The book (an academic field study within the framework of Notre Dame University-Lebanon, which follows the American curriculum, conducted between 1993 and 1998) looks into the factors that influence the students' performance, such as administrative flexibility, program's reliability, up-to-date methods of teaching and others, as well as the curricula that meet the societal needs in the light of complex problems and career developments, and give students the required general background which will enable them to assume leadership positions.
The study revealed that the level of students' satisfaction was related not only to the general atmosphere prevalent at the institution but above all to the pursuit of excellence.
It also showed that female students performed better than their male counterparts.
The work as a whole contributes significantly to the development of higher education in Lebanon by presenting new educational strategies that help in the development of the level of management and administration in general.

Factors influencing students' academic performance at a Middle-Eastern American oriented university in Lebanon: educational management and analysis
First Edition 2005
Published by: Notre Dame University-Louaize, 2005
NDU Press©
P.O. Box: 72, Zouk Mikael – Lebanon
Printed by: Meouchy & Zakaria Printers – Beirut – Lebanon – 2005

Toni Y. Rahi is a member of the Maronite Mariamite Order and a university faculty member where teaching has been his essential concern and priority for a lifetime. He was born in Himalaya, Lebanon in 1955.
Between 1976 and 1985, Father Rahi pursued his ecclesiastical studies in philosophy, theology and liturgy at both the Lateran University in Rome and the Holy Spirit University in Lebanon, completing a master’s degree. Later, he obtained a master’s degree in educational administration from the University of Detroit, MI (USA) in 1989, and another master’s degree in Higher and Adult Continuing Education from the University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI (USA) in 1991. He completed his doctorate of state in education applied to statistics at the Lebanese University, Beirut, Lebanon, in 1999.
Father Rahi has contributed articles to many publications and has given conferences in both Arabic and English, linking the various fields of education, sociology, psychololgy and their approximate applicability to the real world through the professional tools of statistics. He also worked within the interactive learning experiences and their effects on the students’ academic performance at the dawn of the twenty-first century.
His teaching as a profession is a mission, namely a mutual and objective interaction between him and his students. He firmly believes in breaking down knowledge to the level of the students’ intellect, as if to say, teaching is simplifying the ordinary simple things of life. Then, for him, knowledge will be accessible to everyone.

LIST OF TABLES

LIST OF FIGURES PREFACE

CHAPTER I
STATEMENT OF PROBLEM AND METHODOLOGY A. INTRODUCTION AND STATEMENT OF PROBLEM
B. RESEARCH DESIGN AND METHODOLOGY
 1. Outline and Procedure
 2. Overview, Statistical Tools and Setting
 3. Subjects and Student Body
 4. Measures, Variables, Responses and Data Collection
 5. Hypotheses

CHAPTER II
LITERATURE REVIEW A. ACADEMIC PERFORMANCE IN HIGH SCHOOL AND COLLEGE
B. TESTING, ASSESSMENT, GRADING AND ACADEMIC PERFORMANCE
C. LEARNING AND ACADEMIC PERFORMANCE
D. SCHOOLS' AND UNIVERSITIES' LEADERSHIP, MANAGEMENT AND ACADEMIC PERFORMANCE
E. GENDER AND ACADEMIC PERFORMANCE
F. STUDENT ATTITUDE TOWARDS EDUCATION: SELF-IMAGE, ACADEMIC ABILITY, AND ASPIRATIONS
 1. Self-image
 2. Academic Ability
 3. Aspirations
G. SOCIO-ECONOMIC CHARACTERISTICS
 1. Academic Performance in Higher Education Related to Public Perceptions
 2. Academic Performance in Pre-College and College Education Related to Family Background and Quality Education

CHAPTER III
HISTORICAL BACKGROUND A. HISTORY OF FRENCH AND AMERICAN/ENGLISH INFLUENCE IN LEBANON
 1. Historical Foundation of Bilingualism in Lebanon
 2. French Influence in Lebanon
 3. American English (British) Influence in Lebanon
 4. French and American/English (British) Educational Systems
 5. Lebanese System of Pre-College and College Education: Testing, Learning and Degree Distribution
B. THE BIRTH OF NDU WITHIN A FRENCH EDUCATION DOMINATED AREA
 1. The Foundation Era (1978-1986)
 2. Moves for International Recognition of NDU (1980-1984)
 3. The Legal Contract and Presidential Decree
 4. The University Launching into the Nineties (1988-1997)
C. NDU AND ACADEMIC PERFORMANCE
 1. Testing, Assessment, Students' Evaluation and Academic Performance at NDU
 2. Curriculum and Academic Performance at NDU
 3. Students Satisfaction with Learning, Curriculum, Education and Academic Performance at NDU
 4. Leadership, Discipline and Academic Performance at NDU
 5. Faculty Members and Academic Performance at NDU
 6. Student Educational Satisfaction with Teaching Methods and Academic Performance at NDU
 7. Student Body and Academic Performance at NDU
 8. Old, New Campus and Academic Performance at NDU
 9. Atmosphere, Spirit, Catholic Identity and Academic Performance at NDU
 10. Institutional Excellence and Academic Performance at NDU

CHAPTER IV
EMPIRICAL RESEARCH: TESTS AND ANALYSES A. TESTING OF UNIVARIATE AND BIVARIATE HYPOTHESES
 1. Testing the First and Second Type of Research Hypotheses: Univariate and Bivariate Analyses of Hypotheses: T-Tests, Crosstabulations, Chi-Squares and Anova Results
 2. Summary of Univariate and Bivariate Relationships
B. MULTIVARIATE ANALYSES OF HYPOTHESES
 1. Multivariate Analyses of Hypotheses and Interpretation of the Path Model and Correlations
 2. Summary of Multivariate Analyses of Hypotheses and the Path Analysis Model

CHAPTER V
SUMMARY OF FINDINGS, IMPLICATIONS, CONTRIBUTION TO KNOWLEDGE, LIMITATIONS, CONSLUSION AND FUTURE PERSPECTIVES A. SUMMARY OF FINDINGS
 1. Implications and Contribution to Knowledge
 2. Limitations
B. CONCLUSION AND FUTURE PERSPECTIVES

BIBLIOGRAPHY  1 References in English
 2. References in French and Italian
 3. References in Latin
 4. Letters and Reports in Chronological Order
 5. Interviews and Meetings in Chronological Order
 6. References in Arabic

APPENDIX  1. Letters of Request for a Surgery Questionnaire
 2. Sample form with Questions

INDEX  Index by Author