College of Arts and Applied Sciences

Faculty Manual
October 14, 2008

Table of Content
1. Dhofar University Vision.......................................................................................................4 2. Dhofar University Mission ....................................................................................................4 3. Dhofar University Strategic Objectives .................................................................................4 4. Dhofar Values ......................................................................................................................4 5. Organization of the College..................................................................................................4 5.1. Composition of the College............................................................................................4 5.2. Officers and Ex-Officio Members of the College ............................................................4 5.3. Academic Personnel of the College...............................................................................4 5.4. Standing Committees ....................................................................................................5 5.5. Academic Units:.............................................................................................................5 6. The Faculty .........................................................................................................................5 6.1. Faculty Meetings ...........................................................................................................5 7. Officers of the College.........................................................................................................6 7.1. The Dean of the College................................................................................................6 7.1.1. Appointment:...........................................................................................................6 7.1.2. Duties, Responsibilities, and Prerogatives of the Dean: ..........................................6 7.2. Section 2 - Assistant Dean ............................................................................................6 8. Academic Organization of the College ................................................................................7 8.1. Meetings: ...................................................................................................................7 8.2. Functions: ..................................................................................................................7 8.3. Decisions on Personnel Matters:................................................................................7 8.4. Duties, Responsibilities, and Prerogatives of the Dept. Chair: ...................................7 9. Standing Committees of the College ...................................................................................8 9.1. The Advisory Committee ...............................................................................................8 9.1.1. Functions: ...............................................................................................................8 9.2. The Student Affairs Committee......................................................................................8 9.2.1. Functions: ...............................................................................................................8 9.3. The Academic Programs Committee .............................................................................8 9.3.1. Functions: ...............................................................................................................8 9.4. The Research Committee..............................................................................................9 9.4.1. Functions: ...............................................................................................................9 9.5. The Library Committee ..................................................................................................9 9.5.1. Functions: ...............................................................................................................9 9.6. The Student Affairs Committee......................................................................................9 9.6.1. Functions: ...............................................................................................................9 10. Academic Responsibilities of Faculty Members ..............................................................10 10.1. Teaching:...................................................................................................................10 10.2. Teaching Load:..........................................................................................................11 10.3. Student Learning Support:.........................................................................................11 10.4. Evaluation of Students' Learning: ..............................................................................11 10.5. Academic Advising: ...................................................................................................12 10.6. Class Grade Average: ...............................................................................................13 10.7. Change of Grade .......................................................................................................13 10.8. Research: ..................................................................................................................13 10.9. Community Services:.................................................................................................14 11. Faculty Appointment Procedures .....................................................................................14 12. Performance Review and Reappointment ........................................................................14 13. Promotion Procedure for Full Time Faculty ......................................................................15 13.1. Promotion from Assistant Professors and Associate Professors:...............................15 13.2. Promotion from Lecturer to Assistant Professor for Ph.D Holders: ............................16 13.3. Promotion from Instructor to Lecturer for Master Holders: .........................................16 14. Vacations and Leaves......................................................................................................17 15. Confidentiality ..................................................................................................................18 2

16. Voting Procedures............................................................................................................18 17. Missed Classes ................................................................................................................18 18. Disciplinary Measures ......................................................................................................18 19. Grievances.......................................................................................................................18 20. Outside Academic and Professional Consultancy ...........................................................19 21. Amendments....................................................................................................................19 22. University Bylaws .............................................................................................................19 23. Faculty Members..............................................................................................................19

1. Dhofar University Vision

Dhofar University aspires to occupy a recognized position among the institutions of quality higher education.

2. Dhofar University Mission

Dhofar University strives to achieve excellence in teaching, research, and community service, in an open learning environment conducive to creativity and innovation and to the acquisition of cutting-edge professional knowledge. The University mission should be disseminated through the course syllabi and related academic materials.

3. Dhofar University Strategic Objectives

To ensure academic excellence in all fields of study offered at the University. To enable students to explore their capabilities and take full advantage of the educational opportunities offered at Dhofar University in order to develop to their full intellectual potential. To produce morally responsible individuals who are highly competent in their fields of specialization and well prepared to succeed in life. To produce life-long self-learners committed to serve their society.

4. Dhofar Values
The core values of Dhofar University are: Academic excellence Individual responsibility Life-long learning Quality Continuous improvement

5. Organization of the College

5.1. Composition of the College
The College of Arts and Applied Sciences, hereafter referred to as the College, is an integral part of Dhofar University. It is composed of the officers and the academic personnel of the College.

5.2. Officers and Ex-Officio Members of the College

The Officers of the College include: The Vice Chancellor of the University; The Deputy Vice Chancellor for Academic Affairs and Academic Supporting Services; The Dean of the College; and The Assistant Dean. The Ex-Officio Members of the College include: The Registrar and Director of Admissions; and The University Librarian.

5.3. Academic Personnel of the College

The academic personnel of the College shall consist of: Professors; Associate Professors; Assistant Professors; 4

Senior Lecturers; Lecturers; Instructors; Assistant Instructors; Research Associates; Research Assistants; Visiting Scholars; Fellows; and Demonstrator/Teaching Assistants.

5.4. Standing Committees

The following shall be the standing committees of the College: Advisory; Administrative; Academic Programs; Research; Library; and Student Affairs.

5.5. Academic Units:

The College shall be organized into five departments: The Department of Computer Science; The Department of Education; The Department of Languages and Translation; The Department of Social Sciences; and The Mathematics and Sciences Unit

6. The Faculty
Subject to the provision of the corporate bylaws, rules and regulations, and the established general policies of the University, the College, through its internal organization, shall determine its own academic policy and shall have authority to direct its own affairs. The dean shall refer to the Vice Chancellor the actions by the College that may affect either the financial commitments of the University or its academic policy as a whole. During a regular or a special meeting of the faculty, the College shall have the right to review any action by any committee of the College (with the exception of actions of the Advisory Committee concerning individual faculty members and other confidential matters) and, if it deems fit, to refer such an action back to the dean.

6.1. Faculty Meetings

The dean shall call for regular meetings of the faculty at least twice a semester. A written notice with a stated agenda shall be sent to faculty members at least two working days prior to the date of the meeting with the following considerations: The dean or his/her designate shall chair all faculty meetings; The voting faculty shall consist of all non-visiting full-time faculty members; Only full-time faculty members are eligible for election by the voting faculty members during a meeting of the faculty; and A majority of the voting faculty, exclusive of those on leave, sabbatical, or duty outside Salalah, shall constitute a quorum. In the absence of a quorum, another meeting to consider the same agenda shall be called within two weeks at which present voting members shall constitute a quorum, provided that all members of the faculty shall have had notice in accordance with the call for regular meetings.

7. Officers of the College

7.1. The Dean of the College
7.1.1. Appointment:
In accordance with the corporate bylaws of Dhofar University, the dean is appointed by the Board of Trustees upon the recommendation of the Vice Chancellor. The initiative for the appointment of a dean and his/her continuation in office rests upon the recommendation of the Vice Chancellor, which shall be made after consultation with full-time faculty members, especially those in professorial ranks. For absences of the dean lasting for three months or more, an acting dean shall be appointed by the Vice Chancellor upon the recommendation of the dean and after consultation with the Advisory Committee. For shorter absences, the dean shall appoint an acting dean from the voting faculty.

7.1.2. Duties, Responsibilities, and Prerogatives of the Dean:

As the responsible academic and executive head of the College, the dean shall have his/her duties, responsibilities, and prerogatives defined by the Board of Trustees and the Vice Chancellor. Within the College, his/her duties, responsibilities, and prerogatives shall include, at least, the following: He/she shall be responsible for the execution of the policies and enactments of the University and the College; He/she shall oversee the performance of the Chairs of the departments in the College and ensure the proper teaching of the programs of study; He/she shall be responsible for the development of the College in regards to academic programs, curricula, teaching/learning activities, academic personnel, student body and physical facilities; After consultation with the Chairs of departments concerned and the Advisory Committee, he/she shall take action or make recommendations to the appropriate authorities in all matters pertaining to appointments, reappointments or non-renewal of contracts, promotions, sabbatical leaves and leaves of absence; He/she shall prepare the budget proposal for the College after consultation with the chairs of departments; He/she shall prepare an annual report, which shall be submitted to the Vice Chancellor and distributed to all the chairpersons of departments of the College; He/she shall make appointments to all ad-hoc committees other than committees elected by the College and determine their mandates and terms of reference; He/she shall be the chairperson of the general faculty meetings of the College; He/she shall have the prerogative of final action on all committee decisions; He/she shall be empowered to determine which decisions of the committees of the College shall be in the form of actions and which shall be regarded as recommendations to the faculty. He/she shall appoint a chairperson for each academic department after consultation with the advisory committee and the voting faculty members of the department for a period ranging between one to three years subject to renewal; He/she shall make known to academic departments all administrative actions affecting their departments; He/she shall keep the faculty members informed of University decisions; and He/she shall perform any other duties as mandated by the Vice Chancellor.

7.2. Section 2 - Assistant Dean

The assistant dean is appointed by the Vice Chancellor after consultation with the dean of the College. In addition to being a faculty member, the assistant dean has the following responsibilities: 6

He/she shall assist the dean in all administrative and academic affairs as assigned by the dean, especially coordination among departments and programs, and program development; and Serving as acting dean in the absence of the dean.

8. Academic Organization of the College

The College shall consist of the academic units as defined above, other departments, centers, programs or academic units may also be established as per university policies and procedures. An academic department shall consist of all academic personnel of the College appointed to that department. Each shall have a chairperson appointed by the dean.

8.1. Meetings:
Academic departments shall meet at least twice a semester upon the call of the chairperson. Additional meetings can be held upon the call of the chairperson or the written request of at least two voting members of the department. Minutes of all meetings shall be sent to the office of the dean. The voting faculty in an academic department shall consist of the actually present non-visiting full-time faculty members at the meeting.

8.2. Functions:
The academic department shall decide upon the academic programs to be offered, subject to the approval of the College and/or the concerned University bodies, and be responsible for setting up defining programs of study for their students and maintaining professional standards.

8.3. Decisions on Personnel Matters:

Established University policies and procedures shall govern actions on faculty recruitment and promotion; Requests for both sabbatical leaves and leaves of absence for one semester or more shall be discussed and voted on by the eligible faculty members of the academic department. The chairperson shall transmit the results of the vote to the dean together with his/her recommendations; and Evaluation of candidates for appointments, reappointments, or non-renewal of contracts shall be restricted to the voting faculty members of ranks higher than that of the faculty member whose contract is being considered. In the case of full professors, all other voting fullprofessors shall participate in the evaluation and recommendations. In all cases, recommendations to the dean shall give the numerical results of voting arrived at in a meeting of the voting faculty of the department. The chairperson shall express his/her opinion in all cases.

8.4. Duties, Responsibilities, and Prerogatives of the Dept. Chair:

Each academic department shall have a chairperson appointed by the dean after consultation with the voting faculty of the department concerned and the Advisory Committee. The appointment is normally for a period ranging from one to three years, subject to renewal. Duties and prerogatives of the chairperson shall be the following: Being responsible for the academic, administrative, and financial affairs of the department; Ensuring the proper teaching of the programs of study and preparing the teaching schedule in consultation with voting faculty members; Appointing academic advisors to students majoring in the department; Preparing course description and related material for the University catalogue; Presenting to the dean, in accordance with established University procedures, recommendations on all matters pertaining to appointments, reappointments or nonrenewal of contracts, promotions, sabbatical leaves, leaves of absence, and increase in remuneration of academic personnel; 7

Preparing the annual and research reports of the department for transmission to the dean; Preparing the departments budget after consultation with department members for submission to the dean; Appointing ad-hoc committees as may be deemed necessary subject to the approval of the dean; Recommending to the dean the appointment of an acting chairperson during his/her absence; and Preparing and submitting to the dean recommendations on library acquisitions, software and other learning resources necessary for his/her department.

9. Standing Committees of the College

Members of all standing committees, unless otherwise specified in this manual, shall be elected from the voting faculty members and by them for a term of two years. If a member is unable to complete his/her term, a substitute shall be elected to complete the remainder of the term. If this remainder is one year or less, the elected substitute shall be eligible for reelection for two or more consecutive terms.

9.1. The Advisory Committee

The Advisory Committee shall normally consist of the dean as chairperson, and five faculty members elected by those eligible to vote for a period of two years, subject to renewal. Members of this committee must normally be at the professorial or associate professorial rank. Under exceptional circumstances, members may be at the assistant professor rank.

9.1.1. Functions:
The Advisory Committee shall normally act in an advisory and consultative capacity to the dean on: Appointments of faculty members, reappointments or non-renewal of contracts, promotions, sabbatical leaves and leaves of absence of three months or morel; Appointment of chairpersons of departments; Matters of possible breach of professional conduct and make recommendations to the dean; All matters submitted to it by the dean or any of its members; and Deliberations and minutes of the committee are confidential.

9.2. The Student Affairs Committee

The Student Affairs Committee shall consist of the dean or his/her representative as chairperson, the registrar or his/her representative, and chairpersons of departments.

9.2.1. Functions:
The Administrative Committee shall rule on all cases of undergraduate students whose academic status is irregular. It shall also rule on requests and petitions from students concerning academic matters. It shall have the power in extraordinary circumstances to make exceptions to academic regulations in individual cases. A summary of all such exceptional decisions shall be communicated to the faculty at least once in each academic year.

9.3. The Academic Programs Committee

The Academic Programs Committee shall consist of the dean or his/her representative as chairperson, the registrar or his/her representative, and chairpersons of all academic departments in the College.

9.3.1. Functions:
The Academic Programs Committee shall advise the dean on matters related to: General academic development of the College; 8

Review of the curriculum of the College, including introduction, revision, integration, co-ordination or discontinuation of academic programs; Policies on academic rules and regulations; Adding, deleting, and reviewing course contents, depth, credit hours, and method of teaching; and Recommending changes in graduation requirements.

9.4. The Research Committee

The Scientific Research Committee shall consist of the dean or his/her representative as chairperson, and two faculty members with a professorial rank from each department elected for a period of two years.

9.4.1. Functions:
It shall stimulate, encourage and promote scientific research in the College; It shall review all applications for university funded research grants for further recommendation to the dean and other appropriate university bodies; It shall promote communication between researchers within the College and the University; and It shall keep the faculty members informed of all available sources of research support whether from the University or granting agencies.

9.5. The Library Committee

The Library Committee shall consist of the dean or his/her representative as chairperson, the University librarian or his/her representative, and one faculty member from each department elected for a period of two years.

9.5.1. Functions:
Advising the University librarian on matters of library policy affecting the work of the College; Advising both the dean and the university librarian on the effects of program or curriculum changes, both short-term and long-term, on library acquisitions, with special regard to budgetary implications, and in particular shall ensure adequate library support for new or revised programs; Advising and assisting the University librarian in building up a balanced collection; Making recommendations regarding the acquisition of new literary and scientific journals, periodicals, books, etc Assisting the university librarian in his/her efforts to carry out the library policies of the University and the College; and Performing other related tasks at the request of the dean.

9.6. The Student Affairs Committee

The Student Affairs Committee shall consist of the dean or his/her representative as chairperson, the Assistant to the Vice Chancellor for Student Affairs or his/her representative, one faculty member from each department elected for a period of two years, one and a student representative elected by students registered in the College.

9.6.1. Functions:
Dealing with any aspect of student life referred to it by the dean; Dealing with students related disputes referred to it by the dean or the concerned faculty member; Working with faculty members and students to enrich the schools cultural activities; and Considering and recommending action to the dean on all disciplinary matters involving students in the College. 9

10. Academic Responsibilities of Faculty Members

Academic responsibilities of faculty members include the activities that aim at ensuring and safeguarding an environment in which high quality education that lead to verifiable learning by students may flourish within the rules, regulations, and culture of the Sultanate of Oman, Dhofar region, and the University. There are four basic functions of each faculty member at DU which are: (1) teaching and maintaining conditions conducive to learning by encouraging free inquiry and free expression of knowledge by students; (2) advising the students on pursuing their academic programs and completing them effectively, (3) conducting research for the purpose of self-development and keeping abreast with current knowledge in own field, and (4) extending academic services to the University community and to the community in the city of Salalah, Dhofar region, and the Sultanate at large. Within those frameworks, the instructor is entitled to freedom in selecting the educational materials that are suitable for the courses and consistent with the policies and guidelines of the concerned department, and choosing the educational method to teach the topics of the course. Yet care must be taken not to introduce controversial issues that have no relation to that subject, or may create undesirable cultural controversies.

10.1. Teaching:
The duties of a faculty member in regards to teaching include but not limited to: Possessing a thorough, up-to-date knowledge of the subject of his/her expertise; Assigning textbook and reference documents for each of the courses that he/she teaches; Presenting the course materials, using possible means by enhancing oral discussions with pictures, handouts, and audiovisual materials: computerized and traditional, to illustrate concepts and procedures when needed; Producing materials such as handouts and computerized/traditional presentations to organize the learning activities; Emphasizing skills development among students, so they become able to deal with the course content meaningfully and effectively rather resorting to rote learning; Motivating the students to learn, to think, and to adopt professional attitudes and traits; Insuring that all theoretical and practical teaching activities would lead to measurable learning achievements by students according to previously specified learning outcomes and internationally valid measuring test whenever possible; Selecting the appropriate method of discussing the subject being taught with care to avoiding controversial matters that have no relation to that subject or bear cultural sensitivity; Making it known to students at the beginning of each term that students are expected to attend all class sessions, otherwise, students may have to withdraw or be withdrawn from courses according to the University regulations; Faculty members are responsible for establishing a portfolio for each course they teach. Those portfolios should be kept in the Department. The faculty member who teaches the course in question is responsible for updating the course file at the end of the term in which the given course is offered. The course portfolios are required for accreditation purposes and should contain the following: The course syllabus; Copies of all course handouts given; Copies of homework, quizzes, examinations, and other assignments and their solutions; A class list with the course grades and all grades given for quizzes, examinations, homework and any other assignments; The final examination answer booklets of students who scored the highest, lowest, and median grades; and Samples of students work. 10

Faculty members are not permitted to miss classes without prior written approval of the chair of their department and the dean. In all cases, any classes that are missed must be made up for.

10.2. Teaching Load:

Teaching assignments are suggested by the chair of the department concerned in consultation with the members of the Department and should be approved by the dean of the College. In the assignment of teaching loads and the scheduling of courses, considerations of the common good of the students and the Department should outweigh any matters of convenience to individual faculty members. Teaching loads are based on rank. A full time faculty member with a professorial rank normally has a teaching load of 12 credit hours per semester. A faculty member with the rank of lecturer or instructor has a teaching load of 15 credit hours per semester. Faculty members who have administrative responsibilities, like chairing a department, get load reduction equivalent to three credit hours. For the summer term, the maximum teaching load for all faculty members is set at 6 credit hours. Under special circumstances, and with the approval of the dean and the Vice Chancellor, this load may be extended to 9 credit hours.

10.3. Student Learning Support:

In its mission, DU stresses the establishment of "an open learning environment conducive to creativity and innovation and to the acquisition of cutting-edge professional knowledge." To achieve such an ambitious goal, learning by students should be promoted using variety of techniques within and outside the classroom in addition to regular course work. Paradigms such as peer-assisted learning and academic clubs have been encouraged as effective tools in this regard. Other than regular course-based learning activities which are discussed in other sections, free, or voluntary, learning activities should be encouraged and supported by faculty through students' clubs and societies that are related to academic subjects, peer-assisted learning programs, extra-curricular workshops and seminars, provision of supplementary learning materials, training in adequate places in the community, and involvement in the community. The peer-assisted learning program is an important aspect of student learning support. It consists of hiring advanced students to assist faculty members in their classes in various activities such as translation of academic materials and assisting students who need help. Students who are hired to do this kind of work are recommended by faculty, and receive a nominal hourly wage by Student Affairs.

10.4. Evaluation of Students' Learning:

As a result of instructional activities, faculty members are responsible for conducting comprehensive, fair, and meaningful evaluation of student learning through quizzes, examinations, projects, research papers, and other suitable means. Evaluating students work should be aligned with the course content and learning objectives and on the basis of evidence of independent learning, mastery of course material, and ability to think and communicate clearly. A wide range of evaluation techniques may be used such as: Test items should be comprehensive and covering the materials that were included in the course objectives. Thus, a clear alignment between the course objectives, content, and evaluation should exist; 11

Proctoring of quizzes and examinations is part of the academic duties of every faculty member. Proctors are expected to spend proctoring time supervising the students throughout the duration of the quiz or examination; Feedback to tests should be provided and discussed with students in order to reinforce learning; Answer booklets and question sheets of final examinations should be kept for at least one semester after the date of the final examination, after which they are destroyed; Problems and questions from previous tests should be made available for students and not be repeated in subsequent tests; The course syllabus should clearly include the assessment criteria that will be used for evaluating learning by students and the weighting of each component of students output in determining the final grade in the course; and The course instructor is the authority that decides on the students grade in respect to the Class Grade Average Policy described below. However, if a student has strong evidence of unfairness, he/she has the right to submit a petition of grievance to the course instructor within twp weeks of announcing the grade. If the student is not satisfied with the instructors ruling, he/she may appeal to the department chair who will give a final ruling on the issue after consulting with concerned faculty members of the department. If a change of grade is to be made, the department chair will communicate this decision to the dean in writing and the dean will ask the Registrar to do the changes if he/she approves the change.

10.5. Academic Advising:

DU regards academic advising as a crucial element in leading students to succeed in their academic experience and gain useful skills for later functions in life. Thus, academic advising is an integral part of the faculty duties. As such, all faculty members are requested to dedicate office hours at least three times a week dedicating to meeting the students. One important aspect of academic advising at DU is registering students in courses by their advisors. This arrangement aims at strengthening the relationship between the students and their advisors, and insuring that students are taking the correct courses according to their programs of study. The key components in the process are the POS for each degree, and the individual POS for each student that shows the progress of the student on the degree's POS. The two POS's should be congruent except in the case of course equivalency, which are properly marked by the SIS system. The individual student POS's are dynamic whereby the system would update the student's record according to course registration and grade entry, and reject unacceptable courses. However, the degree's POS is static unless is changed by authorized individuals in case the curriculum changes by authorized departments and committees. Academic advising encompasses the following: Familiarity with the degree program of study; Ability to use the Student Information System and familiarity with the relevant sections and functionalities; The Chair of the department concerned is responsible for assigning student to advisors so that the number of advisees per faculty member is almost evenly distributed on the faculty members in the department; Academic advisors are entrusted to register their advisees in the appropriate course according to the degree plan of study; Academic advising is not be limited to registering students, but should encompass all aspects of academic advising, including selection of electives, counseling on any academic difficulties or problems, and monitoring the academic progress of advisees; Advisors should dedicating special time as office hours during the regular working hours at least three hours per week distributed over weekdays; and

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Office hours should be posted outside the office of the faculty member; and printed in the course syllabus. Faculty members are required to meet with students in their offices during those hours or according to appointment.

10.6. Class Grade Average:

In order to cultivate a culture of appreciation for achievement and hard work, control grade inflation, and reduce excessive disparities between the grades given in various courses, the average of all student grades in any class is expected to fall within the following ranges: Undergraduate courses: 70% to 80%; Graduate courses open to undergraduate students: 75% to 85%; Graduate courses open only to graduate students, including the teaching diploma students: 80% to 90%; Final grades should be reported in multiples of five. Class grade averages outside the above ranges should be justified in writing to the Department Chair before informing the students; The class grade averages and standard deviations should be computed for each course and reported appropriately the department every semester. Those statistics are subject to discussion in departmental meetings and the Administrative Committee of the College.

10.7. Change of Grade

Once grades are posted on the Student Information System, a change of grade is not allowed unless a demonstrable mistake was made in the correction of the final examination or in the calculation of the grade. In particular, if a change of grade would result in a change of the academic status of the student, the supporting evidence for the changes of grade must be presented to the chairperson of the department and the dean. The special form and approvals should be implemented in case of the necessity of changing grades. A student may petition the Deans Office to request to review her/his final examination evaluation, in case the student has reason to believe that some oversight may have been made in the correction, or that a mistake may have been made in calculating the course grade. Such petitions must be submitted within one week from the date of posting the course grades to the Chair of the department. The instructor may revise the examination himself/herself and discuss the result with the student. The Chair may ask another instructor in the same field to review the examination documents if the student was not satisfied and the Chair finds reasons to do so. The whole case should be reported back to the Dean's office. To change a course grade, the teacher must fill a special form available from the Registrars Office and submit it to the chairperson of the department, with the supporting evidence, if required in accordance with the paragraph above. If the chairperson of the department approves the change of grade, he/she will sign the form and transmit it to the dean for final approval.

10.8. Research:
Research is emphasized in the University strategic plan and is accounted for in considering faculty promotion and annual merit increments. Research is considered the corner stone in the faculty self-development in generating knowledge and staying abreast with current knowledge in the field. As such, the University supports efforts directed toward conducting research by faculty, and encourages commercial development and applications of research outcomes, subject always to protecting the Universitys rights. Research activities may encompass any of the following: Conducting scientific/literary research in own field that would lead to publishing in refereed academic journals or refereed professional conferences;

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Engaging in outside professional consulting, giving lectures, and participating in seminars within the University rules and regulations pertaining to outside consulting activities; Demonstration of a research focus. This refers to the extent that the research of the individual can be described as having a theme and is directed towards solving or tackling specific topics; Publication of scholarly and creative works such as books, articles, and participation in professionally relevant juries, competitions or exhibitions; Submission of significant proposals for research and development grants, whether proposals were funded or not, and an indication of whether or not funding was awarded; Receipt of fellowships and awards; Editing of professional academic journals; reviewer of articles, books, funding applications, and other creative works; Evidence of recognition as an expert within a particular academic field, whenever appropriate; and Discussing within the University all matters related to teaching, research, and student affairs.

10.9. Community Services:

One of the strategic goals of Dhofar University is to enhance relations with the community. This goal encompasses a number of strategies, such as strengthening and expanding continuing education programs in order to provide training and services that are needed by the local community and are also areas of Dhofar University's strength. The University fosters cooperation with local and national organizations in various sectors, such as industry, commerce, and education. In this regard, the University encourages volunteer work by its students, faculty, and staff. As such, faculty members are encouraged to participate in the following: Offering public lectures and seminars on topics that are of interest to the community (i.e. the environment, literature, arts, public service, charity, etc.); Enhancing the relationships among DU community and with the local community through professional academic activities; Enhancing relationships with the industries. This could be achieved through faculty research, public presentations, and consultation tasks; Conducting activities, that promote the University; and Maintaining professional relationships with the University alumni.

11. Faculty Appointment Procedures

Advertisements for academic vacancies are placed in newspapers and specialized journals at the request of the department concerned and approval of the dean and the University administration. Applications are sent to the dean whereby they are reviewed by the department concerned and a recommendation is made to the dean based on established criteria adopted by the university. Outside consultancy may be used in this regard. The dean shall make his/her final recommendation to the Vice Chancellor.

12. Performance Review and Reappointment

Performance of faculty members including department chairs should be reviewed yearly. The review may take place any time during the academic year and it should be summarized in a comprehensive report compiled by the dean of the College and submitted to the University Vice Chancellor at the time of contract renewal, or contract review. The sources of faculty evaluation are: Teaching effectiveness as evidenced by tangible learning results by students, which could be demonstrated in samples of students' work, students achievement in standardized test (if available), and evaluation by visiting external reviewers; 14

Evaluation by students using the questionnaire that was developed by the college; Quality of academic advising as evidenced by the number of advisees and their satisfaction with the process; Evaluation by the Department chair using the questionnaire that was developed by the College; Research performance as evidenced by conducting research and publishing in refereed professional journals and refereed professional international conferences; and Community services including participating in the College and Department committees, giving lectures or conducting seminars within or outside the University community, participating as mentor, advisor, etc. in students clubs.

Recommendations for regarding contract renewal and review of remuneration will be based on the comprehensive results of the review. Faculty member resignation during the academic year will not be accepted unless it is due to extreme circumstances acceptable to the university.

13. Promotion Procedure for Full Time Faculty

13.1. Promotion from Assistant Professors and Associate Professors:
Faculty members of the rank of assistant professor, or associate professor shall be considered for promotion after they complete six years of service in the current rank, at least two of those years must have been at DU. Decisions on upgrading the academic rank will be based on the candidate's teaching and advising effectiveness, quality and quantity of research output, and services to the community. The following procedures and steps must be followed in the stated sequence: The applicant is required to submit before the end of October in any given year to the chair of the department a letter of application for promotion, and four copies of the following documents collated separately and ready for mailing in four separate sets: An updated CV formatted according to a template for this purpose; Copies of at least three published articles that are representative of the applicants research work to be reviewed by committee members and external referees; Copies of recent course evaluation by students; Copies of the faculty members evaluation by his/her department chair (dean in case if the applicant is a chair); Any supportive documents, such as letters of recommendations, patents, and the like; Statement by the candidate about his/her contribution in community services, and any supportive document in this regard; The applicant should submit the names of three external referees from outside Dhofar University all of whom should have academic ranks higher than his/her; The chairperson should send to the dean a confidential list of at least three external referees from outside Dhofar University other than the names presented by the applicant all of whom should be of higher academic ranks than that of the candidate. In case if the applicant is a chair of a department, this list should be provided by a faculty member who is in professorial rank in the same specialization as the candidate, or in the closest possible field of study; The dean shall select one external referee from the list presented by the applicant, one external referee from the list presented by the chair of the department (or from a professor in the same department in case the chairperson is a candidate for promotion) and one external referee selected by him/her; The Vice Chancellor of the University shall choose one additional referee to evaluate the applicants file;

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The dean then shall send the whole file to all four selected referees for their evaluation and after receiving their responses; the dean shall send back the file to the department concerned; After receiving the external reviewers' evaluation, a promotion committee should be formed from the department of the candidate, or academicians from relevant fields in the College or the University to review and vote on applications for promotions in the absence of the candidate. The promotion committee makes recommendations to the Dean of the College on whether or not to promote the candidate; The Chair of the department of the candidate will be requested to make a recommendation to the Dean on whether or not to promote the candidate; The dean of the College shall present the promotion file along with the recommendation of the chair of the candidate's department ad the promotion committee along with his/her personal recommendation to the University Council for further action. It is worth noting that no one involved in the evaluation process can vote more than once on the application for promotion; The University Council shall review the file with the recommendations of the chairperson of the department, the promotion committee, and the dean; and The recommendation of the University Council shall be presented to the Vice Chancellor of the university and then the Vice Chancellor will make his/her recommendation to the Academic Committee of the Board of Trustees for final decision.

13.2. Promotion from Lecturer to Assistant Professor for Ph.D Holders:

Faulty members of the rank of lecturer should take place as follows: The candidate must have spent at least one year conducting academic work at Dhofar University. The applicant submits a formal written request to the Chair of the Department along with a portfolio that includes updated CV, recent publications (if any), course syllabi, evidence about quality teaching including samples of students work, samples of test items, handouts that were developed by the applicant, students evaluation, etc. The Chair makes the portfolio available to faculty members in the department, calls for a departmental meeting to discuss the case, takes a confidential vote from those who have ranks higher than the applicant, and makes recommendation to the Dean of the College. The Dean discusses the case with the Advisory Committee of the College, takes a vote, and makes recommendation to the University Vice Chancellor. The dean submits the portfolio to the Vice Chancellor along with his recommendation; The Vice Chancellor presents the case to the University Council where a final vote will be made; and The Vice Chancellor makes the final decision and communicate it to the applicant. Unlike the case of promotion for professorial ranks, there is no need to consult outside referees.

13.3. Promotion from Instructor to Lecturer for Master Holders:

Master holders among the faculty members who occupy the rank of instructor may apply for promotion from Instructor to a Lecturer, if they have spent 10 years of experience in teaching, three of which at DU. Decision based on the candidate's teaching and advising effectiveness, quality and quantity of research output, and services to the community. The procedure is as follows: The applicant submits a formal written request to the Chair of the Department along with a portfolio that includes updated CV, recent publications (if any), course syllabi, evidence about quality teaching including samples of students work, samples of test items, handouts that were developed by the applicant, students evaluation, etc. The Chair makes the portfolio available to faculty members in the department, calls for a departmental meeting to discuss the case, takes a confidential vote from those 16

who have ranks higher than the applicant, and makes recommendation to the Dean of the College. The Dean discusses the case with the Advisory Committee of the College, takes a vote, and makes recommendation to the University Vice Chancellor. The dean submits the portfolio to the Vice Chancellor along with his recommendation; The Vice Chancellor presents the case to the University Council where a final vote will be made; and The Vice Chancellor makes the final decision and communicate it to the applicant.

14. Vacations and Leaves

Academic personnel at Dhofar University are entitled to an annual leave of 60 days. In addition to the annual leave, there are a number of leaves that all require the prior approval of the immediate superior who shall make his/her recommendation in the proper organizational sequence to the University Council. Those leaves are: Sabbatical Leave: Assistant, associate, and full professors are entitled, after 6 years of effective service at the university, to a one year sabbatical leave with full, partial, or without pay provided the approval of the Executive Committee of the BOT and the University Council are secured regarding his/her academic and research plan and a suitable replacement is found. The recipient of a sabbatical leave is entitled to a round trip economy ticket to the academic institution he/she plans to join. Research Leave: This leave is granted by the Vice Chancellor on the recommendation of the Dean once every five years with full or partial pay for a period not exceeding two months during the summer leave. Such leaves are not granted to faculty members who have less than three years of service at the University Leaves to Attend Conferences: This leave is granted by the Vice Chancellor on the recommendation of the University Research Board once a year with full pay for a period not exceeding five days. Discussion of Scientific Papers Leave: This leave is granted with full pay to faculty member for a period not exceeding five days to discuss scientific papers or supervise examinations held by other universities or scientific institutions. Sick Leave: A faculty member proved to be sick by presenting a medical report approved by the University is entitled to a sick leave not exceeding a total of ten weeks during a one year period, separately or consecutively. Such a leave shall be granted in the following manner: First and second week with full pay; Third and fourth week with three quarters pay; Fifth and sixth week with half pay; and Seventh to tenth week with quarter pay. Emergency Leave: This leave is granted to a faculty member up to twice a year for a period not exceeding three days each time in case of emergency or special circumstances . Proof of the emergency or special circumstances must be presented. Pilgrimage Leave: The pilgrimage (Hajj) leave is granted with full pay to a Muslim employee for a period of two weeks for one time only while in the employment of the University. Maternity Leave: Granted to a woman who has spent one or more years in the service of the university for a period not exceeding six weeks including the period preceding and following the maternity, provided a medical report is submitted specifying the date of probable delivery. Mourning Leave: Is granted with full pay for a period of 4 months and 10 days to a Muslim widow who had lost her husband while she is in the employment of the university. 17

Leave Without Pay: This leave is granted to a faculty member for a period of one semester for personal, family or health reasons. Such a leave may be extended for a maximum period of one more semester. Special Leave: A faculty member may be granted one semester leave without pay in an academic year for extreme necessity subject to the recommendation of the department and the Administrative Committee of the College and the approval of the Vice Chancellor.

15. Confidentiality
Discussions of personnel matters related to appointment, reappointment, academic leave, academic review, and promotion conducted at any level in the University whether in the department, the deans advisory committee, the university council, or any other committee, are strictly confidential. Breaches of confidentiality can lead to referral of those involved to the University Disciplinary Committee.

16. Voting Procedures

Voting in the department or in the advisory committee shall take place by show of hands in a meeting chaired, respectively, by the department chairperson or by the dean; the result of such voting on both levels should be included in the recommendation to the University Council. If the chairperson is the subject of the decision, the most senior member of the department will carry out his/her functions in this respect

17. Missed Classes

Faculty members are not permitted to miss classes without the prior written approval of the chairperson of their department and the dean. In all cases, any classes that are missed must be made up.

18. Disciplinary Measures

Anyone violating university rules and regulations and/or the civil service laws of the Sultanate may be subject to disciplinary measures commensurate with such violations.

19. Plagiarism
A student at Dhofar University shall not engage in plagiarism nor employ nor seek to employ any unfair means in examination or in other form of work submitted for assessment as part of any university course. The instructor shall explain to students the meaning of the term plagiarism and the consequences of committing such an act at the beginning of the semester. Students who commit plagiarism should be dealt with by their instructor. Persisting or difficult cases may be referred to the chair of the department. Severe cases that cannot be resolved at the department level may be referred to the Student Affairs Committee of the College. The course syllabus of each course shall contain the following statement:

Academic Honesty:
Plagiarism is using other people's work without proper referencing. Students are expected to complete all work with the highest standard of honesty and integrity. Plagiarism, forgery, cheating or any form of academic misconduct will not be tolerated. Any of the above may cause a students grade in the course to be lowered significantly or failing the course, depending on the severity of the offence.

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20. Grievances
Every faculty member has the right to appeal to a higher level than the one directly supervising his/her performance, by submitting a petition. In case he/she is not satisfied with the consequences, he/she may submit a petition to the dean. In exceptional cases, the Vice Chancellor of the University may, if he/she wishes, form a special committee to review some grievance cases or confirm lower level decisions.

21. Outside Academic and Professional Consultancy

As part of their service to the community, faculty members may involve in outside activities of academic or professional natures, after obtaining the approval of the Dean and the VC. The following rules and procedures shall apply: Faculty member shall submit a written request to the Dean stating: the nature of the outside activity, the company/firm it will be conducted for, the duration or span of the work, the schedule and the nature of the proposed work should not conflict with the assignment of the faculty member at DU, and the time devoted for the proposed consultancy will not exceed the equivalence of one working day per week throughout the span of the work. Also, the faculty should demonstrate the benefits of the gained experience for his career, research, and course offerings (teaching nexus). If the Dean approves the request, he/she shall pass it to the VC for his approval as well. A faculty member may not be involved in more than one consultancy activity simultaneously.

22. Amendments
Amendments of the Faculty Manual require a two-thirds majority of the members of the faculty present at any meeting at which the quorum exists, provided written notice of the proposed amendment has been circulated to the faculty members no less than one week prior to the meeting. Amendments are subject to the approval of the University Council, the Vice Chancellor and the Executive Committee of the Board of Trustees.

23. University Bylaws

This manual is to be read with the University bylaws which shall supersede any contradictions, if any.

24. Faculty Members

Following are the faculty members College of Arts and Applied Sciences for the academic year 200-8-09.

S. No. 1 2 3 4 5

Last Name Haleeb Iraqi Jabeur Sahli Sayed

First Name Ali Muh'd Youssef Nafaa Nabil Biju

Title Lecturer Assist Prof Assist Prof Assist Prof Lecturer

Degree MS PhD PhD PhD MS

Department Comp. Sci Comp. Sci Comp. Sci Comp. Sci Comp. Sci

Office C 203 C 201 C 203 C 203 C 207

Ext. 480 224 480 480 327 19

6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 31 32 33 34 35 36 37

Yaghi FaourJadayel Martin El Sayed Ayoub Abdo Al Abdullah Al Attiey Al Bainy Al Douri Al Mashani Cass Hayajneh Kumari Leadbetter Mohaparto Risse Sharma Stewart Sukumaran Thakur Umale Woerner Abdulkarim Belkhirat Boudjima George Jaweed Merabet Siddiqui Ul Hassan Woerner

Hussein Basma Robin Ann Abdulkader Abdulaziz Saleh Mufeed Marwan Ramez Soumaia Salem Stephen Luai Maruthi David Rudra Marielle Amrendra Carol Nechikottu Vijay Singh Jaishree Helen Ra'ed Abdelhadi Mounira Adel Mohammed Hocine Sabir Israr Edwin

Assoc Prof Assist Prof Assist Prof Assist Prof Assist Prof Lecturer Assoc Prof Instructor Assist Prof Assist Prof Instructor Instructor Instructor Lecturer Instructor Instructor Assist Prof Assist Prof Assist Prof Instructor Assist Prof Lecturer Instructor Instructor Assist Prof Lecturer Assoc Prof Instructor Assoc Prof Assist Prof Assist Prof Assist Prof

PhD PhD PhD PhD PhD MA PhD MA PhD PhD MA MA MA PhD MA MA PhD PhD PhD MA PhD PhD MA MS PhD PhD PhD MS PhD PhD PhD PhD

Education Education Education Education Education L&T L&T L&T L&T L&T L&T L&T L&T L&T L&T L&T L&T L&T L&T L&T L&T L&T L&T Math/ Sci Math/ Sci Math/ Sci Math/ Sci Math/ Sci Math/ Sci Math/ Sci Math/ Sci Math/ Sci

C 101 A 203 C 113 C 114 C 119 F 101 C 102 G 103 G 102 F 102 G 204 F 301 F 301 G 301 F 102 G 205 F 204 G 205 F 203 F 201 G 103 G 301 F 204 J 105 J 106 J 102 J 108 J 108 J 101 J 105 J 109 J 107

444 308 287 364 129 360 229 339 356 338 355 357 357 352 338 353 351 353 340 344 352 352 351 311 316 248 246 246 486 311 324 317 20

38 39 40 41 42 43 44

Abu Saleh Al Dheeb Decatoria Hanafy Narayanan Pfahlert Raburu

Abbas Hussein Johnny Maged Lakshmi Jeanine Pamela

Assoc Prof Instructor Assist Prof Assist Prof Assist Prof Assist Prof Instructor

PhD MA PhD PhD PhD PhD MA

Social Sci Social Sci Social Sci Social Sci Social Sci Social Sci Social Sci

J 208 J 203 J 205 J 204 J 210 J 206 J 209

485 496 487 490 502 491 354

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