Yahala Academic Orientation Held
2012-09-13
The two-day Yahala Academic Orientation for New Faculty ended last Wednesday. The annual event which was organised by the Office of the Vice President and Chief Academic Officer, was designed to provide incoming faculty with information about the university and the QU community, and to discuss faculty-related issues.
The first day’s activities included a series of presentations to orient the new arrivals on the role of the Core Curriculum Program, Honors Program, Faculty Performance Review and Development System, the Office of Faculty and Instructional Development (OFID) programs and resources, and QU library.
The new faculty members were welcomed by QU President Prof Sheikha Abdulla Al-Misnad, Vice President for Student Affairs Dr Omar Al Ansari, Vice President for Research Dr Hassan Al Derham, and OFID Director Dr Dalal Moukarzel.
In her welcoming remarks, QU President Prof Shaikha Al-Misnad said: “It is a pleasure to meet you all today and delighted that we will integrate your professionalism into QU colleges and departments. I wish you a fruitful academic year”. Prof Al-Misnad encouraged faculty members to visit QU website to familiarize themselves with the wide-ranging information provided on all aspects of QU, and further urged them to allocate time in their academic responsibilities for interactive social, research and community service activities.
Dr Al Ansari provided an overview of the distribution of undergraduate students by College, explaining that in Fall 2012, 45% of students are at the College of Arts and Sciences, 19% College of Business and Economics, 5% College of Education, 17% College of Engineering, 6% College of Law, 6% College of Sharia and Islamic Studies and 2% College of Pharmacy.
He also outlined the organizational structure of the Student Affairs Department which he said housed a number of student support centers to facilitate students’ academic life at QU such as the HelpDesk, Counseling Center, Career Services, Learning Support Center and Student Activities Department. Dr Al Ansari also drew attention to faculty responsibility to increase students’ awareness of relevant policies and procedures, and to pursue clear lines of interaction, fairness, caring and understanding, in line with QU guidelines.
Dr Al-Derham noted that Qatar is entering a transitional phase to achieve a knowledge-based society, hence, establishing a strong research infrastructure is one of QU’s main objectives. “In this regard, we established a number of initiatives, programs and centers to support the country’s research endeavors such as the Environmental Studies Center, Center of Advanced Materials, Gas Processing Center, QU Mobility Innovations Center, and the Social and Economic Survey Research Institute. Other centers are under development such as the Research Complex, KINDI IT and research laboratories, Center for Traffic Studies, and the Biomedical Center”, he said.
Dr Al Derham detailed the range of grants provided by QU and the Qatar National Research Fund (QNRF) and urged all new faculty members to take advantage of them especially the startup grants for new faculty to support them in establishing their own research portfolios.
Dr Moukarzel introduced faculty to services offered by OFID such as professional development training opportunities, areas of support , and the interactive events such as OFID Days, EduTech Days and Assessment Week, and invited them to browse the office website and take advantage of the resources available online.
The second day's activities included seminars on “Cultural Interaction and Mentoring” , “QU Teaching Responsibilities and Expectations”, “Developing a Course Portfolio at QU”, and a workshop on “Introducing Blackboard 9 at QU”. Following an interactive lunch, faculty members participated in a bus tour of QU campus.
Commenting on the event, new College of Education faculty Dr Lana Bibi said: “I spent 14 years in the US and had many concerns regarding cultural differences I would likely encounter in Qatar. However, the orientation helped me to better understand Qatari culture, as well as oriented me on the academic syllabus, grading policies, attendance and final exams”.
Law professor Dr Chris Evers said: “The orientation helped me to know more about the techniques of maintaining my work track during the academic year. It was a very beneficial exercise”.
Law professor Dr Chris Evers said: “The orientation helped me to know more about the techniques of maintaining my work track during the academic year. It was a very beneficial exercise”.