Discussions about committees for restructuring strategies in order to develop the academic performance in King Saud University are currently taking place. The committees aim at elevating the academic performance to international standards so that the university can obtain accreditation.
The anticipated strategies include developing the faculty members’ performance and eliminating — as much as possible — any reason that might lead them to be careless, negligent or slack, not wanting to contribute to self-promotion or professional advancement.
It is important to admit that promoting any faculty member’s professional performance is part of promoting the academic performance of the university as a whole. But I believe that real and effective advancement for any faculty member in the university must begin at a very early stage — before employment. It’s not a good policy to wait until later. That means new standards must be taken into account when hiring a faculty member. Current standards and policies do not meet the requirements expected for candidates nominated to take such important and significant jobs.
In today’s world where knowledge has expanded and science and technology advanced immensely, it is no longer enough to choose faculty members simply on the basis of the degrees they hold — even if the degrees come from highly reputable, internationally-recognized universities. New criteria have to be set to fulfill today’s needs and requirements. For instance, knowing how to use technology and new learning is as important as proficiency and fluency in English.
Probably it is worth mentioning that King Saud University requests that applicants to its doctorate program in certain departments must pass the English language test. It does not, however, put the same condition on those it hires as teaching assistants! Faculty members must also have a broad intellectual background, be well read and aware of subjects outside his field of specialization. It is also expected that he be fluent in Arabic language — I don’t mean as poets and stylists but rather that he is able to read and write classical Arabic without serious grammatical mistakes.
Great care in choosing faculty members at any university is the first step in building a competent staff that is ready and able to elevate the overall academic performance of the university. Otherwise, the university will not be able to attain either its scientific or social goals.
