this regard, a new Code of Conduct for AUS academic and administrative was discussed and approved by the Committee and has also been published on the institutional website.


Dec 6, 2022

In its meeting on December 6, 2022, the Management Committee decided the following:

1) Strategic planning updates
According to the Strategic Planning Timeline, AUS will be commencing the stakeholder consultations engaging students, faculty and external stakeholders, collecting inputs on the drafting of the Strategic Plan 2022 – 2027.

2) Approval of changes in the Quality Assurance Strategy
The Quality Assurance Strategy has been amended for better alignment with the Swiss
Accreditation Ordinance; new amendments were made in formalizing the role of the QA
system in ensuring that:

• the organizational structure and governance bodies are designed in a way that meets basic conditions to operate independently, is fit for purpose and supports AUS in fulfilling its mission and strategic objectives;
• all internal and external stakeholders including students, administration, faculty and representatives of the labor market are appropriately represented in institutional governance;
• the administrative and academic staff are qualified to fulfill their roles and, to this end, it contributes to processes relating to recruitment, periodic performance assessment and career development of staff;
• the AUS activities correspond to its type, specific features and strategic objectives, and are carried out in accordance with the principle of freedom and independence. To this extent, periodic evaluations of teaching, research and the results achieved in these areas are conducted;
• AUS complies with the criteria for admission, for the assessment of the student performance and for issuing final diplomas.

3) Academic integrity provisions
The Committee has decided to expand on and formalize the Grammarly similarity detection features to all of its graduation thesis, Capstone projects and, where applicable, student assessments in order to promote and safeguard academic integrity. The Assessment Policy and Regulations will formalize the division of responsibilities and accountabilities of all involved.


Nov 29, 2022

In its meeting on November 29, 2022, the Management Committee decided the following:

The AUS activities around the winter holidays will be scheduled as follows:

1. Last academic activity day for students - December 9th
2. Last working day for staff - December 22nd
3. Campus building closed - December 23rd to January 1st
4. First day administrative staff and new students resume activity - January 2nd
5. First day faculty and old students resume academic activity - January 9th

Nov 22, 2022

In its meeting on November 22 2022, the Management Committee decided the following:

1. Establishment of a Policy Inventory as a tool for quality assurance aimed at supporting a better understanding and track-keeping of the policies at AUS for better dissemination amongst internal stakeholders.
2. Approval of the Procedure for Policy Development, developed to support the processes for policy making and review, the process, chain of approval as well as division of responsibilities, increasing the accountability of policy owners under the oversight of the Quality Assurance Portfolio.
3. Approval of the Continuous Professional Development (CPD) Framework which determines all types of opportunities for growth and development available at AUS for both academic and administrative staff. The Framework operates in conjunction with the Policy for staff performance management which evaluates the staff contribution to the implementation of the Strategic and Operational Plans and identifies areas in need of improvement.

Nov 7, 2022

In its meeting on November 7, 2022, the Management Committee decided the following:

1. Approved of Terms of Reference for all AUS Committees: Management, Academic, Research and Admissions, based on the proposals received from the Committees themselves. The Terms of Reference are published on the AUS website.
2. Approved the program title change from Master of International Business Administration program title change to Master of Science in International Business Administration, based on the proposal of the Academic Committee. This change will apply to all students graduating from the program as from the date of decision.
3. Approved the Policy and Procedure for Program Management, based on the proposal of the Academic Committee. The policy sets out the provisions for the development, validation, approval, monitoring, review and closure of academic programs at the American Institute of Applied Sciences in Switzerland.
4. Preliminarily approved the AUS Strategic Plan 2022-2027. The AUS Strategic Plan 2022-2027has been restructured into four main categories each with its own goals and objectives: Capacity Building through quality assurance, Institutional Growth, Teaching, Learning and Research, and Community Engagement. Key new objectives include the transition to a shared governance model and increasing the impact of the strategic management on leading institutional operations, diversifying funding sources to ensure greeted financial stability, increase in student numbers, and internationalization strategy. The Management Committee has agreed that AUS will now commence extensive consultations with all relevant internal and external stakeholders, including representatives of the world of work, that could bring valuable inputs into the Strategic Plan.

Nov 3, 2022

In its meeting on November 3, 2022, the Management Committee decided the following:

1. Approved the new AUS Organization Chart. The new structure moves into an approach based on shared governance, consultation and dialogue, and also adds more structure and clarity on the division of responsibilities across the organization. AUS has also restructured its committees and defined a new approach to student engagement and representation. A new Quality Assurance Director has also joined the institution, and reflected in a position that allows it to operate independently. The chart also reflects a few changes in the titles of administrative staff, in alignment with their job descriptions. The Chart is published on the AUS website.
2. Approved the new composition for all AUS Committees: Management, Academic, Research and Admissions, and welcomed their new members wishing them good luck in their proceedings. The membership of all AUS Committees are published on the AUS website.
3. Approved the AUS Quality Assurance Strategy which encompasses components such as the role of the quality assurance system in supporting strategic planning, governance, policy making, academic management, accreditations, data collection and evidence-based decision making, among others.

Dr. Gaidi Faraj’s professional career spans three decades and includes a variety of leadership and management roles in higher education and international business. As a global citizen, Dr. Faraj has lived and worked on four continents. His academic approach and interests are in the intersection of global challenges and future thinking. He is focused on building sustainable institutions and evolving higher education to meet the needs of a diverse, rapidly changing world.

Most recently, Dr. Faraj served as Head of College at African Leadership University (ALU) in Kigali, Rwanda, where he led a dynamic team of 100+ staff members from over 15 countries and oversaw a campus of 1,000 students from 35 countries. While at ALU, Dr. Faraj pioneered the first Global Challenges degree program on the African continent. Prior to joining ALU, Dr. Faraj managed multiple lines of business, including construction, hospitality, and financial services, as the Vice-President of Operations for a transatlantic investment firm. He is also the founder of a business development consultancy.

Dr. Faraj holds a Ph.D. from the University of California at Berkeley and a Master’s degree in Teaching from Troy State University in Montgomery, Alabama. He is a past research fellow at Harvard University and a former University of Massachusetts Amherst W.E.B. DuBois Scholar.

Mrs. Ana Lelescu is a Romanian-American with over 25 years of business and academic experience leading multidisciplinary teams and managing complex projects with up to $12M in business revenue. She studied, worked, and lived in the United States of America for 30 years. She holds a Master's Degree in Computer Science from the University of Illinois, published 11 patents, and has over 16 conference papers.

Ana worked for the IBM corporation in Silicon Valley, California, for the past 17 years in different roles across several departments, including Research, Watson Health, and Human Resource Management, engaging with several venture capitalists, educators, and technical leaders to leverage top emerging technologies through IBM's ecosystem.

Anca Prisacariu holds a PhD in Educational Sciences from the University of Bucharest, Romania and was a Research Fellow within the Institute of Behavioural Sciences at the University of Helsinki, Finland. Her educational background is in the quality assurance of higher education, focusing on enhancement-led systems and processes.

Apart from her studies, she has broad working experience with international organizations for higher education and acts as an expert for more than 30 national quality assurance agencies across Europe and outside of it. From these positions, she has been part of numerous review panels at study program, institutional, and quality assurance agency levels. Her consultancy roles in different countries have given Anca extensive experience and expertise in quality assurance, regulation, and the development and review of standards frameworks.

Her activity as Advisor to the Minister of Education in Romania has added experience in formulating, reviewing, and implementing policies on higher education at the national level. Also, her background in the student movement adds to her expertise topics like the Bologna Process, student-centered learning, equity, equality and the social dimension of higher education, student engagement, and representation.
Her role at AUS covers, among others, the implementation of the quality assurance strategy, the coordination of the areas of governance and policy management, monitoring the implementation of the strategic plans, and ensuring institutional compliance in external accountability processes.

Dr. Giuseppe Catenazzo is the Head of Research & Adjunct Lecturer at the American University of Applied Sciences Institute in Switzerland and Visiting Professor in Service Operations Management & Statistics at EHL Hospitality Business School in Lausanne, Switzerland, the top world institution for hospitality education.

He is also an External Lecturer in Market Research and Consumer Behaviour at the University of Applied Sciences in Western Switzerland (HEG Geneva) and an Affiliate Professor in Marketing at ICN Business School, a leading French Grande Ecole. An Italian and Swiss citizen, Giuseppe studied in France, Italy, Switzerland, and the United Kingdom and speaks several languages.

Dr. Catenazzo is also an editor of international research books; his research on quality perceptions, service recovery, and complaining behavior has been published in Production Planning and Control, International Journal of Quality and Reliability Management, Journal of Consumer Satisfaction, Dissatisfaction & Complaining Behavior, and Anatolia International Journal of Tourism and Hospitality Research.

Alexandros Katsidonis is a dynamic marketing specialist with a Master's in International Business and extensive marketing and development experience in the fields of Education, Non-Profit Organizations, and Hospitality.

With over three years of experience at AUS, Alex's current position is that of Head of Marketing and Community Engagement, leading the marketing initiatives as well as outreaching, developing, and strengthening collaborations in Switzerland and internationally.

Ms. Alina Onufrey has been with AUS since 2014, initially as an Administrative assistant and now as the Head of Student Affairs. She holds a Bachelor's Degree in Business Administration from EU Business School, Switzerland, and recently obtained the Certificate of 'Staff Management Assistant' from the Human Resources Swiss Exams. Ms. Alina Onufrey has been focused on supporting the applicants in the admissions process and guided support to current Undergraduate and Graduate students in pursuing their educational programs at the American University of Applied Sciences Institute in Switzerland. She is delighted to assist potential applicants in getting a completed overview of the AUS and AUS programs.

At the American University of Applied Sciences Institute in Switzerland, Ms. Alina Onufrey has concentrated on assisting candidates in the admissions process and has directed assistance to current Undergraduate and Graduate students in pursuing their educational programs. She is glad to assist prospective applicants in obtaining a thorough understanding of the AUS programs.

Mrs. Elya El Khansa with over ten years of experience in the Education field, currently Serving as the Director of the American University of Applied Sciences Institute in Switzerland. She started her career in the department of student affairs and worked her way up to the direction of the University. She has extensive knowledge in team building and maintaining the highest standards of educational services across the Bachelor of Science in Business Administration and Masters of International Business Administration programs at AUS.

In parallel to her passion for the field of Education, Mrs. Elya is also on the board of directors of several companies in Switzerland, where she links day-to-day business practitioners to AUS, providing interaction with the real business world to the students of AUS.

Alongside her career at AUS, Mrs. Elya El Khansa has also cofounded companies known for student services and consulting, which she still manages today.

Mrs. Elya El Khansa holds a Masters’s in International Business Administration and has excellent experience leading her team as a Director at AUS. She has also worked closely with academic committees and faculty members to build and develop educational programs of AUS and participated in acquiring and maintaining accreditations.

Dr. Mohamad El Khansa, President of the American University of Applied Sciences Institute in Switzerland, is a Self-motivated and resourceful professional with over 15 years of experience in building relationships, cultivating partnerships and establishing trust with critical decision-makers, establishing networks and connections, and implementing expansion strategies in the education field.


With an International background, Dr. El Khansa has led the team at the American University of Applied Sciences Institute in Switzerland for ten years; during his service at AUS, Dr. El Khansa maintained developed progress in quality and assuring that all programs across the University are of excellence ensuring that students graduating from AUS are of added value to the community and ready to face the world of Business with all of its challenges.


Alongside being the president of the University, Dr. El Khansa is an active member of the business community and continues to excel in finding the best opportunities for the AUS community and the business world.