University In Lebanon Research Articles

If you want to develop an effective autism training, ask autistic students to help you.

Autistic university students are often left out because people do not understand autism. We wanted to help people understand autism. Most autism trainings are not made by autistic people. Autistic people know what it is like to be autistic. So autistic people may be the best teachers when it comes to teaching about autism. Autistic students and non-autistic professors made an autism training. The students made videos for the training. They also helped make questions to see what people learned from the trainings. Professors who are not autistic made a training on their own. Students in New York City tried out the trainings. After they answered questions, they did either the training the autistic students helped make or the training made by only professors. Then, they answered questions again. We learned from the students how to make our trainings better. Then, students from two universities in the United States and one university in Lebanon did our trainings and questions. Both trainings made hidden feelings about autism better. The training autistic students helped make taught students more than the training professors made on their own. The autistic-led training also helped students accept autism more. These studies show that autistic students can make autism research and trainings better. At the end of this article, autistic students share their ideas for how to make autism trainings even better in the future.

The reflexive self; adapting to academic life in a time of social turmoil

ABSTRACT This autoethnographic study explores the lived-experiences and academic perceptions of a first-year non-Lebanese assistant professor working in a private English language university in Lebanon during a period of socioeconomic turmoil. The PI kept an autoethnographic journal throughout the Spring 2020 semester, and data from this journal is triangulated with information from local English language newspapers, documenting key events occurring in Lebanon during this turbulent period. The findings show how the PI found the Spring 2020 semester challenging, struggling to navigate multiple intersecting national crises in conjunction with the demands of transitioning from doctoral studies to academia and forming a coherent academic identity. The author concludes that academic journaling, and the resultant reflexive praxis, were beneficial, helping him to navigate the adverse conditions he faced during the Spring 2020 semester.

University Instructors’ Perceptions toward Online Teaching at the Onset of the COVID-19 Outbreak in Lebanon: A Descriptive Study

Purpose: The study aims at understanding to what extent university instructors are ready for the sudden shift from face-to-face teaching to online teaching and how they perceive the usefulness and feasibility of this new modality of teaching. Methodology/Approach/Design: Faculty members from the nine campuses of the largest private university in Lebanon were invited to participate in the completion of a survey, made available in English and Arabic. The survey was completed by 692 respondents. Descriptive analyses were performed by summarizing the count and percentage of responses within each category. Results: Analyses showed that university instructors possess the infrastructure for online teaching. Moreover, they reported positive perceptions about their readiness to teach online and about the feasibility and usefulness of online teaching. However, instructors reported that online teaching was deficient in assessment, teaching large classrooms, and delivering the practical components of the courses they taught. Practical Implications: Findings suggest that instructors require formal training on how to integrate pedagogy with technology. Originality/Value: Since online instruction is new in Lebanon, the study findings can help universities and other educational institutions direct their efforts in their endeavor to improve their online experience.

Evaluating a tobacco-free university policy: A repeated cross-sectional survey of faculty and staff in Lebanon.

INTRODUCTIONA growing body of research has evaluated the effect of university tobacco-free policies on faculty and staff, however, none of these studies has been carried out in the Eastern Mediterranean Region. This study evaluates changes in faculty and staff attitudes, perceptions and smoking behavior, at 1 year post adoption of a tobacco-free policy in a medium-sized university in Lebanon and the region.METHODSTwo cross-sectional surveys were conducted in 2017 and 2018: baseline and at 1 year post policy implementation. A random sample of 625 and 624 participants took part in the 2017 and 2018 studies, respectively.RESULTSFaculty and staff had a positive attitude towards the policy at the two time points. The belief that there should be exceptions to the policy significantly decreased from 79% to 59% (p=0.002) among all smokers, particularly those with lower educational attainment (81% to 57%, p=0.007). Perception of compliance among peer smokers increased from 73% to 87% (p=0.009). The proportion of smokers did not significantly change at 1 year post policy implementation, however, 44% of smokers with lower educational attainment, compared to only 7% of those with higher educational attainment (p<0.001), reported a decrease in their smoking behavior outside campus.CONCLUSIONSThe policy had a positive effect on the attitude, behavior and perception of policy benefits among smokers with lower educational attainment, who constitute the majority of smokers. Findings from this study inform and support future efforts to develop university and workplace tobacco-free policies.

Students’ Engagement for Better Learning at a Lebanese Francophone University: A Case Study

Purpose: The purpose of this study was to investigate the influence of student-faculty interaction, supportive environment, and effective teaching practices on students’ perceived learning gains at the Faculty of Science in a francophone university in Lebanon. Approach/Methodology/Design: This study used a mixed research method design, including semi-structured interviews with five administrators, and a student engagement survey based on the National Survey of Student Engagement (NSSE). The sample consisted of one Dean, four Chairpersons, and two-hundred eighty-six undergraduate students. We conducted thematic analysis for the qualitative data obtained from interviews, and Spearman’s rank correlation analysis on the quantitative data obtained from the survey. Findings: The interview results with the dean and chairpersons revealed that having clear communication with students about their learning outcomes, offering a supportive environment and a structured advisory system were important elements to engage them in their learning experience. Findings from the students’ survey showed that clearly explaining course objectives and giving feedback on tests or homework are essential teaching practices that enhance students’ learning gains. Responses also showed the significant influence of a supportive environment measures on students’ academic and personal development, in particular, encouraging social interaction and helping students handle their non-academic responsibilities. Practical Implications: This study can be a reference for other Francophone universities that are not acquainted with the NSSE survey, widely used in Anglophone universities to promote student learning. It could contribute in reviewing the effectiveness of teaching practices, student-faculty interaction, or other academic and social support services. Originality/Value: This research paves the way for further research that could include other disciplines in the selected university or include other Francophone universities in Lebanon with emphasis on interactive teaching practices that effectively engage students in the University’s life.

The first life skills intervention to enhance well-being amongst university students in the Arab world: 'Khotwa' pilot study.

Although Life Skills programs showed to improve the psychological and physical wellbeing of individuals, little attention has been paid, worldwide and in the Arab countries in specific to implementing life skills intervention for university students. In this study, we tested the effectiveness of a life skills based health promotion intervention KHOTWA (STEP) in enhancing the wellbeing of university students in Lebanon, a country that faces economic and political instability. This is a quasi-experimental study, with pre and post-test, intervention-control design. Each group was formed of 78 participants studying in a private university in Lebanon. Mixed design was used to address the process and outcomes objectives of the intervention. The program was carried online due to COVID-19 pandemic. Significant differences were observed between the intervention and the control groups for life skills, dietary habits and mental health scores at the 3-month follow-up. For the intervention group, a significant increase was observed in the mean score of each of the following Life Skills subscales: self-care (p = 0.001), work and study (p = 0.013), career and education planning (p = 0.011) and looking forward/goal settings (p < 0.001). Students also achieved a healthier eating habit compared to those in the control group by decreasing their consumption of processed food. There was no significant effect in terms of body mass index (p = 0.827). Also, there was a significant change in the mental health status (p = 0.012) only in the intervention group as its mean score decreased after 3 months of the intervention implementation. This intervention enhances the mental health and promotes healthy habits leading consequently to a better quality of life and more productivity amongst university students. Therefore, such interventions should be replicated in other similar context to improve university students’ well-being.

The impact of social media usage and lifestyle habits on academic achievement: Insights from a developing country context

Abstract Social media has become an integral part of young people's lives. While its effects on students’ academic performance are extensively studied in the literature, there is still a lack of research on how social media combined with other lifestyle habits can affect academic performance in a developing country context. Therefore, the purpose of this study is to explore the impact of social media and a collection of behavioral factors such as smoking, consuming alcohol, and romantic relationships on academic achievement in a context of developing countries. From a sample of 112 undergraduate students at a university in Lebanon, the study found that excessive social media use, smoking, and romantic relationships were significantly associated with a lower academic performance. No interactions have been detected between social media usage and other lifestyle habits. A classification model that predicts the likelihood of having good academic performance is also presented.

The Relationship between Universities Social Responsibility Internal Strategies and Staff Quality Work Life: An Empirical Study on Al Jinan University in Lebanon

The quality of life at work increases employees’ abilities to practice gained talents to face work challenges. Efficient internal USR practices supporting working conditions, developing new skills, opportunities for advancement, and the opportunity for work-life balance contribute to increasing the quality of work-life QWL. Accordingly, universities are trying to maintain their employees’ quality work-life by leading their human resources managers to implement internal USR practices. Hence, this study aims to examine the relationship between the Internal University Social Responsibility Practices USR as independent variables and the Quality of Work Life (QWL) of Al Jinan university staff as a dependent variable. The results indicate that the work-life balance, training and education, working conditions, human rights, workplace diversity, and job enrichment have a positive significant impact on the quality of work-life; hence to maintain a good quality of work-life for the workforce, universities should implement efficient USR practices internally.

Using Learning Management System Activity Data to Predict Student Performance in Face-to-Face Courses

Higher education institutes are increasingly turning their attention to web-based learning management systems. The purpose of this study is to investigate whether data collected from LMS can be used to predict student performance in classrooms that use LMS to supplement face-to-face teaching. Data was collected from eight courses spread across two semesters at a private university in Lebanon. Event history analysis was used to investigate whether the probability of logging in was related to the gender and grade of the students. Results indicate that students with higher grades login more frequently to the LMS, that females login more frequently than males, and that student login activity increases as the semester progresses. As a result, this study shows that login activity can be used to predict the academic performance of students. These findings suggest that educators in traditional face-to-face classes can benefit from educational data mining techniques that are applied to the data collected by learning management systems in order to monitor student performance.

The Epidemiology of Lung Cancer in Lebanon During 2014

Background and aims: Lung cancer is the leading cause of cancer death worldwide. There are no recent data on the lung cancer prevalence in Lebanon, and the available data are based on prediction. Thus, this study aimed to determine the incidence rate of lung cancer during 2014, among patients who were newly diagnosed at Lebanese teaching hospitals. In addition, the study attempted to identify the associated risk factors of lung cancer, the most common presenting symptoms at the diagnosis time, and the stage at which the majority of the patients were diagnosed at the targeted population. Methods: A retrospective cross-sectional study was carried out in many teaching hospitals affiliated to the Lebanese University in Lebanon in 2016. Results: The lung cancer incidence was 221.9 per 100000 in 2014. Most patients aged 60 years and over and as regards gender distribution, the majority of them included men. Further, more than half of the patients had the (COPD) and 97% of patients had symptoms at their presentation. Based on the results, 57.9% of them had stage IV lung cancer, but only 12% were diagnosed at the stage IA. Furthermore, 80.6% and 16.4% of patients had non-small and small cell lung cancer, respectively. Finally, 75.4% and 12.1% of them were treated with chemotherapy and underwent surgery, respectively, while 5.2% of patients had radiotherapy. Conclusion: The findings of our study showed a higher incidence rate of lung cancer since 2008 which was diagnosed more commonly in men and with the patient’s history of COPD. Eventually, the diagnosis was mostly made at a later stage with non-small cell lung cancer that was the most common histology type.

The Impact of Sarcopenic Obesity on Health-Related Quality of Life of Treatment-Seeking Patients with Obesity.

There is a paucity of studies on health-related quality of life (HRQoL) and sarcopenic obesity (SO). This study aimed to assess the potential association between SO and impaired HRQoL. The ORWELL 97 questionnaire was used to assess HRQoL and body composition was measured using a bioimpedance analyser (Tanita BC-418) in 130 patients with obesity, referred to the Nutritional and Weight Management outpatient clinic of Beirut Arab University in Lebanon. Participants were then categorized on the basis of the absence or presence of SO. Sixty-four of the 130 participants met the criteria for SO (49.2%) and displayed significantly higher total ORWELL 97 scores than those in the group without SO (64.00 vs. 41.00, p=0.001), indicative of poorer HRQoL. Linear regression analysis showed that SO was associated with an increase in ORWELL 97 scores by nearly 24 units (β=24.35, 95% CI=11.45-37.26; p<0.0001). Moreover, the logistic regression analysis showed that SO increased the odds of clinically significant impairment of HRQoL (ORWELL 97 score ≥74.25) by nearly seven-fold (OR=7.37, 95% CI=1.92-28.39; p=0.004). Our findings show that the presence of SO was associated with increased impairment of HRQoL that reaches clinical significance when compared to obesity only. Future studies are needed to clarify whether this may influence clinical outcomes. If this is shown to be the case, weight management programs should incorporate additional strategies to improve HRQoL in individuals with SO.

Evaluation of risk factors for insulin resistance: a cross sectional study among employees at a private university in Lebanon

BackgroundWorldwide, the prevalence of insulin resistance ranges from 15.5 to 46.5%, among adults. Lebanon reported one of the highest rates reaching 44.6%. The literature suggests an association between dairy product consumption and insulin resistance, however results are inconclusive. To our knowledge, no study examined this association in the Middle Eastern Region. The aim of the study was to investigate the prevalence of insulin resistance among a sample of Lebanese adults, to identify its risk factors depending on gender, and to evaluate the association between insulin resistance and dairy products consumption.MethodsA cross-sectional study was conducted among employees at Notre Dame University - Louaize. Four questionnaires were administered including a background and International Physical Activity Questionnaire short form questionnaires, food frequency questionnaire and a 24 h recall. Bioelectric Impedance Analysis (BIA) was used to measure percent body fat (PBF). Homeostatic Model Assessment for Insulin Resistance (HOMA-IR) was used to quantify insulin resistance. A person with HOMA-IR ≥ 2.5 was considered as insulin resistant. Statistical analyses were performed using the Statistical Package for Social Sciences version 23 for Windows. P < 0.05 was considered statistically significant.ResultsOut of 286 study participants, 38.0% were insulin resistant. Average dairy product intake in the total sample was 2.2 ± 1.0 servings per day. Among males, the odds of having insulin resistance were 3.9 times higher (95%CI 1.4–11.0; p = 0.009) for those having a risky waist circumference compared to those having a healthy waist circumference. Among females, being married (OR: 0.2, 95%CI 0.1–0.5; p = 0.002), PBF (OR: 1.2, 95%CI 1.0–1.3; p = 0.008) and hypertriglyceridemia (OR: 8.7, 95%CI: 2.1–35.9; p = 0.003) were associated with HOMA-IR, after controlling for confounders. Dairy intake was not associated with HOMA-IR neither among males (p = 0.777), nor among females (p = 0.968), after controlling for confounders.ConclusionDairy consumption was not associated with increased insulin resistance. More research focusing on the relationship between dairy intake and insulin resistance is needed, especially in the Arab and Middle-Eastern region. Future studies should examine the effect of different types of dairy products and the effect of different nutrients in dairy products on insulin resistance.

Performance management systems in Lebanese private higher education institutions: design and implementation challenges

PurposeThe purpose of this study is at creating a performance management system template based on the Balanced Scorecard (BSC) framework, which could lead the scorecard to function properly at Arts, Sciences and Technology University in Lebanon (AUL) and, as assumed, in other Lebanese private higher educational institutions.Design/methodology/approachThis study compares existing theoretical models applied in private higher education institutions (HEIs) in Lebanon. It adopts inductive approach with semi-structured interviews that helped the authors understand the way BSC is implemented in the private Lebanese institutions.FindingsThis study suggested a customizable BSC to be used at AUL and other Lebanese private HEIs to enhance and calibrate their organizational performance.Originality/valueMany researchers have investigated the use of Robert Kaplan and David Norton's BSC in various types of organizations, but there was no specific study describing the Lebanese higher education system. This study investigates the use of the BSC framework in Lebanese private HEIs taking Arts, Science and Technology University in Lebanon (AUL) as a sample. Moreover, this study also adapted a BSC model to the case of a private HEI, which extends the current body of literature related to the use, implementation and adaptation of the BSC.

Beyond Social Mobility: Biographies, Habitus and Responses to Changing ‘Conditions of Existence’ among University Scholarship Students

Wider access to higher education at a global level has been accompanied by growing literature on experiences of social mobility often using the concept of habitus as a theoretical tool to frame responses to changes in ‘conditions of existence’. Drawing on the case study of a scholarship programme within an elite university in Lebanon, through in-depth interviews with students and university faculty and staff, this article elaborates on the typologies in responses that emerged as students position themselves in a new environment. These typologies, in contrast to the literature which presents them as a result of alterations in the habitus, appear to be related to each other and occur simultaneously within one person’s trajectory. As such, instead of viewing these responses as degrees of incorporation of each set of schemes of perceptions from both fields, the context of origin and the new social context appear to be multi-faceted, and the interaction between them is complex. I argue, along the lines of Lahire’s dispositional perspective, that the situation of contradictory experiences is not exceptional but characterizes all individuals to a certain extent, especially in the Lebanese context which is distinguished by its diversity in terms of regional and religious affiliations and in which class intersects with other types of identifications.

Understanding Students’ Resistance to Autonomous Learning in an L2 English Language Course at a University in Lebanon

This qualitative research investigates students’ resistance to autonomous learning activities in an English language course at a university in Lebanon. Data was gathered across four sections of English 101 based on observations of 68 students, focus group discussions and two teachers’ reflective diaries. Thematic analysis yielded that students showed signs of resistance during collaborative learning, metacognitive activities, and the evaluation process. The students were also unwilling to independently use available language learning resources. The data suggested that the possible causes of resistance lay in the mismatches between students’ expectations and the course design, the learning cultures that the students bring to the classroom, and students’ perceptions of the place English holds both at the university and in their lives. This study reveals that expressions of resistance during classroom interactions resonate with the complex and layered nature of English language learning.

New ten varieties and five subspecies of crocus baalbekensis K. Addam &amp; M. Bou-Hamdan (Iridaceae) endemic to Lebanon added to the Lebanese flora

Fifteen new world record Crocus baalbekensis var. decorus, fluctus, flavo-album, makniensis, youninensis, rasbaalbekensis, rihaensis, shaathensis, shlifensis, tnaiyetensis, subsp. ahlansis, anthopotamus, fakihansis, harbatansis, and rassomensis, joined the Lebanese flora and particularly the Iridaceae family. They were found in Baalbek-Hermel from North Baalbek to Hermel. All of them display C. Baalbekensis but vary in many taxonomic details. The validation for the existence of these new Varieties and Subspecies were verified by illustrated morphologic descriptions and observations were based on fresh materials. More than twenty years of fieldwork and three years of observation, phenology, and exploration of a host of locations, numerous quantities were found varying mostly from ten to more of the new species. Voucher specimens of the plants (Holotypes) were deposited in K. Addam’s Herbarium at Arts, Sciences and Technology University in Lebanon. The goal of this study was to display a comparative account on the anatomical and ecological characters of the 10 varieties and 5 subspecies of Crocus baalbekensis taxa as well as highlight the taxonomical importance of their corm, corm tunic, leaves, measurements, and comparisons of other structural anatomical differences and similarities.

Identity development among Lebanese youth: An investigation of Marcia's paradigm

The purpose of this study was to investigate Marcia's ego identity paradigm in a sample of Lebanese youth. Another purpose was to examine correlates to identity statuses, namely gender and academic achievement. The sample consisted of 255 students, 18–21 years old, selected randomly from one university in Lebanon. The Ego Identity Process Questionnaire (EIPQ) was used to measure participants' level of Exploration and Commitment, and accordingly, classify them into one of Marcia's four Ego Identity Statuses: Achievement, Moratorium, Foreclosure, and Diffusion. Also, participants' self-reported cumulative grade point average (GPA) served as achievement data. The results showed that most participants were in either Foreclosure (29.41%) or Moratorium (29.02%). No significant gender or academic differences were found across the statuses. In future research, factors such as family structure, war, and political instability that might affect individuals' identity statuses must be investigated using larger and more representative samples.

Higher Education for Sustainability in the Developing World: A Case Study of Rafik Hariri University1 in Lebanon

Responding to heightened global interest in and concern for the sustainability of the planet and our ways of life on it, The United Nations’ Transforming Our World: The 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development (2015) came out as a very ambitious and historic global agreement. The agenda identified what have become known as the 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), along with their detailed targets to mobilize and guide global efforts toward ending poverty, fostering peace, safeguarding human rights and protecting the planet. Education for Sustainable Development forms part of Target 4.7 of Sustainable Development Goal 4, which seeks to “ensure that all learners acquire the knowledge and skills needed to promote sustainable development, including, among others, through education for sustainable development and sustainable lifestyles…”Departing from the Brundtland Commission’s (1987) definition of sustainable development as a paradigm of resource use that “meets the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs,” universities have progressively been incorporating sustainability values, practices and initiatives into their activities, throughout the realm of what they do in teaching, research, administration and operational systems. Indeed, Commitment to sustainability at universities worldwide dates back to the 1980’s, with a number of landmarks and declarations such as the Magna Charta of European Universities (1988), and the Talloires Declaration of University Presidents for a Sustainable Future (1990).However, the debate so far has centered mostly on the rationale and reasoning for broad adoption, rather than the various actions to be undertaken by higher education institutions (HEIs). Moreover, Efforts and initiatives to integrate sustainability into higher education in the developing world have been ad-hoc, modest and small (Mohamedbhai 2012). We could only find a few research studies covering such efforts and initiatives anyways (Awuzie &amp; Emuze, 2017; Bhat et al., 2017; Khalaf-Kairouz, 2012).This paper aims to describe sustainable practices of higher education institutions in the developing world, via a case study of Rafik Hariri University in Lebanon. The authors utilize the 12 Features of Sustainable Society, developed by the Forum for the Future (2003) as an analytical framework, based on the Five Capitals Model. The research instrument was a questionnaire derived from the 12 Features of a Sustainable Society and designed to identify the strategies, policies, values and practices pursued by the university to contribute to sustainable development.The outcome is a detailed level analysis into the ways in which a small institution of higher education in a developing country contributes to the betterment of the world via engagement in sustainability. Keywords Sustainability; Sustainable Development; Higher Education; Developing World; Higher Education for Sustainable Development; Rafik Hariri University; Lebanon; ESD; SDG; HESD

Inclinations of Members of the Teaching Staff Towards Factors Leading to Job Satisfaction—A Comparative Study between Public and Private Universities

The study aimed at identifying job satisfaction and inclinations towards factors, such as salary, feeling of job security, extent of empowerment, nature of work relations among different parties and social status the instructor feels, all of which lead to job satisfaction among members of teaching staff in both public and private universities in Lebanon. Furthermore, the study aimed at prioritizing these factors as related to instructors at the Lebanese University and those at private universities. The study also tried to find whether instructors preferred teaching at public or private universities as related to the country from which they obtained their Ph. D’s. To achieve this goal, a five-point Likert-style questionnaire was constructed and distributed to 100 instructors in the public university (Lebanese University) and to another 100 instructors in various private universities. Thus, the society of the study comprises instructors in both public and private universities. Of these questionnaires, the researchers retrieved 184 which were valid for analysis. The study yielded some important findings, mainly that there is a significant difference between instructors in public and private universities regarding some factors leading to job satisfaction (salary, feeling of job security, work relations among colleagues and students, and social status that the instructor feels) in Lebanon. The study also showed a difference in prioritizing factors which lead to job satisfaction relative to workplace (public or private university) in Lebanon. Moreover, the study concluded that instructors at universities have different preferences to work at the Lebanese University (public) relative to the country from which they obtained their Ph. D’s.

Crocus baalbekensis K. Addam &amp; M. Bou Hamdan sp. Nov and its three forms (IRIDACEAE), new endemic species and forms from Lebanon, joined the Lebanese Flora

Crocus baalbekensis K. Addam &amp; M. Bou Hamdan sp. Nov is nominated as a novel species in addition to its three forms from Baalbek District, northeast of Lebanon. The new species resembles Crocus aleppicus and Crocus hyemalis but varies in terms of phytogeography, phenology, and some taxonomic structures such as (corm, tunic, leaves, and shape of the perianth, segment and others). Thousands of this new species were perceived in countless villages in the northern city of Baalbek. It grows in cold semi-arid climates in stony grasslands, tundra where trees are absent. Plant material and morphological analyses were done, measurements, colors, and other details given in the description are based on both herbarium and fresh materials. Morphological data were taken from more than 10 specimens. The flower is 1-6, 30-40mm tall, white, fragrant (Fresia smell), corm oblong conical about 20-26mm x 14-20mm in diameter. Corm tunic 4-10 layers, brown, extended neck 10-20mm, great build-up of old tunics, coarse parallel fibers, not glued together, with cross-links. Leaves 4-12 (present at flowering), green, glabrous, white stripe about 1/4 of leaf keels, Spathe, 3-4, membranous white to pale yellow pipe. Outer perianth segment, 3, oblanceolate, abaxial side is colored by yellow, mottled by dark blue–violet, middle (1 to 3) stripe of dark violates veins continue to the segment, filament, 3, deep yellow, Anther, wide, arrow shape, longitudinally striped in black and yellow. Style 1, deep yellow to orange, sometimes striped by thinner black lines, divided to 3 stigmas, equal or longer than the stamen. Stigma (each one) is branched to 3-6 short strands. Voucher specimen (Holotype) is deposited in K. Addam’s Herbarium Arts, Sciences and Technology University in Lebanon, Accession No.: 22-1-17-58-001. The three forms resemble Crocus baalbekensis but differ in the color of the tepals.