Background
In response to events of Summer 2006 in Lebanon, Dr. John Waterbury,
President of AUB, convened a group faculty members who were involved
in the relief efforts during the war period, in order to look into
the university's strategies in trying to relieve human suffering and
the effects of the war. A university "Task Force for Reconstruction"
or RTF was formed, and its aim evolved to encompass community service
and development as a strategic goal for the university, and to seek
to set and integrate this goal into AUB's educational mission and
objectives. The task force was proposed to be renamed "Task Force
for Reconstruction and Community Service" or TFRCS.
It is the understanding of the task force that many AUB faculty, staff,
and students have participated with the ad-hoc relief group formed
at AUB in Summer 2006, or with other organizations in the various
relief efforts in the country. As a first step, the task force recognizes
the need to initially document these relief and support activities,
as well as any initiative which feeds into the set objectives that
was/is/will-be in place in relation to community service and development.
The task force will then aim to align these efforts within AUB and
with relevant partners outside, and seek to involve as many university
members as possible in this endeavor. The task force will thereafter
have to set a plan of action, which will serve as a basis for continued
fund-raising, through various organizations and channels. This will
assist and sustain viable and appropriate proposals and projects,
based on the needs identified. Further, some of what the university
does can fit with existing priorities by orienting student projects
and teaching towards the needs that are identified, and re-orienting
some research projects of faculty in the same directions. Within the
context of university services, the task force should aim to devise
an incentive system that offers some academic rewards for members
undertaking these activities. |
