Meeting of Graduate Students in Islamic Studies College

Doctor Taha Al-Jawhari, Head of the Department of Da'wah and Islamic Culture at the College of Islamic Studies at the Islamic University of Minnesota, affirmed that the majority of students in the college come for genuine learning, which motivates faculty members to give their best. This statement was made during a meeting for graduate students held on Tuesday, April 8, 2025, at 10 PM Mecca time, chaired by Dr. Al-Juhari on behalf of the college dean, who was unable to attend.

The meeting was dedicated to allowing students to raise their issues and suggestions as the summer semester classes commenced. Several proposals and complaints were presented during the meeting; suggestions included the need for an electronic library containing references in all specializations, establishing separate groups for female students to facilitate their participation, and ensuring that student ID cards are in both Arabic and English.

Complaints focused on the conflict between lecture times and prayer times, particularly for students in different time zones, the presence of some instructors who lack expertise in their subjects, and the lack of clarity in course plans, as well as issues related to grade recording and the non-calculation of grades for some students.

In response, Dr. Al-Jawhari confirmed that the electronic library is under construction and that efforts have already begun to upload academic theses under the supervision of some faculty members. He pointed out the difficulty of coordinating between prayer times and lectures due to time zone differences but assured that attempts are being made to address this with course instructors. He promised to refer complaints regarding the inadequacy of some instructors to the dean for performance review.

Dr. Al-Jawhari emphasized the importance of developing teaching methods beyond mere reading and committed to raising related issues to the administration. He expressed his support for the proposal to establish separate groups for female students, contingent on administrative approval.

At the end of the meeting, Dr. Al-Jawhari and the graduate students agreed on the necessity of documenting all complaints and suggestions and submitting them to the administration for necessary action, enhancing communication between students and faculty to ensure improvements in the educational process, and continuing regular meetings to monitor developments and gather feedback.