This year Dhofar University has been engaged in an intensive self study as preparation for the first step in gaining accreditation from the Oman Accreditation Council. As part of this process, the University has been developing a Quality Audit Portfolio, which is a record of the results of a comprehensive examination of all operations of Dhofar University.  The process of the self study is as important as the final written document. It is not just a practical requirement for establishing and maintaining DU's reputation. It is also an opportunity to tell the Dhofar University story and thereby build the image of DU within the communities it serves.. The University has gained widespread participation from the campus community and other communities served by DU. In this process, the University has been a place of  intellectual interaction and frank discussions of DU's achievements and remaining challenges. This first phase of the self study process began in 2007 and will end in December 2008, so it will have taken more than a year. There has been an effort to give faculty, staff, students, and the community opportunities to submit comments and suggestions, and the final report will be readily available to the University community and the general public.

Dhofar University's Quality Audit Portfolio is divided into sections that illustrate the major area's of the University's operations. Following the Vice Chancellor's introduction, with a description of the history and setting of the University, there are sections on governance and management; student learning by coursework programs; staff research and consultancy; industry and community engagement; academic support services; and general support services. The portfolio contains references to supporting material and also refers to additional information that can be provided; for example, the documentation of faculty and student survey results.

The Quality Audit Portfolio provides a summary of the University's activities and the results of extensive reflection and self review. The portfolio brings together the results of self-reviews conducted by each major unit of the University. It is structured within the framework of Approach, Deployment, Results, and Improvement (ADRI) as used by the Oman Accreditation Council.