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Academic and non-academic
staff of DU |
Prof. Mohammad Faour, Vice Chancellor of Dhofar
University called a general meeting of all DU
faculty and staff members on November 11, 2007
in Ibn Rushd Hall to announce the launching of
the Self Study process which will take place
over the next six to nine months. He explained
that eight committees have been formed which
will be making extensive surveys and studies
on every aspect of the University. As a result
of the study, a report, or ‘portfolio’ of
approximately 100 pages will be written, and
presented to the Oman Accreditation Council,
in preparation for a visit by a team of external
auditors. The auditors will perform a 'Quality
Audit', the first major step in the process towards
accreditation. During their visit they will question
faculty, staff and students about any issues
they wish to discuss or verify, as described
in the Self Study Portfolio. He added that DU
was one of the first universities in the Sultanate
to apply for the Quality Audit.
The Vice Chancellor stressed that the most important
aspect of the Self Study was that everyone at
DU should be involved in some way or other, and
that this included not only faculty, but staff
and students. He said it was essential first
of all to make sure that everyone was well informed
about the process, and also spoke about how important
it was to be 'transparent', so that all problems
were aired, examined and then dealt with openly.
He said that in order to do this, the University
will be using a method of self study called the
'ADRI' approach, which basically looks at all
aspects of the University, both positive and
negative, and finds ways of dealing with problems,
studying the results of efforts made to solve
them, and then begins the cycle again by looking
at improved situation with an eye on changing
it for the better. He announced the names of
the Committees that will be studying DU, and
their Chairpersons, as listed below:
- Governance and Management:
Chair: Mr. F. Haddad.
- General Support Services and Facilities:
Chair: Mr. F. Haddad
- Student Coursework:
Chair: Dean Nimr Eid
- Student Research and Staff Research
and Consultancy Committee:
Chair: Dean
F. Chaaban
- Academic Support Services:
Chair: Dean H. Yaghi
- Staff and Staff Support Services:
Chair: Ms. A. Lajinian
- Community Engagement:
Chair: Mr. Al Al Maalam
- Students and Student Support Services:
Co-Chairs: Ms. W. Bait Said
and Dr. I. Damaj
Prof. Faour said that before the Self Study
got into full swing, the process of creating
the Strategic Plan for the University must be
completed, but that this was moving along well
and should be finished within the next few months
or so. He said that committees had been working
on a ‘SWOT Analysis’ (analysis of ‘Strengths,
Weaknesses, Opportunities and Threats’ within
each section of the University) for some months,
and that the process was nearing completion.
The final overall DU analysis would lead to the
creation of the Strategic Plan for the next 5
years, which would be reviewed by the Board of
Trustees before being accepted and implemented.
The floor was left open to questions at the
end of Prof. Faour’s presentation, and
both faculty and staff members wanted to find
out exactly how they could become involved. Dr.
Hussein Yaghi, Dean of the College of Arts and
Sciences explained that there was a two way movement
in getting involved in the Self Study process.
Heads of Committees were asking certain members
of staff who would be particularly useful for
their Committee to join if they wished. On the
other hand, members of faculty and staff were
putting their names forward to join committees
in which they had an interest. This means that
in the end there will be strong committees of
willing and committed participants who will examine
all aspects of academic and administrative life
at the University and help to write the Self
Study Report. The Vice Chancellor Faour said
that time was of the essence and that the Chairs
of Committees must study the scopes of work to
be performed and then establish membership in
their committees, since the date for the completion
of the draft of the report is set for the end
of June 2008. |
