Assalamu alaykum wa rahmatullahi wa barakatuhu,

Alhamdulillah, SunniPath has been blessed with an amazing team of volunteer teaching assistants this term. For the Spring 2007 semester, we’ve increased our team to a total of 36 dedicated teaching assistants (TAs). Many of our TAs are either students of knowledge and/or former SunniPath students who were selected by their instructors due to the exceptional work ethic they demonstrated in their classes.

The purpose of a SunniPath teaching assistant is two fold: to keep students engaged throughout the course and to support teachers in imparting religious knowledge. Ultimately, the TAs play an essential role in the enhancement of a student’s experience. Through their interaction in the discussion forums, presence in the live sessions, and communication with the students by email, students are encouraged to increase their level of participation in courses. By providing an extra helping hand, they also serve as a guiding light for those who are new to the SunniPath interface.

Behind the scenes, the TAs work diligently with one another to share ideas of how to improve student accommodation and work towards addressing student needs. Through numerous meetings and emails between each other, the Spring 2007 TA team has already established a strong bond built upon the desire to produce and preserve a more comfortable and enjoyable online learning environment. Their collective mission is to embody the words of Allah All-Mighty and Majestic when He says, “Help one another in goodness and piety” (5:2).

One thing that I personally noticed this term was that the TAs can act as a huge support for new teachers and staff. Scholars and teachers, such as Shaykh Abdul-Kareem Yahya (SPR103/104), Shaykh Sohail Hanif (QRN110/150), and Ustadha Shazia Ahmed (ARB102), have extensively praised their TAs for their outstanding devotion and commitment towards facilitating more productive live sessions and improving the courses’ overall operation and development.

Alhamdulilah, for the past two years that I’ve been involved with SunniPath, I can honestly say that I have never seen a TA team as solid and as enthusiastic as this one. Allah truly gave me a gift this term.

Jazak Allah Khayr to all my amazing TAs.