Dua Qatnani Holds First Meeting with Faculty Members in Educational Sciences Department

Doctor Dua Bassam Qatnani, Head of the Educational Sciences Department at the Islamic University of Minnesota, held her first meeting with faculty members after taking on her role as department head on Thursday, November 14, 2024, in the presence of the college dean, Professor Abdullah Abdulnabi.

The hour-long meeting began with Dr. Qatnani welcoming the dean and faculty members, especially the new members, and each member introduced themselves. In his remarks, Dean Abdullah Abdulnabi welcomed everyone and announced the appointment of Dr. Safaa Mushaqabah as Deputy Head of the Educational Sciences Department, emphasizing the importance of faculty participation in the peer-reviewed journal.

The attendees discussed the goals and future plans for the upcoming semester, focusing on increasing student engagement and participation, as well as developing their skills through open communication. Dr. Manara Mohammed proposed adopting a single assignment instead of multiple ones for students, to which Dr. Qatnani agreed, stating that there is no specific rule for determining assignments and noting that many instructors prefer a single assignment to reduce the burden on students.

Dr. Ola Al-Haroub suggested dividing students into groups to summarize parts of the material, while Dr. Nasser Mohammed spoke about various methods to help students compensate for any decline in their performance. After discussions, it was agreed that assignments should be set early, no later than the third week of the semester, to allow students to prepare in advance. Dr. Samira Al-Zyoud proposed dedicating time at the beginning of each lecture to discuss assignments with students, which was well received by the faculty; however, due to time constraints, it was agreed that discussions would take place in the course group.

The meeting also addressed academic priorities, notably improving faculty performance and the importance of professional development. It was suggested that colleagues attend each other's lectures to provide positive feedback. Dr. Qatnani stressed the importance of student support and internal communication and discussed some challenges faced by faculty members, such as phone security breaches, emphasizing the need for alternative communication methods in emergency situations.

Dr. Dua Qatnani concluded the meeting by thanking the attendees for their ongoing efforts and engagement with the topics discussed.

Attendees included: Professor Abdullah Abdulnabi, Dr. Dua Qatnani, Dr. Safaa Mashaqebah, Dr. Atheer Al-Kouri, Dr. Ola Al-Haroub, Dr. Manara Mohammed, Dr. Nasser Mohammed, Dr. Sarah Osama, Dr. Samira Al-Zyoud, and the Administrative Affairs Officer for the college, Dr. Nourhan Salama.