Faculty Manual
October 14, 2008
Table of Content
1. Dhofar University Vision.......................................................................................................4 2. Dhofar University Mission ....................................................................................................4 3. Dhofar University Strategic Objectives .................................................................................4 4. Dhofar Values ......................................................................................................................4 5. Organization of the College..................................................................................................4 5.1. Composition of the College............................................................................................4 5.2. Officers and Ex-Officio Members of the College ............................................................4 5.3. Academic Personnel of the College...............................................................................4 5.4. Standing Committees ....................................................................................................5 5.5. Academic Units:.............................................................................................................5 6. The Faculty .........................................................................................................................5 6.1. Faculty Meetings ...........................................................................................................5 7. Officers of the College.........................................................................................................6 7.1. The Dean of the College................................................................................................6 7.1.1. Appointment:...........................................................................................................6 7.1.2. Duties, Responsibilities, and Prerogatives of the Dean: ..........................................6 7.2. Section 2 - Assistant Dean ............................................................................................6 8. Academic Organization of the College ................................................................................7 8.1. Meetings: ...................................................................................................................7 8.2. Functions: ..................................................................................................................7 8.3. Decisions on Personnel Matters:................................................................................7 8.4. Duties, Responsibilities, and Prerogatives of the Dept. Chair: ...................................7 9. Standing Committees of the College ...................................................................................8 9.1. The Advisory Committee ...............................................................................................8 9.1.1. Functions: ...............................................................................................................8 9.2. The Student Affairs Committee......................................................................................8 9.2.1. Functions: ...............................................................................................................8 9.3. The Academic Programs Committee .............................................................................8 9.3.1. Functions: ...............................................................................................................8 9.4. The Research Committee..............................................................................................9 9.4.1. Functions: ...............................................................................................................9 9.5. The Library Committee ..................................................................................................9 9.5.1. Functions: ...............................................................................................................9 9.6. The Student Affairs Committee......................................................................................9 9.6.1. Functions: ...............................................................................................................9 10. Academic Responsibilities of Faculty Members ..............................................................10 10.1. Teaching:...................................................................................................................10 10.2. Teaching Load:..........................................................................................................11 10.3. Student Learning Support:.........................................................................................11 10.4. Evaluation of Students' Learning: ..............................................................................11 10.5. Academic Advising: ...................................................................................................12 10.6. Class Grade Average: ...............................................................................................13 10.7. Change of Grade .......................................................................................................13 10.8. Research: ..................................................................................................................13 10.9. Community Services:.................................................................................................14 11. Faculty Appointment Procedures .....................................................................................14 12. Performance Review and Reappointment ........................................................................14 13. Promotion Procedure for Full Time Faculty ......................................................................15 13.1. Promotion from Assistant Professors and Associate Professors:...............................15 13.2. Promotion from Lecturer to Assistant Professor for Ph.D Holders: ............................16 13.3. Promotion from Instructor to Lecturer for Master Holders: .........................................16 14. Vacations and Leaves......................................................................................................17 15. Confidentiality ..................................................................................................................18 2
16. Voting Procedures............................................................................................................18 17. Missed Classes ................................................................................................................18 18. Disciplinary Measures ......................................................................................................18 19. Grievances.......................................................................................................................18 20. Outside Academic and Professional Consultancy ...........................................................19 21. Amendments....................................................................................................................19 22. University Bylaws .............................................................................................................19 23. Faculty Members..............................................................................................................19
4. Dhofar Values
The core values of Dhofar University are: Academic excellence Individual responsibility Life-long learning Quality Continuous improvement
Senior Lecturers; Lecturers; Instructors; Assistant Instructors; Research Associates; Research Assistants; Visiting Scholars; Fellows; and Demonstrator/Teaching Assistants.
6. The Faculty
Subject to the provision of the corporate bylaws, rules and regulations, and the established general policies of the University, the College, through its internal organization, shall determine its own academic policy and shall have authority to direct its own affairs. The dean shall refer to the Vice Chancellor the actions by the College that may affect either the financial commitments of the University or its academic policy as a whole. During a regular or a special meeting of the faculty, the College shall have the right to review any action by any committee of the College (with the exception of actions of the Advisory Committee concerning individual faculty members and other confidential matters) and, if it deems fit, to refer such an action back to the dean.
He/she shall assist the dean in all administrative and academic affairs as assigned by the dean, especially coordination among departments and programs, and program development; and Serving as acting dean in the absence of the dean.
8.1. Meetings:
Academic departments shall meet at least twice a semester upon the call of the chairperson. Additional meetings can be held upon the call of the chairperson or the written request of at least two voting members of the department. Minutes of all meetings shall be sent to the office of the dean. The voting faculty in an academic department shall consist of the actually present non-visiting full-time faculty members at the meeting.
8.2. Functions:
The academic department shall decide upon the academic programs to be offered, subject to the approval of the College and/or the concerned University bodies, and be responsible for setting up defining programs of study for their students and maintaining professional standards.
Preparing the annual and research reports of the department for transmission to the dean; Preparing the departments budget after consultation with department members for submission to the dean; Appointing ad-hoc committees as may be deemed necessary subject to the approval of the dean; Recommending to the dean the appointment of an acting chairperson during his/her absence; and Preparing and submitting to the dean recommendations on library acquisitions, software and other learning resources necessary for his/her department.
9.1.1. Functions:
The Advisory Committee shall normally act in an advisory and consultative capacity to the dean on: Appointments of faculty members, reappointments or non-renewal of contracts, promotions, sabbatical leaves and leaves of absence of three months or morel; Appointment of chairpersons of departments; Matters of possible breach of professional conduct and make recommendations to the dean; All matters submitted to it by the dean or any of its members; and Deliberations and minutes of the committee are confidential.
9.2.1. Functions:
The Administrative Committee shall rule on all cases of undergraduate students whose academic status is irregular. It shall also rule on requests and petitions from students concerning academic matters. It shall have the power in extraordinary circumstances to make exceptions to academic regulations in individual cases. A summary of all such exceptional decisions shall be communicated to the faculty at least once in each academic year.
9.3.1. Functions:
The Academic Programs Committee shall advise the dean on matters related to: General academic development of the College; 8
Review of the curriculum of the College, including introduction, revision, integration, co-ordination or discontinuation of academic programs; Policies on academic rules and regulations; Adding, deleting, and reviewing course contents, depth, credit hours, and method of teaching; and Recommending changes in graduation requirements.
9.4.1. Functions:
It shall stimulate, encourage and promote scientific research in the College; It shall review all applications for university funded research grants for further recommendation to the dean and other appropriate university bodies; It shall promote communication between researchers within the College and the University; and It shall keep the faculty members informed of all available sources of research support whether from the University or granting agencies.
9.5.1. Functions:
Advising the University librarian on matters of library policy affecting the work of the College; Advising both the dean and the university librarian on the effects of program or curriculum changes, both short-term and long-term, on library acquisitions, with special regard to budgetary implications, and in particular shall ensure adequate library support for new or revised programs; Advising and assisting the University librarian in building up a balanced collection; Making recommendations regarding the acquisition of new literary and scientific journals, periodicals, books, etc Assisting the university librarian in his/her efforts to carry out the library policies of the University and the College; and Performing other related tasks at the request of the dean.
9.6.1. Functions:
Dealing with any aspect of student life referred to it by the dean; Dealing with students related disputes referred to it by the dean or the concerned faculty member; Working with faculty members and students to enrich the schools cultural activities; and Considering and recommending action to the dean on all disciplinary matters involving students in the College. 9
10.1. Teaching:
The duties of a faculty member in regards to teaching include but not limited to: Possessing a thorough, up-to-date knowledge of the subject of his/her expertise; Assigning textbook and reference documents for each of the courses that he/she teaches; Presenting the course materials, using possible means by enhancing oral discussions with pictures, handouts, and audiovisual materials: computerized and traditional, to illustrate concepts and procedures when needed; Producing materials such as handouts and computerized/traditional presentations to organize the learning activities; Emphasizing skills development among students, so they become able to deal with the course content meaningfully and effectively rather resorting to rote learning; Motivating the students to learn, to think, and to adopt professional attitudes and traits; Insuring that all theoretical and practical teaching activities would lead to measurable learning achievements by students according to previously specified learning outcomes and internationally valid measuring test whenever possible; Selecting the appropriate method of discussing the subject being taught with care to avoiding controversial matters that have no relation to that subject or bear cultural sensitivity; Making it known to students at the beginning of each term that students are expected to attend all class sessions, otherwise, students may have to withdraw or be withdrawn from courses according to the University regulations; Faculty members are responsible for establishing a portfolio for each course they teach. Those portfolios should be kept in the Department. The faculty member who teaches the course in question is responsible for updating the course file at the end of the term in which the given course is offered. The course portfolios are required for accreditation purposes and should contain the following: The course syllabus; Copies of all course handouts given; Copies of homework, quizzes, examinations, and other assignments and their solutions; A class list with the course grades and all grades given for quizzes, examinations, homework and any other assignments; The final examination answer booklets of students who scored the highest, lowest, and median grades; and Samples of students work. 10
Faculty members are not permitted to miss classes without prior written approval of the chair of their department and the dean. In all cases, any classes that are missed must be made up for.
Proctoring of quizzes and examinations is part of the academic duties of every faculty member. Proctors are expected to spend proctoring time supervising the students throughout the duration of the quiz or examination; Feedback to tests should be provided and discussed with students in order to reinforce learning; Answer booklets and question sheets of final examinations should be kept for at least one semester after the date of the final examination, after which they are destroyed; Problems and questions from previous tests should be made available for students and not be repeated in subsequent tests; The course syllabus should clearly include the assessment criteria that will be used for evaluating learning by students and the weighting of each component of students output in determining the final grade in the course; and The course instructor is the authority that decides on the students grade in respect to the Class Grade Average Policy described below. However, if a student has strong evidence of unfairness, he/she has the right to submit a petition of grievance to the course instructor within twp weeks of announcing the grade. If the student is not satisfied with the instructors ruling, he/she may appeal to the department chair who will give a final ruling on the issue after consulting with concerned faculty members of the department. If a change of grade is to be made, the department chair will communicate this decision to the dean in writing and the dean will ask the Registrar to do the changes if he/she approves the change.
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Office hours should be posted outside the office of the faculty member; and printed in the course syllabus. Faculty members are required to meet with students in their offices during those hours or according to appointment.
10.8. Research:
Research is emphasized in the University strategic plan and is accounted for in considering faculty promotion and annual merit increments. Research is considered the corner stone in the faculty self-development in generating knowledge and staying abreast with current knowledge in the field. As such, the University supports efforts directed toward conducting research by faculty, and encourages commercial development and applications of research outcomes, subject always to protecting the Universitys rights. Research activities may encompass any of the following: Conducting scientific/literary research in own field that would lead to publishing in refereed academic journals or refereed professional conferences;
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Engaging in outside professional consulting, giving lectures, and participating in seminars within the University rules and regulations pertaining to outside consulting activities; Demonstration of a research focus. This refers to the extent that the research of the individual can be described as having a theme and is directed towards solving or tackling specific topics; Publication of scholarly and creative works such as books, articles, and participation in professionally relevant juries, competitions or exhibitions; Submission of significant proposals for research and development grants, whether proposals were funded or not, and an indication of whether or not funding was awarded; Receipt of fellowships and awards; Editing of professional academic journals; reviewer of articles, books, funding applications, and other creative works; Evidence of recognition as an expert within a particular academic field, whenever appropriate; and Discussing within the University all matters related to teaching, research, and student affairs.
Evaluation by students using the questionnaire that was developed by the college; Quality of academic advising as evidenced by the number of advisees and their satisfaction with the process; Evaluation by the Department chair using the questionnaire that was developed by the College; Research performance as evidenced by conducting research and publishing in refereed professional journals and refereed professional international conferences; and Community services including participating in the College and Department committees, giving lectures or conducting seminars within or outside the University community, participating as mentor, advisor, etc. in students clubs.
Recommendations for regarding contract renewal and review of remuneration will be based on the comprehensive results of the review. Faculty member resignation during the academic year will not be accepted unless it is due to extreme circumstances acceptable to the university.
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The dean then shall send the whole file to all four selected referees for their evaluation and after receiving their responses; the dean shall send back the file to the department concerned; After receiving the external reviewers' evaluation, a promotion committee should be formed from the department of the candidate, or academicians from relevant fields in the College or the University to review and vote on applications for promotions in the absence of the candidate. The promotion committee makes recommendations to the Dean of the College on whether or not to promote the candidate; The Chair of the department of the candidate will be requested to make a recommendation to the Dean on whether or not to promote the candidate; The dean of the College shall present the promotion file along with the recommendation of the chair of the candidate's department ad the promotion committee along with his/her personal recommendation to the University Council for further action. It is worth noting that no one involved in the evaluation process can vote more than once on the application for promotion; The University Council shall review the file with the recommendations of the chairperson of the department, the promotion committee, and the dean; and The recommendation of the University Council shall be presented to the Vice Chancellor of the university and then the Vice Chancellor will make his/her recommendation to the Academic Committee of the Board of Trustees for final decision.
who have ranks higher than the applicant, and makes recommendation to the Dean of the College. The Dean discusses the case with the Advisory Committee of the College, takes a vote, and makes recommendation to the University Vice Chancellor. The dean submits the portfolio to the Vice Chancellor along with his recommendation; The Vice Chancellor presents the case to the University Council where a final vote will be made; and The Vice Chancellor makes the final decision and communicate it to the applicant.
Leave Without Pay: This leave is granted to a faculty member for a period of one semester for personal, family or health reasons. Such a leave may be extended for a maximum period of one more semester. Special Leave: A faculty member may be granted one semester leave without pay in an academic year for extreme necessity subject to the recommendation of the department and the Administrative Committee of the College and the approval of the Vice Chancellor.
15. Confidentiality
Discussions of personnel matters related to appointment, reappointment, academic leave, academic review, and promotion conducted at any level in the University whether in the department, the deans advisory committee, the university council, or any other committee, are strictly confidential. Breaches of confidentiality can lead to referral of those involved to the University Disciplinary Committee.
19. Plagiarism
A student at Dhofar University shall not engage in plagiarism nor employ nor seek to employ any unfair means in examination or in other form of work submitted for assessment as part of any university course. The instructor shall explain to students the meaning of the term plagiarism and the consequences of committing such an act at the beginning of the semester. Students who commit plagiarism should be dealt with by their instructor. Persisting or difficult cases may be referred to the chair of the department. Severe cases that cannot be resolved at the department level may be referred to the Student Affairs Committee of the College. The course syllabus of each course shall contain the following statement:
Academic Honesty:
Plagiarism is using other people's work without proper referencing. Students are expected to complete all work with the highest standard of honesty and integrity. Plagiarism, forgery, cheating or any form of academic misconduct will not be tolerated. Any of the above may cause a students grade in the course to be lowered significantly or failing the course, depending on the severity of the offence.
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20. Grievances
Every faculty member has the right to appeal to a higher level than the one directly supervising his/her performance, by submitting a petition. In case he/she is not satisfied with the consequences, he/she may submit a petition to the dean. In exceptional cases, the Vice Chancellor of the University may, if he/she wishes, form a special committee to review some grievance cases or confirm lower level decisions.
22. Amendments
Amendments of the Faculty Manual require a two-thirds majority of the members of the faculty present at any meeting at which the quorum exists, provided written notice of the proposed amendment has been circulated to the faculty members no less than one week prior to the meeting. Amendments are subject to the approval of the University Council, the Vice Chancellor and the Executive Committee of the Board of Trustees.
S. No. 1 2 3 4 5
Department Comp. Sci Comp. Sci Comp. Sci Comp. Sci Comp. Sci
6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 31 32 33 34 35 36 37
Yaghi FaourJadayel Martin El Sayed Ayoub Abdo Al Abdullah Al Attiey Al Bainy Al Douri Al Mashani Cass Hayajneh Kumari Leadbetter Mohaparto Risse Sharma Stewart Sukumaran Thakur Umale Woerner Abdulkarim Belkhirat Boudjima George Jaweed Merabet Siddiqui Ul Hassan Woerner
Hussein Basma Robin Ann Abdulkader Abdulaziz Saleh Mufeed Marwan Ramez Soumaia Salem Stephen Luai Maruthi David Rudra Marielle Amrendra Carol Nechikottu Vijay Singh Jaishree Helen Ra'ed Abdelhadi Mounira Adel Mohammed Hocine Sabir Israr Edwin
Assoc Prof Assist Prof Assist Prof Assist Prof Assist Prof Lecturer Assoc Prof Instructor Assist Prof Assist Prof Instructor Instructor Instructor Lecturer Instructor Instructor Assist Prof Assist Prof Assist Prof Instructor Assist Prof Lecturer Instructor Instructor Assist Prof Lecturer Assoc Prof Instructor Assoc Prof Assist Prof Assist Prof Assist Prof
PhD PhD PhD PhD PhD MA PhD MA PhD PhD MA MA MA PhD MA MA PhD PhD PhD MA PhD PhD MA MS PhD PhD PhD MS PhD PhD PhD PhD
Education Education Education Education Education L&T L&T L&T L&T L&T L&T L&T L&T L&T L&T L&T L&T L&T L&T L&T L&T L&T L&T Math/ Sci Math/ Sci Math/ Sci Math/ Sci Math/ Sci Math/ Sci Math/ Sci Math/ Sci Math/ Sci
C 101 A 203 C 113 C 114 C 119 F 101 C 102 G 103 G 102 F 102 G 204 F 301 F 301 G 301 F 102 G 205 F 204 G 205 F 203 F 201 G 103 G 301 F 204 J 105 J 106 J 102 J 108 J 108 J 101 J 105 J 109 J 107
444 308 287 364 129 360 229 339 356 338 355 357 357 352 338 353 351 353 340 344 352 352 351 311 316 248 246 246 486 311 324 317 20
38 39 40 41 42 43 44
Assoc Prof Instructor Assist Prof Assist Prof Assist Prof Assist Prof Instructor
Social Sci Social Sci Social Sci Social Sci Social Sci Social Sci Social Sci
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