Promoting Experiential Learning and Versatile Faculty Activities Through Newly Introduced Stellar Teaching and Activities Recognition (STAR) Awards
The awards come in the form of recognition, in addition to, faculty support in all education-related purposes including enhancing the teaching experience, advancing research efforts, and encouraging professional development.
The Stellar Teaching and Activities Recognition (STAR) awards were initiated with the purpose of ensuring faculty activities are aligned with the School strategy, vision, mission, and themes. It also aimed at advancing and promoting faculty activities which reflect accreditation standards and guidelines and providing an optimum learning experience for students.
“The annual awards, are intended to recognize and showcase faculty who adequately demonstrate the degree and nature of alignment between their teaching and activities with the School’s themes while reflecting innovation, engagement, and impact. The more versatile the faculty members are as far as their activities, research, teaching, and service, the better chance they have at receiving the award.” clarifies Ahmed Abdel-Meguid, associate dean for undergraduate studies and administration, he continues that “elements to be assessed include teaching, research, service to the School, attending events, consultancy projects, external relations, and any other related activities.”
This year, three faculty members were awarded for their activities; professors Nermeen Shehata, Ashraf Sheta and Jamal Haidar. Shehata, associate professor of accounting and the director of El-Khazindar Business Research and Case Center, comments: “I’m delighted to receive the Inaugural School of Business Golden STAR Award. I focus on the responsible business theme when it comes to research and service activities while having them aligned with internationalization and Arab relevance, being among the School’s focus areas. I’m also keen on using innovative teaching techniques in class that engages students."
Professor Sheta, visiting assistant professor of entrepreneurship, strategic management and innovation, likewise expresses: "Receiving a silver trophy STAR award was a culmination of all the efforts exerted in one year. It’s a glorious moment in my career. I want to thank my students for giving me honest feedback, my colleagues for being the best benchmark of excellence, and my family for their unconditional support”
The impact of this award will be on the student experience within the classroom, as in-class activities with experiential nature are a basis whereupon faculty are evaluated; including company visits, field trips, guest lectures, simulations, case studies usage, workshops, and other activities. Accordingly, faculty will strive to adopt various experiential learning techniques in the classroom and along with these efforts, classes of all categories will be streamlined, and in this manner, an overall enhanced learning experience will stem.
Abdel-Meguid emphasizes: “The STAR awards promote elements of experiential learning, engagement, innovation, and impact which have become the standard traits of today’s globally recognized B-Schools. Furthermore, I am personally a very strong proponent of faculty recognition and development. The STAR awards are also developmental in terms of providing a platform for showcasing faculty’s diverse academic activities, acknowledging their exemplary sense of initiative, and supporting their professional development”.