Student Resources

Important ARU Documents

Succeeding in ARU

ARU can be a life-changing experience. Objectivism defines a framework for a flourishing life, and ARU can help you grasp and internalize that framework. The better you understand Objectivism, the better you’ll be able to think, produce, and build a life that you love.

To help you integrate ARU into your life, and to support your progress in your work, career and education, we’ve created this ARU Student Success resource. It contains:

Access to 1:1 sessions with our coaches, Shruti Menon, Amanda Maxham and Steven Schub.
The opportunity to apply for a longer-term coaching project, where you’ll have prolonged interaction with a coach as you work on a specific productive goal to benefit your educational or professional development.
A growing library of articles, videos and exercises that can help you to thrive in ARU, troubleshoot your challenges, and make progress in your career and education.
Access to Launch Pad, ARU’s webpage listing companies offering internship and work opportunities to ARU students.

The ARU Student Success team members are themselves graduates of Ayn Rand University or its precursor, the Objectivist Academic Center.

Amanda Maxham

Amanda Maxham is an ARU Coach and a scientist who has discovered a passion for podcasting. Amanda earned a PhD in astrophysics from the University of Nevada and left her career as a professor to pursue her childhood love of storytelling with sound. She now produces a podcast about happiness and supports Tal Tsfany’s Happiness Team in addition to being an ARU coach.

Shruti Menon

Shruti Menon is an ARU Coach. She has an academic background in philosophy, and has worked for over two years as an assistant coach with psychologist Dr. Gena Gorlin. She works on issues at the intersection of philosophy and psychology, both as a coach and a writer. Shruti frequently supports ARU students to work through uncertainty about their career direction and to develop strategies to achieve productive goals.

Steven Schub

Steven Schub is ARU’s Student Success Manager and an ARU Coach. He is a Lifetime Member of The Actors Studio, a graduate of NYU’s Tisch School of the Arts, and has starred in over 25 feature films and television shows. He was the singer of two rock bands: The Fenwicks and HaSkaLA. He is a happy husband and proud father of two. Steven is a graduate of the Objectivist Academic Center, and is thrilled to be helping ARU students achieve their goals.

Jeff Scialabba

Jeff Scialabba is Director of Operations for ARU. He joined ARI in 2008 and has held various positions supporting the Institute’s educational programs. As director of ARU operations he works closely with senior faculty to design and implement its curriculum and oversees elements of ARU including admissions, administration, course operations and its coaching practice. He also supports the ARU Graduate Center and ARI’s activities for high potential students and developing Objectivist intellectuals.

Our coaches can support you in your progress at ARU, as well as other productive endeavors related to your career, work and education. Here are some examples of what students talk to our coaches about:

Improving their productivity habits to meet deadlines and goals more efficiently
Getting better at time-management
Working through uncertainty about the kind of work they want to pursue
Setting productive goals or next steps, based on their interests
Troubleshooting challenges in their goal pursuit, and brainstorming strategies to overcome them
Selecting ARU courses
Navigating critical feedback and/or low grades at ARU
Getting the most out of class participation and/or office hours

There are many other topics that you can discuss with a coach, related to ARU or your education or work outside it. If you’re unsure whether your question or topic is suitable for an ARU coaching session, write to coaching@aynrand.org with your question, and we’ll get back to you.

Schedule a meeting:

Schedule a coaching session with Shruti, Amanda, or Steven by clicking below.

Shruti Menon | smenon@aynrand.org | Scheduling Link

Amanda Maxham | amaxham@aynrand.org | Scheduling Link

Steven Schub | sschub@aynrand.org | Scheduling Link

Slots are filled on a first-come, first-served basis. If you are having trouble scheduling a meeting please email coaching@aynrand.org or one of the coaches directly.

Disclaimer:

ARU coaching sessions are not therapy, or a substitute for therapy, and these sessions are not a professional mental health service. If you need help dealing with personal issues, or if you’re struggling with your mental health, please reach out to a mental health professional.

Coaching projects entail prolonged interaction with an ARU coach over a period of one to six months as a student works on a specific productivity goal related to their education or career. Such projects require a significant time investment from the coach and are therefore by application only.

If your application is accepted, you’ll be supported by a coach who will meet with you regularly about your project and help you to achieve success. The frequency and duration of these meetings is determined by the nature of the project. Past coaching projects have included:

Improving as an ARU student
Deciding on a career direction
Finding a job
Writing a book
Conducting activities promoting
Objectivism
Completing a PhD thesis
Growing their business
Preparing graduate school applications
Creating a podcast
Launching a blog

Apply for a Coaching Project

Please allow a week or two for us to get back to you on your application. We can’t guarantee that you will be assigned a coach, as this depends on the availability of our coaches and whether your project is a fit for coaching support, but we’ll do our best to help.

Are you in the market for a job or internship, or considering a career change? Launch Pad connects ARU students with internship and work opportunities from employers who view your interest in Objectivism as an asset.

A list companies and openings is available at the Launch Pad website. You can explore these opportunities on your own or work with an ARU coach to identify jobs that are a good fit for your interests, experience, and skills.

We encourage all ARU students to make sure your coach is aware when you are looking for employment, and to provide us with your current resume. ARI has connections with many businessmen and institutions. In some cases we may know of or be able to identify an opportunity not listed on the Launch Pad site.

In this library you’ll discover key concepts and tools that will help you to be successful as a student in ARU and in your pursuit of happiness.

Disclaimer: We do not necessarily endorse all the material provided in the library, and some resources have been selected for specific portions that have been helpful to students in the past. Please use your judgment and discretion when engaging with the resources, and be selective and thoughtful about what is relevant and useful to you, given your context and goal pursuit. If you have questions about a resource and want to discuss it with a coach, please email them your question and point them to the resource.

ARU Event Recordings

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Why “Your Work Must Be Your Own”

The ARU Handbook update released in December 2023 included new language in the “Your Work Must Be Your Own” policy regarding the use of ChaptGPT and other generative AI tools in ARU assignments. The updated language did not change our policy, but clarified that use of such tools is a violation of it (except if used for translation and cited).

This is the recording of the session held by the ARU faculty on February 16, 2024, to discuss our reasons for having the Your Work Must Be Your Own policy and why it extends to a prohibition on using AI in your assignments.

Important ARU Documents

ARU Handbook

ARU Curriculum & Calendar

ARU Certificate Requirements

ARU Course Prerequisites