National Commission for Academic Accreditation & Assessment

1. National Commission for Academic Accreditation & Assessment Developmental Reviews at King Saud University

2. Section 1 Self Study Reports 1. Institutional Self Study 2. Program Self Study

3. General Comments • Overall report on the quality of all aspects of the institution. (Including an overview of quality of learning and teaching) • Background and descriptive information about the institution and its aspirations. • Describes procedures for self evaluation • Evaluates quality in relation to • The achievement of the institutions objectives • Consistency with general quality standards

4. Form of Presentation • Descriptive report citing evidence and referring to other documents as appropriate. • Follow template, but present as formal report, not just filling in the forms. • Include report on all the standards. But doesn’t need to report on all details of all the sub standards. • Self study scales are a separate working document. (Should be available for reference.) • Should include statistics, information on indicators, comparisons with other institutions selected for benchmarking.

5. Evidence • Use whatever is available or can be obtained. (Most is likely to be statistical data and survey responses. But identify evidence that would be convincing to you and your colleagues within the institution. • Whenever possible refer to statistical data or other reliable evidence. • Summarize key figures from surveys and refer to more complete reports held elsewhere. • Use NCAAA KPIs as much as possible, but also use other indicators identified internally. • Important statistics should be included in tabular form and discussed. Comparative data on key items (Benchmarks) is necessary.

6. Institutional Self Study Report • Overall report on the quality of all aspects of the institution. (Including an overview of quality of learning and teaching (Consider data on indicators) • Background and descriptive information about the institution and its aspirations. • Describe procedures for self evaluation • Evaluates quality in relation to • The achievement of the institutions objectives • Consistency with general quality standards See template

7. Program Self Study Report • Complete free standing report on program as required for separate program accreditation. • Should cover all the standards from the perspective of the program, though Learning and Teaching is the most important. • Although not stated in specification should include background information about the program comparable to the institutional profile included in the institutional self study report. If program is partly based on requirements of a specialized accreditor this should be referred and comment made on the extent to which those requirements are met. • Separate document from program specification and self study scales, but both these documents should be available for reference. See Template

8. Section 2 Program Specifications

9. Program Specification • In future this and program and course reports should be already available before the self study is undertaken. • Key points about the approach to program specifications • Program is an integrated set of learning experiences covering everything done in the program. • Reform strategy involves broadening of learning outcomes to include other domains at advanced levels. Most of these require attention through teaching strategies that faculty (and students) may be unfamiliar with. Consequently plans for the program must provide for systematic attention and progressive development throughout the program. See extract from Qualifications Framework

10. Key points (cont) • Specification is like an extended handbook description, but goes beyond this to include information about expected characteristics of students, plans for monitoring and improving the program over time, requirements for delivering the program, plans for working with faculty, etc. • Function of the specification is to serve as a detailed program design for faculty, though also useful for others. See Template, (Some examples available)

11. Section 3 Course Specifications

12. Course Specification • Faculty will identify with and focus primarily on the courses they teach. The course specification is a device to ensure the course complies with the total program design in which much of the student development occurs as a result of strategies used rather than subject matter covered. • Course specifications should allow scope or individual initiative and creativity, but the general program objectives will only be achieved through planned and coordinated strategies. • Courses do not “belong” to the faculty who teach them. • Course specifications should include mechanisms for course evaluation and improvement. See Course Specification

13. Field Experience Specification • This includes internships, practicums, summer programs, cooperative programs etc. • Field experience is one of the most important elements in many programs. It should be planned, coordinated, evaluated etc. in a way that is comparable to a course. • Field experience supervisors should be considered as analogous to other faculty and included in appropriate ways in the teaching team. • Supervisors, and students should be carefully prepared, and arrangements made to consolidate and genealize from their learning. See Template