The faculty members are the human resources, or the educational members providing the students (male and females) with the educational material. This study includes training faculty on the best practices of learning and education, and acquiring technical skills for dealing with the scientific tools and methods, in order to perform their duties professionally. Under the framework of the educational members, all kinds of faculty members are included (professors, associated professors, assistant professors, instructors, and research assistants), and academic advisors, technical advisors, and other contributing members in teaching and training the students in the higher education institutes.
This study derives its significance from the fact that the faculty members (the educational structure in general) have the greatest impact on building the higher education system in the Kingdom. Additionally, the higher education modern developments and visions requires developing the qualifications of the faculty members, offering various abilities related to developing the university programs and curriculums, as well as the educational skills which is directly addressing the students for acquiring information and skills personally rather than giving it to the student.
On the other hand, most of the faculty members in the higher education institutes in the Kingdom are expatriates working with temporary contracts, which brings forward the issue of studying the current situation especially for the distribution of Saudis and expatriates among different majors. Subsequently, the study shall propose practical means for increasing the numbers of Saudi faculty members in the higher education institutes in the Kingdom, for consideration in the Kingdom’s long term strategic plans, and the reflections of that on training, scholarships, and Saudization plans.
This study in general, aims at revising, evaluating, advising, and predicting all aspects related to faculty members in all university and technical stages in the higher education institutes in the Kingdom. It is also expected that this study achieves the following additional objectives:
Revising and evaluating the reality of the educational staff in terms of numbers, Saudi to expatriate ratios, capabilities for adequately qualifying the students, and their potential resources for providing the students with the skills required to practice future jobs.
Indicating the areas of strength and weakness in all aspects related to faculty members.
Predicting the trends, available abilities, and modern technologies and methods used in evaluating the faculty member in order to improve his abilities and skills to enhance his qualifications in terms of both quality and quantity.
Presenting a practical proposal to increase the number of Saudi faculty members in the higher education institutes in the Kingdom in order to mention it in the long-term strategic plan.
Presenting a suitable practical proposal for the training and scholarships plans for Saudi faculty members according to its necessity.
The faculty’s impact on the process of evaluating the educational institute, as well as the quality of the educational material presented to the students, and the relation between that and the faculty’s abilities and qualifications. In addition, it shall study the significance of the quality of the introduced material and training and its dependence on the faculty member’s qualifications and practical experiences. Also, predicting the effects of the transfer from hiring the faculty member to perform simple tasks into hiring him to perform various and complicated ones.
The possibility of reforming the teaching process according to modern methods in order to evaluate the academic programs in the higher education institutes. In addition, the possibility of changing the role of the faculty member from being an individual teacher into cooperating in teaching groups. Moreover, studying the change in the teaching philosophy from the student going to the institute into actually bringing the educational institute to the student. As a result, the institute will be considered an effective partner with other institutes in the educational process.
The effect of the central decision on the performance of the teaching and rehabilitation process, and comparing that with what might happen after giving the faculty members complete independence and strength to design the educational environment and programs. Additionally, it studies the transfer from the periodical evaluation process into the instant one via direct interaction between the students and the faculty member by using the facilities offered by the information technology. Hence, the role of the faculty member will changer from being a supervisor into actually being an advisor and facilitator.
Evaluating the faculty members abilities throughout their contribution in achieving the following:
Developing the students’ leading skills.
Applying the scientific organization strategies in the higher education institutes.
Development planning in the higher education institutes, and professionally performing the practical skills for achieving a high quality performance in the higher education.
Practicing practical methods for the conduction of meetings, councils, and scientific committees.
Developing the organizational consultative skills.
Using scientific methods in preparing and managing the budgets for academic institutes.
Evaluating the faculty member’s performance by identifying the significance of knowing the level of his performance in teaching, scientific research, and community service, as well as his contribution in achieving the milestone and strategic objectives of the higher education programs. Hence, suggesting the best practical methods for choosing the best qualifications to work in the higher education institutes relying on the measuring and test-preparation criteria, as well as the academic credential and quality of the educational process.
Indicating scientific methods for evaluating the faculty members’ academic performance, and predicting the precise evaluating strategies for the faculty members’ abilities and technical performance under subjective criteria, and paying attention to applying the methods of the educational measuring technologies in the comprehensive self-evaluation. In addition, committing into modern evaluative and philosophic criteria, which proves its proficiency. Hence, suggesting the best and most suitable evaluative plans that concentrate on encouraging teamwork, and practicing that, as well as the methods for developing it in order to contribute efficiently in enhancing the level of performance.
Suggesting a plan for increasing the number of Saudi faculty members in different majors at the higher educational institutes in the Kingdom, in which it could be applied via stages throughout the coming 25 years.
Suggesting a suitable and developed plan for sending and training the Saudi educational staff in the coming 25 years.
Accordingly, the aspects of this study will comprise the following:
Indicating references and criteria in which the process of the faculty members’ evaluation relies on.
Evaluating the faculty members’ specialties compliance to the demands of the rehabilitation process, that gives the graduates the required capabilities and skills for the job market, developmental trends, and globalization demands.
Identifying the systems of distributing the study load and educational material, and all related international criteria, as well as evaluating the scheduling system, study load, and the level of rehabilitation and outreach.
Identifying the areas of strength and weakness in the students’ relationship to the academic staff in the educational institutes, and the possibility of enhancing it in accordance with evaluating the technical behaviors between the students and the academic staff.
Evaluating the methods of the faculty member’s academic and technical advising, as well as the modern trends in that aspect.
Studying the contribution of the faculty member in a peaceful society with high and productive values.
Revising and evaluating the policies, rules, and procedures of the faculty members’ performance evaluation, and its satisfaction towards the performance demands.
Identifying both the qualitative and quantitative developments in the faculty member’s role in the higher education institutes, locally and internationally, and comparing them via using quantitative indicators.
Studying the methods of the faculty members’ contribution in enhancing the performance of the higher education institutes, as well as the variation of its activities including the diploma programs, university programs, distant learning, parallel education, continuous education, and field training, and also moving the scientific research activities towards benefiting the learners and the educational process on the whole.
Studying the role of the faculty member in organizing the programs and curriculum in a way that satisfies the modern demands and trends of the educational process, as well as overcoming all related challenges, obstacles, and serious issues in the educational process.
Evaluating the role of the faculty member in the internal capability of the education process system (in terms of quality, quantity, and cost), as well as the educational loss factors and its effect on the higher education and on the academic evaluation and credential as well.
Evaluating the role of the faculty member in applying the methods of the academic and technical evaluation and credential, and the mechanisms of creativity and excellence. In addition, evaluating the staffs’ qualifications capability of meeting the requirements of the curriculum, programs, variants, and developments.
Evaluating the currents situation in terms of the number of faculty members in the different majors in relevance to the number of students, and the quality of those staff in terms of nationality (Saudi/expatriate), as well as the effects of these situations on the quality of performance and other related issues.
Evaluating the current plans related to training and scholarships issues, and other related issues concerning Saudi faculty members, and suggesting methods for development as well.
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
All information related to the higher education system should be available, as well as the currently applied procedures for coordination.
Indicating the factors and variants in the process of evaluating the faculty members in terms of their performance satisfying the educational process demands, community service, and scientific research, as well as providing the students with the required skills to enhance the level of the rehabilitation process compliance to the actual job practice.
All information should be collected from its primary and secondary resources. In addition, workshops and seminars should be held for that issue including revising the international experiences, modern trends, and the methods of evaluating the faculty members’ qualifications ands enhancing it.
All information should be tabulated and analyzed, all variants effects should be studied, and forecasts and expectations should be done as well.
Studying the currents situation and all related aspects that are mentioned in that study.
Methods for academic and technical evaluation and credential should be designed and suggested.
Diagnostic and analytic studies should be done to analyze the current situation. Hence, understanding all challenges, aspects, ands trends, and coordinating between the faculty members’ rehabilitation and his practical experiences and contributions. All to enable the students to meet the current and futuristic developmental demands.
Comparative and comparative analysis of the faculty members should be done on the level of rehabilitation, practical experience, and performance quality. In addition, using modern methods in the educational and training process in the higher education institutes in the Kingdom. Therefore, comparing the results with similar leading international educational institutes.
All scenarios should be studied, issues should be indicated according to its significance, and all possible strategic options and their applicability should be studied as well.
Defining all aspects in which the faculty member will have the chance for creativity, evaluating these possibilities, and suggesting possible alternatives.
Suggesting methods for comprehensive self-evaluation in which it reflects the reality of the current and new situations.
Indicating the criteria of evaluating the educational process quality and capability practiced by the faculty member.
Discussing the possibility of faculty member’s reaction towards applying the modern developments in the information technologies in order to develop and increase the efficiency of the educational process.
Discussing the possibility of developing the faculty member’s role in enhancing the quality and quantity of the graduate studies programs, as well as increasing the level of its contribution towards dealing with different problems facing the comprehensive developmental, technical and economical process.
Efficient methods should be evaluated and researched in order to develop the compliance of the staff’s capability with the curriculum, programs, variants, and developmental demands, either in their fields or in the surrounding environment.
High-quality criteria should be included in designing all aspects related to the study.
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 study of the issues related to faculty members, 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 in the educational process in the higher education institutes.
Comparing the performance of the faculty member in the higher education institutes with some international indicators.
Suggesting methods for enhancing the faculty member’s qualification under international indicators.
Suggesting suitable plans for increasing the number of Saudi faculty members in the higher education institutes.
Displaying the different scenarios of the aspects of the educational process, which includes the curriculums and its nature according to the geographic distribution, rehabilitation and outreaching, scholarships plan, and other issues, mentioned in study’s scope and requirements.
Suggesting practical recommendations for forming the strategic plan regarding the faculty.
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.
