Holy Spirit University of Kaslik

The Holy Spirit University of Kaslik (USEK; Arabic: جامعة الرّوح القدس – الكسليك, Jāmiʿah al-Rūḥ al-Quddus – al-Kaslīk) is a private, non-profit, Catholic university in Jounieh, Lebanon. The university was founded by the Baladites in 1950 and ratified under the new Higher Education Law of 1962. USEK is the first university in Lebanon to be established by Lebanese citizens.

History

During a time when the educational gap was strongly felt across the country, the Baladites were compelled to establish their scholasticate (a college-level school of general study for those preparing for membership in a Catholic religious order) in 1938 in Kaslik. It was one of the first educational establishments to be validated by the new education law in the Ministry of Education.

The university began as a one-building institution before expanding in 1950 to include new buildings leading to the current purpose-built twelve acres (49,000 m2) campus at the same site. The campus buildings for six schools and one faculty, a nursing institute, a center for learning and teaching, a center for continuing education, an infirmary, administration offices, library, amphitheater, archeological museum, sports center, bookshop, female dorms, and guest house which are arranged around a central tree-lined walkway, connected to a central plaza and green spaces.

When USEK officially became a higher education institution in 1962, it already stood out as a liberal arts university, adding a new faculty or school every 5 to 10 years to include all the major academic fields - the arts, architecture, business, engineering, humanities, and sciences. Initially, these were taught primarily in French and Arabic until the university converted to the American Credit System in 1997, and since then almost all courses are taught in English.

USEK has rankings in three major league tables for the Near/Middle East. In 2021, it was ranked 2nd best university in Lebanon according to SCImago Institutions Rankings (SIR). Also, in 2021 it was ranked 1st Green University in Lebanon for the 4th consecutive year, 3rd in the Arab World and 117th worldwide according to UI GreenMetric World University Ranking. In 2020 it ranked 30th in the Arab region according to QS Arab University Rankings and among the top 650 universities in the world according to QS World University Rankings.

With a focus on comprehensive internationalization, the university has more than 250 international partnerships worldwide and is a member of around 150 international associations specialized in different fields. USEK was the only university outside the Americas to be part of the Internationalization Laboratory of the American Council of Education in the USA.

Along with seven other universities in Lebanon, it is a member of E-TALEB, an EU co-funded professional standards framework for excellence in Lebanese universities. The current president is Father Talal Hachem, since 2019.

Artifacts

Religious treasures on campus include relics of Saint Charbel placed in the foundations of the original chapel in 1948, and Our Lady of Ilige, a 10th-century icon representing the Virgin Mary, the oldest Maronite icon, is conserved in the university archeological museum.

The USEK Library is home to one of the few surviving copies of the Book of Psalms, printed in 1610 on the first-ever printing press of the Levant region. This version is written in Garshouni, a script that Turkish rulers at the time could not understand.

Gibran Khalil Gibran, undoubtedly Lebanon’s most famous literary figure, features prominently at the university, which has restored hard copies of his works. As a show of gratitude, a license has been granted to keep digitalized copies of the complete collection for research purposes.

Lebanon’s iconic Martyrs’ memorial statue, which was damaged during the civil war in Beirut, was transported to USEK a few years after the end of hostilities to be restored by the university’s Sacred Art Department and local experts. It was returned to Downtown Beirut after its restoration.

Campus

The purpose-built campus is located in Kaslik, Jounieh 19.7 km north of Lebanon’s capital, Beirut.

Kaslik Campus

The Kaslik site has been expanded and remodeled at regular intervals over the last 50 years. The north side of the campus has a view of the southern end of Mount Lebanon (بْنَان, Jabal Lubnān) and the west side the Mediterranean Sea and bay of Jounieh. The campus buildings are positioned around a tree-lined walkway. The walkway runs from south (main entrance) to north (Science Building) and is flanked by beautiful landscaped green spaces, specifically designed, to integrate social and teaching areas.

Buildings AA, G, and the lower floors of AC house the main administrative and technical offices.

Buildings AC, AB, AM, B, C, D, E, H, and I are for schools, faculty, and other educational units.

Building F - USEK is a mostly non-residential university except for a modest residence for female students, providing common living spaces, 24/7 on-site staff and security. It has one of the most distinctive interiors building on campus. Nautically themed, it resembles the inside of a ship, with portholes, a network of fixed gangplanks and a small chapel at the position of a control room.

Regional University Centers

The university opened its three regional university centers (RUCs) in 2000 and 2001 as part of its sense of duty to make education accessible across the country. The educational mission and objectives of the RUCs are the same as those of the university.

The three RUCs include:

RUC Chekka – located 65 km north of Beirut - offers undergraduate courses from USEK Business School and the School of Law and Political Sciences.

RUC Rmeich – located 115 KM south of Beirut - offers an undergraduate program specializing in the field of business.

RUC Zahle - Located 55 km east of Beirut - offers undergraduate programs across most core disciplines, including applied arts, architecture, agriculture, business and commercial sciences, engineering, fine arts, food sciences, humanities, law, philosophy, and sciences.

Other off-site campus buildings

The Medical School

The latest expansion of the university was completed in 2018 with the official opening of the Francois Bassil Medical Building, an off-campus Medical School, which is located 24.5 km north of Kaslik in Hboub, Jbeil. To complement this, the University Hospital Center was created in partnership with Notre Dame de Secours hospital in Jbeil for USEK medical students to receive hands-on medical training.

Kaslik Library

The monasteries and seminaries of the Lebanese Maronite Order (OLM) have always had well-appointed libraries. In the 1980s and 1990s, generous donations to the university enabled the library to transform and develop its collection, and from 2000 onwards, in addition to newly acquired collections of print books and journals, the library updated its systems and increased its range of electronic resources.

Organization and Administration

Academic and Administrative Units

In 2019 the university reorganized its academic structure into six schools, one faculty, the USEK Continuing Learning Center (UCLC) and the Learning and Teaching Excellence center (LTEC).

• USEK Business School (UBS)
• School of Architecture & Design
• School of Engineering
• School of Law and Political Sciences
• School of Medicine and Medical Sciences
• School of Music and Performing Arts
• Pontifical School of Theology
• Higher Institute of Nursing Sciences
• Faculty of Arts and Sciences
• USEK Continuing Learning Center (UCLC)
• Learning and Teaching Excellence Center (LTEC)
• Academic Accreditation
• Administrative Offices

The following various administrative and technical departments that exist outside of the six schools and one faculty include:

• Accreditation
• Governance
• The university is governed by two main statutory bodies: the University Board of Trustees and The Academic and Research Council

The University Council, chaired by the University President is the main governing body, consisting of deans and directors, along with representatives of staff and students. It is responsible for the proper management and financial solvency of the university, with major policy decisions and corporate strategy being subject to its approval.

Decisions made by the University Council are communicated to the community every month.

Academic and Research Council which oversees academic management and sets strategy and priorities, including curriculum and maintenance of standards and consists of dean and heads of departments, along with student reps.

Key leadership positions at the university:

• The President
• Vice-President
• Vice-President for Community Life
• Vice-President for Finance

Other appointed and elected group of individuals that have an influential role in the university:

The Board of Trustees

Student Representatives

Academic profile

Admissions

In fall 2020-2021, USEK received 2056 individual applicants, out of which 1728 were accepted and 1467 were enrolled. An applicant can select up to three majors and each choice is considered as an application.

When the economic crisis hit Lebanon and the value of the lira went into free fall, USEK was one of the few universities to decide to keep the same rate of dollar/lira exchange and keep education affordable for applicants. Throughout the economic collapse in Lebanon, student enrollment at the university dropped by XX percent, one of the lowest decreases in student enrolment in the country.

To try and assist students further, the university increased its financial aid:

• In 2020 - 25% of the total amount of tuition fees were covered by the financial aid compared to 16% in
• 2011
• In Fall 2021
• 1923 students benefitted from financial aid discount & 5500 students benefitted from different reduction types
• 81 students benefited from sponsor donations
• Student job applications were put on hold since spring 2020 due to COVID-19 measures
• Reputation and Rankings
• International Agreements and Joint Program Agreements

USEK has 38 international general agreements 38, membership to 71 international organizations, and 124 cooperation agreements with foreign higher education institutions.

Research

USEK’s Higher Center for Research (HCR) defines and promotes the university research policy and has partnerships with academic and non-academic institutions nationally and internationally. The six major research units include:

RU1 Health Sciences and Technologies.

RU2 Patrimony: heritage and memory. | Identity, Diversity and Ethics.

RU3 Artificial Intelligence (AI), Internet of Things (IOT) & Dynamic Data Analysis. | Advancing Information and Communication Technologies.

RU4 Sustainable Development.

RU5 Architecture, Urban Planning and Design.

RU6 Law, Policies and Security

USEK Continuing Learning Center (UCLC)

Established in 2015, the UCLC runs short educational and personal development courses for the wider community. It also has a popular experiential Summer School program for internationals who want to gain an in-depth understanding of the Lebanese language, culture, and heritage.

Student life

The university values the importance of a sense of community and belonging among its students, and part of this is provided by its student services offices, social associations and clubs, pastoral work, cultural trips, and student gatherings.

Student Services Offices and Student Satisfaction

USEK is the first university in Lebanon and the region to gain accreditation for its student support services which include student affairs, financial aid, chaplaincy, counseling center, career services, IT, and admissions.

The Office of Institutional Research and Assessment monitors and evaluates all feedback from students. The university provides two student satisfaction surveys at the end of every semester:

The Student Well-being Survey measures student satisfaction regarding the administrative and academic services provided by the university.

The Course Feedback by Students (CFS), an anonymous survey, is an American Style evaluation tool that complies with the highest international standards. During the COVID-19 pandemic, a new section, “Evaluation of the Online Learning Experience”, was added to the survey.

Student Representatives

USEK organizes a draw every academic year to select student representatives for every department and school. The role of the student representative is to voice the concerns of students, put forward students’ ideas to tackle specific challenges, and promote activities and events. They meet every other week during the semester.

The Office of International Student Services

The Office of International Student Services helps international students with information about immigration issues, provides support for academic and cultural adjustment, and offers opportunities for involvement in the university community.

• International students have the chance to intimately learn about American culture
• IDEA: Involvement in the University Community - Green Committee
• Sports

The university has teams for basketball, volleyball, football, futsal, table tennis, ski, tennis, chess, fencing, combat sports and athletics. Specialized trainers coach the teams to represent USEK in national and international university competitions, and students are regularly selected to represent Lebanon in national teams.

Intercollegiate sport

USEK teams participate in a number of intercollegiate sporting events

Achievements/Wins:

• - FSUL – Universiade 2019
• Women’s Basketball
• Champions
• - FSUL – Universiade 2019
• Men’s Basketball
• 2nd Place
• - University Sports Conference (USC)
• Men’s Basketball League
• 2018-2019

Notable Alumni

• Charbel Abdallah
• Eddy Abillammaa
• Michel Abrass
• Youssef Absi
• Ad Achkar
• Aleph (pianist)
• Rony Barrak
• Issam John Darwich
• Yousif Habash
• Gilbert Hage
• Elias Hankash
• Ziad Hawat
• Julia Kassar
• Wael Kfoury
• Georges Khabbaz

Эх сурвалж: Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 4.0)