In keeping with the university tradition of shared governance, a new Student Council was elected at LAU today with the participation of 67.41 percent of the eligible student body. The results were announced as preliminary, as some of the winners will be investigated for allegedly breaking electoral silence.

Thanking the students on both campuses for upholding the democratic process, LAU President Michel E. Mawad emphasized that “LAU is a microcosm of our society and we must be responsible civically toward our country.” He expressed his pride that LAU had pioneered the application of an online voting process back in 2016.

“I must emphasize that this process cannot have any blemish on it,” he added, affirming his support to “rectify any potential breaches.”

Previous councils have largely contributed to enhancing the LAU student experience, from expanding student employment opportunities within the university and extending library opening hours, to improving dedicated student spaces on campus and securing discount packages for their peers with off-campus vendors, among many others.

“We are learning from our own student body year-on-year, and we are constantly improving our student council election process as a result,” said the Dean of Students on the Byblos campus Jad Abdallah. “This reflects a healthy dynamic between the LAU leadership and the students, and reinforces the idea of democratic processes and builds trust,” he added.

As Dean of Students on the Beirut campus Raed Mohsen affirms, online voting has been secure and efficient, especially as it guarantees voters’ privacy. “Learning continued uninterrupted on campus today, as students exercised their democratic right,” he said, hoping that the LAU voting model extends beyond campus gates as it offers a good example for the country at large.