The course is highly interactive, student-centered, and writing-intensive.

Each session combines:

• Short, focused instruction on reading, writing, and rhetorical analysis
• Guided close reading and discussion of academic texts
• Individual, pair, and small-group activities
• Scaffolded analytical writing practice
• Peer review, revision, and reflection
• Instructor feedback and conferencing

Students will:

• Analyze arguments, purpose, audience, tone, and rhetorical strategies
• Practice summarizing, paraphrasing, and responding to academic texts
• Draft and revise analytical responses through a recursive writing process
• Give and receive constructive feedback
• Reflect on their own writing and learning
• Participate in collaborative written and oral activities
• Use Moodle, Turnitin, library resources, and other course tools as required

The course follows a progressive structure, moving from comprehension and active reading to rhetorical analysis, formal academic writing, revision, and increasingly independent performance.

The goal is to help students strengthen their critical thinking, academic writing, fluency, accuracy, and intellectual ownership step by step.

The Main Objective of the Course:

To transform how students read, think, and write in academic contexts by developing their ability to critically analyze texts, construct clear and well-supported arguments, and communicate ideas effectively—moving beyond basic language proficiency to achieve independent thinking, academic mastery, and intellectual ownership in an AI-enabled university and workplace.

The course is taught by Nada M. Salem, President/CEO of AFEE and IFWE. 

Nada M. Salem is an academic leader, institutional strategist, and educator working at the intersection of educational excellence, leadership development, and transformation in the AI era.

She is the Founding President and CEO of the American Foundation for Educational Excellence (AFEE) and the International Foundation for Women’s Empowerment (IFWE), through which she designs and leads high-impact initiatives, builds institutional partnerships, and advances leadership and education across the United States, Lebanon, and internationally.

She is also the Founding Director of the Center for Excellence in Languages (CEL), a subsidiary of AFEE specializing in teaching, editing, translation, and interpreting, further strengthening her work in language education and academic communication.

She serves as Adjunct Professor at The George Washington University, where she teaches academic writing, instructional course design, educational technology, and English communication, and mentors international scholars and faculty.

At Saint Joseph University of Beirut, she is Director of the English Communication Hub (ECH), leading university-wide efforts to elevate English-Medium Instruction (EMI), strengthen research publication, and advance academic communication to international standards. She previously served as Representative of the Rector for Educational Excellence and Philanthropy in the United States, contributing to strategic partnerships and institutional outreach.

Her doctoral work advances a framework for learning in the AI era centered on transferable mastery and cognitive agency, examining how universities can redesign curricula, assessment, and teaching practices in AI-mediated environments.

Across her career, she has designed and led academic and leadership programs, trained faculty, and supported institutional development across universities, foundations, and international organizations, bridging pedagogy, communication, and strategy in diverse educational contexts.

She holds a degree in languages and a Master’s in Translation from Saint Joseph University of Beirut, as well as a Teaching Diploma and a Master’s in TEFL from the American University of Beirut. She completed 40 credit hours toward a Doctorate (Ed.D.) in Curriculum & Instruction and Educational Technology Leadership at The George Washington University, and holds an Executive Certificate in Public Leadership from Harvard Kennedy School of Government.

She was selected as a Woman Leader by the University of Maryland’s Kahlil Gibran Chair for Values and Peace and recognized among Marquis Who’s Who Top Executives in Education and Leadership.

Her work is dedicated to advancing mastery-based, AI-ready education systems and developing leaders capable of shaping institutions in an era of profound technological and societal transformation.