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In an effort to replace the long-winded and convoluted AUB mission statement, the AUB administration this year designated a task team to propose changes. In spite of being taken for granted or even overlooked, the mission statement of any institution remains one of its most important pillars. For this reason, the new version is still provisional and open for changes and feedback. The first step of the process was to come up with recommendations that primarily focused on simplifying the statement while maintaining its impact, after which a small editorial team was assigned to draft a new statement, with all those recommendations in mind. The draft was then reviewed by the members of the task team, who found it on target, but quite dry. Towards the end of January, the Board of Deans reviewed the new statement, subsequently improved its style, and approved it. Next, the improved draft was sent to the entire AUB community to be reviewed before submitting it to the University Senate and the Board of Trustees in April. Provost Peter Heath has been encouraging the community to provide feedback and recommendations for improvement. He has already received around 25 comments, primarily from faculty and staff, who endorsed the new statement and suggested minor changes regarding word selection. Only one out of the 25 preferred the former statement. All suggestions are being compiled by the provost, who is still welcoming more comments from faculty, staff, and students before he presents the list of suggestions to the editorial committee and the Academic Committee of the Board of Trustees in April. The new mission statement, as approved by the Board of Deans on January 27, read: The American University of Beirut (AUB) is an institution of higher learning in Lebanon founded primarily to serve the peoples of the region. Its mission is to promote excellence in education, to participate in the advancement of knowledge through research, and to provide quality service to society. Basing its educational philosophy, standards, and practices on the American model of higher education, the University believes deeply in and encourages freedom of thought and expression and seeks to foster respect for diversity, tolerance, and dialogue. It aims to graduate men and women committed to scholarship, critical thinking, lifelong learning, civic responsibility, personal integrity, and leadership.
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