General Requirements Centre
About
The General Requirements Centre is an academic administrative centre entrusted with all the academic, administrative and organizational tasks associated with the University general requirements, following the University’s regulations approved by the Ministry of Education for the establishment and structuring of University centres, as well as specifying their tasks and responsibilities
General requirements are generally intended to be a diverse package of University courses through which the University seeks to build competence shared by all graduates of this institution, including the general courses offered at each individual faculty.
The General Requirements
The Centre operates in coordination and cooperation with the faculties and University departments to provide courses within the assigned study plans. Following four domains of knowledge that are linked to each study plan and built on the basis of the Program Transformation Project of the University: General knowledge, language proficiency, University skills, and applied skills.
These requirements can be categorized as follows:
1. Compulsory General Requirements
Courses that the student must study to complete the bachelor's degree requirements.
2. Elective requirements
These are several courses that have been developed for specific educational objectives and outputs, that form the identity of Taif University student and are available to the students to elect from within the number of hours required for the fulfillment of a Bachelor's degree. The course may not be directly connected with the student specialization, but it can be useful to the student's general interests, through which he might want to increase his skills and knowledge needed for any future career.
The above requirements are offered as follows:
The Scope of General Knowledge
1. General Knowledge
Under the scope of general knowledge, the centre seeks to enhance the cultural aspects of learning through giving several courses that are concerned with the establishment of the righteous Islamic doctrine, and link the Muslim generations to the basic sources of Islam.
2. Language Proficiency
The scope of Language proficiency is one of the most important requirements for undergraduate qualifications. Language proficiency provides students with the basic knowledge in Arabic and English based on a range of courses that correspond to different disciplines at the University faculties
3. University Skills
Through providing the necessary University skills, the centre aims to develop the behavioral aspect of the student's personality, through offering a variety of courses that provide students with the knowledge and skills of University life. Through motivating students to participate in the applied fields of community service.
4. Applied Skills
Through providing the necessary applied skills, the centre seeks to enhance students’ skills of safe computer use, mobile as well as Internet applications, as these skills are important in overcoming problems of modern culture, protecting individuals’ privacy, and providing them with the values of using modern technology, consistent with the values of society and Islamic culture.
:The Objectives of the Centre
The following are the strategic and educational objectives of the centre:
- To develop common general skills and knowledge of University students in all disciplines.
- To develop ways of aligning the University’s programs and outputs with the labor market.
- To establish the concept of values in the life of the University student, including religious, national and social values.
- To develop the critical thinking and analytic skills.
- To raise students’ awareness of contemporary issues and cultures.
- To achieve constructive communication between students and others by enhancing communication skills.
- To increase student’s mastery of the skills and practical knowledge he/she needs in his/her University and professional life.
Units of the General Requirements Centre
To ensure the quality of the educational services provided, the General Requirements Centre is directly linked to a number of key units at the deanship of Supportive studies, which directly supervise the academic work assigned to it and report its work directly to the director of the General Requirements Centre:
Academic Coordination & Supervision Unit
About
This unit is a vibrant heart at the General Requirements Centre; it is concerned with supervision, coordination and academic supervision, ensuring the progress of work, and the development of future plans, to improve the level of academic performance in an interactive framework that serves the vision and mission of the University. It also works to raise the efficiency of performance and achievement of academic and administrative development as well as the organization’s implementation and supervision of the academic process with quality and efficiency commensurate with the academic accreditation at the highest levels, while ensuring the provision of an academic environment suitable for the faculty and students, to reach the international standards that ensure the advancement of academic performance.
Vision
To achieve the highest levels of academic performance leading to excellence and creativity.
Mission
To supervise rigorously the tasks implemented by the General Requirements Centre and ensure the supervision of the academic process in a manner that achieves the strategic and educational objectives of the centre, in coordination with the other units of the Deanship.
Tasks
Working on the development and supervision of academic performance at the General Requirements Centre at the Deanship of Supportive Studies in coordination with the deanships and other faculties of the University. Maintaining the link between the Deanship and course coordinators at the other University branches and colleges.
Supervising all academic movements and work to solve the academic problems that arise in the course of the educational process.
Informing, implementing and following up the instructions and academic decisions issued by the Deanship of Supportive Studies’ Council.
Research and Curriculum Unit
About
The research and curriculum unit is concerned with the development and periodic updating of curricula and plans of public decisions to keep pace with the accelerated scientific development, and to follow up the implementation of those curricula and plans after their adoption, and to establish the necessary criteria to ensure that they are applied as planned. It also disseminates and develops the culture of scientific research by encouraging faculty members to conduct scientific research necessary for the development of the Deanship and its curricula, with the aim of raising the quality of the educational process.
Vision
Achieving excellence in the preparation and development of public courses. Conducting and following up scientific research to develop the plans and curricula of the deanship according to the vision 2030.
Mission
Designing and directing general University courses for students and keeping abreast of developments and their scientific quality in order to help students to adapt to the requirements of University life as well as professional life after graduation by giving them knowledge, skills, attitudes and values that distinguish them from others.
Tasks
- Preparing course development plans.
- Evaluating textbooks through feedback provided by faculty members and students.
- Updating course plans and curricula according to the global developments in the field of curriculum development with universities and distinguished scientific institutions inside and outside the University.
- Developing new curricula and courses as needed and in coordination with other faculties.
- Conducting research related courses, identify weaknesses and strengths, and develop perceptions and suggestions to overcome negatives if any.
Training Courses Unit
About
Training and development are two important cultural pillars that allow the nations to achieve the goals of comprehensive development, and in this sense the unit seeks to develop a specialized training strategy through the development of a training program plan that has an impact in the development of the academic performance of the faculty members and students. The unit seeks to extend its activities to the administrative body of the Deanship and to a broader scope outside the University of the local community. The unit is also specialized in course supervision, workshops, and seminars, as well as monitoring of their implementation and evaluation.
Vision
Achieving a distinct level of training for the target groups within and outside the Deanship of Supportive Studies, according to the latest theories of education and training.
Mission
The active participation in providing programs and training courses for the various employees of the Deanship and students to meet professional development needs, and contribute to the development and upgrading of faculty members’ skills and administrative competence. Providing training services to the institutions of the local community of the highest quality both in theory and application.
Tasks
- Provide programs and training courses for students to contribute to the fulfillment of (TUGA).
- Provide training programs for students to contribute to their development and applied skills.
- Develop the skills of faculty members to achieve the vision and mission of the Deanship.
Development & Quality Unit
About
The unit enables the Deanship to fulfill its mission and objectives by adopting the principles of comprehensive quality and their application, and the development and implementation of plans and programs that ensure the achievement of high levels of performance in the academic work and provide the components and requirements for obtaining academic accreditation according to the requirements of the local and international academic accreditation.
Vision
To take the lead in providing general University requirements at the Deanship of Supportive Studies; distinguished locally, internationally and academically accredited.
Mission
Implementing the Deanship of Supportive Studies’ programs with high quality performance. Providing an appropriate educational environment to give students the skills and educational competencies that guarantee them scientific excellence while continuing their university education, to contribute to the construction of qualified, scientific, skilled, sociable and knowledgeable cadres.
Tasks
- Evaluating the courses provided by the Deanship, in order to ensure the achievement of quality standards and academic accreditation.
- Preparing periodic achievement reports, and then including them in the developmental proposals.
- Coordinating with the Deanship of University Development in all matters related to the development and quality work.
- Seeking access to local and international academic credits.
Registration Unit
About
The registration unit is part of the organizational structure of the Deanship of Supportive Studies. Along with the Academic Coordination & Supervision Unit, it seeks to offer services to students in accordance with the objectives and mission of the deanship. In coordination with the Deanship of Admission and Registration, it attempts to overcome all the obstacles that could hinder the process of registration; to prepare course schedules and to review all related details: numbers of students, allocating rooms, dividing large sections as well as the placement of faculty members.
Vision
Full commitment to provide the best registration services for the students of general courses. To achieve Prompt preparation and placement of the course schedules so that students can attend classes from the first week of each semester.
Mission
Achieving academic tasks and providing fast and distinctive registration services for students and faculty, in order to allow students to start their academic year.
Tasks
- Doing the registration tasks in coordination with the Deanship of Admission and Registration.
- Preparing all English courses for academic purposes in coordination with the Deanship of Admission and Registration.
- Preparing course schedules in coordination with the colleges whose students study courses offered by the Deanship of Supportive Studies.
- Preparing test schedules and providing exam supervision for all the courses offered by the Deanship of Supportive Studies.
- Making test schedules in coordination with the Deanship of Admissions and Registration.
- Monitoring and sorting out inflations and shortages of numbers in study sections.
Testing Unit
About
The unit works as a scientific and professional basis to raise the level of student evaluation, use the latest scientific methods in the design of tests and manage the process of evaluating students in general requirement courses.
Vision
Achieving excellence in the preparation of tests that measure performance according to the specifications and criteria of the tests.
Mission
Preparing and applying achievement tests with distinct psychometric properties to ensure accurate measurement of learning outcomes and excellence of University graduates.
Tasks
- Holding workshops on achievement tests, and selecting the appropriate type for each course.
- Analyzing test data and making a bank of questions for each course so that it can be used for future testing.
- Providing feedback to faculty on teaching courses through the results of the tests, and provide advice to them.
- Reporting on the progress of the final exams; making reports on the results of the students for each semester regarding the general courses.
- Presenting a special report on test applications and results to the assessment and evaluation unit.
- Supervising the implementation of the University regulations and rules to conduct the general courses tests.