مدير جامعة الطائف: سنوجه الزيادة في موازنتنا لتحسين البيئة التعليمة والخدمات الإلكترونية
2019-02-18Taif University to Open Admission to 25 Graduate Programs This Year
15 January 2019
TU President Dr. Husam bin Abdulwahab Zaman confirmed that the university has increased its budget for the current fiscal year, noting that it will use this increase towards improving the educational environment and developing electronic services before the end of the year. In a speech at the annual forum for TU faculty, Dr. Zaman expressed his thanks and appreciation for the wise leadership of the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Salman bin Abdul Aziz Al Saud and Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman bin Abdul Aziz Al Saud, for their support of the educational sector in general and Taif University in particular, a support actualized in the continuous increase in the annual budget despite the economic conditions.
Dr. Zaman stressed that TU is proud to take the initiative early by focusing on the learning outcomes through launching the Programmatic Transformation Project, by being ready to launch Programmatic Transformation Project (II), and the completion of the Programmatic Transformation of Graduate Studies. President Zaman announced that TU will launch 25 graduate programs for admission this year, to be followed by another 25 programs next year. A new round of program transformation will be launched to start academic courses and programs with a greater focus on skills and practical applications, and to establish new interdisciplinary programs.
TU President pointed out that official statistics show a clear disparity in academic attainment between male and female students, with the latter scoring higher. He stated that standardizing academic courses and tests aims at raising the level among all students. Regarding the shortage of faculty members in the College of Business Administration compared to the ratio of students, Dr. Zaman pointed out that CBA is one of the colleges in which more new jobs have been created, the highest to hire more fresh PhD holders, and has the highest vacancies announced. President Zaman confirmed that there are quick and long-term solutions to address this problem of under-staffing in certain colleges.
Dr. Zaman announced that TU will open its research labs before the end of the current semester, in which all the equipment and research requirements will be available in most scientific disciplines, and will be open most hours of the day in order to assist researchers. He stressed that TU will leverage the increase in its budget to improve its teaching labs as well as obtain materials, solutions and other research necessities.
He praised the "National Hashtag," a student initiative supported by faculty members in the Department of History at the College of Arts on the occasion of the fourth anniversary of the coronation of the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques. He called for the need to activate student initiatives and activities in colleges, departments, and student clubs. He stressed the University's keenness to activate student activities by focusing on quality activities such as the scientific forum, the Cultural Olympiad, and other special events which will soon be organized.
Dr. Zaman affirmed that TU will not tolerate any form of plagiarism, be the perpetrator a student cheating on a test or a faculty member engaged in research, saying that the University administration has already addressed the concerned authorities to confront such an unethical practice. He called upon faculty members to address this phenomenon by informing students that all research is read, compared, and reviewed, and that anyone found guilty of cheating or plagiarism will be referred to a disciplinary board for disciplinary action. He pointed out that the University has made available a number of tools to help verify research, thus leaving no room for such unethical practices but to be dealt with professionally and decisively.
President Zaman noted that TU received the first batch of scholarship students from different countries, most of whom joined the Arabic Language Unit for Non-native Speakers, while others joined different academic disciplines. Other groups will join them in the coming year. He addressed faculty members, “Let me remind you of your international mission in dealing with international students, and of the fact that TU is keen on internationalizing its student community and enriching it as much as possible with future students from different countries to share with their Saudi peers in learning and gaining experience.” He also called upon faculty members to promote the sense of belonging to Taif University among students and to urge them to benefit from TU and its professors.