Academic Meeting in Department of Hadith and Its Sciences

Makkah, May 25, 2025 – An academic meeting was held on Sunday evening, May 25, 2025, at 8:30 PM Makkah time, for the Department of Hadith and Its Sciences at the Islamic University of Minnesota. The meeting was chaired by Dr. Musab Nabil, the head of the department, and attended by faculty members. The purpose was to discuss several academic and educational issues, primarily the project for preparing unified university textbooks for courses, part of the university's textbook initiative.

The department head presented the university's direction towards standardizing university textbooks at the course level, with each department responsible for preparing a unified textbook overseen by a specialized team from within the department. It was decided that the textbook preparation committee would consist of six members, including two content writers and reviewers specializing in academic, linguistic, and quality assurance aspects, along with a committee chair. A symbolic reward of $50 allocated by the university administration was mentioned, emphasizing the need to distribute it among the committee members.

The meeting witnessed enriching interactions from faculty members, with several expressing concerns about the feasibility of implementing the project within the specified timeframe, noting that creating a comprehensive scientific textbook requires significant effort and adequate time.

In this context, some members suggested adopting approved textbooks from prestigious universities and adapting them instead of starting from scratch. They stressed the importance of establishing precise standards for textbook authorship that balance academic authenticity with contemporary requirements.

Additionally, the meeting addressed other educational and administrative aspects, including monitoring grade reporting and correcting summer semester exams, as well as students' weak research writing skills, which necessitate intensified academic guidance. Recommendations included granting incentive grades to encourage student engagement and proposing the preparation of a simplified research writing guide for students, featuring models and practical assignments.

At the end of the meeting, attendees came up with several recommendations, including forming a small committee within the department to coordinate with the central curriculum committee and opening the door for faculty members interested in volunteering for authorship and review processes. It was emphasized that the work of authoring the university textbook is considered a beneficial scientific voluntary effort, not mandatory.

The meeting concluded with prayers for everyone's success and a reaffirmation of the importance of collaboration to ensure the success of this academic project, enhancing the quality of education and serving the interests of students.