waljat quality audit report final2

Oman Accreditation Council

Report of an Audit of

Waljat Colleges of

Applied Sciences

December 2009

HEI Quality Audit Report Waljat Colleges of Applied Sciences

© Oman Accreditation Council

Audit Report Number 002 © 2009 Oman Accreditation Council P.O. Box 1255 P.C. 133 Al-Khuwair Sultanate of Oman Ph +968 2461 4361 Fax +968 2461 4364 http://www.oac.gov.om

Waljat Colleges of Applied Sciences HEI Quality Audit Report

Page 1 of 43 © Oman Accreditation Council

CONTENTS

Overview of the Quality Audit Process .....................................................................................................4

How to Read This Report ...........................................................................................................................5

Conclusions ..................................................................................................................................................6

Executive Summary of Findings ..............................................................................................................6

Summary of Commendations...................................................................................................................7

Summary of Affirmations ........................................................................................................................8

Summary of Recommendations ...............................................................................................................8

1 Governance and Management ..............................................................................................................11

1.1 Mission, Vision and Values .........................................................................................................11

1.2 Governance .................................................................................................................................12

1.3 Management................................................................................................................................12

1.4 Institutional Affiliations for Programmes and Quality Assurance ..............................................13

1.5 Strategic Plan ..............................................................................................................................13

1.6 Operational Planning...................................................................................................................14

1.7 Financial Management................................................................................................................14

1.8 Risk Management .......................................................................................................................14

1.9 Policy Management.....................................................................................................................15

1.10 Entity and Activity Review Systems...........................................................................................15

1.11 Student Grievance Process..........................................................................................................15

1.12 Health and Safety........................................................................................................................16

1.13 Oversight of Associated Entities .................................................................................................16

2 Student Learning by Coursework Programmes................................................................................17

2.1 Graduate Attributes and Student Learning Objectives ................................................................17

2.2 Curriculum ..................................................................................................................................17

2.3 Student Entry Standards..............................................................................................................18

2.4 Foundation Programme...............................................................................................................18

2.5 Teaching Quality .........................................................................................................................19

2.6 Plagiarism ...................................................................................................................................19

2.7 Student Placements .....................................................................................................................19

2.8 Assessment Methods, Standards and Moderation.......................................................................20

2.9 Academic Security and Invigilation............................................................................................20

2.10 Student Retention and Progression .............................................................................................20

2.11 Graduate Destinations and Employability ..................................................................................21

3 Student Learning by Research Programmes.....................................................................................22

4 Staff Research and Consultancy .........................................................................................................23

4.1 Research Planning & Management.............................................................................................23

4.2 Research Performance.................................................................................................................23

4.3 Research Funding Schemes ........................................................................................................23

4.4 Consultancy Activities ................................................................................................................23

4.5 Ethics and Biosafety....................................................................................................................24

4.6 Intellectual Property....................................................................................................................24

4.7 Professional Development for Research .....................................................................................24

4.8 Research Commercialisation.......................................................................................................24


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4.9 Research-Teaching Nexus...........................................................................................................24

5 Industry and Community Engagement..............................................................................................25

5.1 Industry and Community Engagement Planning & Management...............................................25

5.2 Relationships with Industry and Employers................................................................................25

5.3 Relationships with Professions....................................................................................................26

5.4 Relationships with Other Education Providers ...........................................................................26

5.5 Relationships with Alumni ..........................................................................................................26

5.6 Relationships with the Community at Large...............................................................................26

6 Academic Support Services .................................................................................................................27

6.1 Academic Support Services Planning & Management ...............................................................27

6.2 Registry (Enrolment and Student Records).................................................................................27

6.3 Library.........................................................................................................................................27

6.4 Information and Learning Technology Services .........................................................................28

6.5 Academic Advising .....................................................................................................................28

6.6 Student Learning Support............................................................................................................28

6.7 Teaching Resources.....................................................................................................................29

7 Students and Student Support Services .............................................................................................30

7.1 Students and Student Support Services Planning & Management ..............................................30

7.2 Student Profile.............................................................................................................................30

7.3 Student Satisfaction and Climate ................................................................................................30

7.4 Student Behaviour .......................................................................................................................31

7.5 Career and Employment Services ...............................................................................................31

7.6 Student Finances .........................................................................................................................31

7.7 Accommodation, Catering and Transport ...................................................................................31

7.8 Medical and Counselling Facilities .............................................................................................32

7.9 International Student Services.....................................................................................................32

7.10 Social and Recreational Services and Facilities ..........................................................................32

8 Staff and Staff Support Services .........................................................................................................33

8.1 Human Resources Planning & Management...............................................................................33

8.2 Staff Profile .................................................................................................................................33

8.3 Recruitment and Selection ..........................................................................................................33

8.4 Induction .....................................................................................................................................34

8.5 Professional Development...........................................................................................................34

8.6 Performance Planning and Review .............................................................................................34

8.7 Promotion and Other Incentives..................................................................................................34

8.8 Severance ....................................................................................................................................35

8.9 Staff Organisational Climate and Retention................................................................................35

8.10 Omanisation ................................................................................................................................35

9 General Support Services and Facilities.............................................................................................36

9.1 General Support Services and Facilities Planning and Management..........................................36

9.2 Public Relations and Marketing ..................................................................................................36

9.3 Communication Services.............................................................................................................36

9.4 Facilities Management ................................................................................................................36

Appendix A. Audit Panel.......................................................................................................................37



Appendix B. Evidence of Plagiarism in the WCAS Materials...........................................................38

Appendix C. Abbreviations, Acronyms and Terms ............................................................................40



OVERVIEW OF THE QUALITY AUDIT PROCESS

This Quality Audit Report (the ‘Report’) documents the findings of a quality audit by the Oman Accreditation Council (OAC) of Waljat Colleges of Applied Sciences (WCAS). It comments on WCAS’s mission and vision, and the appropriateness and effectiveness of their systems for achieving that mission and vision. Quality Audit is the first stage in Oman’s institutional accreditation process. It is designed to provide a level of assurance to the public about the quality of WCAS’s activities, and constructive feedback to WCAS to assist with its ongoing improvement efforts. The quality audit commenced with WCAS undertaking a self study of its mission, vision and systems. The results were summarized in their Quality Audit Portfolio (the ‘Portfolio’). This document was submitted to the OAC by the due date of 3 September 2008. The OAC appointed an external Audit Panel (the ‘Panel’), comprising suitably qualified and experienced local and international reviewers, to conduct the quality audit. For membership of the Panel see

Appendix A. The Panel met (international members via telephone conference) on 20 October 2008 to consider WCAS’s Portfolio. Following this, the Panel Chairperson and Executive Officer undertook a planning visit on behalf of the Panel to WCAS on 15 November 2008 to clarify certain matters, request additional information and make arrangements for the Panel’s audit visit. Prior to the audit visit, the Panel invited submissions from the public about the quality of WCAS’s activities. No submissions were received. The audit visit took place over 14 – 16 December 2008. During this time, the Panel spoke with approximately 100 people, including governing authorities, staff, students and external stakeholders. The Panel also visited a number of venues and reviewed a selection of additional materials. No information provided after 16 December 2008 (being the last day of the audit visit) was taken into consideration for the purposes of this audit, other than pre-existing items specifically requested by the Panel during the audit visit. This Report contains a summary of the Panel’s findings, together with formal commendations where good practices have been confirmed, affirmations where WCAS’s ongoing quality improvement efforts merit support, and recommendations where there are significant opportunities for improvement not yet being adequately addressed. The Report provides a balanced set of observations, but does not comment on every aspect of WCAS’s activities. The Panel’s audit activities and preparation of this Report were governed by regulations set by the OAC Board. This Report was approved for release by the OAC Board on 7 December 2009. The OAC was established by Royal Decree No. 74/2001. Among its responsibilities is the external review of higher education providers (HEIs) in the Sultanate of Oman. For further information, visit the OAC website (http://www.oac.gov.om). Full details of the quality audit process are available in OAC’s HEI Quality Audit Manual (available from http://www.oac.gov.om/institution/audit/ ).



HOW TO READ THIS REPORT

Each OAC Audit Report is written primarily for the institution being audited. The Report is specifically designed to provide feedback to help that institution better understand its own strengths and opportunities for improvement. The feedback is structured according to nine broad areas of activity and presented as formal Commendations, Affirmations and Recommendations, or as informal suggestions, each accompanied with explanatory paragraphs. It is expected that the institution will act upon this feedback as part of its continuous efforts to provide the best possible education to students. The Report is made public because it also may be of interest to students and potential students, their families, employers, Government, other higher education institutions in Oman and abroad, and other audiences. Students, in particular, may find this Report interesting because it provides some independent

comment on the learning environment at this institution (particularly sections 2, 6 and 7 below). However, prospective students should still undertake their own investigations when deciding which higher education institution will best serve their particular learning needs. Quality Audit is the first stage in Oman’s two-stage process for institutional accreditation. Its focus is formative (developmental) rather than summative. In other words, although the audit addresses nine areas of activity which are common to all institutions, it does not measure the institution against externally set standards of performance in those nine areas. Instead, it considers how well the institution is attending to those areas in accordance with its own mission and vision and in the context of relevant legal regulations. Therefore, Quality Audit recognises that each institution has a unique purpose and profile; it does not directly compare one institution with all the other institutions in Oman. For these reasons, a Quality Audit does not result in a pass or fail result; nor does it provide any sort of grade or score. It should also be noted that the precise number of Commendations, Affirmations and Recommendations that an institution receives in its Audit Report is not as important as the substance of those conclusions. For example, some Recommendations may focus on critical issues such as assessment of student learning, whereas others may focus on issues such as the maintenance of teaching equipment in classrooms which, while important, is clearly less critical. Therefore, it is neither significant nor appropriate to compare the Audit Reports of different HEIs solely on the numbers of Commendations, Affirmations and Recommendations. The second stage in the institutional accreditation process is Standards Assessment. This stage, which will take place about four years after the Quality Audit, does provide a summative assessment against external standards in the same nine areas of activity. It should be noted that Oman also operates a system of accreditation/recognition for academic programmes, separately from the institutional accreditation process. For more information on Oman’s System of Quality Assurance in Higher Education please visit www.oac.gov.om. This Report contains a number of references to source evidence. These references are for the HEI’s benefit in further addressing the issues raised. In a number of cases, the evidence is not in the public domain.



CONCLUSIONS

This section summarises the main findings and lists the Audit Panel’s commendations, affirmations and recommendations. They are listed in the order in which they appear in the Report, and are not prioritised. It should be noted that other favourable comments and suggestions for improvement are mentioned throughout the text of the Report. Evidence of plagiarism was discovered in the WCAS Portfolio submitted to the OAC. The OAC noticed there were inconsistencies in the language used in the Portfolio which prompted the Panel to conduct an Internet comparability check. This revealed extensive copying in key areas of the Portfolio, such as Teaching Quality and Research Performance, from other sources without acknowledgement or disclosure

of source. The evidence is provided in the table in Appendix B. These findings undermined the OAC’s confidence in veracity of the Portfolio, and thereby WCAS’s commitment to quality and to its various stakeholders. Notwithstanding these findings, the OAC decided to continue with the Quality Audit, disregarding the plagiarised sections of the Portfolio. However, some of the findings in this Report and the utility of the conclusions are constrained by the plagiarised information provided by the College. It must be understood that the international higher education community treats plagiarism very seriously and the OAC is no exception.

Executive Summary of Findings

WCAS was founded as a private higher education institution in 2001 in order to provide higher education to Omani and expatriate students. As the Ministry of Higher Education requires all private HEIs to have an academic collaboration with an overseas institution, WCAS has an affiliation agreement with Birla Institute of Technology (BIT), Mesra, Ranchi, India. Since its inception, WCAS has demonstrated a steady growth in enrolments, and currently has over 1,500 students. The Panel noted the incongruity in use of “Colleges” in the name of the institution when it is made up of only one college with nine departments (Portfolio, p.6). WCAS should reconsider its current name in order to reflect its actual institutional structure. WCAS refers to itself in both the singular and plural in the Portfolio. For the sake of clarity and consistency, the Report will refer to WCAS in the singular. The Portfolio submitted by WCAS covered the nine areas of the scope of the quality audit. It was mainly descriptive, focusing predominantly on the deployment aspect of the ADRI cycle. There was little data or evidence to support results or improvement and a lack of self-critical analysis. Therefore, following the submission of its Portfolio, WCAS was invited to submit an evaluative summary, containing Areas of Strength (AOS) and Opportunities for Improvement (OFI) in relation to the nine scope areas. This evaluative summary (SM011) was submitted and considered by the Panel. WCAS stated that a number of staff and faculty were involved in the development of the Portfolio (Portfolio, p.ix). However, interviews with staff indicated that there was limited involvement of staff in the process of developing the Portfolio, and a general lack of awareness amongst the staff and other members of the WCAS community about the contents of the Portfolio. The Panel considers that WCAS missed an important opportunity to strengthen its quality assurance systems using a collegial approach. Shortly after its establishment, WCAS relocated to purpose-built premises in the Knowledge Oasis Muscat, the technology ‘hub’ of the capital. While the Panel sees this as a positive move, the WCAS could make more of this opportunity and play an active role in developing relationships with industries and other education providers in this location, as it has in other parts of Muscat. The Panel recognises that WCAS has plans to expand its campus and supports its efforts in this area. WCAS is committed to providing affordable education in Oman to local and expatriate students and is one of three BIT “International Centres” located in the Gulf. BIT provides all curricula, teaching and



assessment materials and seconds almost half of the teaching faculty. However, WCAS has identified opportunities for improvement in its relationship with its affiliate and the Panel supports the College’s efforts to address these. Details are provided throughout this report (especially section 1.4). The Panel recognises that WCAS is still in the process of setting up and monitoring its quality management systems. This should be done in conjunction with its affiliate partner BIT. The Panel concluded that WCAS needs to develop a more coherent approach to planning in all areas of its activities, at institutional, department and section levels. WCAS should devise performance indicators to measure the success of their plans and develop robust data collection and analysis systems in order to inform results and improvement strategies. In academic areas, the curriculum and materials from BIT underpin the approach to teaching and learning. However, there is a need for the establishment of consistent curriculum development and review processes in order to ensure that the programmes meet the needs of the local students. WCAS should ensure consistent implementation of a comprehensive and valid assessment and examination policy with clear guidelines for staff. WCAS also needs to address the issue of lack of academic integrity through the development and diffusion of robust plagiarism and intellectual property policies. The Panel was pleased to see that a recently developed class advisor system was being well-received by staff and students. WCAS should also consider how to identify and address the needs of potentially ‘at risk’ students and ensure that robust student support systems are in place, especially to help students struggling with English and Maths. WCAS’s student grievance procedures also need to be developed in order to give further opportunities for student views to be heard and these should be clearly communicated to staff and students. WCAS needs to incorporate a range of consultative processes to elicit feedback from students, external stakeholders and staff. As a college, rather than a university college or a university, WCAS is not required to be research-active. However, WCAS includes research as one of its long term objectives (Portfolio, p.12) and although there has been a limited amount of research carried out, it has been involved with consultancy work with local industry. In order to become effective in this area, WCAS should link its long-term planning in this area to resource allocation. Staff at WCAS are recruited locally or are seconded from BIT. There are measures in place to increase the number of Omanis in the workforce, both in administrative and academic sections. However, the Panel found no evidence of a well-thought through strategic approach to human resource management and recommends that WCAS works on its policies and procedures in this area in conjunction with relevant stakeholders. WCAS is committed to its student community. It has an active Student Council which successfully sets up and runs a diverse range of student activities. Scholarships and funding schemes are also in place to support students financially. To support students’ career development, WCAS has developed a Placement Cell to facilitate interaction between the student body and employers. Although this is in its nascent stages, there are signs of success. WCAS should build on its good relationships with employers to develop appropriate graduate attributes and ensure that programme learning outcomes reflect the needs of local industry. Overall, staff and students were positive about the student learning experience at WCAS. However, WCAS should now seize the opportunity to update its model for education provision in line with current developments in the higher education sector. WCAS needs to review its policies, infrastructure and the relationship with its affiliate partner in order to make this happen.

Summary of Commendations

A formal commendation recognises an instance of particularly good practice.



1. The Oman Accreditation Council commends Waljat Colleges of Applied Sciences for promoting interaction with industry and employers through a range of initiatives and using it to enhance the student experience. ....................................................................................................26

2. The Oman Accreditation Council commends Waljat Colleges of Applied Sciences for developing and implementing a class advisor system which is being well-received by both staff and students...............................................................................................................................28

3. The Oman Accreditation Council commends Waljat Colleges of Applied Sciences on establishing effective mechanisms for a student career development and employment service which includes a Placement Cell linking students to employers.......................................................31

4. The Oman Accreditation Council commends Waljat Colleges of Applied Sciences for developing effective systems to provide financial support for students through scholarships and mechanisms such as the ‘Earn While You Learn’ scheme.........................................................31

5. The Oman Accreditation Council commends Waljat Colleges of Applied Sciences for setting up and supporting an active Student Council and offering a range of activities which accommodate and celebrate the diversity of students on campus. ....................................................32

Summary of Affirmations

A formal affirmation recognizes an instance in which WCAS has accurately identified a significant opportunity for improvement and has demonstrated appropriate commitment to addressing the matter.

1. The Oman Accreditation Council supports Waljat Colleges of Applied Sciences in its efforts to address ongoing issues with the provision of services specified in the agreement with Birla Institute of Technology, particularly with regard to the timeliness of responses, e.g. in response to requests for new staff. ....................................................................................................13

2. The Oman Accreditation Council supports the initiative of Waljat Colleges of Applied Sciences to set up an alumni association in order to support its ongoing industry and community engagement activities. ....................................................................................................26

3. The Oman Accreditation Council agrees that Waljat Colleges of Applied Sciences need to improve the registration system and supports its efforts to update its current facility through the development of customised software. .........................................................................................27

4. The Oman Accreditation Council agrees with Waljat Colleges of Applied Sciences that the issue of female student accommodation needs to be addressed and supports the institution’s plans to develop accommodation facilities on campus. ....................................................................32

5. The Oman Accreditation Council supports Waljat Colleges of Applied Sciences’ efforts towards the Omanisation of its workforce. .......................................................................................35

Summary of Recommendations

A recommendation draws attention to a significant opportunity for improvement that WCAS has either not yet accurately identified or to which it is not yet adequately attending.

1. The Oman Accreditation Council recommends that Waljat Colleges of Applied Sciences reconsider its current name in order to more accurately reflect its actual institutional structure.............................................................................................................................................11



2. The Oman Accreditation Council recommends that Waljat Colleges of Applied Sciences address the need for a clear Mission statement which is linked to its Vision and Values and is consistently communicated to all stakeholders. ................................................................................12

3. The Oman Accreditation Council recommends that Waljat Colleges of Applied Sciences adopt clear, appropriate roles and terms of reference for governance and management structures which are integrated, consistently communicated and regularly reviewed. .....................13

4. The Oman Accreditation Council recommends that Waljat Colleges of Applied Sciences introduce robust institutional processes and procedures to develop long-term strategic, operational and financial plans which are aligned to resource allocation models. ...........................14

5. The Oman Accreditation Council recommends that Waljat Colleges of Applied Sciences establish a process for identifying and addressing areas of strategic and operational risk management which includes an organisation-wide training programme..........................................15

6. The Oman Accreditation Council recommends that Waljat Colleges of Applied Sciences develop and implement an effective policy management system. ....................................................15

7. The Oman Accreditation Council recommends that Waljat Colleges of Applied Sciences, in conjunction with their affiliate partner, develop a review system for all its entities and activities including committees, plans, and internal processes, supported by robust data collection and analysis. .....................................................................................................................15

8. The Oman Accreditation Council recommends that Waljat Colleges of Applied Sciences develop formal student grievance and appeals policies and that these policies are communicated to all staff and students. ............................................................................................16

9. The Oman Accreditation Council recommends that Waljat Colleges of Applied Sciences develop a system for obtaining feedback from employers on their satisfaction with graduates and to reflect this in the formulation of graduate attributes which should be embedded in the learning outcomes of programmes. ...................................................................................................17

10. The Oman Accreditation Council recommends that Waljat Colleges of Applied Sciences, in conjunction with Birla Institute of Technology, establish curriculum development, review, evaluation and approval policies processes, based on good international practice and incorporating specific student learning outcomes, ensuring the suitability of the programmes for the context of Oman. ...................................................................................................................18

11. The Oman Accreditation Council recommends that Waljat Colleges of Applied Sciences review its Foundation Programme to ensure it is in line with Oman’s “Academic Standards for General Foundation Programs”. ..................................................................................................19

12. The Oman Accreditation Council recommends that Waljat Colleges of Applied Sciences develop and adopt its own plagiarism policy consistent with international best practice and develop a process for ensuring full awareness of, and compliance with, this policy amongst staff and students...............................................................................................................................19

13. The Oman Accreditation Council recommends that Waljat Colleges of Applied Sciences, in conjunction with Birla Institute of Technology, develop and ensure consistent implementation of a comprehensive and valid assessment and examination policy, with guidelines describing standards of assessment, marking, moderation and timely feedback to students..............................................................................................................................................20

14. The Oman Accreditation Council recommends that, once Waljat Colleges of Applied Sciences have clarified the scope of their research and consulting activity, a clear research plan and research infrastructure be developed to reflect the mission of the Colleges. .....................23



15. The Oman Accreditation Council recommends that Waljat Colleges of Applied Sciences develop a systematic approach to industry and community engagement which builds on existing activities and networks, and takes full advantage of its location.........................................25

16. The Oman Accreditation Council recommends that Waljat Colleges of Applied Sciences develop a systematic approach to planning and managing its academic support services, particularly in relation to its library facilities and IT support. ..........................................................27

17. The Oman Accreditation Council recommends that Waljat Colleges of Applied Sciences improve its acquisitions policy to ensure that the needs of the academic programmes are met and that the Colleges respect Omani copyright laws. .......................................................................28

18. The Oman Accreditation Council recommends that Waljat Colleges of Applied Sciences develop a formal system for identifying ‘at risk’ students and provide college-wide language, communication and study skills support for the student community post-Foundation.....................28

19. The Oman Accreditation Council recommends that Waljat Colleges of Applied Sciences develop and implement a valid and comprehensive system for collecting student feedback on all aspects of the student experience, such as a student course evaluation system, in order to inform improvements in the different services provided to students. ...............................................30

20. The Oman Accreditation Council recommends that Waljat Colleges of Applied Sciences develop and implement a systematic, documented and institution-wide approach to counselling services and ensures that the student body is made aware of this facility. ....................32

21. The Oman Accreditation Council recommends that Waljat Colleges of Applied Sciences address the need for a more formally articulated and consistent set of procedures for staff selection, recruitment, induction, professional development and performance management to ensure that the Colleges attract and retain competent staff. ..............................................................33

22. The Oman Accreditation Council recommends that Waljat Colleges of Applied Sciences develop and implement a system for collecting staff feedback in order to support a positive and equitable staff organisational climate. ........................................................................................35

23. The Oman Accreditation Council recommends that Waljat Colleges of Applied Sciences develop and implement a plan for the management of General Support Services and Facilities in order to ensure operational effectiveness in this area....................................................36



1 GOVERNANCE AND MANAGEMENT

Waljat Colleges of Applied Sciences is a privately owned higher education institution, licensed and supervised by the Ministry of Higher Education (MoHE). It operates as a branch campus of Birla Institute of Technology (BIT) which refers to the institution as “BIT International Centre, Muscat”. As the institution comprises one college with nine departments, the name ‘Colleges’ seems incongruous. WCAS should reconsider its current name in order to reflect its actual institutional structure if there is no imminent intention to establish multiple colleges.

Recommendation 1

The Oman Accreditation Council recommends that Waljat Colleges of

Applied Sciences reconsider its current name in order to more accurately

reflect its actual institutional structure. WCAS is governed by a Board of Directors and a Governing Council. An Academic Council also exists, although its governance role to date has been limited.

1.1 Mission, Vision and Values

The WCAS Mission is variously stated as:

“Waljat Colleges will always strive to create and impart knowledge to enable the

students make best use of their educational opportunities. It shall provide

academic, occupational, general and lifelong learning opportunities to everyone

and enable them to transform their lives” (Portfolio, p.1)

“To promote high international quality education in Oman that prepares

students for modern high quality jobs” (WCAS website accessed 13/10/2008).

“To provide a world wide accepted standard of education to our students,

prepare them to achieve high value jobs, and fulfill their social and academic

ambitions” (WCAS Student’s Guide, p.5)

Although having a “clearly defined Mission” is cited as an area of strength in WCAS’s evaluative summary (SM011), this is not the case. WCAS needs to decide on a single mission which will provide a clear functional direction. WCAS’s Vision is stated as:

“To create a brilliant future for the Colleges in which the students, faculty, and

staff thrive and the nation and the world benefit, a future in which the Colleges is

recognized as leader among private higher education providers in:

- Teaching and research

- Economic development

- Public Service” (Portfolio, p.1)

WCAS’s guiding Values are stated as:

“In all we do at the Colleges, we will:

- Aim high

- Strive to improve our destiny

- Be accountable for our actions



- Be inclusive, treat each other with dignity and respect

- Value excellence, quality and service

- Foster innovation and creativity” (Portfolio, p.1)

WCAS identifies “Values are of very high standing” as an Area of Strength in its evaluative summary. In interviews with management and staff, it appeared that there was no consensus amongst the different stakeholders of the knowledge and understanding of the Mission, Vision and Values. According to the Review of the Business Plan 2007-2008, prepared by the Dean for the Governing Council, the Mission and Vision were created for the purposes of the quality audit. WCAS needs to develop and promote a clear mission, vision and values to appropriately guide the institution.

Recommendation 2


Applied Sciences address the need for a clear Mission statement which is

linked to its Vision and Values and is consistently communicated to all

stakeholders.

1.2 Governance

WCAS is primarily governed by a Board of Directors (BoD) and a Governing Council. No terms of reference for the BoD were available. The role of the Governing Council is to “supervise, direct and control the administrative and financial affairs of the Colleges” (Portfolio, p.3), and as such it has no input into the academic affairs of WCAS. The Panel had the opportunity to review minutes of meetings and meet representatives from the Governing Council. The Governing Council refers key recommendations to the Chairman of the BoD for consideration and approval. A further minute discussed the constitution of a Trustees Council as per the MoHE requirement. In interviews and documentation, there was evidence of confusion between the role of the Governing Council and a Trustees Council. An Academic Council was established in March 2006. Membership of the Academic Council was provided but no terms of reference were available. The Academic Council deals purely with academic affairs and does not have any administrative or financial powers. Evidence reviewed indicated that the Academic Council had met infrequently and that, in practice, academic matters are resolved by the Dean of WCAS in consultation with BIT. The area of governance and

management structures needs to be reviewed (see Recommendation 3 below).

1.3 Management

The Dean of WCAS, who is a member of the Governing Council and designated as ‘Director of BIT International Centre, Muscat’, is responsible for the day-to-day management of the teaching and non-teaching staff at WCAS. The dual role of the Dean of WCAS/Director of BIT International Centre, Muscat, is potentially problematic as the Dean of WCAS reports to the Governing Council, while the Director of BIT International Centre reports to BIT. The management structure was presented in two separate organisational charts, one for teaching and one for non-teaching staff (Portfolio, pp. 6-7). These indicate a distinct separation of academic and administrative structures at WCAS, with the Governing Council being responsible for administrative matters and the Dean being responsible for academic matters. However, in practice this is not always the case. The current governance and management structure is unclear which has a negative impact on individual roles and responsibilities. Action should be taken in order to develop a more appropriate organisational structure in order to avoid overlap of management roles.



Recommendation 3


Applied Sciences adopt clear, appropriate roles and terms of reference for

governance and management structures which are integrated, consistently

communicated and regularly reviewed.

1.4 Institutional Affiliations for Programmes and Quality Assurance

WCAS is affiliated to Birla Institute of Technology (BIT), Ranchi, India and is one of three International Centres operated by BIT in the Gulf Region. According to the affiliation agreement, WCAS provides the Colleges’ infrastructure, while BIT is responsible for providing all programme curricula, the assessment and examination processes and for recruiting faculty staff, including the appointment of the Dean. All awards are conferred by BIT, although it does not offer certificate or diploma awards in India. The awards themselves are produced by BIT, in Hindi and English, and the text on the awards is the same as on the awards issued by BIT in India. No reference is made on the certificates that the study has been undertaken at WCAS.

The Portfolio states that the “Parent University monitors the progress of the academic system regularly” (Portfolio, p8). The Panel did not find evidence to indicate that BIT regularly monitors or reviews activities and academic programmes. The Panel noted that WCAS has significant areas of concern regarding the interaction with BIT. These include: delay in getting letters from BIT; delay in the publication of student results; lack of senior staff from BIT (apart from the Dean); and delay on the part of BIT in response to WCAS’s suggestions for new programmes The Panel was informed that WCAS had identified these difficulties in the operation of the relationship and was taking steps to address these issues. A delegation from the Governing Council had recently visited BIT to express their concerns. At the time of the audit visit, WCAS was awaiting the response from BIT.

Affirmation 1

The Oman Accreditation Council supports Waljat Colleges of Applied

Sciences in its efforts to address ongoing issues with the provision of services

specified in the agreement with Birla Institute of Technology, particularly

with regard to the timeliness of responses, e.g. in response to requests for

new staff. Although the affiliation agreement between WCAS and BIT defines the general roles and responsibilities of the parties, there is a lack of formal frameworks and systems, such as a steering committee or affiliation handbook, to support the relationship. The issues related to day-to-day management and quality of academic programmes are primarily the responsibility of the Dean of WCAS as a BIT employee. There is therefore a need to establish organisation-wide systems and processes that clearly define roles and responsibilities in relation to the delivery of BIT academic programmes at WCAS. At an operational level, there is a lack of transparency and consistency in the decision-making and approval processes between WCAS and BIT.

1.5 Strategic Plan

The Strategic Plan is included in the Portfolio document (Portfolio, pp. 9-13). There is no indication of how this plan was developed or who was involved. The ‘Review of the Business Plan’ which the Panel considered suggested that the Strategic Plan was developed for the purpose of the quality audit rather than to provide direction for the institution. Heavy emphasis is placed on the achievements of the affiliation with BIT; however the Panel could not find substantial evidence that BIT as a key stakeholder had input into the drafting of the given plan.



WCAS has outlined four “Strategic Goals” (Portfolio, pp.11-12) and a total of 16 long term objectives but there are no strategies to achieve these objectives. WCAS claims that “Suitable implementation efforts are made to make the plan successful. Reporting the results and corrective actions are taken” and “meaningful indicators will be developed and refined by relevant units…the success of the whole exercise…will depend on involvement of everyone in the Colleges” (Portfolio, p.13). However, the statements were not supported by evidence. During the Audit Visit, the Panel found little awareness of the Strategic Plan throughout the organisation, or any indication that it has an impact on the day to day running of the institution.

Recommendation 4


Applied Sciences introduce robust institutional processes and procedures to

develop long-term strategic, operational and financial plans which are

aligned to resource allocation models.

1.6 Operational Planning

WCAS stated that monthly review meetings with the Chairman of the Governing Council and Heads of Sections were the mechanism used for review and the setting of target business plan milestones (Portfolio, p.8). The Business Plans viewed by the Panel showed evidence of short-term operational planning and review. WCAS needs to build on this in order to address the needs for longer term planning ( Recommendation 4 in section 1.5 above).

1.7 Financial Management

According to its terms of reference (Portfolio, p.3), the Governing Council is responsible for the financial management at WCAS. From the Council’s viewpoint, the goal of the College is to “provide affordable education” in Oman. This is not currently included in the WCAS Mission

Statement (see section 1.1 above).

The Governing Council approves normal annual expenditure, as a result of requests being submitted by the Dean with input from Department Heads. The exception is major capital expenditure, requests for which are submitted to the Chairman of the BoD for action and approval. The budgeting process from the evidence obtained has been of an ad hoc nature. Financial management has been identified by WCAS as an opportunity for improvement, especially in terms of the separation of budgets into capital and special projects (SM011, p.3). However, there are no clear plans to address these concerns. Financial planning is not linked to the Strategic Plan or to the academic provision in WCAS. The Panel suggests that WCAS develop a robust approach to financial planning in line with the objectives developed in its Strategic Plan (refer to Recommendation 4 in section 1.5 above).

1.8 Risk Management

WCAS has identified six risk areas (Portfolio, p.16) which cover a number of broad areas. Interviews with staff indicated little understanding of the key issues of risk management in the organisation, e.g. in relation to Mission, Strategic goals or financial exposure. A process for identifying risks in a systematic way did not appear to be in place.

WCAS recognises the need for training and action in this area and plans to set up a risk management group (Portfolio, p.16). However, the Panel found no evidence to suggest that any action was being taken in this area.



Recommendation 5


Applied Sciences establish a process for identifying and addressing areas of

strategic and operational risk management which includes an organisation-

wide training programme.

1.9 Policy Management

While WCAS’s administrative and financial policies are developed locally (Portfolio, p.17), the nature of the affiliation agreement is that all policies on academic and academic-related matters are the same as those in place at BIT. Policy changes required for the local context are recommended to BIT for consideration. There was no documented evidence to suggest that a robust policy management and review system was in place. WCAS lacks a comprehensive documentation recording, control and management system. Although WCAS indicated that it planned to assign a document controller, this had not been done by the time of the audit visit. The Panel has identified the need for a policy management system to be put in place. This would also support WCAS’s objective to gain ISO accreditation (as stated in SM011).

Recommendation 6


Applied Sciences develop and implement an effective policy management

system.

1.10 Entity and Activity Review Systems

WCAS claims that regular reviews of “different activities and entity [sic]” are carried out in order to identify gaps and support subsequent planning (Portfolio, p.17). However, the Panel found no evidence of regular reviews of plans, entities, processes, or programmes. While WCAS has listed a number of opportunities for improvement in its evaluative summary, there is no system in place to indicate how these have been identified. A systematic and consistent review process is the cornerstone of a robust quality management system which leads to organisational improvements. During the visit, the Panel was informed that WCAS has taken initial steps towards the development of such a system by the appointment of a quality core team and a quality co-ordinator. Overall, the Panel noted that there was a lack of systematic reviews of entities and activities at WCAS, and that efforts in this direction were still at a preliminary stage. The College needs to establish an institutional data collection and analysis system in order to support their review systems.

Recommendation 7


Applied Sciences, in conjunction with their affiliate partner, develop a

review system for all its entities and activities including committees, plans,

and internal processes, supported by robust data collection and analysis.

1.11 Student Grievance Process

According to WCAS:

“The Colleges [sic] is committed to mutual respect among all constituents of the

Colleges community…It is our belief to work together to understand and address



the concerns without resorting to formal grievance procedures. However

wherever it is not possible, a fair and reasonable resolution of issues through a

well defined and documented formal grievance procedure is in place” (Portfolio,

p18)

While student grievance forms are available to students, the process for resolving grievances is ad hoc and handled by different individuals at WCAS. It is not clear how the grievance or appeals processes are communicated to students, as no reference was made to these in the 2008/2009 Student Guide. The grievance process in existence relates to examinations, whereby students were able to apply for a “scrutiny” of their examination paper to BIT. It appears that the practices of the College confuse student grievances (i.e. complaints by students) with student misconduct (i.e. complaints about students). WCAS identified its student grievance process as an area of strength but the Panel did not find evidence to support this.

Recommendation 8


Applied Sciences develop formal student grievance and appeals policies and

that these policies are communicated to all staff and students.

1.12 Health and Safety

WCAS claims “The Colleges gives [sic] high priority to health and safety of all employees, students and belongings” (Portfolio, p.18). WCAS states that it is working towards developing a comprehensive health and safety system and has also identified this as an opportunity for improvement. During the audit visit, the Panel was informed that WCAS was addressing health and safety issues, but there was no clear plan, policy or allocation of roles and responsibilities in relation to health and safety aspects. This is an area that WCAS needs to address.

1.13 Oversight of Associated Entities

WCAS has no oversight of associated entities and this was not included in the scope of the audit.



2 STUDENT LEARNING BY COURSEWORK PROGRAMMES

In its Strategic Plan, WCAS has identified its first Strategic Goal as:

“The Colleges will achieve and be recognised for academic excellence,

extraordinary education and development of our students” (Portfolio, p.11)

Students at WCAS are offered a total of eight diploma and bachelor programmes in the fields of Electronics and Communication Engineering; Computer Science Engineering; Biotechnology; Business Administration, and Computer Application. WCAS also offers Master of Business Administration and Executive Master of Business Administration programmes.

2.1 Graduate Attributes and Student Learning Objectives

WCAS believes in developing a holistic graduate who is a mature, sensitive, creative, skilled and innovative citizen of the country (Portfolio, p.20). While an action plan to achieve the above graduate attributes is mentioned, this has not yet been developed. During interviews with staff it became clear that there was little understanding regarding the development and assessment of these graduate attributes. There is neither a mechanism for communicating these attributes to students nor teaching practices which facilitate the development of the attributes. The institution has not established a system for obtaining employer feedback on their satisfaction with WCAS graduates. WCAS needs to establish a system to obtain feedback from employers and reflect this information in its graduate attributes. The graduate attributes should be embedded in the learning outcomes of the WCAS programmes and clearly communicated to all stakeholders.

Recommendation 9


Applied Sciences develop a system for obtaining feedback from employers

on their satisfaction with graduates and to reflect this in the formulation of

graduate attributes which should be embedded in the learning outcomes of

programmes.

2.2 Curriculum

WCAS states that:

“Academic Council of the Colleges reviews the academic progress and suggests

suitable activities to make the programmes more meaningful…Local adaptation

of the subject content is discussed and recommended to BIT for modifying

accordingly” (Portfolio, p.5).

All curriculum design and development is provided by BIT. WCAS staff suggest changes in order to contextualise curriculum content for Oman and these suggestions are considered by the Technical Committee at BIT. The Panel considered correspondence between WCAS and BIT which showed that elements of the BBA and Executive MBA programmes have been adapted for the local context. However, these “changes” were not part of a systematic programme review and did not support the claim that “We are constantly reviewing our course curriculum and up dating it to local need” (Portfolio, p.16). Interviews with WCAS faculty indicated that local adaptation of curricula was reactive with changes being instigated on an ad hoc basis rather than part of a clearly documented procedure.



The Panel was not satisfied that sufficient quality assurance measures are currently in place at WCAS to corroborate the claim that: “The course content and the delivery are similar to that of being [sic] in India. Parent University monitors the progress of the academic system regularly and issues necessary instructions wherever needed” (Portfolio, p.8). Evidence suggests that BIT relies heavily on assessment mechanisms and student success rate to measure the quality of its programmes at WCAS. There appears to be no formal process for planning or determining new programmes. For example, documentation showed that there were plans to start a BA in Management as well as a Design Institute and Aviation programmes but no indication of how these programmes were decided upon.

Recommendation 10


Applied Sciences, in conjunction with Birla Institute of Technology,

establish curriculum development, review, evaluation and approval policies

processes, based on good international practice and incorporating specific

student learning outcomes, ensuring the suitability of the programmes for

the context of Oman.

2.3 Student Entry Standards

WCAS believes that “Students are the key input into the teaching learning process [sic] and it has a long term impact on the quality of academic standards” (Portfolio, p.22). The institution has two entry points. According to the admission criteria, students need to obtain IELTS band 6 for direct entry into degree programmes. Applicants getting below band 6 and above band 3 are admitted to the Foundation programme (Portfolio, p.54). WCAS recognised the importance of having a uniform entry standard as it attracts “students from local population as well as from expatriates [sic]” (Portfolio, p.22)

In practice, the Student Entry Test showed that students’ entry levels are not based on an internationally-recognised standard, such as an IELTS score, but on a test which has been devised by the institution. The Panel also noted that the Entry Tests given vary depending on which programme the students intended to enter. For example, for the Bachelor of Engineering, the Student Entry Test was based on English, Maths, Physics and Chemistry, while the Entry Test for the BBA focused only on English ability. The MBA requires an entry test with no extensive writing task. WCAS needs to review its entry testing mechanisms in order to ensure that the current tests are appropriate and effective.

2.4 Foundation Programme

WCAS claims to have a well-structured Foundation programme (Portfolio, p.22). However, the Panel found that the Foundation Programme Overview provided in the supplementary materials was plagiarised (see Appendix B). There is no formal exit examination at the end of the Foundation programme. It is assumed that after the students have completed the programme they will be at IELTS Level 6 and able to cope with the mainstream programme. However, in its Addendum to the Portfolio, WCAS recognises that a system for analysing the “outputs” of the programme is needed and that course material needs to be reviewed.

During the visit, the Panel interviewed staff involved in the Foundation programme and found that they were unaware of Oman’s “General Foundation Program Standards” which will be the basis for accreditation of Foundation programmes in the future.



Recommendation 11


Applied Sciences review its Foundation Programme to ensure it is in line

with Oman’s “Academic Standards for General Foundation Programs”.

2.5 Teaching Quality

A substantial part of this section of the Portfolio (pp. 23-25) was plagiarised (see Appendix B). Therefore, the following commentary and conclusions are based in part on the Portfolio, but also on information obtained from supporting material and interviews with staff, students and other stakeholders. WCAS identified “well-qualified teaching faculty” as one of its strengths in its evaluative summary. Teachers who are recruited in India have their induction at BIT before they arrive in Oman. Visiting faculty also come from BIT to deliver special lectures and supplement the curriculum content (Portfolio, p.9). Teachers who are recruited locally start as a part-time lecturer for one semester. The Panel observed that there was an awareness among staff of the challenges of teaching mixed ability classes and these were being addressed through a variety of teaching methods. In interviews, students also confirmed that teachers tried different approaches in the classroom. A student feedback system is conducted annually, as opposed to termly, but is not administered in a robust way, for example, teachers oversee the feedback sessions for their own classes. WCAS needs to develop and implement a comprehensive, regular, valid and reliable course evaluation system to inform on student satisfaction with teaching and learning (see Recommendation 19 below).

2.6 Plagiarism

In addition to the extensive plagiarism in the Portfolio, WCAS’s plagiarism policy statements

(Portfolio, p. 25) themselves were found to be plagiarised ( Appendix B). Interviews with staff and students revealed that plagiarism was often confused with cheating in tests. There was a widespread lack of understanding at WCAS of the seriousness of plagiarism and precisely what constitutes plagiarism.

Recommendation 12


Applied Sciences develop and adopt its own plagiarism policy consistent

with international best practice and develop a process for ensuring full

awareness of, and compliance with, this policy amongst staff and students.

2.7 Student Placements

The section on ‘Student Placements’ in the Portfolio (Portfolio, p.27) seemed to focus on career

placement (addressed in section 2.11) rather than on-the-job training opportunities integrated as part of the programme of study. The policy provided by WCAS on ‘Student Placements and On the Job Training’ states: “The College encourages on the job training for the students. Regular contacts with employers are maintained and students are provided with introductory cum [sic] request letter for their on the job training in different organization”. Although the Panel was informed by students that they had undertaken work placements, there were no structured work-based training opportunities for students during the duration of their courses. A common complaint amongst students was that there were very few opportunities for the practical application of theory. WCAS needs to review its current student placement activities to ensure



that these are properly supervised and provide the opportunities for students to develop and apply key skills.

2.8 Assessment Methods, Standards and Moderation

WCAS consistently employs a summative assessment process throughout all of its undergraduate and postgraduate programmes comprising two internal cycle tests (50% of a student’s marks) and an external final examination (50%) (Portfolio, p.32). There is no review or evaluation of the effectiveness of the assessment methods. A ‘Question Bank’ has been developed by staff at BIT which students have access to. The Panel was told that BIT prepares the final question papers using questions from this resource. The final examination papers are sent from BIT approximately one hour before the examination is due to commence, which gives WCAS insufficient time to undertake quality assurance on the exam questions. The final exam answer scripts are sent to BIT where they are marked and returned to WCAS approximately six to eight weeks later. On occasion, the time lapse is longer than two months. The Panel found that no cross-marking or internal moderation occurs. After the internal (cycle test) marks have been sent to BIT, the lecturers at WCAS have no authority to moderate. The Panel agrees with WCAS that results from BIT should be analysed in detail and shared with lecturers at WCAS. The Panel found that the current assessment and examination policy are inadequate, and lack any guidelines detailing standards of assessment, marking, moderation and timely feedback to students.

Recommendation 13


Applied Sciences, in conjunction with Birla Institute of Technology, develop

and ensure consistent implementation of a comprehensive and valid

assessment and examination policy, with guidelines describing standards of

assessment, marking, moderation and timely feedback to students.

2.9 Academic Security and Invigilation

An Examination Department has been established at WCAS for the purpose of administering final examinations (Portfolio, p.28) and the roles of invigilators and observers have been clearly outlined. In terms of security, final papers are received from BIT an hour before the examination time and are password protected. Although there are rules and regulations in place, WCAS needs to develop mechanisms to review the effectiveness of its academic security and invigilation practices.

2.10 Student Retention and Progression

WCAS observes that: “Student retention and progression is one of the major challenges being faced by the College [sic]” (Portfolio, p.33). WCAS has not yet engaged in sufficient analysis of its data to fully understand the extent or causal factors of this problem. The Panel’s analysis of the ‘Student Strength’ figures presented in the Portfolio (pp. vi – viii) indicated that there was an increasingly high drop out rate between Year 1 and Year 2 of the academic programmes (24.4% in academic year 2003/2004 to 36% in year 2005/2006). Notwithstanding the lack of detailed analysis, WCAS states that an “action plan is already underway” in its evaluative summary and that Academic Advisors have been assigned.



A review of the Foundation Programme was also identified as an opportunity for improvement. In its Action Plan, WCAS outlined mostly financial incentives to retain students, whereas in the Portfolio the challenge of student retention was seen as an academic one (p.34). WCAS needs to develop a more rigorous system of collection, analysis and interpretation of student data in order

to inform plans for improvement in this area, in line with Recommendation 7 above.

2.11 Graduate Destinations and Employability

WCAS’s objectives in this section were found to be plagiarised (see Appendix B). WCAS has a “two-pronged approach” to improve the employability of its students (Portfolio, p.35). Firstly, industry representatives are encouraged to come to the WCAS campus to hold interviews. Secondly, students are invited to attend the placement activities taking place at the BIT Ranchi campus, which was confirmed in correspondence with BIT and in interviews with students. However, there was limited data available to evaluate the effectiveness of these activities. Collection of statistics on employment rates of students has been identified as an opportunity for improvement and the Panel suggests that WCAS develop a mechanism for this.



3 STUDENT LEARNING BY RESEARCH PROGRAMMES

This section has been included in the Portfolio (pp.36-37), although WCAS does not offer student learning by research programmes. WCAS states that “Research programme for students is designed in alignment with the knowledge they acquire at the college” and “faculty members and experienced people from industry support the students in undertaking research activities” (Portfolio, p.36). WCAS also includes reference to “Thesis Examinations” (ibid, p.37) but students do not undertake these either at undergraduate or graduate level. In interviews, staff and students confirmed that project work is included as part of the coursework-based programmes but it carries little weighting in the overall assessment, which is primarily exam-driven. Despite WCAS’s claims, there is a minimal amount of student research taking place at either graduate or undergraduate level. The research project synopses that were submitted to the Panel for consideration were examples of staff rather than student research. WCAS needs to reconsider the role of student research in its undergraduate and graduate programmes, for example in terms developing students as independent learners, and develop approaches to incorporate this where appropriate.



4 STAFF RESEARCH AND CONSULTANCY

The Panel noted that the majority of this section of the Portfolio (pp. 40 – 42, pp. 44-45 and pp. 46-47) was plagiarised (see Appendix B). Given its status as a college, rather than a university college or a university, WCAS is not obliged to include research as an integral part of its activities. However, one of its long term objectives is to “enhance research activities in the Colleges in a balanced manner so that academic staff devotes [sic] time for teaching, research and administration” (Portfolio, p.12).

4.1 Research Planning & Management

WCAS aims “to develop a research culture among students and staff” (Portfolio, p.38). The WCAS Research Plan (Portfolio, pp.38-39) identifies key objectives but there is no information pertaining to how these objectives were developed. According to the Research Plan, the key focus “will be on implementation and support of new research management structure” (ibid, p.38). The Panel was informed that a Research Development Group would be formed in 2009 but its terms of reference had not yet been developed. There was neither an operational plan nor documented resource allocation to support the Colleges’ research aspirations. In order to achieve these, WCAS needs to develop a focused approach to research planning and infrastructure, involving key stakeholders.

Recommendation 14

The Oman Accreditation Council recommends that, once Waljat Colleges of

Applied Sciences have clarified the scope of their research and consulting

activity, a clear research plan and research infrastructure be developed to

reflect the mission of the Colleges.

4.2 Research Performance

This section of the Portfolio was found to have been plagiarised (see Appendix B). WCAS submitted a list of staff publications from the Management Department and project proposals. There was no data available on college-wide activities nor any indication of how WCAS measures the quality of its research performance. WCAS needs to develop a system for improved data collection along with a systematic approach to the review of its research performance.

4.3 Research Funding Schemes

WCAS claims to have established a research fund of $100,000 (Portfolio, p.42) but this claim fact was not corroborated during the visit. In interviews, staff confirmed that they had received financial support for research activities, that included, for example, travel costs to conferences. However, funding was provided on an ad hoc basis and was not part of an overall planned approach. The Colleges should take the opportunity to adopt a clear policy for research funding and monitor its effectiveness.

4.4 Consultancy Activities

Examples of consultancy activities carried out by WCAS staff are provided in the Portfolio (p.42). The Panel met staff and external stakeholders who have been involved with consultancy activities but these activities were not part of an overall strategy in this area. WCAS could now build on its positive relationship with industry and employers to undertake further consulting activities in order to build expertise and enhance curriculum development.



4.5 Ethics and Biosafety

WCAS currently has no college-wide policy on ethics. This policy now needs to be developed in order to support the integrity of staff research activities as well as the institution’s undergraduate and graduate programmes and its future consultancy activities. WCAS has provided examples of guidelines for biosafety in the laboratories (Portfolio, p43-44). However, the Panel could not find evidence of documented and effectively communicated policies and procedures in relation to ethics and biosafety. As Biotechnology programmes are now part of the WCAS suite of programmes, this area needs to be addressed.

4.6 Intellectual Property

The Panel found that this section of the Portfolio was plagiarised (see Appendix B). WCAS has demonstrated a significant lack of academic integrity through both the extensive plagiarism found in the Portfolio and the existence of multiple photocopies of published materials in the library. WCAS needs to develop a college-wide policy on intellectual property and ensure that respect for

this is rigorously monitored (see Recommendation 12 above and Recommendation 17 below).

4.7 Professional Development for Research

The Panel was informed that staff are encouraged to undertake research and consultancy. However, there are no planned professional development activities to support WCAS staff. WCAS needs to incorporate staff training for research as part of its overall professional

development plan (see Recommendation 21 below).

4.8 Research Commercialisation

The area of Research Commercialisation needs to be considered as WCAS develops its research profile.

4.9 Research-Teaching Nexus

According to WCAS, “Having established itself [sic] in the Undergraduate and Post graduate Studies, focus will now be to develop a research culture among students and staff” (Portfolio, p.38). There is no clear plan as to how the research culture among students and staff will be developed and implemented. The research-teaching nexus needs to be developed in line with

Recommendation 14 above.



5 INDUSTRY AND COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT

One of WCAS’s long term objectives is to:

“develop and maintain a close relationship with industry and professional bodies

for full exploitation of opportunities and potential” (Portfolio, p.12).

The Panel considered a range of materials and met with students, staff and a number of external stakeholders from industry and the local community in order to explore WCAS’s engagement with industry and the community. In the Strategic Plan, WCAS identifies the location of the Colleges in Knowledge Oasis Muscat (KOM), “the technology hub of Oman”, as one of its strengths (Portfolio, p.10). The establishment of WCAS at this key location provides opportunities for the future growth and physical expansion of the College. WCAS could take advantage of its strategic location in relation to industries and other tertiary institutions based there, for example, through forming strategic partnerships with other tenants to provide student placements,.

5.1 Industry and Community Engagement Planning & Management

WCAS describes a number of activities in relation to planning and management in this area which includes: developing a special web page to cater to the needs of industry’s manpower requirements; marketing research projects to help organisations with their marketing strategies; and conferences, workshops and seminars “to engage the community” (Portfolio, p.48). While these activities support WCAS’s interaction with the wider community, these are organised on an ad hoc basis and do not reflect a systematic, planned approach to industry and community engagement.

Recommendation 15


Applied Sciences develop a systematic approach to industry and community

engagement which builds on existing activities and networks, and takes full

advantage of its location.

5.2 Relationships with Industry and Employers

In the Portfolio, WCAS states that it “has responded positively to the needs of targeted industries and employers” (Portfolio, p.48) through offering more part-time evening programmes; inviting industry representatives to give guest lectures to MBA students; organising industrial tours and sending students for on the job training. WCAS held a number of brainstorming sessions with representatives from academia and industry in order to review the current course offerings, as well as other conferences and workshops. During the audit visit, the Panel met external stakeholders and industry representatives who were positive about their relationship with WCAS and appreciated their involvement in visits and workshops. It was clear to the Panel that this relationship with industry and employers was one of the strengths of WCAS. In future, WCAS could use these links to obtain feedback from

employers on its graduates’ performance (refer to section 2.1 above).



Commendation 1

The Oman Accreditation Council commends Waljat Colleges of Applied

Sciences for promoting interaction with industry and employers through a

range of initiatives and using it to enhance the student experience.

5.3 Relationships with Professions

WCAS claims to have membership of Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE) (Portfolio, p.49). The Panel found that only one member of staff was an IEEE member and was unable to find evidence to support the claim that any faculty were members of other professional bodies. Individual membership should not be confused with corporate membership. Establishing relationships with professional bodies will provide staff with up to date information, especially in areas of technological advancement, which will in turn support curriculum development.

5.4 Relationships with Other Education Providers

WCAS plans to set up joint projects and student exchange programmes with foreign and local universities (Portfolio, p.49). However, these had not been developed at the time of the visit. The Panel agrees this could be useful for future development.

5.5 Relationships with Alumni

WCAS states that it “recognises the importance of a strong interaction with its alumni and has already established a mechanism to have a fruitful contact with them…we believe in maintaining a strong bondage [sic] with our former students” (Portfolio, pp.49-50). Plans for the alumni group included developing a database; sending them regular updates about the College’s activities and enabling former students to join the alumni group through the college web-site (Portfolio, p.50). An alumni gathering took place at the beginning of the academic year 2008/2009 and an “alumni interaction group” is in the process of being formed. WCAS may wish to consider using the alumni group to obtain feedback from students on their satisfaction with programmes and the WCAS experience.

Affirmation 2

The Oman Accreditation Council supports the initiative of Waljat Colleges

of Applied Sciences to set up an alumni association in order to support its

ongoing industry and community engagement activities.

5.6 Relationships with the Community at Large

WCAS intends to “make available our resources to all those who need them for academic pursuit” (Portfolio, p.12). WCAS aims to provide its resources to the community. It encourages groups to use College facilities and sponsors sporting events (Portfolio, pp.50-51). This was confirmed in interviews with representatives from the community. The Panel supports WCAS’s efforts to engage with the local community and build on its relationship with the community at large.



6 ACADEMIC SUPPORT SERVICES

According to WCAS: “Academic Support Services helps students to develop and strengthen skills essential for their academic success through academic counselling and advising and tutoring weak students” (Portfolio, p.52). Academic Support Services are in place but could be improved through systematic implementation and co-ordination.

6.1 Academic Support Services Planning & Management

WCAS provides a range of academic support services to students on an ad hoc basis. These are not linked to the Colleges’ Strategic or Business Plans. The effective management of academic support services relies on a sound planning process, appropriate structures and delegated authorities. This is particularly relevant to the provision of resources such as library materials and information technology (IT). Although WCAS recognises the importance of these services, the Panel concluded that there was no co-ordinated, organisation-wide planning process for the areas of academic support services.

Recommendation 16


Applied Sciences develop a systematic approach to planning and managing

its academic support services, particularly in relation to its library facilities

and IT support.

6.2 Registry (Enrolment and Student Records)

WCAS has implemented a custom built IT system for the purpose of student registration and maintaining records. The system currently meets the basic requirements of the Registry. The Panel agrees with WCAS that the database needs to be updated and improved (Portfolio, p.58) for the purposes of more effective data storage and reporting. WCAS is working with a local IT developer to enhance the Registry system.

Affirmation 3

The Oman Accreditation Council agrees that Waljat Colleges of Applied

Sciences need to improve the registration system and supports its efforts to

update its current facility through the development of customised software.

6.3 Library

WCAS claims that the “objective of library services is to achieve optimum utilisation of learning resources and provide the users with state of art facility to collect knowledge and information” (Portfolio, p.58). There appears to be no long term planning or budgetary system for the library, with requests for books and other resources being dealt with on an ad hoc basis. WCAS has formed a Library Advisory Committee (LAC) but it has made little progress in dealing with the issues raised, for example, extending opening hours to accommodate the needs of part-time students; increasing the number of library staff or having student representation on the LAC. However, WCAS has introduced a library management system, Vidya, that is being used for library operations. The Panel visited the library and discussed its operations with staff and students. The majority of the books in the library were copies of core textbooks, with few other learning resource materials or journals. The Panel found evidence that multiple copies of whole books and manuscripts were being made and placed in the library for use by students. WCAS was not able to produce a



copyright license and may be in breach of the Oman Copyright and Related Rights Law (Royal Decree No. 65/2008) which does not permit multiple copying of texts. WCAS should seriously consider whether the reproduction of text books in this manner is both legally and morally appropriate.

Recommendation 17


Applied Sciences improve its acquisitions policy to ensure that the needs of

the academic programmes are met and that the Colleges respect Omani

copyright laws.

6.4 Information and Learning Technology Services

In the Portfolio, WCAS claims that it has “state of the art computer labs with campus-wide network LAN facility” (p.61). During the audit visit, it was clear that the procurement of IT equipment was done on an ad hoc basis as the need for new equipment arose. The Panel did not find evidence of plans and policies to support the management and development of the IT services nor a policy to upgrade IT equipment on a regular basis. The Panel concluded that WCAS needs to review its current provision of information and learning technology services to meet the growing needs of its staff and student population.

6.5 Academic Advising

WCAS has implemented a class advisor system for students seeking academic advice and related issues (Portfolio, p.69). Speaking to staff and students during the audit visit, the Panel found that the class advisor system was well-received by students and that it was proving to be successful in helping them in their studies.

Commendation 2


Sciences for developing and implementing a class advisor system which is

being well-received by both staff and students. WCAS could consider developing training materials for staff in this area and tracking the success of the class advisor system in order to inform improvements in the future.

6.6 Student Learning Support

Student learning support is provided in various ways: through handouts to students; seminars and conferences; tutoring weak students; library facilities and visits to industry (Portfolio, p.70). Evidence suggested that staff considered students’ language ability to be a problem and there was little indication that this issue was being addressed by WCAS. The Panel was unable to find evidence to show that WCAS provided formal workshops or other forms of learning support (e.g. peer assisted learning programmes) to students on an ongoing basis. After considering the factors contributing to attrition and diminished academic performance, the Panel concluded that WCAS needs to develop more structured intervention strategies and support for ‘at risk’ students post-Foundation level.

Recommendation 18


Applied Sciences develop a formal system for identifying ‘at risk’ students

and provide college-wide language, communication and study skills support

for the student community post-Foundation.



6.7 Teaching Resources

The Panel found that, generally, staff and students were satisfied with the provision of teaching resources, including classrooms and classroom equipment. WCAS employs qualified laboratory technicians for the computing and biotechnology programmes. Although WCAS claims it “is continuously enriching the teaching resources as per the requirements” (Portfolio, p.71), there was no evidence of a formal system or plan for developing teaching resources. WCAS could improve its current provision of teaching resources through a systematic, planned approach.



7 STUDENTS AND STUDENT SUPPORT SERVICES

Under “Students and Student Support Services”, WCAS states that: “The Colleges provide a wide range of student support services to assist students excel in their academic and non-academic pursuit” (Portfolio, p.73). However, parts of the sections describing career development planning

and enhancing employability were found to be plagiarised (see Appendix B) which undermined the Panel’s confidence in WCAS’s approach in these areas.

7.1 Students and Student Support Services Planning & Management

Major student support services include “Career Planning and Development; Counseling; Health; Sport; Student Affairs; and the Student Council” (Portfolio, p.73). The Panel considered the provision of activities in these areas, but were unable to find evidence of a planned and managed approach, linked to either the WCAS’s Strategic Plan or Objectives. Planning in this area needs to be considered in the context of the WCAS’s overall approach to planning (see

Recommendation 4 above).

7.2 Student Profile

The Colleges have developed in terms of student population in a controlled way, in that in general facilties have kept pace with numbers. The student population is diverse in culture and background and has a good gender balance. Data provided in the Portfolio (pp. vi, vii, viii, 76) show that the gender mix is approximately 50/50 and that part-time students currently make up around 27% of the student population. The data also show that around a quarter of the students are non-Omani although there is no breakdown of nationalities. The Panel found little analysis of the student profile data nor evidence to suggest that these statistics are being collected systematically or being used for planning purposes. WCAS should use this data to inform current and future operational and resource planning.

7.3 Student Satisfaction and Climate

WCAS claims that “student satisfaction is core to Waljat’s mission” (Portfolio, p.77). During the audit visit, the Panel found that, in general, students were positive about their experiences at WCAS, considered teaching staff to be supportive and management responsive to their feedback on course issues. WCAS has not developed a consistent, college-wide approach in order to measure student satisfaction. The Panel found that the approach to developing a student satisfaction questionnaire presented in the Portfolio (p.77) was plagiarised (see Appendix B) as it did not match the topics in the student survey results presented in other supplementary material. No analysis of survey results was provided. WCAS needs to review its current mechanisms for the collection and analysis of student feedback in order to inform improvements on the services it offers to students.

Recommendation 19


Applied Sciences develop and implement a valid and comprehensive system

for collecting student feedback on all aspects of the student experience, such

as a student course evaluation system, in order to inform improvements in

the different services provided to students.



7.4 Student Behaviour

WCAS has developed a Student Guide which details several aspects of the WCAS’s programmes, policies and processes as well as rules for student behaviour. The scope of information provided in the current guide could be reviewed in order to meet the needs of postgraduate students. WCAS should consider developing a more comprehensive student guide which meets the needs of the whole student community. As rules and regulations for students’ behaviour are already in place, these need to be reviewed on a regular basis to evaluate their effectiveness.

7.5 Career and Employment Services

WCAS has formed a Placement Cell “which is a crucial interface between the stages of completion of academic programme of the students and their entry into suitable employment” (Portfolio, p.82). Students also have access to the Career Counselling and Placement Cell facilities of BIT Ranchi (Portfolio, p.8). The Panel found evidence during the audit visit of nascent but innovative structures and systems to support student career development and work experience. These included workshops and individual assistance with development of curriculum vitae and interview preparation and Placement Cell activities to match employers and students. Whilst there was a small percentage of the student cohort participating in these initiatives at this stage, WCAS recognizes the importance of providing these career and employment services to students and the Panel commends this initiative. WCAS, however, needs to promote the Placement Cell activities more widely in the student community.

Commendation 3


Sciences on establishing effective mechanisms for a student career

development and employment service which includes a Placement Cell

linking students to employers.

7.6 Student Finances

The Panel was impressed by the commitment of WCAS to providing financial support initiatives such as Merit Scholarships, ‘Earn While You Learn’ initiatives, and differential fee discounts to increase student access and participation (Portfolio, p.85). These initiatives showed a commitment to increasing the education levels in Oman and students were appreciative of the opportunities provided by these support systems.

Commendation 4


Sciences for developing effective systems to provide financial support for

students through scholarships and mechanisms such as the ‘Earn While You

Learn’ scheme.

7.7 Accommodation, Catering and Transport

WCAS does not provide student accommodation but “assists students in finding suitable accommodation in nearby areas on request from students” (Portfolio, p.86). The Panel was informed that students find accommodation off-campus with sometimes three to four students sharing a room. There was evidence that WCAS was cognisant of the current problems with regard to student accommodation (Portfolio, p.11) and the importance of providing sufficient and appropriate on campus accommodation, particularly for female students. WCAS’s planned building programme incorporates this accommodation facility.



Affirmation 4

The Oman Accreditation Council agrees with Waljat Colleges of Applied

Sciences that the issue of female student accommodation needs to be

addressed and supports the institution’s plans to develop accommodation

facilities on campus.

7.8 Medical and Counselling Facilities

WCAS provides a fully equipped medical unit managed by an external provider (Portfolio, p.87). Students currently approach student affairs administrative staff, class advisors, teaching staff or heads of department if they have problems of a personal nature. Whilst these staff can provide support for administrative and academic issues, they are not trained to provide the level of professional counselling support required by students. The Panel found a general lack of awareness of the counselling facilities provided amongst the students interviewed.

Recommendation 20


Applied Sciences develop and implement a systematic, documented and

institution-wide approach to counselling services and ensures that the

student body is made aware of this facility.

7.9 International Student Services

One of the institution’s long term objectives is to: “encourage applicants from different countries for our programmes” (Portfolio, p.12). In the academic year 2007/2008, around 25% of the WCAS student body was non-Omani (Portfolio, p.vi) although the majority of those students were expatriates resident in Oman. WCAS claims that it “takes care of its international students and helps them in a wide area such as accommodation, medical, emergency financial requirements etc” and that “special counselling” is provided to help international students to understand the local people and culture (Portfolio, p.89). The Panel concluded that the institution needs to ensure that its support for international students is consistent and clearly communicated to students.

7.10 Social and Recreational Services and Facilities

Through its social and recreational services and facilities, WCAS aims to “bring out the inherent talents of its students” (Portfolio, p.89). The Panel found significant evidence of a range of clubs and events, including “Open Days”, providing a vibrant array of social, sporting and cultural activities for students. Many of these activities celebrate the student diversity present on campus. Students interviewed indicated that they found participation in these activities one of the highlights of their student experience at WCAS. The Panel found evidence of an engaged and energetic Student Council which is well supported by WCAS’s management and staff.

Commendation 5


Sciences for setting up and supporting an active Student Council and

offering a range of activities which accommodate and celebrate the diversity

of students on campus.



8 STAFF AND STAFF SUPPORT SERVICES

WCAS claims that “In an academic institution, Human Resource [sic] is the greatest asset” (Portfolio, p.91) and that one of its strengths is “highly qualified and skilled faculty members” (ibid, p.10).

8.1 Human Resources Planning & Management

According to WCAS, Human Resources (HR) Planning and Management is given a high priority. In practice, HR requirements are identified by the Heads of Department before being passed on to the Dean. Teaching staff requests are passed on to BIT for approval. The Panel was informed that there have been delays in the response from BIT to these requests which has resulted in shortages of teaching staff. The Panel recognises WCAS’s efforts to resolve this situation (see

Affirmation 1 above). A Human Resource Plan has been developed by WCAS (in Business Plan 2008-2009) but has not yet been implemented. There is no indication of the role of BIT in developing this plan nor how well it has been communicated to key stakeholders. An operational plan needs to be developed in order to support the implementation of the current HR Plan. .

8.2 Staff Profile

At the time of the quality audit, there were a total of 84 staff employed at WCAS. According to staff figures provided, 78% of administrative staff were Omani and 87% of teaching staff were expatriate. Of the 87% of teaching staff, approximately 50% were deputed by BIT. The rest of the teaching faculty were recruited locally in Oman (Portfolio, p.92). Staff from BIT (including the Dean) were on two to three-year contracts, which has implications for continuity and succession planning. WCAS, in conjunction with its affiliate partner, needs to consider how the issue of continuity will be addressed. Taking into account of the type of programmes offered by WCAS (i.e. four year Bachelor of Engineering, Bachelor of Computer Applications (Honours) and Bachelor of Administration programmes, and an MBA and Executive MBA), the Panel noted that few faculty members held Doctorates. WCAS recognises this as an opportunity for improvement and a small number of staff have registered for PhD studies.

8.3 Recruitment and Selection

WCAS states that “BIT Ranchi…identifies and selects the Faculty Members through its well developed recruitment and selection procedure” (Portfolio, p.8) and that WCAS offers a suitable compensation package so that the best talent in the field can be attracted (ibid, p.17). WCAS is responsible for recruiting local staff with no apparent input from BIT. In its Business Plan 2008-2009, WCAS claims that the strategy of having BIT-recruited and local staff “leads to develop [sic] balanced resources of good academic caliber”. However, the Panel was informed that local recruitment took place on an ad hoc basis. There was also an issue with

BIT’s lack of timely recruitment of teaching staff for WCAS (mentioned in section 8.1 above). The Panel could find no evidence of a systematic, consistent approach to proactively recruiting and selecting either BIT or local teaching staff.

Recommendation 21


Applied Sciences address the need for a more formally articulated and



consistent set of procedures for staff selection, recruitment, induction,

professional development and performance management to ensure that the

Colleges attract and retain competent staff.

8.4 Induction

Staff recruited through BIT are given an “induction programme at its campus before deputing them to the Muscat International Centre” (Portfolio, p.8). In Oman, new employees are given an orientation on the college [sic] activities as well as on how their departments function” (Portfolio, p.93). Although WCAS recognises this area as an opportunity for improvement, and claim that a clear staff orientation process is being established, the Panel was unable to find evidence of a documented, formal approach to staff induction and recommends that opportunities for

improvement in this area are addressed (see Recommendation 21 above).

8.5 Professional Development

In the area of professional development, WCAS claims that “Teaching staff is [sic] encouraged to publish papers, attend seminars, workshops and conferences” (Portfolio, p.93). According to the Business Plan 2008-2009, workshops are being planned which will motivate both academic and administrative staff. The Panel was informed that a number of staff have been supported in their professional development, for example staff studying for a terminal qualification with BIT pay only 50% of the fees. While there are professional development activities taking place, these are not part of a managed, needs-based approach to training. The Panel also noted that Omani trainee teaching staff have been appointed and they are undergoing a training programme (Portfolio, p.97). However, the Panel found no evidence of a documented system for training new teaching staff. The Panel concludes that WCAS should develop a coherent and consistent approach to the professional development of all staff (see

Recommendation 21 above).

8.6 Performance Planning and Review

According to WCAS “Performance planning and review is considered an important aspect for the development of the Colleges and is being implemented in stages” (Portfolio, p.94). Teaching staff are required to complete an appraisal form which is submitted to their Head of Department which is in turn submitted to the Dean. There is a sense that this is a system still under development with a need for the ‘feedback loop’ to be closed. WCAS recognises that this is an opportunity for improvement as structured meetings and proper communication channels need to be established with clear guidance. Staff confirmed that they had taken part in performance appraisal but had received no feedback; this is an area in which the Colleges need to monitor its

developments (see Recommendation 21 above).

8.7 Promotion and Other Incentives

Promotion and other incentives differ depending on whether staff are recruited by BIT, are expatriates recruited locally or are Omani. BIT teaching staff are recruited as per BIT regulations (Portfolio, p.96) and are interviewed in Oman for promotion in India. There is no formal promotion system in place for either non-BIT teaching staff or administrative staff. Omani staff are “given increments every year based on their annual performance review”, while other staff are “given increments once in two years” (Portfolio, p. 95). While there was evidence to support the claim that there is a regular review of salary of all staff to counter inflation, the Panel found a lack of consistency in the treatment of BIT-recruited and locally-recruited/Omani staff in terms of promotion and other incentives. WCAS needs to



consider implementing an equitable, transparent system for promotions and incentives which applies to all staff.

8.8 Severance

WCAS recognises that “severance is always a difficult decision” and sees it as “part of the organisational process” (Portfolio, p.95). WCAS holds informal exit interviews with staff: however, there is no formal system for dealing with staff terminations or related appeals. This is an area that needs to be addressed.

8.9 Staff Organisational Climate and Retention

“The Colleges provide an open and professional environment for staff which facilitates good organisational climate and retention of staff” (Portfolio, p.96). WCAS claims to have a procedure for dealing with the grievances of employees (ibid, p.18) but this was not made available to the Panel. In interviews, the Panel was told that regular staff meetings were held with the Dean and that social activities are also held. There were plans to conduct staff satisfaction surveys but these had not been carried out by the time of the quality audit. WCAS needs to develop a systematic approach to collecting feedback from staff in order to support retention and to promote positive, equitable working environment.

Recommendation 22


Applied Sciences develop and implement a system for collecting staff

feedback in order to support a positive and equitable staff organisational

climate.

8.10 Omanisation

Omanisation is a “key area” of Human Resources (Portfolio, p.96). At the time of the audit, statistics showed that over 78% of the administrative staff were Omani and there were 8 Omani staff (13% of the academic staff) in the teaching departments. WCAS plan to give priority to Omanis when vacancies were filled. Omani staff working at WCAS are given favourable tuition fees (Portfolio, p.97) and those interviewed confirmed that they attended workshops and training programmes. The Panel recognises the efforts that WCAS is making to Omanise its workforce both in academic and administrative areas.

Affirmation 5

The Oman Accreditation Council supports Waljat Colleges of Applied

Sciences’ efforts towards the Omanisation of its workforce.



9 GENERAL SUPPORT SERVICES AND FACILITIES

The Panel found that sections of the Portfolio relating to WCAS’s approach to General Support Services and Facilities were taken from web sources which were not acknowledged (see

Appendix B). These plagiarised elements were not considered by the Panel.

9.1 General Support Services and Facilities Planning and Management

The planning and control of resources for the General Support Services and Facilities are the responsibility of WCAS’s General Administration Department (Portfolio, p.98). In the Business Plan 2008-2009, WCAS presents its plan for capital investments with proposals to develop a new building. The Panel was informed that the new building would accommodate student activities and a new canteen. The Panel was unable to find a systematic approach to the planning, monitoring or control of general support services and facilities management

Recommendation 23


Applied Sciences develop and implement a plan for the management of

General Support Services and Facilities in order to ensure operational

effectiveness in this area.

9.2 Public Relations and Marketing

WCAS has constituted a Marketing Committee (Portfolio, p.13) in order to oversee its Marketing Plans and claims that an area of strength is “a very good marketing plan with proper budgeting”. While the Panel would concur that there are plans in place with financial resources allocated, WCAS needs to develop mechanisms for the implementation of the plan and monitor the effectiveness of its marketing initiatives.

9.3 Communication Services

In its 2008-2009 Business Plan, WCAS states that “Important notices and developments will be continuously communicated to employees so as to keep them abreast of developments and promoting a sense of belonging and oneness in the organisation”. The lack of awareness among staff and students of a number of important issues (such as the Strategic Plan, the Portfolio and the Quality Audit process) suggests that WCAS has work to do in improving its means of communicating with the WCAS community. The Panel therefore concluded that WCAS needs to focus on developing improved institutional communication systems.

9.4 Facilities Management

WCAS states that Facilities Management includes “overall hygiene and cleanliness; upkeep of campus facilities; secretarial assistance; maintenance and management of equipments, furniture and fixtures etc” (Portfolio, p.100). However, the Panel was unable to find evidence of a strategy

for facilities management planning (see Recommendation 23 above).



APPENDIX A. AUDIT PANEL

Professor Frank McIntosh (Panel Chairperson) Principal and Dean Caledonian College of Engineering Muscat Sultanate of Oman Dr Sabah Al Sulaiman Associate Professor Department of Mechanical & Industrial Engineering Sultan Qaboos University Sultanate of Oman Professor Deborah Clayton Adjunct Professor Central Queensland University Australia Dr Patsy Paxton SANTED Project Nelson Mandela Metropolitan University Port Elizabeth South Africa Dr Lejla Vrazalic Campus Programmeme Co-ordinator, Business & Computing Middlesex University Dubai UAE Tess Goodliffe (Executive Officer) Oman Accreditation Council



APPENDIX B. EVIDENCE OF PLAGIARISM IN THE WCAS MATERIALS

# WCAS Materials Evidence Conclusion

1 Section A(g)

“Financial Management”

(Portfolio, pp. 14-15)

Karnataka State Police Housing Corporation Limited, India

Quality Manual, section 6 “Resource Management”

(sourced from www.ksphc.org/Quality%20Manual/14%20(R1)%20Sec%206%20-%20Resource%20Management%20280505.doc , last accessed 11/01/2009)

Clear plagiarism

2 Section B(d)

“Teaching Quality”


University of Exeter, UK

Teaching Quality Assurance Manual, “Management of a Programme of Study”

(sourced from http://admin.exeter.ac.uk/academic/tls/tqa/newtqa.htm, last accessed 11/01/2009)

Clear plagiarism

3 SM045

Foundation Course Overview

European Business School, London

Business Foundation Course, “Foundation Course Overview”

(sourced from http://www.ebslondon.ac.uk/courses/business_foundation_course.aspx, last accessed 12/01/2009)

Clear plagiarism

4 Section B(e)

“Plagiarism”


The University of Nottingham, UK

“Quality Manual: Academic Offences Policy and Procedure”

(sourced from http://www.nottingham.ac.uk/quality-manual/assessment/offences.htm, last accessed 11/01/2009)

Clear plagiarism

5 Section D(b)

“Research Performance”


Department of Computer Sciences, Purdue University, USA

“Ways to Measure Research”"

(sourced from www.cs.purdue.edu/homes/dec/essay.research.measure.html, last accessed 11/01/2009)

Clear plagiarism

6 Section D(f)

“Intellectual Property”


Flinders University, Australia

“Policies and Procedures: Intellectual Property”

(sourced from http://www.flinders.edu.au/ppmanual/policySecretariat/ip.htm, last accessed 11/01/2009)

Clear plagiarism

7 Section D, i)

“Research Teaching Nexus”

(Portfolio, p. 47)

University Teaching Development Centre, Victoria University of Wellington, New Zealand

“Enhancing learning with research: a working paper”

(sourced from http://www.utdc.vuw.ac.nz/documentation/spectrum1/Paper11.htm, last accessed 11/01/2009)

Clear plagiarism



8 Section G, c)

“Student Satisfaction and Climate”


Selkirk College, British Columbia, Canada

“Issue Paper: Understanding Student Satisfaction”

(sourced from http://admin.selkirk.bc.ca/research/documents/issue_satisfaction%5B1%5D.pdf , last accessed 11/01/2009)

Clear plagiarism

9 Section I

“General Support Services and Facilities”

(Portfolio, p.98)

Karnataka State Police Housing Corporation Limited, India

“Quality Manual”

(sourced from http://www.ksphc.org/Quality%Manual/14%20(R1)%20Sec%206%20-%20Resource%20Management%20280505.doc , last accessed 11/01/2009)

Clear plagiarism

10 Section I

“General Support Services and Facilities: Purchasing and Purchasing Information”

(Portfolio, pp.98-99)

Holland College, Prince Edward Island Community College, Canada

“Quality Manual”

(sourced from http://www.hollandc.pe.ca/Quality/QMS/HC_Quality_Manual.pdf , last accessed 11/01/2009)

Clear plagiarism



APPENDIX C. ABBREVIATIONS, ACRONYMS AND TERMS

The following abbreviations, acronyms and terms are used in this Report. As necessary, they are explained in context. In some cases, URLs are provided to facilitate further enquiries about these acronyms and terms.

ADRI ..............................................A four step, cyclical model for analysing a topic, comprising: Approach → Deployment → Results → Improvement.

Approach ........................................The first dimension of the ADRI cycle, which focuses on evaluating what a HEP aims to achieve for a given topic and how it proposes to achieve it.

AOS ................................................Area of Strength

BA ..................................................Bachelor of Arts

BBA................................................Bachelor’s degree in Business Administration

BIT..................................................Birla Institute of Technology, Ranchi, India

BoD ................................................Board of Directors

Call Back Interview........................An interview conducted by the Audit Panel towards the end of the Audit Visit for which it has invited specific people, usually at short notice, to respond to particular issues on which the Panel will require assistance.

Deployment ....................................The second dimension of the ADRI cycle, which focuses on whether a HEP’s plans for a given topic are being followed in practice, and if not, why not.

Executive Officer............................An OAC staff member assigned to an Audit Panel to provide professional guidance and support.

External Reviewer ..........................A Member of the OAC Register of External Reviewers; a person approved by the OAC Board to participate as a member of the OAC’s various external review panels.

HEI .................................................Higher Education Institution (also known as HEP – Higher Education Provider)\

Ibid..................................................Same as the previous reference

IEEE ...............................................Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers

IELTS..............................................International English Language Testing System

Improvement...................................The fourth dimension of the ADRI cycle, which focuses on how effectively an organisation is improving its approach and deployment for any given topic in order to achieve better results.

KOM...............................................Knowledge Oasis Muscat

LAC ................................................Library Advisory Committee

MBA...............................................Master’s degree in Business Administration

MoHE .............................................Ministry of Higher Education (www.mohe.gov.om)

OAC Board.....................................The governing body of the Oman Accreditation Council

OAC................................................Oman Accreditation Council (www.oac.gov.om)

OFI..................................................Opportunity for improvement.

OQF ................................................Oman Qualifications Framework.

Panel Chairperson...........................The Chairperson of the Audit Panel.

Panel Member.................................An OAC External Reviewer who is a member of an Audit Panel.



Portfolio..........................................see Quality Audit Portfolio.

Quality Assurance ..........................The combination of policies and processes for ensuring that stated intentions are met.

Quality Audit Portfolio...................The report produced as the result of a self study. Also forms the main submission made to the OAC by the HEP being audited.

Quality Audit Report ......................A public report published by the OAC which presents the findings and conclusions of the Audit Panel’s External Review of a HEP.

Quality Audit ..................................An independent evaluation of the effectiveness of the system and processes by which a HEP sets, pursues and achieves its mission and vision.

Quality Enhancement .....................The combination of policies and processes for improving upon existing approach, deployment and results.

Random Interview ..........................An interview conducted in situ by individual Panel Members during the Audit but separately from the main interview sessions.

Results ............................................The third dimension of the ADRI cycle, which focuses on the evidence of the outputs and outcomes of a topic’s approach and deployment.

Sic...................................................referenced exactly from the source (even if the source contained errors or was ambiguous)

SWOT Analysis..............................Analysis of an organisation’s strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats

System ............................................In this Report, system refers to plans, policies, processes and results that are integrated towards the fulfilment of a common purpose.

WCAS ............................................Waljat Colleges of Applied Sciences



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