45 female Saudi students denied varsity certificates

DAMMAM, 6 October — Authorities in the Eastern Province are considering a complaint made by 45 female Saudi students at a private institute after King Fahd University for Petroleum and Minerals refused to issue them with certificates for work they had completed in a course suddenly cut short.

The students said they joined the higher diploma program in computer science at Al-Hosan Training Institute because it was supervised by the university. But just 60 hours into the course, the university suddenly withdrew its supervision.

The students are urging the institute to give them certificates as proof that they completed 60 hours of training under the university’s supervision. The institute initially said their certificates were being issued by the university, but the university subsequently denied that claim.

Rasheed Al-Hosan, chairman of the institute, told Arab News that the university withdrew its supervision as a result of poor student participation, and that the Institute had incurred heavy financial losses as a consequence.

“We didn’t think it was possible to continue in the present circumstances and so decided, after consulting with the university, to stop the program,” he said.

The institute proposed an alternative program to help the girls complete their studies and get a bachelor degree from a British university, he added.

Dr. Jarallah Al-Ghamdi, principal of the College of Science and Computer Engineering at the university, said the institute had signed an agreement with King Fahd University for Petroleum and Minerals so that it could provide academic supervision for next five years.

The articles of the contract included a sub clause stating that the university would not sign certificates issued by the institute if the latter violated any of the agreed terms.