Higher Education Excellence: Impact on the Industrial Sector

1. Higher Education Excellence: Impact on the Industrial Sector 22-Nov-2006

2. Content • Introduction • Characteristics of Excellence • Measure of Excellence • Quality Assurance • Pursuing Excellence • Case study – KFUPM • Creativity • Interaction with the Industry • Concluding Remarks

3. “The Global Vehicle” SOCIETY INDUSTRY ACADEMIA

4. Introduction • Higher education creates a demanding but rewarding environment in which individuals can realize their creative and intellectual potential. • Higher education equips people with the necessary knowledge, skills and values to play a wide range of social roles and to become effective citizens. • Through research and the production of knowledge, higher education provides a society with the capacity to innovate, adapt and advance.

5. Introduction • There is a high correlation, globally, between excellent higher education and overall national achievements in development, growth, competitiveness and welfare. • There is a lot written about the issue of quality and excellence in Higher Education. • The words excellence and quality in Higher Education convey the same meaning and the varying definitions reveal the different ways in which these two concepts can be seen. • There are four conventional views of excellence in collegiate quality. These are :

6. Views of Excellence Resources Reputation Outcome Content Excellence as

7. Introduction • There are a number of definitions for Excellence in H.E. • One definition views the most excellence institutions as those who have the greatest impact or add the most value on: • The students’ knowledge and personal development • The faculty members scholarly and pedagogical ability and productivity “This definition focuses on results. It asks the questions, what difference did the institute make in student knowledge, skill and attitude?” • A more recent definition for educational quality is: “Quality is conformance to mission specification and goal achievement – within publicly accepted standards of accountability and integrity”

8. Characteristics of Excellence : Characteristics of Excellence in Higher Education include: • A mission appropriate to Higher Education • Well defined and appropriate goals • Established conditions and procedures under which the mission and goals can be realized

9. Characteristics of Excellence : Characteristics of Excellence in Higher Education Continue: • Assessment of both institutional effectiveness and student learning outcomes and the use of results for improvement • Substantial accomplishment of mission and goals • The support needed to continue to accomplish mission and goals • Meeting the eligibility requirement and standards of accreditation bodies.

10. Measure of Excellence (quality) • Several questions associate with the measurement of quality: • What evidence or indicators are acceptable as appropriate operational expressions of quality? • What evidence should be assembled to reflect the performance and quality of institutions that have diverse mission, history and environment? • Hence, the evidence of quality (Excellence) at H.E. Institutions requires more than one data point.

11. Measure of Excellence (quality) Cont. The following indicators could be used as evidence of collegiate quality: • Peer reviews as expressed in accreditation and program reviews. • Students and alumni opinion and satisfaction indices. • Reputation and ranking studies. • Students performance profiles on entrance and exit tests. • Professional licensure results. • Faculty research and publication productivity

12. Quality Assurance Quality Assurance Instruments in Higher Education include: • Accreditation : The test of goal achievement and improvement • Ranking and Ratings : The test of reputation • Outcomes : The test of results • Licensure : The test of professional standards • Program reviews : The test of Peer Review • Follow-up studies : The test of client satisfaction • Total quality management : The test of continuous improvement

13. Pursuing Excellence Where to Start? Organizational Checklist • The checklist is a supplement to Excellence in Higher Education. • Provides an introduction to excellence in Higher Education. • Provides starting point for discussion and systematic self-assessment using the Excellency in Higher Education model. • It covers 7 dimensions of organizational functioning that are critical in Higher Education.

14. Organizational Checklist Cont. The seven dimensions are: • Leadership • Strategic Planning • External Focus • Information and Analysis • Faculty/Staff workplace focus • Process Effectiveness • Outcomes and Achievements

15. Case Study : KFUPM KFUPM has established a number of programs and practices towards excellence assurance in its education. These include: • Preparatory-Year Program • Program Assessment • Accreditation • Self-Assessment • Quality Management and Planning • Strategic Planning • Performance Measures and Indictors

16. Case Study : KFUPM Cont. • Academic Development : • Faculty Development Program • e-Learning • Student Programs • Research Institute • Dhahran Technovalley

17. What is needed for being creative? What is needed for being creative? • Curiosity, questions, questions, … • and searching for answers • creative unrest

18. What is needed for being creative? • Broad horizon • Knowledge in several fields • Interdisciplinary thinking • Inspiration by analogies

19. Creativity Creativity Goal Profession additional Passions

20. What is needed for being creative? • Inquietude, conflicting feelings • Self-confidence Self-critics • Stubbornness Flexibility • Concentration Relaxation

21. Serendipity Goal

22. What is needed for being creative? • Partners for discussion • Open Dialogue • Openness for critics • Honesty towards one-self • Honesty towards others

23. University & Industry Interaction Industry Collaboration University

24. Industry Exchange of People University

25. It is strongly Recommended that Professors, worked for at least a year in industry ! - Postdoctoral Employment - Sabbatical in Industry - Own Company

26. Scientists and Engineers in Industry return regularly to the University ! - Sabbatical at a University - Continuing Education at University - Collaboration on Joint Projects - Bringing Experience in University Teaching

27. Continuing Education for Professionals and for the Public is a Joint Task of Industry and University

28. Research is for the Benefit of Society

29. ! To succeed, we have to run faster every day

31. But – are we running in the proper direction ??

32. Concluding Remarks • Excellence in Higher Education means that Higher Education Institutions can: • create knowledge and spread it • craft solutions to crucial social challenges • add value in a way that only a higher education institution can. • Excellence in Higher Education means the formation of responsible and innovative leaders with long-term vision, willing to serve society. • Excellence in Higher Education means a society with the capacity to innovate, adapt and advance. • Excellence in Higher Education means local industry with the capacity to compete globally

33. Concluding Remarks • Those who know more are expected to accomplish more, earn more, and, in the end, to live a happier life. • To succeed, we have to run faster every day. But – are we running in the proper direction?? • Who will keep our boat afloat, Policy? Economy? Or Academic Community? • Let’s convert our academic institutions into radiating cultural centres with an impact on society! • Let’s be reminded that academic institutions alone can not solve major Global Problems. We also need Empathy, Compassion, and Foresight.

34. Thank You