Radio Production

The Office of Student Development at The American University in Cairo WRAP
Ibrahim
12-04-2011

LEAD-IN: Questions marks are starting to rise when it comes to The American University in Cairo (A-U-C)’s Office of Student Development (O-S-D). Students are starting to probe its role and whether it's professional enough. A-U-C’s Sara El Kady reports.

The role of The Office of Student Development (O-S-D) at The American University in Cairo (A-U-C) is to help the students in extracurricular activities ensuring that they gain experience in the real world and have hands on practice in several fields in order to develop a well-rounded personality.

Several administration and staff members praise the (O-S-D).

HAROUN: "Oh, The (O-S-D) has done a fantastic job. Umm, I think our students here at (A-U-C) are benefiting a lot from that. There is nothing like it in the other, uhhh, universities,” (00:26)
said Medhat Haroun, (A-U-C) Provost.

Although the OSD is considered to be offering the top guidance in leading students to the professional world, they can still have more to offer, but they are trapped into believing that they can’t. Dalia Issa, Associate Director for Student Organizations, said:

ISSA: "We try as much as possible to uhh, give the students a glimpse of the real world. But then again, this is not the real world; this is only a simulation. It won't be a real world until he graduates." (00:13)

By believing so, the (O-S-D) gives itself no space to expand till it reaches the professional level. Having said that students will not gain the professional skills till they graduate, Issa made it clear that alumni are the ones withholding the professional skills. However, the (O-S-D) doesn’t utilize those alumni in such a way, as to know the missing skills that can be offered to undergraduates.

The professional level is only a step away from the current status of the (O-S-D). The alumni association is already active, yet it doesn’t play an important role in (O-S-D). This association offers a program called “Loyal for Life A-U-C-ian” which aims at encouraging alumni involvement in the A-U-C community. Its goals are to promote class identity among alumni, loyalty towards AUC, a culture of volunteerism and to keep alumni engaged with the university. If the O-S-D utilized such program in a way as to help students benefit from the skills of those alumni, who have practiced the professional life, they may actually reach a professional level and not limit it to a simulation.
Sara El Kady A-U-C News.