History Department Holds Expanded Meeting in Preparation for Second Semester
The Department of History and Archaeology at the College of Arts and Humanities, Islamic University of Minnesota - Main Center, held an expanded meeting on the evening of Thursday, October 30, 2025, at 9:00 p.m. Makkah time. The meeting was chaired by Dr. Siham Abdulbaqi Mohammed, Head of the Department, to finalize the academic and administrative preparations for the launch of the second semester of the 2025–2026 academic year.
The meeting brought together a distinguished group of the department’s faculty members, while a few offered apologies for not attending. Dr. Siham opened the session with words of appreciation for the faculty’s efforts during the first semester, praising the department’s academic discipline, effective student follow-up through self-study groups, strict adherence to assessment deadlines, and the organized oversight of examination committees.
She also highlighted a few areas needing improvement, including delayed responses to student inquiries by some members and limited engagement with official departmental announcements. She emphasized the importance of strengthening communication channels to ensure the continued quality of academic performance.
The meeting then moved on to discuss the department’s teaching mechanisms in both the regular and self-study systems, with particular attention to their implementation for newly enrolled students. Requirements for academic promotion and opportunities for faculty to publish in the College of Arts and Humanities’ peer-reviewed journal were also reviewed.
Several faculty members contributed valuable interventions:
Dr. Nourhan Salama presented the procedures for appointing faculty members.
Dr. Shaima Khattab outlined the role of the University Research Center and its services for researchers.
Dr. Mohammad Saeed Othmana provided a comprehensive explanation of the publication criteria and processes required for the academic journal.
Regarding supervision of graduate theses, the Department Head stressed the importance of clear and transparent standards that ensure fairness, equal opportunities, and balanced participation of all faculty members in supervision responsibilities to promote academic development within the department.
The meeting further discussed strategies for departmental development and enhancing academic and educational outcomes, noting the significant rise in student enrollment and the increasing number of master’s and doctoral research registrations in recent months. It was also announced that preparations are underway for a series of upcoming academic seminars.
In the area of academic activities, four faculty members were nominated to participate in training programs organized by the University Research Center, with their names to be formally submitted to complete the nomination procedures.
The meeting also reviewed the progress of the collective university textbook project. Dr. Siham expressed her appreciation to Prof. Abdulbaqi Al-Qattan for his scientific supervision of Islamic history textbooks, emphasizing the importance of involving new faculty members in developing a specialized textbook in the field of archaeology.
The session lasted for two full hours, during which all viewpoints and proposals were heard. The meeting concluded at 9:45 p.m. after completing discussion of all agenda items.
