Preparations for New Academic Semester Underway
Classes Begin 21 January 2008 at Bethlehem University

3 January, 2008

With the approval of Archbishop Antonio Franco, Chancellor, Brother Daniel Casey, Vice Chancellor, announced that effective 2 January 2008 , Brother Robert Smith, FSC, PhD, Vice President for Academic Affairs, will serve as Acting Vice Chancellor during the three months that Brother Daniel is on medical leave.

On the advice of his doctor, Brother Daniel Casey will be on medical leave from his position as Vice Chancellor for about three months in order to receive outpatient treatment for skin cancer which has recurred behind his right ear. As Brother Daniel mentioned in his communication with the faculty, staff and students, his doctor is very clear that the fatigue which will accompany treatment will make it impossible for him to fulfill his daily responsibilities as Vice Chancellor for the next few months.

Brother Daniel is grateful for your prayers for his healing during this time and asks that all support Brother Robert with his new and unexpected responsibilities as the Acting Vice Chancellor.

In addition to the 19 students who graduated in October 2007 with their Masters degree in International Cooperation and Development, there were 170 undergraduates who completed their academic studies at the end of the Fall semester in December 2007 and are now graduates of Bethlehem University . This brings the total number of graduates from Bethlehem University to 10,836 since our founding as the first university in the West Bank in 1973.

Registration for the courses for the Spring Semester will begin on Friday, 4 January and after taking vacation days for Orthodox Christmas (6-8 January) and Al-Hijra (9 January), student registration will c onclude on Thursday, 17 January. On Friday, 18 January, the faculty will gather for their Spring Semester Faculty Meeting and classes for the new semester will begin on Monday, 21 January 2008 .