Decisive Meetings of College Councils Set the Stage for Preparedness
The main campus of the Islamic University in Minnesota witnessed a series of meetings prior to the start of the summer semester, aimed at ensuring the preparedness and smooth operation of the educational process with high quality and effective performance towards the defined goals and expected outcomes. This report provides a summary of the discussions that took place in those meetings at the level of the colleges within the academic institution and some of its departments.
College of Islamic Studies:
Dr. Abdulrazzeq Al-Bakri, the Dean of the College of Islamic Studies, held an official meeting on Thursday, April 18th, 2024, which included the members of the college council. The meeting focused on discussing the preparations for the summer semester.
The dean opened the meeting with an introduction, welcoming everyone and expressing gratitude for their attendance and the efforts they have put in the previous terms, which had fruitful results in the success of the educational process at the college and the Islamic University as a whole. The dean emphasized the responsibility that lies on the faculty members.
During the meeting, the dean discussed the agenda items, which included the summer semester system, adherence to lecture scheduling, the necessity of developing two models for final exams in the summer semester and future exams, sticking to the curriculum without deviation, providing valid excuses for postponement or absence in coordination with the department secretary, compensating for missed lectures within the same week if possible, following the administrative hierarchy and monitoring, benefiting from promotions and participating in the college's journal, collaborating with the department chair, attending courses and obtaining certificates in the name of the university, supervising theses, self-study, disseminating instructions by the administrative affairs unit, participating in college activities in agreement with department heads, and adhering to group dynamics and cooperating with the administration while complying with the published instructions.
In addition to the college council members, a significant number of faculty members attended the meeting.
College of Media:
A comprehensive meeting was held for the faculty members of the College of Media, chaired by the College's Vice Dean, Mr. Abdulsalam Al Wahati, on Thursday, April 18, 2024. Several issues were discussed during the meeting, including preparations for the summer semester and its system and benefits. Emphasis was placed on faculty members' attendance in lectures and the need for their timely completion. The curricula, formed by Ms. Hanan Obaid and Dr. Badeea Abdulqader, were described, and problems related to the absence of graduate students and compensating for missed lectures were addressed. Other topics discussed included course distribution, teaching quality, the use of modern teaching methods, the commitment to using PowerPoint presentations, and compensating for missed lectures within the same week.
The meeting was chaired by Ms. Hanan Obeid, who welcomed all attendees before discussing the agenda and presenting solutions and proposals by Mr. Abdul Salam Al Wahati, Dr. Badeea, and Dr. Ibrahim.
Present at the meeting were the Head of the Graduate Studies Department, Ms. Hanan Sabhi Obeid, and the Head of the Undergraduate Department, Dr. Badeea Abdulqader.
College of Economics and Business Administration:
A similar meeting was held at the College of Economics and Business Administration, chaired by the Dean of the College, Dr. Sherine Mamoun, on Thursday, April 18, 2024. The meeting was attended by department heads, their deputies, and faculty members of the college. Various issues related to preparations for the summer semester, the college's operations, and the departments were discussed. The meeting also covered curriculum delivery and promotion matters.
College of Education Sciences:
Dean Abdullah Abdulnabi chaired a similar meeting for department heads at the College of Education Sciences on Wednesday, April 17, 2024. Dr. Nourhan Salama, the Administrative Affairs Manager at the college, managed the meeting, which addressed topics related to organizing the summer semester, identifying and distributing proposed courses to students, and preparing for the upcoming academic semester. The meeting also focused on ensuring teaching quality, improving academic performance, discussing scientific research issues, and providing guidance to students in their graduation projects.
College of Computer Science and Information Technology:
The College of Computer Science and Information Technology held a meeting on April 18, 2024. The meeting was attended by faculty members from the three departments: Networks and Cybersecurity, Management Information Systems, and Artificial Intelligence and Data Analysis. The meeting was chaired by Dr. Salah Alawi Al-Sharafi, the dean of the college.
After welcoming the attendees, the agenda items were discussed. Emphasis was placed on adopting a clear methodology for the teaching process in the summer semester, covering all the topics of the prescribed courses. The mechanism for distributing grades in the summer semester was also discussed, including elements such as exams, costs, and attendance. It was emphasized that the deadlines for inputting grades and costs should be strictly followed.
The progress of the curriculum committee and the need to adopt clear and comprehensive references for future semesters were discussed. The doctoral courses and their distribution were also discussed, with faculty members expressing great cooperation in this regard.
The importance of complying with all the requirements and arrangements to achieve the specified goals and ensure the smooth completion of the teaching process in the summer semester was emphasized.
College of Arts and Humanities:
The dean of the College of Arts and Humanities, Dr. Ismail Hamid Ismail, held a regular meeting of the college council on April 19, 2024. The meeting was attended by the dean of the college, department heads, and the administrative affairs officer.
A report on the activities and developments that took place in the previous semester was discussed, as well as setting a vision for the upcoming semester. The latest achievements and challenges faced by the college in the previous semester were identified and discussed in detail. The focus was on analyzing the results and drawing lessons from those challenges to improve the educational process in the future.
Planning and arrangements for the summer semester were made, including identifying the courses to be taught and delivering the necessary curricula to the professors. The need to ensure the availability of necessary resources and technical preparations to ensure the smooth and effective implementation of the teaching process in the summer semester was discussed.
Proposed research and scientific activities for the summer semester were discussed, and agreement was reached on enhancing collaboration between departments and encouraging faculty members to participate in local and international conferences and symposiums.
The importance of adhering to timetables and specific tasks, as well as providing support to students and faculty, was emphasized to achieve the specified goals in the summer semester.
In conclusion, the importance of continuous communication and collaboration between all faculty members and administration was emphasized to achieve the set vision and goals and improve the quality of the educational process in the college.
College of Sharia and Law:
The College of Sharia and Law held a council meeting on March 24, 2024, chaired by Dr. Muzahem Tariq Al-Mustafa, the dean of the college. In the meeting, Dr. Muzahem thanked the faculty members and administrators for their efforts in the previous two semesters before opening the floor for discussion regarding the educational process and its progress in the three departments: Islamic Jurisprudence and its Principles, Law, and Judicial and Legal Policy. The meeting discussed the upcoming periods concerning the ongoing educational process, including the preparations for the faculty members, curricula, and plans for the upcoming summer semester, as well as the distribution of grades and important notifications. The department heads were also directed to encourage faculty members to participate in college events such as contributing to the scientific journal and other activities like public lectures and the university's newsletter. The dean urged the department heads to meet with faculty members and new students to familiarize them with the university's educational system and procedures.
In addition to the dean, the meeting was attended by other members of the college council, including Dr. Ala'a Husseini, the college's deputy dean and head of the Judicial and Legal Policy department, Dr. Salah Faraj, head of the Islamic Jurisprudence and its Principles department, and Dr. Mohammed Shuaib Abdulmaqsoud, head of the Law department. Deputies of the department heads and the head of administrative affairs in the college, Ms. Mariam Al-Maqrami, along with other council members, were also present.
Other Meetings:
The Department of Islamic Jurisprudence and its Principles held a meeting chaired by Dr. Salah Faraj, the department head. Several issues related to the summer semester were discussed, including costs, final examination system, lecture delivery and material presentation, curriculum descriptions, and monitoring students' progress in their scientific research.
Similarly, the Department of Arabic Language held a similar meeting chaired by Dr. Osama Abdulrahman Awf. The latest preparations for the summer semester were discussed, with the honorable presence of Dr. Hind Saif Al-Nasr Al-Ashmawi, Dr. Saleh Al-Reyashi, and Dr. Ibrahim bin Salem.
Finally:
As this report is being written, department meetings are still ongoing, and many of them have not been covered. The Dean of Academic Affairs mentioned in a post expressing his hope that the summer semester would be distinguished due to these efforts.
