Respect Graduate School aims to provide a student-centered supportive, nurturing, vibrant environment that facilitates personal, spiritual, and intellectual growth. An elected Student Council works with the Dean of Students and student organizations such as the Alchemy of Knowledge Club to provide student-led activities and initiatives on campus. If you have a club or student activities idea, you may contact our Student Activities Coordinator, Selen Gulfidan, at [email protected], for guidance on how to proceed.

Students are part of the Student Council which represents the interests of the students to the administration of RGS and the Board of Trustees. The Student Council Officers work with the Student Activities Coordinator to organize events such as Convocation, Open Houses, Graduation and Welcome Events for on campus in person intensive courses. Our current Student Council President is Issa Kabeer. You may reach him at [email protected]

The Student Activities Coordinator, Selen Gulfidan, hosts a weekly “Moment of Chai” before evening classes once a week to provide a time for tea, coffee, sweets and/or savory snacks and conversation with classmates, staff, and faculty.

The Dean of Students, Dr. Colleen Keyes, also offers online office hours for students for personal or academic guidance and support. Contact [email protected] for an appointment.

The RGS librarian provides academic research and writing workshops and training on using library resources, including the Digital Theological Library.  Students are encouraged to seek help early in the semester with assignments. For help, contact the librarian at [email protected]. More information on Writing Resources and help with academic writing is available on the Library tab of this website.

The Dean of Students also arranges presentations by professionals in various fields requiring a background in Islamic Studies so that students may consider various career options that require the background that the MAIS provides. For example, leaders of Muslim (or other) non-profits, chaplains, teachers in Islamic schools, faith-based counselors, and community organizers, lawyers, doctors, and allied health professionals–all of these careers are possibilities for the graduate of RGS.

Students who are thinking about applying to a Ph.D. or D. Min program  can take seminars given by invited speakers with expertise in graduate education. The goals of these workshops are to provide guidance for Ph.D. acceptance and to raise awareness about the nature of academic life as a Ph.D. candidate. Watch for email announcements of these workshops.