Dr. Iman Sacca
VP for Academic Affairs
- De La Salle Hall, D-226b
- isaca@bethlehem.edu
- 022741241 ext. 2420
Message from the Vice President
As chief academic officer of Bethlehem University, I am responsible for providing strategic vision, leadership, and management for Academic Affairs with the support of and in consultation with the senior academic officers, deans, chairpersons, and a dedicated qualified faculty. We are deeply committed to providing excellence in all areas of teaching, scholarship, and service through our five faculties and Institute of Hotel Management and Tourism. We are dedicated to our Lasallian mission and values, and committed to provide our students a supportive environment that promotes their success.
Mission
The Office of Academic Affairs supports, enhances, and promotes the mission of Bethlehem University by fostering academic excellence and providing overall leadership for all academic programs of the University. The Office advocates for, supports, and sustains excellence in teaching and learning; scholarship, research, and creative activity; and community engagement and public service. The Office is committed to creating an environment conducive to academic excellence and responsible citizenship.
The Office of Academic Affairs works to advance an academic environment in which quality, innovation, rigor/challenge, and active student learning and engagement are paramount. In accord with Bethlehem University’s mission, the Office will be known for enhancing educational processes; promoting excellence in teaching, scholarship, and service; and fostering a spirit of inquiry and independence of mind in the pursuit of knowledge, all in service of the common good. The Office strives to promote a University culture that supports faculty, academic staff, and administrators at all career stages through a responsive and innovative professional development program.
- Is committed to a broad academic foundation in the humanities, the arts, social and natural
- sciences, communication, and quantitative reasoning;
- Promotes the University’s liberal arts heritage and its high-quality, challenging, and responsive
- academic programs
- Values student-centered learning and teaching focused on student engagement and success;
- Protects freedom of inquiry and independence of mind in pursuit of knowledge;
- Values professional development designed to enhance the quality of teaching and learning,
- scholarship, and outreach;
- Encourages interdisciplinary and international scholarship;
- Recognizes and supports the importance of lifelong learning;
- Supports collaboration/partnerships both within and external to Bethlehem University;
- Reinforces an environment of continuous improvement and quality assurance through assessment
- of programs, processes, and outcomes;
- Recognizes and rewards academic accomplishments and leadership; and
- Advocates for students, faculty, and academic programs.
Dr. Iman Saca
Dr. Iman Sacca is a native of Bethlehem, she attended Saint Joseph Girls School and Talitha Kumi for High School, completed her B.A. in Archaeology at the University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, and earned her PhD and MA in Archaeology and Anthropology at the University of Illinois at Chicago.
For over 20 years, Dr. Iman Saca has been a leading scholar and interdisciplinary educator in Archaeology and Anthropology and an advocate for cultural protection, preservation, and promotion.
Throughout her professional journey, Dr. Saca has served extensively in Palestine, in other Arab countries and in the United States. Her commitment to Palestinian institutions, particularly educational institutions, both domestically and internationally, is unwavering. Notably, she has interest in documenting and preserving tangible and intangible heritage. Working at the Palestinian Department of Antiquities, she co-founded of the Palestinian Heritage Center (PHC) in Bethlehem and, among other accomplishments, she contributed to the preparation of the Battir village file for inclusion in the World Heritage List. Dr. Saca played a pivotal role in the 2013 UNESCO World Heritage listing of the Al Zubarah archaeological site in Qatar, where she served as the Senior Consultant and Director of Community Archaeology at Al Zubarah Archaeological Site. Currently, she serves as an international consultant and expert for the nomination of ancient Jericho as a World Heritage site.
Before being nominated by the Vice Chancellor and elected in 2023 by the International Board of Regents as the Academic Vice President at Bethlehem University, Dr. Saca served as professor of Anthropology and Director of Middle Eastern Studies at Saint Xavier University, Chicago, for 19 years, seven of which as Chair of the Department of Sociology and Anthropology.
As Vice President for Academics, Dr. Saca is the administrative head of all academic activities of the University, responsible for setting the academic vision and direction for the University. Together with her Deans and Directors, she provides leadership for the seven degree and diploma units of the University: Faculty of Arts, Faculty of Nursing and Health Sciences, Institute for Community Engagement, Institute of Hotel Management and Tourism, Faculty of Applied Sciences, Technology and Engineering, Faculty of Education, and the Shucri Ibrahim Dabdoub Faculty of Business Administration.
Dr. Saca oversees and coordinates seventeen Institutes and Centers at the University, including the Resource Center for Students with Disabilities, UNESCO Biotechnology Educational and Research Center, Bethlehem Business Incubator, the Yunus Social Business Center and the Samir Aweidah Clinical Simulation Center. She is responsible for ensuring that each of the 31 programs, degrees and diplomas corresponds to the overall purposes and mission of the University: 4 Masters, 23 Bachelors, 4 Associates, 6 Diplomas, 3 Higher Diplomas, and 12 Profession Diplomas.
Dr. Iman is currently working with the faculty to implement a teaching, learning and research initiative for students and faculty in Gaza, in addition to considering other new academic programs and identifying aspects of existing programs that need adaptation to align with the needs of Palestinian society today and into the future. She also is promoting scientific research, supporting scholarly productivity among the faculty, and strengthening international collaborations, especially in the fields of education and scientific research.
Dr. Iman’s own research interests include a focus on interdisciplinary education and lie at the intersection of anthropology, community archaeology; oral history; lived experiences; intergenerational heritage education; community participation, and heritage protection.
BU News
Rev. Dr. Iyad Twal Appointed Auxiliary Bishop for Jordan
It is with great joy and gratitude that we celebrate the appointment of Father Dr. Iyad Twal, our esteemed Executive…
Bethlehem University Students Bring Joy to Children at BASR Hospital
On Thursday, 12 December 2024, the Dean of Students Office at Bethlehem University organized a heartwarming visit to the Children’s…
Students of the Institute of Hotel Management and Tourism visit Cremisan Winery
As part of its extracurricular activities, the Institute of Hotel Management and Tourism organized a unique event for its students,…
Upcoming Events
24
Dec
2024Christmas Midnight Mass
- 11:59pm1:30am(December 25, 2024)
31
Oct
2024World Occupational Therapy Day
- 11:0013:00
08
Oct
2024Second International Bethlehem Conference
- 09:0016:00(October 09, 2024)