2023 Spring Term
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Marhaba!
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We hope this finds you and your loved ones safe and well.
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Despite all of the challenges faced during the last two years, we are pleased to have returned to in-person instruction in September of 2021. Local authorities continue to assure us that there are no plans to go back into lockdowns and that in-person instruction will remain open. To that end, we're announcing the following programs for the 2023 Spring Term:
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#### **Option #1: **Group Classes (Onsite in Amman only):
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- Program Dates:
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- Orientation: March 14
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- Classes & Finals: March 15 - June 4
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- 3 class hours a day, 5 days a week for approximately 10 weeks (Sunday through Thursday): 2645 USD/student
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- You can find out more about this program below.
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\[su*accordion]We hope this finds you and your loved ones safe and well.As you know, the recent worldwide outbreak of COVID-19 has had an unprecedented impact on all of us. As of February 13, 2022 there are more than 400 million confirmed cases of the virus worldwide with new cases being reported every second. Portions of the global population are just starting to come out of curfew/lockdown and many governments are struggling to serve the medical, social, and economic needs of their citizens. In no uncertain terms, these are strange and difficult times.In Jordan, we’re grateful that, due to a number of early preventative measures taken by local authorities, the spread of the virus was relatively limited up until the beginning of August 2020. In the months that followed, there was a noticeable increase in cases. Whereas in July 2020 we may have had 5-10 new cases on a given day, in October 2020 it was normal to have more than 3000. Numbers began to decrease and stabilize in the summer of 2021 and are currently within a range that is manageable.Needless to say, the effect of COVID-19 on the local population has been significant: a nationwide curfew in spring of 2020, the closure of airports and all bordering crossings until early September 2020, and the tragic passing of more than 11000 members of Jordanian society (amongst a host of other challenges).At Qasid, these two years have been a very busy time. As the spread of the virus became more apparent in February 2020, our focus was set on the health and safety of our students and staff in Amman. We took a number of steps to spread awareness, make our physical space more hygienic and safe, and convey the guidance of local and international medical health experts.In early-March 2020, the pace and nature of governmental advice and regulations began to change and on March 17, 2020 developed into a total lockdown and ban on travel to and from Jordan (this ban continued until September 8, 2020). In the days (and sometimes hours) that led up to the March 17th travel ban, we continued to prioritize the safety of our students and staff, however, in addition to providing resources for their physical and emotional \_well-being*, we directed our attention to the importance of their physical _location_ as well. Many decided to stay whereas an equal number preferred to go home. We did our best to make sure that everyone was able to be, or get to, wherever they felt most safe.From March 17, 2020 until March 29, 2020, our staff returned to preparations that began in February for transitioning our onsite program in Amman to an online setting. This was in order to continue serving our students who had left Jordan and those who remained but, due to the current curfew, are unable to come to campus for their classes. Even with more than a decade’s worth of experience teaching Arabic online, it was a major shift. Despite the curfew, personal responsibilities, and a very different idea of “work-life balance,” the efforts of my colleagues quite literally blew us away. We're happy to report that the transition was a success and we hosted our students in online programs up until the summer of 2021.As mentioned above, we had the pleasure of returning to in-person instruction in September 2021 and plan to continue as such.For those interested in joining us the 2023 Spring Program (full-time group classes), please read through the information in the tabs below and then kindly fill out the following registration form:As always, let us know if you have any questions or concerns.**Program Dates**The dates for the **2023 Spring Term** are as follows:
- **Orientation**: March 14
- **Classes & Finals**: March 15 - June 4
If for whatever reason these dates don't work with your schedule or pre-existing commitments, please reach out to us at [info@qasid.com](mailto:info@qasid.com) and we'll together explore whether we can make other arrangements to accommodate your needs.**Pre-Program Details**As the famous Arab proverb says, “ ما أشرقت بدايته أشرقت نهايته ” (“A good beginning makes a good end”). This saying holds true in the planning and implementation of any course of study. To that end, student’s will be “onboarded” to their spring program through:\_Placement Interviews_Prior to the start of the program, Qasid’s administration will arrange individual, online placement interviews for each of the students. The results of these interviews will be used to place students into appropriate levels, monitor their progress during the program, and assess their learning at the end. Each interview lasts approximately 20 – 30 minutes.In the coming weeks, registered students will be given access to an online scheduling program that will allow them to choose a time slot for their interview.\_Orientation_On September 1st , Qasid’s administration and IT staff will meet students for a series of in-person orientations that will cover the following:General:
- General advice for living in Amman
- Issues related to health and safety
- Handling problems/issues
- Q&A
Academics:
- Academic Program
- How to study a second language
- Q&A
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#### **Option #2: **Private, Part-Time 1-on-1 Studies (Online only):
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- 1 class hour a week for 10 weeks: 495 USD/student
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#### **Option #3: **Private 1-on-1 Classes (Onsite in Amman and online):
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- 3 class hours a week for 10 weeks: 1485 USD/student
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