September 15, 2010, Dubai, UAE: Dubai Women's College (DWC) recently held New Student Orientation program for 555 fresh high school graduates with emphasis on healthy living.

The program which will run till September 21, 2010 aimed at helping students understand the DWC campus culture: how technology is used on campus, from online SharePoint to the online campus Portal; the emphasis on healthy living, from healthy food offerings in the cafeteria to physical education classes in the state-of-the-art DWC Fitness Center - and how DWC cares about the health and well-being of its students; and resources for student success, including counseling services, IT support, and academic advising.

This year's event was very special as dietitians and nutritionists from Abela & Co., a leading company in offering healthy eating for over 15 years at DWC, were present at DWC cafeteria to create awareness among the young students about the importance of healthy eating and how to take advantage of the healthy options and the nutrition information that DWC offer in its cafeteria.

Mariam Saleh, Nutrition Manager at Abela & Co. said many important points were tackled at the orientation session such as 'How to choose a balanced meal containing the necessary nutrients from protein, carbohydrates, vitamins and minerals'." Mariam added that a balanced meal can be an easy task for them as DWC cafeteria offers the color coded menu based on the nutrient content of the food so for instance food labeled in purple is high in proteins and iron.

Mariam also explained how the food at the college cafeteria is cooked in trans fat free-oils and the health risks of trans fat. DWC is the only college to have incorporated physical education classes into the curriculum, introduced healthy foods without trans-fats in the cafeteria and eliminated sodas and candy from the campus.

 "Students were advised to extend this healthy practice to their daily living outside the college and at home to avoid extra calories, fat and cholesterol, coming from junk food and candies," she pointed out.

All students were also given a leaflet prepared by the nutrition team at Abela & Co. titled EAT SMART FOR A BRIGHTER FUTURE that explains all the above and the advantages of healthy eating on academic performance. 

From his part, Dr. Howard Reed, Director of DWC commented on having an orientation session on healthy food for the first time in a higher educational institution in UAE by saying "Dubai Women's College is known for providing its students, faculty and staff with healthy food in an environment that promotes a healthy lifestyle. This proactive approach to healthy eating for the DWC family is part of our commitment to help the UAE combat obesity, diabetic diseases and other lifestyle problems such as heart problems."

The program also included a short play performed by members of DWC Student Parliament in order to help new students feel comfortable in their new environment.   Alia Shamlan, member of DWC Student Parliament said, "We welcomed the new students and explained some of the campus rules.  New students were very excited about starting the New Academic Year and asked many questions.  We tried to make them feel that they are welcome on campus as they begin their first year of college."

To help the students keep track of their progress through the Orientation program, each student was given a 'passport', which was a new initiative.  Students were able to check off things they learn about and track their own progress in the adjustment to college life. Part of the schedule included fun activities for students to get to know one another as well as to learn more about their peers.

"We want every student to be successful," said Mary Lackie, Student Affairs Supervisor, "These students are coming from many different schools and academic backgrounds with differing skills and abilities.  We want to give all of them the tools they need to make the transition to higher education so that they can fulfill their academic and career goals - their dreams for their futures."

"We want students to be successful in their classes, of course," added Lackie, "but we also want them to get involved in extracurricular activities.  In addition to being a lot of fun, activities also help students to learn and build practical skills outside of the classroom."

Another source of inspiration for the students will be DWC alumnae speakers as Tareifah Ajaif, a BA graduate of Business Administration in 2000, and who is now working on her Ph.D., will address the Foundation students on Monday, September 20. Mariam Al Afridi, who graduated with a Bachelor of IT in 2005, and is a recipient of the Alumnae Academic Achievement Award will speak on Tuesday, September 21, to the new students who were admitted directly into the bachelor degree program. Both speakers will share information to help the students understand that they started in the same place these new students are - scared, but excited to start their college careers. Through hard work and perseverance, they too can achieve their dreams.

-Ends-

About Dubai Women's College
Dubai Women's College (DWC), with more than 2,200 students, is part of the Higher Colleges of Technology (HCT). The HCT is one of the leading higher education institutions in the United Arab Emirates with 16 campuses located throughout the country delivering a wide range of quality programs to over 16,500 students.  DWC was established in 1989 and offers Bachelor and Diploma degrees in Business, Information Technology, Education, Health Sciences, and Applied Communications.  Today, DWC is the quality provider of top-quality National women graduates in Dubai.  DWC's mission is to provide a learning environment for young women to "Practice the Future" by developing confidence, professional excellence and an ethical commitment to leadership roles in a rapidly developing local economy.

For more information, please contact
Dubai Women's College/Higher Colleges of Technology
Tel: 04-208-9269                   
Email: abrar.mikkawi@hct.ac.ae

© Press Release 2010