Students are considered as the focal point of attention of the whole educational process. All the efforts and capabilities are therefore geared together to transform the students into highly effective members of the society to fully contribute in the development of the Kingdom. Hence, devoting all the available resources for the welfare of students upon their joining the higher education institutes all the way to their graduation, does actually serve the whole Saudi community. These efforts guarantee the development of citizens that are scientifically, mentally, and psychologically prepared to serve the Kingdom’s ambitious development plan.
On the other hand, the job market nowadays needs well-qualified people with special skills and abilities, to adapt within the work teams, take the right decisions, learn by them selves, think creatively and critically, and communicate easily as well. These abilities require special training that is sometimes not possible after graduation, so it should be practiced inveterately during the higher education stage.
It should be pointed out here that the word students throughout the context of this study refers to both males and females, with specific consideration to the privacy stipulated for female education in the Kingdom.
This study is significant because it evaluates the abilities and methods of the students’ services and affairs in the higher education institutes, as well as indicating the trends in that domain via comparing local models with other selected international ones in terms of quality, financing abilities, the developmental and job market demands.
This study also derives its significance from the necessity of providing the students with different learning abilities and skills, positive, creative, and critical thought, analysis, communication, decision-making, etc. Hence, developing these skills during their informal outreach and skills acquirement in the higher education institutes, as well as including all aspects of developing the abilities and skills in the curriculum and the graduation requirements as well.
This study- in general- aims at studying the students’ situation in the universities, and developing their skills and abilities. In addition, it aims- in details- at the following:
Revising, evaluating, and predicting the policies related to the students’ affairs in the higher education institutes, and studying the related scientific and international criteria.
Studying the system of the students’ affairs management, and its capability, efficiency, and compliance, and the possible alternatives as well.
Studying the fact of cooperation and coordination between the higher education institutes in order to encourage the extra-curricular activities and competition in all aspects.
Studying the cooperation and coordination between the higher education institutes, job market, and different community institutes in order to develop the students’ skills and behaviors, advice and support them, as well as solve their problems.
Evaluating the required special skills and abilities for performance.
Determining the required mechanisms to develop these abilities and skills.
Indicating proper criteria for the quality of the students’ services, and the graduates’ abilities and skills as well.
The scope of this study includes determining the required mechanisms for finding out the best services and environment that helps the students to achieve a good academic outreach, as well as developing their abilities and skills in order to enhance their reaction towards the demands of the practical life after graduation. Therefore, that includes doing the following:
Studying the services offered for the students in the higher education institutes in the Kingdom, and comparing them with the international ones.
Identifying the policies and procedures related to the students in the higher education institutes, and comparing them with the international ones.
Identifying the modern methods, tools, and applications for developing the different abilities and skills. In addition, valuating their outcomes, its capability and efficiency, level of success, and effects on enhancing the performance of the higher education institutes outputs in both quality and quantity.
Studying the demands of job practice, and the job demands (in terms of job market demands) including the abilities and skills beyond the academic major. In addition, figuring out the referential indicators and criteria helping in indicating the type of demanded abilities and skills in the students (graduates) in accordance with the educational process academic outreach.
Studying and revising the current situation of the various abilities and skills’ development programs in the higher education institutes in the Kingdom. In addition, evaluating their effects and outcomes, and understanding its agreement to the criteria that is figured and developed in item (c), as well as evaluating the environment, and the available and demanded infrastructures to achieve the best results.
Suggesting the model framework for applying the methods of skills and abilities development in which it should include identifying the types of required abilities and skills and its application. In addition, it should also include the infrastructure demands, methods for executing the programs successfully and efficiently, and the possibility of including it in the curriculum and considering it a requirement for graduation as well. Moreover, it should include the training and labs requirements, required mechanisms, and continuous updating.
The information used for the study should be complete and authorized. In addition, the study needs the contribution of both stakeholders and the audience via convening seminars, workshops, and intensive brainstorming meetings.
A qualified and skillful team should be formed, and the team shall consult international experts -when needed- in order to complete the study as requested. Moreover, the established scientific procedures should be used in satisfying the needs of the study.
The study’s perspective for the future should comprise the duration of the plan for the coming 25 years (i.e. until the year 2032).
The basic components of this study should be indicated accurately, and studied in terms of the various changes, indicators, and both local and international criteria, in addition to the Kingdom’s development including the economical, social, demographic, technical, and scientific aspects, as well as the requirements of consecutive national development plans.
Literature, theoretical concepts, international experience, and best practices should be reviewed for not fewer than five higher education information technology experiences from different countries of varying development records. The characteristics of those experiences, the reasons for their positive and negative outcomes in the study, as well as the possibility and the way of applying their positive outcomes, and dealing with the findings in the Kingdom effectively, all should be previewed.
The current situation should be studied by reviewing the different aspects of this study, such as challenges and problems, different phenomena, supply and demand, and the effects of different operations in higher education institutes that are related to the study.
The conditions of higher education institutes in the Kingdom should be compared and contrasted within the framework of this study locally, and then compared with international experiences and against educational standards.
Various aspects of the current situations should be analyzed, and the efficiency of related policies and methods should be estimated. In addition, the vital methods required for developing the higher education system should be identified in order to achieve synchronization with the developmental needs and various issues according to their importance and changes both for now and in the future.
A comprehensive strategic analysis for the subject of this study should be performed and should indicate the related issues, aims and future objectives. The analysis should reflect on the challenges and opportunities, obstacles, and the areas of strength and weakness (through comparative and gap studies), then the needs of the stakeholders should be addressed. Indicating the basis of success, drawing the expected scenarios, analyzing the strategic options and their applicability, all help in achieving the real objectives of that long-term plan.
All the changes mentioned in this study should be linked to enable deriving comprehensive conclusions. Achieving this might -as needed- demand designing mathematical models to represent interactions between various reciprocating relationships such as components and variables related to the scope of this study. That will provide the tool required to forecast the future behavior of these variables and to conduct reliability analyses for the coming 25 years, .i.e. until the year 2032.
The most effective factors in this study should be the subject of prognostic studies that should be compiled and supported whenever applicable by graphical representation.
The methods and best practices should be presented, and the requirements for achieving the objectives of the study should be proposed.
The study should introduce total quality methods and mechanisms that shall achieve close and harmonic coordination among the parameters of the study and the recommended practices so that their application fits labor market demands, international changes, and the current and future local needs.
Determining the results and giving recommendations
Specific Requirements
Variants and indicators related to the students’ issues and affairs in the higher education institutes should be indicated.
A seminar, workshops, and meetings with focus groups should be held in order to conceive and take note of different opinions that help in giving recommendations.
All the activities done in these brainstorming meetings, the seminar and the workshops should be documented and presented to the Supervising Committee of Aafaq.
Identifying the quality of the resources, facilities, and extra-curricular activities, and the methods of supporting and developing it as well.
Methods for enhancing all issues related to the students’ services and affairs in the higher education institutes should be researched and suggested.
Methods for improving the scientific and practical environment in those institutes should be evaluated, which includes:
Completing the construction of the permanent locations of the educational institutes.
Building the student’s character, and his positive contribution in the higher education.
Overcoming the effects of the social and economical differences on the students’ outreach during the higher education stage.
Offering suitable services, systems, and environment for the student’s competition, creative production, and scientific outreach.
The relation between the student, faculty, and administrative staff.
Offering suitable and near housing for the students.
Necessary and entertaining services available inside the campus.
The abilities of the educational institutes, and achieving its main objective, as well as overcoming all obstacles.
Developing the students grant system on a fair scientific and competitive basis, and according to the developmental circumstances and demands.
Finding a social and financial support system for students in need and the immigrants as well, and separating its resources and administration from the educational institutes.
Developing, supporting, advising, and using the talents for leading roles in all demanded aspects for the country, development, and scientific development. In addition, offering suitable mechanisms for maintaining, improving, and encouraging the creative production among student
This study should come out with a comprehensive report that includes the following:
An executive summary of the study.
A documentation of all reference information included in the study.
A presentation of the scientific and the subjective outcomes of the students situation at the universities and developing their skills, including the results of the current situation analysis study, comparative studies, and prognostic studies.
Highlights of the outcomes of meetings with focus groups, general seminars, brainstorming seminars, workshops, etc.
A comprehensive analysis of the outcomes of the study in order to give different recommendations related to the best method used.
Displaying the different scenarios of the study of the students’ situation.
Revising some international experiences’ models, and pointing out the reasons of its success and failure.
Suggesting the best framework for possible applied methods to improve the students’ services.
Practical recommendations for applying the outcomes of the study.
Determining the needed methods of execution, budgets, temporal plan, execution responsibilities, training requirements, changing demands, and other technical parameters that affect the performance of the system.
Defining a monitoring and control system, benchmarks, measuring criteria, and standardized indicators.
