Georgetown University Dean Carol Lancaster From Washington, D.C. Campus Leads the Doha Campus’s First Formal Retreat

Stunning desert landscape and open skies served as a perfect backdrop for the Georgetown University School of Foreign Service in Qatar (SFS-Qatar)’s first formal retreat on September 23 (Friday). The students and student development officers, led by dean of the School of Foreign Service Washington, D.C., Carol Lancaster, eased into conversation away from the school setting.

During the overnight camping trip at the dancing dunes of the Qatari south, Dean Lancaster engaged with 20 SFS-Qatar student leaders and their development officers in lively conversations ranging from student development to student-run clubs.

Dean Lancaster was thrilled at the opportunity to discuss matters of mutual interest and collaboration outside the office setting. She noted: “The desert itself is a delight. How much more fun it is, as an evening with our wonderful SFS-Q, students, faculty and Student Development staff. I am ready for the next trip to the desert! “

Organized by the Office for Student Development of SFS-Qatar, the trip was significant as it marked a couple of firsts for the school.

“This “This was the first time SFS-Qatar has taken its student leaders to a weekend trip within Qatar. This was also the first time that a high-ranking university official such as the Dean of the School of Foreign Service in Qatar, Dr. Carol Lancaster, had an opportunity to spend the whole evening meeting with the students and learning about their contributions to the diverse student activity within our campus”, said SFS-Qatar’s Community Engagement Administrator, Uday Rosario”.

“It offered our student leadership the chance to escape from the hallowed halls of the University to the quiet and peace of the desert. It provided us with a chance to sit still and focus on our cores: who they are as students at Georgetown, their relationship with the staff and faculty at Georgetown, their ambitions, academically and personally, for the future and the means by which they build, and continue to build, a community that is built on strong social values at the core” added Rosario

Georgetown University places special emphasis on cura personalis, or care for the whole person, which also forms part of its overall mission.

The retreat featured a series of workshops focusing on leadership building. The first hour was geared towards the relationship of the Office for Student Development with the students, while a second hour was dedicated to students’ own management of the clubs they run.

“The trip highlights the cherished connections formed between faculty, staff and students at School of Foreign Service in Qatar. Our relationships are unmatched when compared to other undergraduate programs in the United States. The energy at the School of Foreign Service in Qatar is student-driven and indicative of the level of talent developed here that succeeds in the Middle East and across the globe,” stated Patrick Lennihan, student development officer.

SFS-Qatar is home to a host of thriving student-run organizations from Best Buddies to Debate to philanthropic organizations such as the HOPE and HELP (Hoya English Language Program) clubs.

“The trip was an amazing experience that allowed us to communicate with staff and faculty outside the normal and professional confines. We managed to interact as individuals and learn from sharing each other’ life experiences. Dean Lancaster’s presence during the night speaks for her and Georgetown’s dedication to us as students since she took the time off to get to know us,” said freshman, Eman Merghani (SFS-Qatar ’15).

The discussions continued over a bonfire and a dinner, as administrators and Dean Lancaster learned more about students’ time in Doha.

For the trip, students were invited based on their level of active participation in providing leadership, and the first 20 to sign up were selected. The select group of students was also asked to fill a survey about its involvement with the various clubs, for the administrators to build upon on subsequently.