Standard 7. Facilities and Equipment (Overall Rating *** Stars)
Adequate facilities and equipment must be available for the teaching and learning requirements of the program. Use of facilities and equipment should be monitored and regular assessments of adequacy made through consultations with teaching and other staff and students.
Much of the responsibility for this standard may be institutional rather than program administration.
However, the program is responsible to assessing the quality of this standard. In this standard analysis should be made on matters that impact on the quality of delivery of the program. These matters would include, for example, adequacy of classroom and laboratory facilities, availability and maintenance of equipment, appropriateness for the program of scheduling arrangements, and availability, maintenance, and technical support for IT equipment in meeting program needs.
1- Explanatory note about arrangements for provision of facilities and equipment.
Facilities must be designed or adapted to meet the particular requirements for teaching and learning in the programs offered by the university, and offer a safe and healthy environment for high quality education.
Use of facilities must be monitored and user surveys used to assist in planning for improvement.
1) Appropriate facilities and equipment must be available for teaching and learning in the Department of Computer Science & Information.
2) There should be specific and accurate procedures to assess the equipment on a regular basis through Consultations with faculty, staff and students.
3) Adequate provision must be made for classrooms and laboratories, use of computer technology and research equipment by teaching staff and students.
4) Appropriate provision must be made for associated services such as food services, extra-curricular activities, and where relevant, student accommodation.
The good use of these facilities and equipment enable students to be in charge about their own learning.
The use of these facilities and equipment are assessed regularly in terms of their suitability for all stakeholders, i.e. students, faculty and staff.
Majmaah University has attempted to introduce policies. So that the planning, properties and maintenance of all its colleges’ facilities and equipment are efficient and useful. Thus, clearly organized processes exist for the facilities which include tendering processes. There is also a documented system throughout the University for the maintenance and repairing of facilities, as well as a well-defined system for planning and budgeting, involving certain academic and administrative units in MU.
2. Key performance indicators
1. Percent of college assured that the classrooms and laboratories were ready in them College's Readiness survey.
2. The average rating by the students in graduate evaluation survey on response to the statement:
"The classroom facilities (for lectures and labs) are good enough "
3. Describe the processes used to evaluate the quality of facilities and equipment for the program.
The members of the Assessment and Accreditation Committee, e-learning Committee, and Safety Committee were responsible for the evaluation and preparation of the report on this standard.
They started their task by examining;
Policies and procedures of deanship of E-learning and IT Unit.
Documents of Laboratories, Equipment & Services Committee, Student Guidance committee, Safety Committee, and e-learning committee ,IT unit, e-learning unit, computer labs, and other facilities.
Then, the members of these committees fill out the self-evaluation scales of standard 7 as well as reporting on possible actions to improve the quality of facilities and equipment.
Report on subsections of the standard:
7.1 Policy and Planning
Planning for the provision of facilities including purchase, maintenance and replacement, is accomplished through consulting faculty members with the Head of the Department. Then,
recommendations on these facilities are forwarded to the college administration; the Dean and the vice Deans, through the Head of the Department. The available facilities are suitable for the Program purposes.
MU developed effectively master plans for development and management of facilities and equipment to meet the needs of the institution. This planning must be carried out in consultation with CSI department and in responsive to their requirements. Making copies of the records of maintenance facilities for faculty members to avoid mistakes, and for the continuity of the teaching quality.
7.2 Quality of and Adequacy of Facilities
The following table demonstrates part of the main learning facilities in the Department of CSI:
Table.7.1: Classrooms and labs in the CSI Department
Class rooms Computer lab Video conference room
6 7 1
Each classroom is equipped with smart boards "a special ActiveInspire technology board". Recently, small classrooms were added and supplied with the latest equipment.
College's members are trained by Deanship of E-learning and Distance Education on smart boards.
Computer Labs were restructured and rearranged for better utilization by staff and students.
The overall evaluation of the program students to the quality and adequacy of the classrooms facilities at CSI department in Majmaah University are showed in the following tables.
Table 7.2: The overall evaluation of the faculty members
Strongly agree Agree True to some extent Disagree Strongly Disagree
25 40 25 6 4
The following figure shows the overall evaluation of the department students to the quality and adequacy of the classrooms facilities according to their Questionnaires .
Strongly agree 25%
Agree 40%
True to Some extent
25%
Disagree 6%
Strong Disagree
4%
Quality of Classroom
Figure 7.1 shows the overall evaluation of the department students to the quality and adequacy of the classrooms facilities .
Safety requirements
The Safety and Security unit in the University provides security systems and safety to the facilities, Cameras are available in the building 24 hours..
Fire evacuation policy and fire drills are practiced in all places.
First aid kits are available in all faculties.
The College has emergency plans, safety signs, emergency exit signs and laboratory safety manuals.
7.3 Management and Administration
Management must have facilities, equipment and support services to ensure effective use of the facilities available.
All equipment in the CSI department as well as those with the college members are recorded in lists in the main store in the university.
The maintenance of this equipment is available through the workshop in the University as well as the workshop in the College.
Equipment which is out of service can be replaced according to the University regulations.
Security systems are available to protect privacy of personal and institutional information against electronic threats. Moreover, the equipment is monitored electronically as well as through the security men who are available 24 hours on all exit gates in the buildings of the College.
Cleaning services in the department are available and effective.
Committee's recommendation
The main equipment's needed for the research purposes of staff department of CSI, are PC computers and Software Packages, and it should be available for all faculty's members in their offices, and uploaded with required software and connected to internet.
The maintenance of this equipment is available through the main University as well as in the College.
7.4 Information Technology
IT unit in CSI department was an area of improvement recently, so it is one of the priorities of the strategic plan. Working in accordance with its Strategic Plan, significant additions and enhancements were successfully implemented like:
Installed the latest hardware.
E-register and Edugate (the new academic systems)
Network infrastructure.
Internet bandwidth expanded and services upgraded.
New academic systems through Web site of University.
Upgrading to smart classrooms (Active Inspire) throughout the University.
The Learning Management System (LMS) and E-learning portal.
Optimization
College provides all faculty members with laptops and installed software for smart boards.
College creates computer lab so that all the students of the program are associated to the use of Internet.
The college provided each college member with Internet.
The CSI Department organizes some technical workshops among faculty members about how to use some of the sites to improve e-learning.
Committee's recommendation
Opportunities for faculty must be available to present their views regarding the plans for the purchase, maintenance and replacement of equipment and software in the enterprise.
Each student should be provided with a laptop, and a college wide wireless internet service is provided. Technical Support is provided when needed.
Security systems are available to protect privacy of personal and institutional information and to protect against externally introduced viruses. A code of conduct has to be established relating inappropriate use of contents on the internet.
Evaluation of facilities and equipment for the program:
Strengths
Computer labs are equipped with computers and software.
Classrooms equipped with both blackboards and smart boards.
Existence of Video conference room.
Existence of information security systems against electronic threats.
Central Library rich with references,
Computer labs are equipped with computers and software, and they open from 8 am to 4 pm on all working days.
Areas for improvement
1. Recruiting qualified supporting staff.
2. Give more attention to the facilities securities.
Priorities for action
1. Update the software and computers in the computer labs.
Provide more electronic learning resources.
