Logistics and Coordination

1. Logistics and Coordination OAC Audit Experience sharing Colleges of Applied Sciences-Ibri Balaji.S.K. Swaminathan QA-Coordinator-CAS-Ibri & Dr. Mahmood Al Sheikh Dean CAS-Ibri

2. Experience of CAS - Ibri The Logistics and Coordination – Pre-Audit CAS-Ibri - Logistics & Co-ordination issues

3. The Path We Walked - Pre-Audit • Submission of the Portfolio in January 2009 • First Planning Visit • Scheduled by OAC in April 2009 • Audit Visit – Scheduled by OAC for End of April 2009 • Actual Visit of the Panel – May 2009 CAS-Ibri - Logistics & Co-ordination issues

4. Setting up of the office for Coordination and Logistics • Appointment of the contact person from CAS-Ibri • First Communication on the planning for the Audit CAS-Ibri - Logistics & Co-ordination issues

5. First Communication from OAC Contact Person • Planning Visit • Date of Visit: Sunday 29 April 2009 • Agenda Matters for Clarification • Clarifications from CAS Ibri about statements in the Portfolio • Additional Supplementary Materials • The list of Additional Supplementary Materials requested by the Panel CAS-Ibri - Logistics & Co-ordination issues

6. First Communication from OAC Contact Person • Draft of the Audit Visit Program • Public Submissions • Logistics & Inspection of Premises • Venues inspected for suitability including the Audit Panel’s room • The room in which the interviews and panel review sessions will be held • The lunch venue ,where the lunchtime interviews will be held CAS-Ibri - Logistics & Co-ordination issues

7. Main Issues • Supporting materials • Requirements of the OAC • Premises Inspection and decision on the location • Choices Shown • A Meeting Room • A Classroom • A modified dining hall • Support by CAS-Ibri • Display of the Supporting material • Convenience of the panel for the premises arrangement – main focus – the lunch meetings venue for the panel CAS-Ibri - Logistics & Co-ordination issues

8. Subsequent Communication • Additional Supporting material requested by OAC contact person to be forwarded to the International panel members • Additional panel members list circulated in case of any objections by the CAS • List of representatives to meet the panel circulated by the OAC • All issues closely supervised by the Dean, Chair of the steering committee CAS-Ibri - Logistics & Co-ordination issues

9. Experience of CAS Ibri Logistics and Coordination- The three days of Audit CAS-Ibri - Logistics & Co-ordination issues

10. Day 0 • Meeting with the Officials in the Ministry of Higher Education – HE. Undersecretary, Chair of the Academic Council, The DG of the CAS (3 Panel Members) • OAC had organized • Teleconference to representatives from NZTEC • Afternoon – Panel only meeting at CAS Ibri CAS-Ibri - Logistics & Co-ordination issues

11. Day 1 • Meeting with the Dean (45 Minutes) • Meeting with the Managers • Assistant. Dean • LRC Head • Head of Student Affairs • Chair of College Council • Heads of Departments • Students list • As in the tables mentioned CAS-Ibri - Logistics & Co-ordination issues

12. Day 1 • Academic Teaching Staff: • 2 full-time staff each from International Business Administration, Communication Studies, Information Technology, and Design depts. • 2 subject coordinators • 2 staff involved with academic advising • 2 subject coordinators • 2 staff involved with academic advising • Staff from Student Support services CAS-Ibri - Logistics & Co-ordination issues

13. Day 2 • Academic Support and Academic Staff Foundation • Program Directors • Student Registration/Administration/Public Relations CAS-Ibri - Logistics & Co-ordination issues

14. Day 2 • Graduates/ Community Leaders/ Employees • Table A: Two CAS graduates who have subsequently enrolled in or completed graduate programs elsewhere, • Two graduates working in local schools, • One graduate taken part in programs organized in community e.g. with SQU • Table B: Leaders of Guides and Scouts Organisations, • Representative of Directorate of Health re Blood Donors, • Representative from Ibri Hospital-Blood Bank (Arabic Speaker Only) • Representative Ibri Health Committee, Ministry of Interior, • Representatives Omani Consultative Council • Table C: Prominent members of the Ibri community 1, e.g. School Principals, Cleric, • Representatives of Dhahirah Directorate of Education • A representative from Directorate of Education – Al Dhahira (Arabic Speaker Only) • A representative from the Social Development Department – Ibri (Arabic Speaker Only) • A representative from Health Department – Ibri (Arabic Speaker Only) CAS-Ibri - Logistics & Co-ordination issues

15. Day 2 • Table D: Five local industries potential employers of 2010 graduates • Majan Electricity Company • Oman Telecommunication Company • Bank of Muscat • Dhofar Bank • Oman International Bank • Table E: Prominent members of the Ibri community 2. • A representative from the Royal Police of Oman-Ibri • A representative from Civil Defense Department – Ibri • Owner and Manager of Al Kalbani Real Estates • A member of Oman Council – Ibri (Sheikh Sultan Bin Rashid) • Hamad Al Rebei – AlYarmouk Company CAS-Ibri - Logistics & Co-ordination issues

16. Day 2 • Chair research committee • Three members of research committee from different programs • Three staff who have undertaken research activities in last year Academic Staff • Library : • Librarian • Assistant librarian • Computing Services: • Person in charge of computing labs • Computer lab technicians • Multimedia lab head • Help desk personnel CAS-Ibri - Logistics & Co-ordination issues

17. Day 2 • The preliminary feedback meeting with selected members of the college • No note-taking was allowed • For each of the 8/9 areas of the portfolio feedback was given with respect to • The commendations • The affirmations • The recommendations • Optional Callback interview was not exercised by the panel on the third day CAS-Ibri - Logistics & Co-ordination issues

18. Lessons Learnt The Logistics and Co-ordination CAS-Ibri - Logistics & Co-ordination issues

19. Importance of transparency • The culture of teamwork • To inculcate loyalty • Freedom of expression and thought as a tool for higher quality standards • Community outreach CAS-Ibri - Logistics & Co-ordination issues

20. Dissemination of Quality Culture • Good planning based on history and analysis • Academic and non-academic requirements • Importance of Communication from ground-up • Will be careful to avoid the clichéd “Quality Guys” CAS-Ibri - Logistics & Co-ordination issues

21. On the Training Program • Orient the CAS representatives to meet the panel members well in advance • Give them enough time to be prepared for the audit in addition to the orientation for the general audit • Align interests of active members as well as representatives of all groups when orienting CAS-Ibri - Logistics & Co-ordination issues

22. Phasing of the Training Programs • Never crowd too many training in the same week • Segment the groups to be trained separately • For Arabic speakers • For English speakers • Academics in Specializations • According to the level of involvement in the process CAS-Ibri - Logistics & Co-ordination issues

23. On the Mock Audit • Conduct the Mock Audit on time with an external consultant well-in advance • Align the Mock Audit after the HEI is prepared with all the supporting material • Make sure the Mock Audit is in the same line as the OAC Audit along the lines of • Structure • Seriousness to the activity • From the Administrations'’ point of view • From the participants’ point of view • Have sufficient number of training programs that are in a phased manner CAS-Ibri - Logistics & Co-ordination issues

24. An Exclusive place for the QA Sessions • As in the best practices around the world, there was an exclusive place for the Quality Circle in the CAS that evolved at a later stage • Forums for idea sharing would be well coordinated • were attended by member representatives who progressively became inactive members CAS-Ibri - Logistics & Co-ordination issues

25. What we were inspired by! OQN Conference Oct 2008 Keynote Address By Jan Botha University of Stellenbosch CAS-Ibri - Logistics & Co-ordination issues

26. What we could achieve @ Quality Assurance Dept. CAS -Ibri CAS-Ibri - Logistics & Co-ordination issues

27. Challenges Faced CAS-Ibri - Logistics & Co-ordination issues

28. The top of the mind student problem gets reflected to the panel – may be it is not a deeper problem • Difficulty to persuade the students to become active participants in the process • Perceived “wet paint syndrome” that kept our hands cold! – “Can we justify this enough?- What if we are asked for more supporting materials?” CAS-Ibri - Logistics & Co-ordination issues

29. Too much to do in too little time • Everybody understands the importance but how much to do by when? • Started ambitiously and at one point felt like- “Oh lets get it out of our system!” CAS-Ibri - Logistics & Co-ordination issues

30. How we would do it differently for the second time CAS-Ibri - Logistics & Co-ordination issues

31. On a continuous basis do assessment of the active members and bring in more people • We would start early- now that we know the process • The trainers will train – the QA-oriented staff will carry the torch forward • We will walk with our eyes more open!! • On the logistics front we were happy with the support given to the panel! • We shall continue the role of supporting the panel in doing their work!!! CAS-Ibri - Logistics & Co-ordination issues