Since joining LAU 12 years ago, Dr. Rula Diab, assistant provost for Accreditation and Academic Operations and associate professor of English and Applied Linguistics at the School of Arts and Sciences, has made significant strides in her career by seizing every opportunity afforded to faculty members for growth and excelling at every stage.

Starting as an assistant professor of English in 2008, she quickly assumed leadership in advancing the English department’s services by founding the university’s first writing center in 2010. Since then, the center has evolved to establish an outreach program, support student writing competitions, provide coaching for the external community, foster a culture of writing at LAU and reinforce the power of the written word in promoting wellbeing and social issues.

In 2012, she became the department chairperson while teaching and publishing timely research on second language acquisition and emerging trends in higher education. She received the LAU Teaching Excellence Award in 2017 for her innovative teaching methods, curricular restructuring and program development.

Her career trajectory continued to soar when, just one year later, she was appointed by incoming Provost George E. Nasr as the assistant provost for Accreditation and Academic Operations.

“Dr. Diab’s strong organizational abilities, deep commitment to academic excellence, leadership skills, and attention to detail made her a perfect candidate for the role,” said Provost Nasr. 

In this capacity, Dr. Diab supports the provost in overseeing and managing academic affairs and all aspects related to institutional accreditation with the New England Commission of Higher Education (NECHE).

Given her vast expertise in teaching and research—in addition to her involvement with the Commission over the past five years as an accreditation officer and peer evaluator for international institutions—it is no surprise that NECHE appointed her in December 2023 to serve on the Planning Committee for the inaugural NECHE International Conference, held on July 15–18, 2024, in Lausanne, Switzerland.

“This appointment is a testament to her expertise in higher education and her ability to contribute to meaningful international academic dialogues,” said Provost Nasr. “Her involvement will bring valuable insights to the committee and further our institution’s global engagement.” 

As part of NECHE’s efforts to expand its international outreach, the committee is responsible for bringing together accredited and prospective member international institutions to collaborate, share insights and offer input on how the standards apply to their institutions while contributing to a review of those standards. The committee is currently planning an international panel as part of the next NECHE annual meeting to be held in Boston in December 2024.

Dr. Diab’s role as accreditation liaison officer at LAU began in 2019 when she first joined the Office of the Provost at a time when the university was preparing its interim report for the Commission.

“I oversaw the draft’s revision and ensured it was complete, consistent and conforming to the Commission’s guidelines,” she said, recalling that it was her first significant experience with accreditation. “I had to learn very fast in many ways because the NECHE team visit was coming up that fall semester.” At that point, she realized that accreditation was not just about adhering to standards but involved a lengthy process of collaborative assessment, continuous improvement and self-reflection.

To that end, Dr. Diab works closely with various university departments—including finance, student enrollment, and advancement—with support from the Department of Institutional Research and Assessment in providing necessary institutional data, to ensure the timely preparation and submission of annual and progress reports to the Commission.

She is one of the select participants who attend NECHE’s regular self-study workshops to share their experiences and build strong connections.

Her knowledge of accreditation was further deepened when NECHE invited her in December 2022 to serve as a peer evaluator for university site visits. So far, she has completed two evaluations: one at Sampoerna University in Indonesia in May 2023 and another at the Asian University for Women in Bangladesh in March 2024.

“These experiences provided insights into what evaluators prioritize, what practices prove effective, and the unique challenges institutions face,” in addition to offering a valuable networking opportunity, said Dr. Diab. “I connected with institutions that, despite their diverse missions, contexts, and approaches, all strive to meet NECHE standards in their own way. This exposure has been enlightening and opened up new horizons.”

Achieving and maintaining accreditation, she stressed, is a concerted and ongoing effort that requires the participation and contribution of all university stakeholders. It enhances institutional quality and provides professional growth opportunities for faculty members. She, therefore, advises all stakeholders to familiarize themselves with accreditation standards and requirements in order to enhance the now institutionalized culture of accreditation, assessment and self-reflection at the LAU.

Dr. Diab is a member of several professional organizations, including TESOL, the American Association for Applied Linguistics (ACL), the International Writing Centers Association (IWCA) and the Middle-East North Africa Writing Centers Alliance.