Overall Rating Silver - expired
Overall Score 57.78
Liaison Julia Carlow
Submission Date May 6, 2021
Executive Letter Download

STARS v2.1

American University of Sharjah
OP-18: Support for Sustainable Transportation

Status Score Responsible Party
Complete 1.40 / 2.00
"---" indicates that no data was submitted for this field

Support for Cyclists and Pedestrians 

Does the institution provide secure bicycle storage (not including office space), shower facilities, and lockers for bicycle commuters?:
Yes

None
A brief description of the facilities for bicycle commuters:
**AUS has many bike racks across the grounds that are secure. Showers and lockers are available at the AUS Sports Complex. Lockers are also available at the Student Center and most academic buildings. All locations have accessible and secure bike racks.

Does the institution provide short-term bicycle parking for all occupied buildings and makes long-term bicycle storage available for students who live on-site (if applicable)?:
Yes

None
A brief description of the bicycle parking and storage facilities:
**There are bike racks across campus and outside dorm buildings.

Does the institution have a bicycle and pedestrian plan or policy (or adhere to a local community plan/policy) that sets standards and practices for campus streets to enable safe access for all users?:
Yes

A brief description of the bicycle and pedestrian plan or policy:
**AUS has a bicycle safety policy to help ensure that all bicycle and personal transport vehicles are used safely.

Does the institution have a bicycle-sharing program or participate in a local bicycle-sharing program?:
No

A brief description of the bicycle sharing program:
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Mass Transit Programs 

Does the institution offer free or reduced price transit passes and/or operate a free campus shuttle for commuters?:
Yes

A brief description of the mass transit programs:
**AUS provides a shuttle that connects students traveling between dorms and the campus. The University City Municipality offers students free bus transportation that connects the campus with the Sharjah Area. Shuttle busses are available to connect students to mass transit which would take them into Dubai. There are weekend departure and return busses serving Al Ain and Abu Dhabi, where many students' families live.

Guaranteed Return Trip Program 

Does the institution offer a guaranteed return trip program to regular users of alternative modes of transportation?:
No

A brief description of the guaranteed return trip program:
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Carpool/Vanpool Programs 

Does the institution participate in a car/vanpool or ride sharing program and/or offer reduced parking fees or preferential parking for car/vanpoolers?:
No

A brief description of the carpool/vanpool program:
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Car Sharing Program 

Does the institution participate in a car sharing program, such as a commercial car-sharing program, one administered by the institution, or one administered by a regional organization?:
No

None
A brief description of the car sharing program:
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EV Recharging Stations 

Does the institution have one or more Level 2 or Level 3 electric vehicle recharging stations that are accessible to student and employee commuters?:
Yes

None
A brief description of the electric vehicle recharging stations:
**As part of the sustainability initiative to support electric and hybrid vehicles, Tesla and EV Universal Chargers were installed in parking areas on AUS campus for students, faculty and staff.

Telecommuting and Condensed Work Week Programs 

Does the institution offer a telecommuting program for employees as a matter of policy or as standard practice?:
Yes

None
A brief description of the telecommuting program:
The university has had approximately 70% of the faculty and staff working remotely for 14 months. Though this move to telecommuting started out of necessity, it has been demonstrated to the Ministry of Education (MOE) and AUS administration that the staff can be productive while working remotely and the university is in the process of formalizing a telecommute policy. Prior to COVID-19 the Ministry of Education strongly discouraged telecommuting. This stance has changed.

Does the institution offer a condensed work week option that reduces employee commuting (as a matter of policy or standard practice)?:
No

A brief description of the condensed work week option:
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Other Strategies to Reduce the Impacts of Commuting 

Does the institution have incentives or programs to encourage employees to live close to campus?:
Yes

None
A brief description of the incentives or programs to encourage employees to live close to campus:
**All faculty are provided with housing on campus.

Does the institution employ other strategies to reduce the impact of commuting (e.g. preferred parking for fuel-efficient vehicles, cash-out of parking programs)?:
No

A brief description of other strategies to reduce the impact of commuting:
---

Optional Fields 

The website URL where information about the programs or initiatives is available:
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Additional documentation to support the submission:
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Data source(s) and notes about the submission:
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The information presented here is self-reported. While AASHE staff review portions of all STARS reports and institutions are welcome to seek additional forms of review, the data in STARS reports are not verified by AASHE. If you believe any of this information is erroneous or inconsistent with credit criteria, please review the process for inquiring about the information reported by an institution or simply email your inquiry to stars@aashe.org.