The United States Government Granted AUK $4 Million to Support American-Style Higher Education

2022-12-1

The United States Government granted the American University of Kurdistan (AUK) $4 million to support American-style higher education in Iraq in the year 2020. This was the first Department of State grant awarded to AUK. Projects undertaken with this funding lasted for 2 years and focused on advancing AUK’s accreditation initiatives, the establishment of partnerships with US universities, and supporting the university’s student services, with special emphasis on student governance, access, and inclusion.

Through this initial award, AUK…

1. Established the Office of Institutional Effectiveness and Planning (OIEP) to guide and manage the university’s institutional development and help it achieve accreditation through the New England Commission of Higher Education (NECHE). The OIEP developed the needed university infrastructure to sustain a culture of continuous assessment and improvement of its academic and administrative units; provided training sessions on assessment, evaluation, and policy development; and rated the effectiveness of AUK’s strategic planning and institutional learning outcomes. OIEP has taken the lead in enshrining at AUK the same culture of data collection, data analysis, and data-driven decision-making currently standard at leading universities in the United States.

2. Strengthened AUK’s academic programs through aligning them with the requirements of programmatic accreditation standards, under the mentorship of partners in the United States. These partners include: James Madison University (JMU), Wayne State University (WSU), University of Florida (UF), Middle Tennessee State University (MTSU), ArmaniChisu, Higher Education Consulting (accreditation) and Align Nursing Education. Such partnerships are valuable for continuing consultation and building institutional capacity.

  • Together with JMU, the College of Business used the accreditation standards of the Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business (AACSB) to formulate its mission, vision, student learning outcomes, and program objectives.
  • Partnering with both UF and WSU, the programs within the College of Engineering were updated using the accreditation standard of the Accrediting Board for Engineering and Technology (ABET). Also, with this partnership, the Building Information Modeling (BIM) Lab has been established for Engineering, Architecture, and Construction Management teaching and research. UF provided consultation and mentoring to the College of Engineering faculty in the development, design, construction, and operation of the BIM Lab.
  • In consultation with Align Nursing Education, the College of Nursing aligned its student learning outcomes, program objectives, and procedures with the accreditation standards of the American Association of Colleges of Nursing (AACN).
  • The College of Arts and Sciences, in collaboration with both JMU and MTSU, revised the current curricula of the Design Program and the International Studies Program.

3. Opened the Center for Excellence in Learning and Teaching (CELT) for the instructional and professional development of its faculty.

4. Offered 48 scholarships for incoming students, prioritizing women, students from minority groups, and vulnerable populations.

In its Strategic Plan, the American University of Kurdistan clearly addresses the needs for “Achieving Accreditation at All Levels”. The United States Department of State Grant supported AUK in growing the infrastructure and ensuring transparency and fairness to the end of accreditation. Additional areas of development include: 3+2 programs with partners in the United States, research and faculty exchange, creating a culture of continuous assessment and improvement, and ensuring access for all qualified students.

The President of AUK, Dr. Randall Rhodes, voiced his appreciation for the United States Department of State Grant: “The generous support from the US Government and its people provides the American University of Kurdistan with opportunities otherwise unavailable. It is pivotal that the University establish links with US universities, adopt and adapt American best practices, and build capacity amongst its employees. Only then will it be able to deliver the best model of liberal arts education and serve as a model within Kurdistan and Iraq”.