Oman Academic Accreditation Authority Report of an Audit ... Report v6 final.pdfOman Academic...

Oman Academic

Accreditation Authority

Report of an Audit of

International College of

Engineering and Management

August 2012

HEI Quality Audit Report International College of Engineering and Management

Audit Report Number 27

©2012 Oman Academic Accreditation Authority

P.O. Box 1255

P.C. 133

Al-Khuwair

Sultanate of Oman

Ph +968 2461 4361/2

Fax +968 2461 4364

http://www.oaaa.gov.om

CO�TE�TS

Overview of the Quality Audit Process..................................................................................................... 3

How to Read This Report........................................................................................................................... 4

Conclusions.................................................................................................................................................. 5

Executive Summary of Findings ............................................................................................................. 5

Summary of Commendations .................................................................................................................. 6

Summary of Affirmations........................................................................................................................ 7

Summary of Recommendations............................................................................................................... 7

1 Governance and Management............................................................................................................ 11

1.1 Mission, Vision and Values......................................................................................................... 11

1.2 Governance................................................................................................................................. 12

1.3 Management ............................................................................................................................... 13

1.4 Institutional Affiliations for Programmes and Quality Assurance.............................................. 13

1.5 Strategic Plan.............................................................................................................................. 14

1.6 Operational Planning .................................................................................................................. 14

1.7 Financial Management ............................................................................................................... 15

1.8 Risk Management....................................................................................................................... 15

1.9 Policy Management .................................................................................................................... 16

1.10 Entity and Activity Review Systems .......................................................................................... 16

1.11 Student Grievance Process ......................................................................................................... 16

1.12 Health and Safety ....................................................................................................................... 17

1.13 Oversight of Associated Entities (e.g. owned companies) ......................................................... 17

2 Student Learning by Coursework Programmes ............................................................................... 18

2.1 Graduate Attributes and Student Learning Objectives ............................................................... 18

2.2 Curriculum.................................................................................................................................. 18

2.3 Student Entry Standards ............................................................................................................. 19

2.4 Foundation Programme .............................................................................................................. 19

2.5 Teaching Quality ........................................................................................................................ 20

2.6 Plagiarism................................................................................................................................... 21

2.7 Student Placements..................................................................................................................... 21

2.8 Assessment Methods, Standards and Moderation ...................................................................... 22

2.9 Academic Security and Invigilation ........................................................................................... 22

2.10 Student Retention and Progression............................................................................................. 23

2.11 Graduate Destinations and Employability.................................................................................. 23

3 Student Learning by Research Programmes .................................................................................... 25

4 Staff Research and Consultancy......................................................................................................... 26

5 Industry and Community Engagement ............................................................................................. 27

5.1 Industry and Community Engagement Planning & Management .............................................. 27

5.2 Relationships with Industry and Employers ............................................................................... 27

5.3 Relationships with Professions................................................................................................... 28

5.4 Relationships with Other Education Providers........................................................................... 29

5.5 Relationships with Alumni ......................................................................................................... 29

5.6 Relationships with the Community at Large .............................................................................. 30


© Oman Academic Accreditation Authority Page 2 of 53

6 Academic Support Services ................................................................................................................ 31

6.1 Academic Support Services Planning & Management............................................................... 31

6.2 Registry (Enrolment and Student Records) ................................................................................ 31

6.3 Library ........................................................................................................................................ 32

6.4 Information and Learning Technology Services......................................................................... 33

6.5 Academic Advising .................................................................................................................... 33

6.6 Student Learning Support........................................................................................................... 34

6.7 Teaching Resources .................................................................................................................... 34

7 Students and Student Support Services............................................................................................. 36

7.1 Students and Student Support Services Planning and Management........................................... 36

7.2 Student Profile ............................................................................................................................ 37

7.3 Student Satisfaction and Climate................................................................................................ 37

7.4 Student Behaviour ...................................................................................................................... 38

7.5 Career and Employment Services .............................................................................................. 38

7.6 Student Finances......................................................................................................................... 39

7.7 Accommodation, Catering and Transport................................................................................... 39

7.8 Medical and Counseling Facilities ............................................................................................. 40

7.9 International Student Services .................................................................................................... 40

7.10 Social and Recreational Services and Facilities ......................................................................... 41

8 Staff and Staff Support Services ........................................................................................................ 42

8.1 Human Resources Planning and Management ........................................................................... 42

8.2 Staff Profile................................................................................................................................. 43

8.3 Recruitment and Selection.......................................................................................................... 43

8.4 Induction..................................................................................................................................... 43

8.5 Professional Development.......................................................................................................... 44

8.6 Performance Planning and Review............................................................................................. 44

8.7 Promotion and Other Incentives................................................................................................. 45

8.8 Severance.................................................................................................................................... 45

8.9 Staff Organisational Climate and Retention ............................................................................... 45

8.10 Omanisation................................................................................................................................ 45

9 General Support Services and Facilities............................................................................................ 47

9.1 General Support Services and Facilities Planning and Management ......................................... 47

9.2 Public Relations and Marketing ................................................................................................. 47

9.3 Communication Services............................................................................................................ 47

9.4 Facilities Management................................................................................................................ 48

Appendix A. Audit Panel...................................................................................................................... 49

Appendix B. Abbreviations, Acronyms and Terms............................................................................ 50

International College of Engineering and Management HEI Quality Audit Report

Page 3 of 53 © Oman Academic Accreditation Authority

OVERVIEW OF THE QUALITY AUDIT PROCESS

This Quality Audit Report (the ‘Report’) documents the findings of a Quality Audit by the Oman

Academic Accreditation Authority (OAAA – formerly the Oman Accreditation Council) of the

International College of Engineering and Management (ICEM). It comments on ICEM’s Mission and

Vision, and the appropriateness and effectiveness of its systems for achieving that Mission and Vision.

Quality Audit is the first stage in Oman’s institutional accreditation process. It is designed to provide a

level of assurance to the public about the quality of ICEM’s activities and constructive feedback to ICEM

to assist with its ongoing improvement efforts.

The Quality Audit commenced with ICEM undertaking a self study of its Mission, Vision and systems.

The results were summarised in their Quality Audit Portfolio (the ‘Portfolio’). This document was

submitted to the OAAA 17 days after the due date of 30 September 2011.

The OAAA appointed an external Audit Panel (the ‘Panel’), comprising suitably qualified and

experienced local and international reviewers, to conduct the quality audit. For membership of the Panel

see Appendix A. The Panel met (international members by telephone) on 14 November 2011 to consider

ICEM’s Portfolio. Following this, the Audit Panel Chairperson’s representative and the Executive

Officer undertook a planning visit on behalf of the Panel to ICEM on 7 December 2011 to clarify certain

matters, request additional information and make arrangements for the Panel’s audit visit.

Prior to the audit visit, the Panel invited submissions from the public about the quality of ICEM’s

activities. Two submissions were received and considered.

The audit visit took place over 8 – 11 January 2012. During this time, the Panel spoke with over 100

people, including representatives of the governing body, staff, students and external stakeholders. It also

visited a selection of venues and reviewed a range of additional materials.

No information provided after 11 January 2012 (being the last day of the audit visit) was taken into

consideration for the purposes of this audit, other than pre-existing items specifically requested by the

Panel in advance.

The Report contains a summary of the Panel’s findings, together with formal Commendations where good

practices have been confirmed, Affirmations where ICEM’s ongoing quality improvement efforts merit

support, and Recommendations where there are significant opportunities for improvement not yet being

adequately addressed. The Report provides a balanced set of observations, but does not comment on

every system in place at ICEM.

The Panel’s audit activities and preparation of this Report were governed by regulations set by the OAAA

Board. This Report was approved for release by the OAAA Board on 6 August 2012.

The OAAA was established by Royal Decree No. 54/2010 to replace the Oman Accreditation Council.

Its responsibilities include conducting quality audits of higher education institutions (HEIs) in the

Sultanate of Oman. For further information, visit the OAAA website (http://www.oaaa.gov.om). Full

details of the Quality Audit process are available in OAAA’s HEI Quality Audit Manual (available from

http://www.oaaa.gov.om/Institution.aspx#Inst_Quality).



HOW TO READ THIS REPORT

Each OAAA Audit Report is written primarily for the institution being audited. The Report is specifically

designed to provide feedback to help that institution better understand its own strengths and opportunities

for improvement. The feedback is structured according to nine broad areas of activity and presented as

formal Commendations, Affirmations and Recommendations, or as informal suggestions, each

accompanied with explanatory paragraphs. It is expected that the institution will act upon this feedback

as part of its continuous efforts to provide the best possible education to students.

The Report is made public because it also may be of interest to students and potential students, their

families, employers, Government, other higher education institutions in Oman and abroad, and other

audiences. Students, in particular, may find this Report interesting because it provides some independent

comment on the learning environment at this institution (particularly Chapters 2, 6 and 7). However, prospective students should still undertake their own investigations when deciding which higher

education institution will best serve their particular learning needs.

Quality Audit is the first stage in Oman’s two-stage process for institutional accreditation. Its focus is

formative (developmental) rather than summative. In other words, although the audit addresses nine

areas of activity which are common to all institutions, it does not measure the institution against

externally set standards of performance in those nine areas. Instead, it considers how well the institution

is attending to those areas in accordance with its own Mission and Vision and in the context of relevant

legal regulations. Therefore, Quality Audit recognises that each institution has a unique purpose and

profile; it does not directly compare one institution with all the other institutions in Oman.

For these reasons, a Quality Audit does not result in a pass or fail; nor does it provide any sort of grade or

score. It should also be noted that the precise number of Commendations, Affirmations and

Recommendations that an institution receives in its Audit Report is not as important as the substance of

those conclusions. For example, some Recommendations may focus on critical issues such as assessment

of student learning, whereas others may focus on issues such as the maintenance of teaching equipment in

classrooms which, while important, is clearly less critical. Therefore, it is neither significant nor

appropriate to compare the Audit Reports of different HEIs solely on the numbers of Commendations,

Affirmations and Recommendations.

The second stage in the institutional accreditation process is Standards Assessment. This stage, which

will take place about four years after the Quality Audit, does provide a summative assessment against

external standards in the same nine areas of activity. It should be noted that Oman also operates a system

of accreditation/recognition for academic programmes, separately from the institutional accreditation

process. For more information on Oman’s System of Quality Assurance in Higher Education please visit

www.oaaa.gov.om.

This Report contains a number of references to source evidence considered by the Audit Panel. These

references are for the HEI’s benefit in further addressing the issues raised. In most cases this evidence is

not in the public domain.



CO�CLUSIO�S

This section summarises the main findings and lists the Commendations, Affirmations and

Recommendations. They are listed in the order in which they appear in the Report, and are not

prioritised. It should be noted that other favourable comments and suggestions for improvement are

mentioned throughout the text of the Report.

Executive Summary of Findings

The International College of Engineering and Management (ICEM or ‘the College’) was founded in 1997

in Muscat with a Vision to serve the training needs of the Sultanate of Oman. It formerly had a

vocational provision but now provides a second higher education (HE) division. Since the OAAA

concerns itself with the accreditation of higher education institutions in Oman, the Portfolio submitted

focused on the HE division of the ICEM provision. ICEM offers five four-year Honours degree

programmes, which are: BSc (Hons) Health, Safety & Environmental Management; BSc (Hons) Fire

Safety (Engineering); BSc (Hons) Fire Safety (Management); BEng (Hons) Mechanical Engineering

(Well Engineering); and BSc (Hons) Facilities Management. Since 1999, ICEM has been affiliated with

the University of Central Lancashire (UCLan), UK which awards the degrees, supervises quality

assurance, contributes to course offerings, supports external examiners and conducts workshops for staff

development purposes. Students enrolled on ICEM programmes complete the fourth year of their

Honours degree at UCLan in the UK. At the time of the audit, the College had around 1000 students

from Oman, the GCC and elsewhere enrolled in its HE division. Around a quarter of the students were

female.

The Quality Audit Portfolio prepared by the College was a product of an 18-month self study process,

based on ADRI (see Appendix B), involving staff and students at all levels. According to ICEM, this

process has resulted in acknowledgement of a number of deficiencies that exist in the College, and

inspired a new 2011-2018 Strategic Plan that will guide the operation of the College over the next seven

years. The Panel noted, however, that as the Strategic Plan was a very recent development and had not

been signed off by the Board of Directors at the time of the audit, it was difficult to assess the extent of its

potential impact.

ICEM has developed and been delivering programmes within a niche market which, according to external

stakeholders, generally meet the demand of a specialised sector of industry. In terms of governance and

management, the College acknowledges that historically the mechanisms in place for decision-making

have been informal and that reporting lines within the hierarchy of its organisational structure have not

always been clear. The College is encouraged to develop clearly delineated responsibilities within its

governance and management structures and ensure that these are formalised, documented and their

effectiveness is reviewed. The formation of the Board of Trustees needs to be implemented as a priority.

The affiliation with UCLan has been a strength within the College. However, as ICEM pursues its

intention to revise its HE and vocational structures, UCLan’s support will be needed and the

responsibility for monitoring the effectiveness of this relationship at UCLan should be clearly identified

and acknowledged. As mentioned above, the Strategic Plan is a new initiative and the College would

benefit from ensuring that its implementation is clearly supported at the highest level and resources are

aligned with the overall objectives. In the light of the new Strategic Plan, the College’s approach to

operational planning needs to be reviewed in all areas of its activities. Staff in all these areas need to be

supported in playing an active part in the development and implementation of operational plans. The

College has a number of entity and activity review systems in place; however, an integrated approach to

data collection and management will need to be developed in order to inform review activities. ICEM

also needs to carry out an urgent review of the adequacy of its existing health and safety provision to

ensure that this area is properly maintained and resourced.



The College has developed a number of graduate attributes which align with the overall learning

outcomes of its programmes. As with a number of its activities, the College needs to formalise its liaison

with employers and industry to ensure that these graduate attributes are relevant to the needs of the

workplace. Formal and consistent external stakeholder input could also be sought to inform the

curriculum across all fields, to support the provision of opportunities for students to enrol in the Industrial

Placement Module and to monitor graduate destinations. External stakeholders were keen to support the

College in its endeavours and ICEM needs to harness this goodwill through systematic channels. The

efforts that the College has made to enhance student learning through the development of the Teaching

and Learning Committee should be acknowledged, although the impact of this Committee’s activities has

yet to be ascertained. With regard to issues concerning student attrition and retention, the College is

urged to review its entry standards. High staff turnover and a stringent adherence to the staff student ratio

has at times led to academic staff teaching at the margins of their specialisation; the College needs to

address this. ICEM acknowledges that its focus has been on teaching rather than research. However, as

the College makes reference to applied research in its Vision and has a goal regarding research in its

Strategic Plan, it needs to develop an operational plan to meet its objectives in this area.

A number of the HE programmes at ICEM have professional body accreditation which has proved to be

an important feature of its success, especially in the fields of fire safety engineering and management. In

terms of academic support services, the College has recently centralised its HE administrative support

section. Registration services have faced a number of challenges with some data being input manually,

some documentation being stored at UCLan and a registration system that is over seven years old. The

College is urged to review the effectiveness of its current management information system to ensure that

it meets the needs of all stakeholders. ICEM also needs to review its teaching resources in terms of

Library and IT provision and the fitness of purpose of the current teaching facilities. Although there is a

Campus Development Plan to support medium term plans, the College needs to act to ensure that its

current teaching and learning environment meets the immediate requirements of staff and students.

ICEM has an elected Student Council which has in the past played a role in ensuring that the student

voice is heard. The College now needs to evaluate the effectiveness of the Student Council in performing

this role and ensure that it has the support and resources to continue its efforts. The College would also

benefit from developing and implementing a systematic approach to the collection and analysis of student

feedback and ensure that students are informed of changes made in response to their feedback. In the area

of staff and staff support, the Panel heard that ICEM is in the process of developing comprehensive

human resource (HR) systems and the documentation to support these. Alongside this, the College needs

to develop an overarching HR plan in order to meet its strategic intentions and to address the existing

issues which undermine staff retention. The College should also continue the positive steps it has made

in the area of Omanisation.

While the issues regarding the ownership of the land on which the College is currently located are

recognised as being an impediment to future growth, ICEM needs to review the planning and

management of its current facilities. The College needs to ensure that these facilities meet the needs of

the College community, especially in light of the strategic objective to increase student numbers over the

next few years.

Summary of Commendations

A formal Commendation recognises an instance of particularly good practice.

1. The Oman Academic Accreditation Authority commends the International College of

Engineering and Management for its planned provision of niche programmes which meet

specific industry needs. .................................................................................................................... 12


Engineering and Management for establishing a robust internal examination moderation and

external examiner system. ................................................................................................................ 22




Engineering and Management for seeking programme recognition and maintaining good

relationships with a number of professional bodies in the field of fire safety engineering and

management which supports the credibility of its qualifications. .................................................... 29


Engineering and Management for providing financial support for high achieving students to

continue their studies. ....................................................................................................................... 39

Summary of Affirmations

A formal Affirmation recognises an instance in which ICEM has accurately identified a significant

opportunity for improvement and has demonstrated appropriate commitment to addressing the matter.

1. The Oman Academic Accreditation Authority agrees with the International College of

Engineering and Management that it needs to review its approach to disseminating policies

and supports its efforts in this area. .................................................................................................. 16


Engineering and Management that it needs to develop and implement formal mechanisms to

incorporate employer and industry input in curriculum design, and supports the College’s

efforts in formalising such mechanisms. .......................................................................................... 19


Engineering and Management that it needs to support and enhance teaching and learning,

and recognises its efforts to do so through the establishment of the Teaching and Learning

Committee. ....................................................................................................................................... 20


Engineering and Management that it needs to develop and implement a formal mechanism

for dealing with plagiarism, and supports its efforts to do so through the introduction of a

regular review of student assignments for plagiarism detection....................................................... 21


Engineering and Management that it needs to formalise mechanisms to improve its

relationship with industry and employers, and supports its efforts in this area................................ 28


Engineering and Management that it needs to continue to address the needs late-registering

students, and supports it efforts to do so, for example through the introduction of remedial

teaching sessions. ............................................................................................................................. 34


Engineering and Management that it needs to upgrade its medical provision for students, and

supports its efforts in this area.......................................................................................................... 40


Engineering and Management that it needs to review its human resources policies and

practices, and supports its efforts to do so, such as through the development of job

descriptions for all staff. ................................................................................................................... 43

Summary of Recommendations

A Recommendation draws attention to a significant opportunity for improvement that ICEM has either

not yet accurately identified or to which it is not yet adequately attending.



1. The Oman Academic Accreditation Authority recommends that the International College of

Engineering and Management, as a matter of urgency, review its current governance and

management structures in order to ensure that there are clearly delineated responsibilities for

operational and academic decision-making and that formal, transparent and documented

processes are in place to support these structures............................................................................. 12


Engineering and Management establish a Board of Trustees as a matter of priority with clear

terms of reference for its remit and its working relationship with the College’s governance

and management structures. ............................................................................................................. 13


Engineering and Management develop and implement a system to regularly monitor the

effectiveness of its academic management in order to support the College in meeting its

strategic objectives. .......................................................................................................................... 13


Engineering and Management develop and implement a robust mechanism to resource the

implementation of the Strategic Plan along with a clear indication of who has responsibility

for monitoring the plan..................................................................................................................... 14


Engineering and Management develop and implement operational plans across all College

departments (such as industry and community engagement; academic support services; and

student support services) which are clearly linked to the strategic objectives, are monitored

against key performance indicators, and are promoted to the staff as a basic management

responsibility. ................................................................................................................................... 15


Engineering and Management review its current budgeting and resource allocation processes

to ensure that relevant stakeholders provide input and that resource allocation is linked to the

College’s strategic and operational objectives. ................................................................................ 15


Engineering and Management develop and implement a formal risk assessment and

management system.......................................................................................................................... 15


Engineering and Management develop and implement an integrated approach to data

collection, management and analysis to inform its review system................................................... 16


Engineering and Management carry out an urgent review of the adequacy of its existing

health and safety provision and ensure that this area is appropriately resourced. ............................ 17


Engineering and Management review its admission criteria for Foundation and higher

education programmes and develop and implement an action plan in light of the review

findings. ............................................................................................................................................ 19


Engineering and Management ensure that academic staff are teaching only within their

specialisations................................................................................................................................... 21


Engineering and Management develop and implement mechanisms to maximise

opportunities for students to carry out industrial placement and to measure the effectiveness

of this Module in supporting students’ attainment of the College’s graduate attributes. ................. 22




Engineering and Management ensure that new policies relating to assessment security are

clearly communicated, consistently implemented and that their effectiveness is regularly

monitored.......................................................................................................................................... 23


Engineering and Management review its approach to the collection and management of

student data, such as records of student study plans, in order to inform actions to address low

progression rates. .............................................................................................................................. 23


Engineering and Management develop and implement a formal mechanism for tracking

graduates and using this data to inform its strategic decisions. ........................................................ 24


Engineering and Management develop and implement a research and consultancy

operational plan which is fully resourced and has clear targets that can guide the College

systematically to achieve its Vision.................................................................................................. 26


Engineering and Management activate the alumni association and develop a system to

regulate, monitor and evaluate its engagement with alumni. ........................................................... 29


Engineering and Management review the effectiveness of its management information

system, such as the appropriateness of its current registration software and consistency of

data entry, to ensure that it meets the needs of all College stakeholders.......................................... 32


Engineering and Management develop and implement a fully-resourced action plan to

improve its library provision and, in consultation with its affiliate, address the issue of staff

access to electronic resources in order to support the College’s research aspirations...................... 33


Engineering and Management review the current status of its IT provision in order to ensure

it meets staff and student needs. ....................................................................................................... 33


Engineering and Management review the provision of its teaching resources, in order to

ensure they are fit for purpose and develop an action plan to address shortcomings....................... 34


Engineering and Management review the role of the Student Council to ensure that it has the

ability and resources to represent the student interest and welfare at appropriate levels of

governance and management............................................................................................................ 37


Engineering and Management develop and implement a systematic approach to the

collection and analysis of student feedback questionnaires, and ensure that students are

informed of any changes made in response to their feedback. ......................................................... 38


Engineering and Management develop and implement a centralised and proactive career

service in order to provide systematic support to its graduates. ....................................................... 39


Engineering and Management develop and implement an overarching human resources plan

that aligns with the Colleges strategic objectives. ............................................................................ 42




Engineering and Management develop a consistently implemented induction programme for

all teaching and administrative staff across the College which includes a comprehensive

monitoring of the effectiveness of the induction process. ................................................................ 44


Engineering and Management develop and implement a system of professional development

for teaching, administrative and other support staff ......................................................................... 44


Engineering and Management explore and address the reasons for high staff turnover and

develop mechanisms to identify issues which undermine staff retention......................................... 45


Engineering and Management review the planning and management of current facilities to

ensure that they meet, as far as possible, the immediate needs of all students and staff. ................. 47


Engineering and Management develop and implement a communications policy, procedures

and monitoring mechanisms across all areas to improve communications with internal and

external stakeholders. ....................................................................................................................... 48



1 GOVER�A�CE A�D MA�AGEME�T

The International College of Engineering and Management (ICEM or ‘the College’) is a private

higher education institution in Muscat founded in 1997 as the Fire Safety Engineering College

with a vision to “serve the training needs of the Sultanate of Oman” (Portfolio, p.ii). It currently

comprises two divisions: vocational training and higher education (HE). Since the OAAA

concerns itself with the quality assurance of higher education institutions in Oman, this audit

focused on the HE division of the ICEM provision. ICEM is affiliated to the University of Central

Lancashire (UCLan), UK, which offers the awards and validates the degree programmes offered

(see Chapter 2 for information on programmes offered). This Chapter reports on the Panel’s

findings in relation to the ICEM Mission, Vision and values; governance and management;

institutional affiliations; strategic and operational planning; financial, risk and policy

management; entity and activity review systems; students’ grievances; and health and safety.

1.1 Mission, Vision and Values

According to ICEM, new Mission, Vision and values statements have recently been developed in

order to reflect the intention to separate the vocational and higher education activities of the

College. A number of workshops were held to discuss the new Mission with ICEM staff as part

of the overall strategic planning development process (Portfolio, p.5).

ICEM’s new Mission statement reads:

[t]o extend wide access to applied, high quality education, locally and

internationally, in partnership with business, government, community and

academia (Portfolio, p.6)

ICEM’s revised Vision is:

To create long term sustained growth in shareholder value through the provision

of education, applied research and knowledge transfer.

To create a College with a reputation for value, quality and integrity.

To avail educational opportunity irrespective of wealth, status, gender or culture.

To make a major contribution to the intellectual assets of the Sultanate of Oman

and other GCC countries (Portfolio, p.6).

ICEM values have been explicitly stated as:

To advance the creation, protection and dissemination of knowledge, and the

freedom of speech and enquiry.

To operate in all we do with the highest levels of integrity.

To ensure the principles of fairness and transparency are evident in all we do.

To ensure that the principle of sustainability is embedded in all we do, from the

commercial and environmental perspective (Portfolio, p.6).

ICEM identified its niche market at an early stage of its development and has continued to build

on it. The College has further expanded its higher education course offerings to meet market

needs. This was clearly acknowledged in interviews with College management, external

stakeholders and by local and international students who felt they were pursuing programmes

which would lead to useful employment opportunities. The fact that many of the programmes

had been accredited by professional bodies was seen as an area of strength in the College. The

Panel recognises and supports the efforts the College has made in order to identify and provide

programmes to meet specific needs of industry in Oman.



Commendation 1

The Oman Academic Accreditation Authority commends the International

College of Engineering and Management for its planned provision of niche

programmes which meet specific industry needs.

To reinforce support from stakeholders and to ensure the consistency of efforts, there is obvious

advantage in ICEM accentuating the nexus between its new Mission and revised Vision and the

new Strategic Plan. In the process, the College has an opportunity to reinforce its image and

brand as a higher education institution. This requires effective planning and the commitment of

resources over the coming years.

1.2 Governance

The Board of Directors (BoD) is the highest governing body of ICEM, followed by an Executive

Committee which includes the Managing Director (who is a member of the BoD) and the Dean.

Structurally, the Managing Director has oversight over the entire ICEM operation (Portfolio, p.7).

The Panel was informed that the Managing Director, who has been appointed by the College

shareholders as their representative, serves as the Chief Executive Officer (CEO). In such

capacity, the CEO is generally regarded as the business leader of ICEM while the academic

leadership squarely rests with the Dean. Ultimately, academic decision making rests with the

Academic Council, which until 2010 was called the Academic Board, which has oversight over

matters such as academic development and standards.

In examining the governance and management system, the Panel found no inbuilt safeguards in

the governance and management structures and decision-making processes in ICEM. It was

therefore difficult to gain confidence that a suitable and stable balance exists as a matter of course

between business considerations and academic considerations. In this regard, the Panel noted,

with some concern, that ICEM itself described its decision-making as being ‘characterised by

informal mechanisms’ (Portfolio, p.9). Indeed, the Panel was informed that key governance

bodies (such as the BoD and Executive Committee) had not been very active, and key decisions

had been taken on an informal basis as a result of direct intervention of individuals or as a result

of informal approaches made to members of these bodies. The Panel noted that decisions which

might have been the prerogative of the Executive Committee are made through informal

processes or through direct contacts between or amongst the officers concerned. These decision-

making processes have not been documented.

The reliance on informal processes and personal approaches has also resulted in a lack of shared

understanding as to who is exactly responsible for what. One example is that while the Dean is

described, both organisationally and functionally, to be the leading academic, there are

conflicting views amongst Members of the BoD, the Managing Director and the Dean himself, as

to the Dean’s exact position on the BoD. Powers and responsibilities within the governance and

management structures need to be aligned, so that there is operational efficiency and no senior

staff members are required to act outside their areas of expertise.

Recommendation 1

The Oman Academic Accreditation Authority recommends that the

International College of Engineering and Management, as a matter of

urgency, review its current governance and management structures in order

to ensure that there are clearly delineated responsibilities for operational

and academic decision-making and that formal, transparent and

documented processes are in place to support these structures.



The Panel noted ICEM’s intention to create a Board of Trustees (BoT) which will open an avenue

for participation by external stakeholders and advisers. The Panel was informed that the BoT

would be established when the land issue, which has been affecting development plans of ICEM,

is resolved. The Panel did not find a clear connection between these two matters and urges the

College to progress the plan to form the BoT. As it does so, ICEM should also clarify the

respective governance roles of the BoD and the BoT in the longer term.

Recommendation 2


International College of Engineering and Management establish a Board of

Trustees as a matter of priority with clear terms of reference for its remit

and its working relationship with the College’s governance and management

structures.

1.3 Management

ICEM states that the initial approach to College management borrowed heavily from the parent

company, Zubair Corporation (Portfolio, p.12). The management structure and the respective job

descriptions unequivocally give precedence to the Managing Director over the Dean (Portfolio,

p.7). In terms of organisational responsibilities, the Dean was said to have a large degree of

autonomy over academic matters and over how the budget for the HE division can be spent. The

Panel was informed that in practice the Dean was seen by management to be on a par with other

Section Heads, such as Finance, Administration, Human Resources and Marketing. In the Panel’s

view, this undermines the integrity of the academic leadership to be exercised by the Dean, since

he may not have sufficient control or influence over the essential functions supporting his

academic operation. One example the Panel noted was that although ensuring an adequate

number of academic staff is clearly the responsibility of the Dean, proactive or reactive

recruitment action was said to be ‘subject to management decisions’ (Portfolio, p.112), which in

practice does not include the Dean.

The College originally had an Academic Board but after 2006 academic governance was handled

informally (Portfolio, p.10). An Academic Council was constituted in 2010 with two principal

aims: firstly to provide a systematised approach to academic activities and secondly to provide a

vehicle through which academic planning could be developed and implemented (Portfolio, p.10).

The Academic Council is chaired by the Dean and includes the Deputy Deans (Senior Deputy

Dean and Deputy Dean for Planning and Administration), Heads of Academic Units and the Head

of Quality and Standards. Minutes of the meetings show that the Academic Council has met on a

regular basis since its formation and confirms the College’s claim that the Academic Council is

the primary mechanism for academic policy formulation. The College now needs to ensure that

reporting lines between the BoD, the Managing Director, the Dean and the Academic Council are

clearly established and mechanisms are developed to evaluate the effectiveness of its current

academic management systems.

Recommendation 3


International College of Engineering and Management develop and

implement a system to regularly monitor the effectiveness of its academic

management in order to support the College in meeting its strategic

objectives.

1.4 Institutional Affiliations for Programmes and Quality Assurance

The College has had an academic affiliation agreement with University of Central Lancashire

(UCLan), UK since 1999. The agreement establishes the basis for “collaboration in academic



and other projects” including the five programmes validated and awarded by UCLan (Portfolio,

p.15). Programmes offered at ICEM are in the name of the UCLan, UK. Students finishing the

programme are awarded a UCLan qualification. In terms of quality assurance, UCLan is

primarily involved with the annual monitoring process, with visits from UCLan course leaders

three times a year. External examiners are also used and their reports are submitted to ICEM and

UCLan (Portfolio, p.16). The automatic articulation of successful ICEM students to the 4th year

of relevant UCLan programme is additional assurance that UCLan is satisfied with the standards

of the programmes and the academic performance of the students. The validation processes

offered by UCLan appear to reflect the processes in place in the UK and are cleary documented.

The Panel had an opportunity to speak to staff at UCLan and ICEM to discuss the impact of the

affiliation. While the relationship has been seen as a strength of the College, it was suggested

that UCLan could play a more supportive role during the current period of transition from one

entity into two divisions, especially in addressing the issues faced with high staff turnover and

staff shortages (see Section 8.9). The College is also encouraged to identify who at UCLan is currently responsible for monitoring the relationship in order to ensure that there is a clear point

of contact for ICEM staff.

1.5 Strategic Plan

ICEM states that until recently its strategic plans were of a qualitative nature and did not specify

specific strategic goals, objectives, or key performance indicators (Portfolio, p.17). The Panel was

informed that the newly developed Strategic Plan 2011-2018 is seen to be the means for ICEM to

achieve its renewed Vision and Mission. The Panel was pleased to note that there was some level

of involvement and input from the staff into the new Strategic Plan although there was no

evidence to show that the Strategic Plan had been signed off formally at the BoD level.

Given its short history and other factors, in particular the uncertainty over the status of the land

on which ICEM is currently situated (Strategic Plan, p.10), it is difficult to gauge the impact of

the Strategic Plan so far. The Panel was unable to find evidence of robust plans at the operational

level to support the implementation of the Strategic Plan (see Section 1.6) or steps to ensure that the implementation of the Strategic Plan is resourced. While the development of the new

Strategic Plan is a positive initiative, it now needs to be driven and supported at the highest

levels, clearly embedded in the College’s activities, and to have sufficient resources allocated for

its objectives to be achieved.

Recommendation 4



implement a robust mechanism to resource the implementation of the

Strategic Plan along with a clear indication of who has responsibility for

monitoring the plan.

1.6 Operational Planning

ICEM acknowledges that the Strategic Plan should be underpinned by specific action

programmes at the operational level but admits that the absence of a strong link between

operational planning and strategic goals/objectives has resulted in an ad hoc approach (Portfolio,

p.19). As discussed in Section 1.5, one way to achieve the objectives of the Strategic Plan and to ensure staff involvement is to require operational planning at all management levels and in all

departments across the College. The need for a consistent and supported approach to operational

planning is also noted in the sections on industry and community engagement (see Section 5.1);

academic support services (see Section 6.1); student support services (see Section 7.1); and

general support services and facilities (see Section 9.1).



Recommendation 5



implement operational plans across all College departments (such as

industry and community engagement; academic support services; and

student support services) which are clearly linked to the strategic objectives,

are monitored against key performance indicators, and are promoted to the

staff as a basic management responsibility.

1.7 Financial Management

ICEM has adopted an approach to financial planning common to all companies owned or

partially owned by the Zubair Corporation. It recognises that a different financial management

system for ICEM as an HEI independent from its vocational counterpart will be essential

(Portfolio, p.20). After consideration of documentation submitted on the budgeting process, the

Panel noted that there is a top- down process whereby each year the BoD will determine the outer

parameters and hand them down to the Managing Director at ICEM; and another process which

allows the Heads of Sections, including the Dean, to come up with proposals within the

parameters of the budget designated to them. The Panel found that there is no provision in the

procedures to allow the Dean to have a say in the financial resources to be made available to

management and administrative functions (e.g. finance, human resources and marketing)

supporting the academic operation. After the budgeting process, if extra resources are required,

Section Heads as well as the Dean are allowed to apply for supplementary provisions from the

Managing Director but the Panel found this was arranged on an informal basis. The College

needs to consider developing a stronger link between academic planning and financial planning

during the budgeting process. The Panel urges the College to develop a clearly documented

financial process which is linked to academic planning as well as the College’s strategic

objectives and to ensure that the input of relevant stakeholders is consistently considered.

Recommendation 6


International College of Engineering and Management review its current

budgeting and resource allocation processes to ensure that relevant

stakeholders provide input and that resource allocation is linked to the

College’s strategic and operational objectives.

1.8 Risk Management

The College states that its risk management does not fall within a structured set of processes or

procedures, nor is there any single risk strategy allied to the College’s strategic goals and

objectives (Portfolio, p.21). During interviews with senior staff, the Panel was informed that

there is an embedded risk management function in the financial management system. Staff also

identified a number of non-financial risks, such as the issue with the land on which the College is

situated and risks in relation to student and staff retention rates. While ICEM acknowledges that a

more structured and coherent approach to risk management may be appropriate (Portfolio, p.22),

the Panel found that no progress has yet been made in this area. The College is urged to develop

its risk assessment and management strategy and establish a risk register.

Recommendation 7



implement a formal risk assessment and management system.



1.9 Policy Management

ICEM states that “creating a clear set of policies and procedures is vital to the smooth operation

of the College…ICEM considers Policy Management as an essential part of its strategy”

(Portfolio, p.23). Policies are developed at department level and ratified by the Academic

Council. Academic policies draw heavily on the procedures developed at UCLan.

The College has developed a comprehensive policy on developing policies which is included in

the Academic Quality Handbook and all approved policies are available on the College server.

They were also made available to the Panel during the audit visit. ICEM recognises that it needs

to work on disseminating policies further and in developing policies in the non-academic areas

(Portfolio, p.24). The Panel encourages the College to continue to address the opportunities for

improvement in this area.

Affirmation 1

The Oman Academic Accreditation Authority agrees with the International

College of Engineering and Management that it needs to review its approach

to disseminating policies and supports its efforts in this area.

1.10 Entity and Activity Review Systems

In terms of academic review systems, ICEM states that it borrows heavily from UCLan and that

the recently established Academic Standards and Quality Committee will have a major role to

play in implementing review processes (Portfolio, p.24). The Panel considered a range of

supporting material, including external examiner reports and annual monitoring reports with

responses, which indicated that there is a well-established academic review system in place at

module and programme levels. The Panel also considered the College’s action plans in response

to Ministry of Higher Education (MoHE) semester visit reports.

The College states that the Academic Standards and Quality Control Unit will facilitate

continuous improvement in this area (Portfolio, p.25) although at the time of the audit there was

only one member of staff in this Unit. The College is urged to ensure that its approach to

developing its internal quality management systems is fully resourced and sustainable. ICEM

acknowledges that it needs to develop an integrated approach to data collection, management and

analysis (Portfolio, p.25) but this still needs to be addressed as part of an overall entity and

activity review system.

Recommendation 8



implement an integrated approach to data collection, management and

analysis to inform its review system.

1.11 Student Grievance Process

ICEM states that its student grievance procedures have been adopted from UCLan policies and

procedures (Portfolio, p.25) and are made available to students in the Student Handbook. The

Complaints and Appeals Policy is made available to all staff via the College server. The Panel

considered sample complaints and appeals cases which indicated that the current procedures

clearly underpin the College’s approach to handling student grievances. Interviews with students,

however, correlated with the College’s observation (Portfolio, p.26) that more work needs to be

done on communicating the student grievance process and that staff should adopt a consistent

approach to handling issues in this area. ICEM is encouraged to take steps to evaluate the

effectiveness of its student grievance policy and procedures in order to ensure that they are

meeting the needs of the student body.



1.12 Health and Safety

ICEM puts high value on health and safety on the campus; this area is monitored by the Health

and Safety Manager and the Health and Safety Committee (Portfolio, p.26). The College sets out

clear health and safety objectives and targets on an annual basis and, in terms of approach and

planning, this area is well established in the College. However, ICEM’s 2011 Health and Safety

Annual Action Plan stated that there was a lack of a specific health and safety budget which the

Panel noted could have a negative impact on objectives being achieved in a timely manner.

During interviews, students informed the Panel that they considered the safety equipment (such

as gloves) that they were provided with to be old and unfit for purpose (see Section 6.7). The College needs to ensure that there are adequate resources in order for safety equipment to be

regularly maintained and replaced at appropriate intervals. The planned growth in student

numbers also needs to be taken into account. ICEM is urged to develop and implement a

mechanism to evaluate the effectiveness of its current approach to health and safety throughout

the College.

Recommendation 9


International College of Engineering and Management carry out an urgent

review of the adequacy of its existing health and safety provision and ensure

that this area is appropriately resourced.

1.13 Oversight of Associated Entities (e.g. owned companies)

This is not applicable as ICEM has no associated entities.



2 STUDE�T LEAR�I�G BY COURSEWORK PROGRAMMES

ICEM offers the following programmes, taught in English, which are validated and awarded by

the University of Central Lancashire (UCLan): BSc (Hons) Health, Safety and Environmental

Management; BSc (Hons) Fire Safety (Engineering); BSc (Hons) Fire Safety (Management);

BEng (Hons) Mechanical Engineering (Well Engineering); and BSc (Hons) Facilities

Management. The College delivers the first three years of the Honours degree programme on its

campus in Oman, with students completing their fourth year at UCLan in the UK. This Chapter

considers key areas in relation to student learning by coursework including curriculum, student

entry standards, teaching quality, assessment and graduate destinations.

2.1 Graduate Attributes and Student Learning Objectives

ICEM presented a set of attributes that its graduates are expected to attain (Portfolio, p.30). These

graduate attributes are generic and are embedded in intended learning outcomes (ILO) for all

modules offered by ICEM. Module ILOs group skills in “Knowledge and Understanding”,

“Subject Specific”, “Thinking” and “Other skills relevant to employability” and the programme

specifications show that these areas are linked to assessment and teaching methods (Portfolio,

p.30). A sample of documents was considered which showed that module level ILOs are clearly

mapped to programme ILOs and that assessment tasks and class work were clearly mapped to the

specific ILO they were intended to measure.

Students entering College programmes may exit at the end of any year with appropriate

certificates if they have achieved requirements clearly stated in the module specifications. The

Panel noted the clear study path for the multi exit points and the flexibility such system provides

to students. The College could now consider clearly communicating the specific attributes

students are expected to achieve at all exit points as well as the attributes specified for the

completion of the full programme. During interviews with senior management, the Panel was

informed of discussions about the need to further address the various potential exit points and of

plans to develop subject clusters in programme design (Portfolio, p.93) and develop ILOs at

different exit levels. However, these initial plans have yet to be put into action. Interviews with

external stakeholders highlighted the importance generic skills amongst ICEM graduates. The

College is encouraged to realise its stated intention (Portfolio, p.51) to improve liaison with

industry and employers in order to obtain feedback on its graduates’ attributes (see also

Affirmation 2 and Affirmation 5).

2.2 Curriculum

Curriculum and related module content are designed by ICEM Course Teams consisting of

Course Leaders and teaching staff. The resulting programmes are validated through UCLan. The

College states that it uses input from employers and industry and market research to inform its

curriculum design (Portfolio, p.33), although the Panel did not find evidence of regular activities

being conducted in this regard. ICEM states that while its programme offerings are validated by

UCLan, the content of these courses is locally contextualised to meet Omani industry needs

(Portfolio, p.32). The College acknowledges that comments from external stakeholders on

curriculum and module content have been, by large, acquired on an ad hoc basis through

individual meetings with some industry representatives. This has been recognised as an area for

improvement (Portfolio, p.32) and the Panel considered evidence on efforts made by the College

to engage with local industry on a formal basis. In 2009, the College initiated the Industrial

Liaison Board (ILB), and more recently moved towards replacing the ILB with Industrial Liaison

Forum (ILF) for each of its programmes and for which terms of reference were formally

approved by the Academic Council in 2011. However, these formal structures are yet to meet on

regular basis. Whilst the Panel acknowledges the formal establishment of the ILFs for all



ICEM’s offerings, the College now needs to develop a more formal mechanism to ensure that

feedback from these forums and input from Omani and regional industry and employers’

representatives is incorporated into programme design and review. The College needs to ensure

that its curriculum contextualisation meets Omani and regional market needs while maintaining

the academic standards of its programmes.

Affirmation 2


College of Engineering and Management that it needs to develop and

implement formal mechanisms to incorporate employer and industry input

in curriculum design, and supports the College’s efforts in formalising such

mechanisms.

The College is also encouraged to develop and implement mechanisms whereby programme

module leaders are able to give feedback on Foundation Programme curricula (see Section 2.4) to

ensure students are fully prepared to deal with the content of their academic programmes.

2.3 Student Entry Standards

Admission criteria are clearly stated on the College website, ICEM Admission and Registration

Policy, ICEM Foundation Programme Entry Test Guidance, and Student Handbooks. In order to

directly enter the higher education programmes, students are required to have completed and

obtained the General Education Diploma and to show adequate proficiency in English language,

Mathematics and Science. Students awarded government scholarships apply for a place at the

College through the Higher Education Admissions Centre. Self-funding students apply directly

to the College. The admission tests are developed by ICEM, and although the College states that

its admission test “broadly reflect OAAA [Foundation Programme] Standards and UCLan

requirements for entry onto HE Courses” (Portfolio, p.35), it would benefit from benchmarking

these tests with other institutions offering Foundation Programmes (see Section 2.4).

The College has identified the need to review its admission criteria and adopt different entry

criteria to reflect the engineering and management academic groupings (Portfolio, p.37).

However, the College also needs to review its admission requirements in light of student

achievements against their entry level for all its offerings (see Section 2.10). The College might

benefit from its affiliate’s experience, especially as UCLan both assists in designing and

validating ICEM HE programmes and ICEM students complete their fourth year of study at

UCLan in the UK. As ICEM reviews its admission criteria, it is urged to consider whether the

current IELTS requirement of band 4.5 is sufficient for students entering a HE programme

delivered in English.

Recommendation 10


International College of Engineering and Management review its admission

criteria for Foundation and higher education programmes and develop and

implement an action plan in light of the review findings.

2.4 Foundation Programme

Students who do not pass the entry test for HE, enter the Foundation Programme. At the time of

the audit, one third of the students were enrolled on ICEM’s Foundation Programme (Portfolio,

p.ii). Applicants are given entry/placement tests in English, Mathematics and Science, the result

of which are used to place students in different levels within the Foundation Programme

(Portfolio, p.35). If it is felt that students have been inappropriately placed students are given a

challenge test and as a result might be moved to a different level. Both the entry and challenge



tests are designed in-house. The Panel was informed that entry tests were reviewed and

redesigned in 2008-2009 to reduce lack of consistency and ensure students attain the required

level. However, the Panel noted that those tests have not been subject to any external validation

process. Whilst there is evidence of internal moderation of exams in the Foundation Programme,

the College is encouraged to consider implementing a system for external scrutiny or moderation

in order to ensure that students exiting level 4 of the Foundation Programme attain the required

output level.

The ICEM Foundation Programme underwent review in 2008/2009 (Portfolio, p.34). The

document ‘Foundation Programme English Outcomes & Objectives 2010-2011’ clearly showed

that the revised programme aligns with the Oman’s Academic Standards for General Foundation

Program (GFP) Standards. The Panel noted that the outcome of the Foundation Programme is

benchmarked to IELTS band 4.5, which is lower than the IELTS band 5 suggested in the national

GFP standards. The College is encouraged to review this as it considers its admission criteria

(see Recommendation 10). The Panel was repeatedly informed by external stakeholders, students

and staff members that graduates were lacking adequate communicative skills in English and this

is an area the College needs to monitor.

2.5 Teaching Quality

ICEM relies on different mechanisms to evaluate the teaching and learning experience its

Foundation and HE students receive. One of the tools used by the College to assess the quality of

teaching is the ‘Module Evaluation Questionnaire’ administered to students at the end of each

module. ICEM states that the results of these questionnaires are used, if considered valid and

reasonable, through ‘Minor Change Process’ to introduce changes within the module (Portfolio,

p.37). However, the Panel did not see evidence of output being used to inform improvement in

teaching and learning. Moreover, students are not informed about any action taken as a result of

the evaluation findings. As part of UCLan quality assurance requirements, peer reviews are

conducted twice every year (Portfolio, p.38) and the College states that their results are used to

assure and improve teaching and learning experiences. External Examiner reports are also used

to assess the impact of teaching and learning in HE programmes on student achievement. UCLan

staff visiting ICEM have conducted a number of staff development activities, although these have

not been carried out on a systematic basis. Whilst the College states that staff appraisal data is

used to assess and improve teaching quality (Portfolio, p.38), the Panel was informed that these

appraisals are not frequently conducted by the College and therefore their impact on the quality of

teaching and learning is limited.

In recognition of the need to support and enhance students’ learning, ICEM developed a Teaching

and Learning Committee (TLC) with specific terms of reference in December 2011. The TLC is

responsible for reviewing annual reports, developing policies, procedures and guidelines related

to teaching and learning, and overseeing teaching quality, assessments and students teaching

experience (Terms of Reference, TLC). The TLC has set initial targets and identified mechanisms

to achieve these targets. The Panel was pleased to note that the TLC has identified one of its

functions as being to self-assess the effectiveness of the committee. However, as the TLC has just

started operating, it is too early to judge its effectiveness.

Affirmation 3


College of Engineering and Management that it needs to support and

enhance teaching and learning, and recognises its efforts to do so through

the establishment of the Teaching and Learning Committee.

The College states that practical learning experience comprises an important component in its

curriculum (Portfolio, p.38). However, in a number of course files, the Panel saw evidence of



module reviews which indicated that the practical aspect of these modules is not in line with

module requirements. The College is urged to review this (See Section 6.7).

Due to the high staff turnover ratio and the stringent staff-to-student ratio model used by the

College, the Panel was informed that teaching staff members have been asked, on a number of

occasions, to teach outside their main fields of expertise. The Panel advises the College to

develop and implement a working load model to ensure that teaching staff are responsible for

delivering modules within their specialisations only.

Recommendation 11


International College of Engineering and Management ensure that academic

staff are teaching only within their specialisations.

2.6 Plagiarism

ICEM has carried out a number of measures in order to address plagiarism. According to the

minutes of the Academic and Standards and Quality Committee, this includes the intention to

moderate student assignments internally three weeks after submission as well as at the end of the

academic year. The College, in conjunction with UCLan, has also delivered workshops to staff

on plagiarism (Portfolio, p.40). In student interviews, the Panel was informed that students were

aware of the consequences of plagiarising. However, not all students had been fully informed

about the details of the process for dealing with plagiarism and the duration it takes to resolve

such issue. The College is encouraged to engage the students in the process of formalising its

procedures and to further develop a mechanism to measure the effectiveness of these procedures.

The College has acknowledged the need to implement the use of plagiarism detection software

such as Turnitin (Portfolio, p.40) and should ensure that all teaching staff have consistent access

to this.

Affirmation 4


College of Engineering and Management that it needs to develop and

implement a formal mechanism for dealing with plagiarism, and supports its

efforts to do so through the introduction of a regular review of student

assignments for plagiarism detection.

2.7 Student Placements

ICEM emphasises the importance of the vocational aspects of its programmes, which is clearly

stated in the College’s Mission and in its graduate attributes. This is partially achieved by the

introduction of dedicated Industrial Placement Modules in the College’s HE programmes

(Portfolio, p.41). However, this module is optional and is not a requirement for graduation.

Students in a number of interviews stated that they do not get the expected support from the

College to identify and secure an industrial placement opportunity for them. The data provided by

the College indicated that the number of students taking up industrial placement during the period

2007-2009 was limited (Portfolio, p.42). ICEM is aware that more could be done to facilitate

student placements (Portfolio, p.43) and in this respect an Industry Liaison Forum (ILF) has been

established for each disciplinary area (see Section 5.2).

The Panel learnt from external stakeholders, students and staff members that, in their view, the

reputation of the College has been dented because graduates lack applied knowledge and field

experience. The Panel encourages the College, leveraging on its contacts with industry and

different external stakeholders, to maximise placement opportunities provided to its students and



to review its Industrial Placement Module in order to clarify the College’s role in helping students

attain the desired graduate attributes.

Recommendation 12



implement mechanisms to maximise opportunities for students to carry out

industrial placement and to measure the effectiveness of this Module in

supporting students’ attainment of the College’s graduate attributes.

2.8 Assessment Methods, Standards and Moderation

ICEM states that it pursues a policy whereby “the main purpose of assessment is to provide the

opportunity for students to demonstrate that they have fulfilled the learning outcomes of the

course and achieved the standard required for the award they seek”. ICEM states that it works

with UCLan to encourage the use of a variety of assessment methods, appropriate to the specified

learning outcomes, to determine student performance (Portfolio, p.43). The Panel reviewed

supporting materials which showed that the assessment methods used are clearly stated in each

course portfolio and are clearly linked to the ILOs they intend to measure. These assessment

methods and requirements are communicated to the students with a policy stating that students

should receive feedback on assessment within 15 working days. However, through interview

sessions students stated that not all teaching staff adhere to this deadline and that the feedback

they received on their performance is not always detailed enough. ICEM needs to ensure that all

of its teaching staff provide students with timely feedback in line with the College’s policy

(especially in light of its intention to internally moderate assignments for plagiarism after three

weeks as noted in Section 2.6).

ICEM has a moderation system that comprises both internal and external moderation. The Panel

saw evidence of the internal moderation system being executed and heard about several

improvements introduced to make the system more robust. These improvements includes

conducting internal moderation throughout the academic year instead of only at the end of the

year and moderating assignments and students work as well as examinations. External examiners

are nominated through UCLan and play a major role in assuring the quality of assessment

methods. While tests and assignments are subject to external examiner’s scrutiny at the end of

each academic year, final examinations are subject to the external examiner’s moderation both

prior to and after the examination is conducted. The Panel saw evidence of external examiner

reports being discussed both internally and with UCLan, and of actions being taken to address

issues raised by the external examiner. The Panel concluded that ICEM has a robust external

examiner system in place which supports an effective approach to assessment and moderation.

Commendation 2


College of Engineering and Management for establishing a robust internal

examination moderation and external examiner system.

2.9 Academic Security and Invigilation

The Panel was informed during the audit visit that ICEM has in the past depended on individual

initiative to ensure the securing of its assessment and examination papers. In order to address this,

the College developed an Assessment Security Policy in February 2011 which is initially

applicable to HE programmes only. The policy stipulates the mechanism for conducting internal

moderation in order to reduce the risk of security breaches, which the Panel was informed had

been an issue in the past. However, in interviews with the Panel, there did not seem to be a shared

understanding of this policy among teaching staff. For example, while the Assessment Security



Policy states that there soft copies of examination paper and key answer sheets should not be sent

from one teaching staff to another prior to the conduct of the examination, staff interviewed

mentioned using secured lines to send examination papers electronically. Moreover, the policy

does not discuss security measures for exams prior to external moderation. While the Panel

supports the College’s efforts in reviewing its approach in this area, ICEM needs to ensure that

the new policies relating to assessment security are clearly communicated and consistently

applied.

Recommendation 13


International College of Engineering and Management ensure that new

policies relating to assessment security are clearly communicated,

consistently implemented and that their effectiveness is regularly monitored.

2.10 Student Retention and Progression

ICEM states that it “strives to ensure that all students progress suitable through the courses that

they have chosen and retained within the institutions and its affiliate” (Portfolio, p.48). Students

are registered upon admission as BSc (Hons) students. However, they can opt-out after

completing the study requirements of year 1, 2, or 3 with an award (Certificate, Diploma or

Advanced Diploma). The Panel was informed that ICEM does not keep records about student

study plans when they first enter the College which makes it hard to evaluate the student retention

rate. However, scrutinizing the data provided by the College revealed that at best only around

20% students move to year three and around 9% of students go on to year four (which is

delivered at UCLan in the UK). For the Foundation Programme, less than 40% of the students

have successfully exited the programme. The College needs to develop a formal mechanism to

monitor and analyse student data in order to ensure that students are progressing at an acceptable

rate and that students admitted to programmes are capable of performing at desired suitable level

(see Recommendation 10). The College is encouraged to evaluate students’ performance against

entry levels and to measure the effectiveness of entry tests and other admission criteria to

correlate student performance against entry levels. This is a concern especially with the low

student progression rates, both in HE and Foundation Programmes.

Recommendation 14


International College of Engineering and Management review its approach

to the collection and management of student data, such as records of student

study plans, in order to inform actions to address low progression rates.

In response to the high attrition rate, the College informed the Panel of a number of

improvements in relation to academic programmes. For example, in 2008 – 2009 the extended

Foundation Programme was redesigned to accommodate the increasing number of weak students.

Furthermore, the College intends to restructure HE courses and introduce subject clusters in its

course designs to reduce attrition rates (see Section 2.1). The Panel supports the College’s efforts

in this area.

2.11 Graduate Destinations and Employability

The College states that up until now there has been no systematic approach to evaluating the

employment potential of its graduates, with the main channels of information being informal

dialogue between College staff and principal employers (Portfolio, p.50). The College has

recognised the need to improve this area and has included focused objectives in its 2011-2018

Strategic Plan. The Panel did not see, however, any evidence of progress in relation to the stated

strategic objectives or current links with external stakeholders being formally utilised to inform



the College about employer satisfaction with the College’s graduates. ICEM does not currently

keep any formal record of its alumni and their first destination or any data on its graduates’

employability rate. The Panel urges the College to address this.

Recommendation 15



implement a formal mechanism for tracking graduates and using this data

to inform its strategic decisions.



3 STUDE�T LEAR�I�G BY RESEARCH PROGRAMMES

At the time of the Quality Audit, ICEM did not offer research programmes per se, so this section

is not addressed in this Report.



4 STAFF RESEARCH A�D CO�SULTA�CY

ICEM is mainly a teaching institution and staff members are generally not research active. The

College states clearly that it “cannot lay claim to any tangible ‘approach’ to research, and has

never sought to” (Portfolio, p.54). However, the provision of applied research is now referred to

in ICEM’s new Vision "To create long term sustained growth in shareholder value through the

provision of education, applied research and knowledge transfer" (Portfolio, p.6). The College

also states:

The dawn of a new era or ICEM also brings opportunities for the College to

enhance its academic collaborations. Future plans extend beyond excellence in

teaching, to embrace research, consultancy and knowledge transfer in the

innovative fields within which the College will expand. (Portfolio, p.i)

In addition, the College has developed a specific strategic goal to link teaching, research and

knowledge transfer in the new 2011-2018 Strategic Plan (Portfolio, p.55). The goal links research

with grading and promotion opportunities of lecturers so as to involve more staff in research and

consultancy. The goal also makes explicit reference to the supportive role to be played by the

affiliate University to direct activity towards the research-teaching nexus. The College stated that

UCLan has a well-developed approach and a comprehensive supporting infrastructure for

research-informed teaching and feels that UCLan has the capacity to support ICEM in its medium

to long term aspirations to evolve a research-oriented culture. The College also stated that

although there is the expectation that all staff are fully engaged in the delivery, assessment or

administration of taught programmes; some are pursuing research, parallel to their formal roles

and responsibilities (Portfolio, pp.55-56).

To move the College towards achieving research and knowledge transfer goals, it has now

developed a research policy which includes the formation of a Research Committee to guide, plan

and develop the research and consultancy activity. While the Panel supports the College’s

aspirations to embrace a culture of research, the Research Committee is yet to be formed and

specific resources have not yet been allocated. The Panel recommends the College, for example

through the Research Committee, develop and implement an operational plan that will help to

identify staff capability (in terms of qualifications, ability and teaching load), resourcing, funding,

extending relationships with academia and industry and possible research opportunities.

Recommendation 16



implement a research and consultancy operational plan which is fully

resourced and has clear targets that can guide the College systematically to

achieve its Vision.



5 I�DUSTRY A�D COMMU�ITY E�GAGEME�T

ICEM has included the following strategic goal in its 2011-2018 Strategic Plan:

Industry, government and alumni will be integrated into all Programme

Development and Delivery Teams. (goal 7 Strategic Plan, p.21)

This Chapter explores ICEM’s planning and management of its engagement with industry and

community. It also details the Panel’s comments and findings in regards to the College’s

relationships with the following: industry and employers; professions; other education providers;

alumni; and the community at large.

5.1 Industry and Community Engagement Planning & Management

The planning and management of engagement with industry and community has, in the past, been

driven by the senior management of the College, using a top-down approach. ICEM is now

endeavouring to encourage a greater ownership of the external engagement agenda by involving

course teams with Industrial Liaison Forums (ILFs) at programme level (Portfolio, p.58). The

College is also planning to expand its engagement with external stakeholders through the

formation of the Board of Trustees (BoT) but the latter has not yet been established (Portfolio,

p.59) (see Recommendation 2).

During the audit visit, the Panel heard that the College has established good relationships with

employers, professions, external organisations and relevant ministries. Although it was informed

that individual staff members have been liaising with counterparts in industry, the Panel found no

evidence of systematic, consistent and comprehensive planning in this area. The College

acknowledged that it has evolved its current practices on an informal basis, without the direction

or milestones arising from a strategic approach. ICEM recognised that it needs robust planning

and clear leadership in order for it to build upon its recent contacts with private sector companies,

to ensure industry is effectively integrated into its course development and delivery teams, as per

the strategic goal in this area (Portfolio, p.61). The College now needs to take steps to address

this opportunity for improvement. For example, although ILFs had been formed for each

programme, these did not seem to be functioning on a regular basis. The College would also

benefit from developing formal mechanisms for the planning, monitoring and evaluation of

community engagement activities (see Section 5.6). The Panel recommends that the College

adopt a more consistent approach to the planning and management of its activities in this area in

order to build and maintain successful relationships with its external stakeholders (see

Recommendation 5).

5.2 Relationships with Industry and Employers

ICEM’s first formal approach to engaging with external stakeholders was the establishment of the

Industry Liaison Board (ILB) in 2009. The ILB was chaired by the former Dean and Principal,

and comprised academic Heads of Department, other senior College staff, and eight external

members representing the industrial sectors relevant to the College’s academic provision

(Portfolio, p.58). In 2010, the Dean took the initiative to reconstruct the ILB to become a two-tier

model of external stakeholder engagement: local ILFs and a BoT with a wider agenda to integrate

the input from external stakeholders more effectively into the academic development of the

College (Portfolio, p.58). The College states that, with this two-tier model, it will have better

‘connection’ with external stakeholders as this body, comprising only members with specific

interests in the subject area of concern.



From the minutes of ILF meetings considered by the Panel, only one meeting was held in June

2010 by two ILFs out of five, which suggests the irregularity and inconsistency of functioning of

ILFs. In order for the ILFs to play an effective role, the College is urged to ensure that the ILFs

meet regularly and that their effectiveness is monitored. The ILF meetings would also provide a

forum for employer input on graduate attributes and graduate employability (see Sections 2.1 and

2.11).

The College has other channels through which it is able to develop its relationship with industry

and employers such as the student Industrial Placement module, industrial visits and guest

speakers. As discussed in Section 2.7, the Industrial Placement module is optional and few

students have engaged with it (Portfolio, p.42). The College is encouraged to maximise

opportunities for students to take the Industrial Placement module in order to support them in

achieving the College’s graduate attributes and at the same time strengthening ICEM’s links with

industry and employers (see Recommendation 12).

Industrial visits and guest speakers have increased, especially in the last two academic years

2009-2010 and 2010-2011 (Portfolio, p.60), although the distribution of the industrial visits on

the four specialisations and student levels varies. During interviews with College staff and

external stakeholders, the Panel heard examples of how the ‘real life’ experiences of guest

speakers and introduction of short courses were incorporated in the curricula. The College has

also signed Memoranda of Understanding with EMCOR (a facilities management company) and

Cluttons real estate company (Portfolio, p.61) and the College is planning to realise and to expand

its relationship with industry and employers. The Panel supports ICEM’s efforts and intentions in

this direction and encourages the College to develop and implement a system to measure the

effectiveness of this relationship towards the achievement of its Mission and strategic goals.

Affirmation 5


College of Engineering and Management that it needs to formalise

mechanisms to improve its relationship with industry and employers, and

supports its efforts in this area.

5.3 Relationships with Professions

ICEM has established a broad range of relationships with professional bodies inside and outside

Oman (Portfolio, p.60). Since 2004, the College has succeeded in ensuring a membership of a

total of eight bodies in areas related to petroleum; well and drilling; fire engineering; fire

services; and health and safety fields. The College’s intention has been to provide professional

support for and/or accredit its HE programmes, thus enhancing ICEM’s reputation and adding

value to the student experience (Portfolio, p.62). Currently, the College is planning to broaden

this relationship to cover all the five programmes it provides.

In its effort to engage and with professional industrial bodies, ICEM has provided opportunities

for its HE students to supplement their academic qualifications with short courses certified by

professional bodies such as Institution of Occupational Safety and Health courses in addition to

the extra-curricular opportunities provided to well engineering students by virtue of the

relationships with professional bodies representing the oil and gas industry.

Through interviews with the College staff, employers and students, the Panel learned that such

professional body relationships were seen to improve ICEM’s reputation. Recognition by an

appropriate professional body of any course or programme is seen by the College to signify that

the professional body has approved the courses as being satisfactory in supporting graduates to

practise the profession. The Panel was informed that staff and students have benefited, with

students providing examples of cases where professional body recognition has enhanced their



employability. The Panel commends the College’s achievement in this regard and supports its

continuous improvement to further develop its relationship with professional bodies.

Commendation 3


College of Engineering and Management for seeking programme

recognition and maintaining good relationships with a number of

professional bodies in the field of fire safety engineering and management

which supports the credibility of its qualifications.

5.4 Relationships with Other Education Providers

The College’s principal relationship with other education providers is with the University of

Central Lancashire (UCLan) (see Section 1.4). Apart from this, ICEM has limited, informal

relationships with other HEIs. The College stated that a very healthy relationship is maintained

with Sultan Qaboos University (SQU) in Oman through which students and staff engage in

scholarly activities, including the Fire Safety Conference staged in May 2011 (Portfolio, p.64).

The Panel was also informed that ICEM staff and students also benefit from the inter-library loan

arrangements with local private HEIs, and through membership of the SQU Library.

To enhance the relationship with other HEIs, the College, as the new Mission states, suggested

that academic collaborations will be a feature of its ‘evolution’ into a more mature HEI

(Portfolio, p.64). However, the Panel found no evidence of any focus given to benchmarking of

activities, processes or programmes. The College is encouraged to work with relevant national

and international HEIs through which it can benchmark its activities and explore collaborative

opportunities which could benefit the College students and staff.

5.5 Relationships with Alumni

The College stated that although it does not have a systematic relationship with its former

graduates, it maintains strong connections with its alumni who are occupying positions in key

areas within both private and public sectors. This ‘informal’ relationship is ensured through direct

communication of teaching and Student Affairs staff, most notably with alumni of the Civil

Defense (Portfolio, p.65). More formally, the ILFs comprise alumni as members (see Section

5.2) although the effectiveness of these forums has yet to be evaluated.

In its 2011-2018 Strategic Plan, ICEM has made a firm commitment to establish a fully

functioning alumni database and alumni association to facilitate interactions with graduates

(Strategic Plan, p.21). It also plans to organise activities and events to ensure continuous

engagement with alumni to allow them recognise that they are part of the College after graduation

(Portfolio, p.65). The Panel considered evidence which showed that, at the time of the audit visit,

very few graduates had registered in the alumni association. Although the College has recognised

this as an opportunity for improvement, the Panel found that little progress had been made in

terms of planning, and allocating support staff or resources to realise this strategic objective.

Recommendation 17


International College of Engineering and Management activate the alumni

association and develop a system to regulate, monitor and evaluate its

engagement with alumni.



5.6 Relationships with the Community at Large

The College states that it has approached community in different ways for a variety of purposes

(Portfolio, p.65). The College has conducted a number of community engagement activities such

as: lectures on ‘environmental auditing’ presented by Health, Safety and Environmental

Management staff in 2009 and 2010; health and safety awareness initiatives; contribution to a

2010 environmental exhibition in Muscat and other activities associating the College with

charitable organisations, such as Dar Al Atta’a. In spite of the aforementioned examples, the

Panel found that ICEM’s relationship with community at large seemed to be limited and not

systematic. Most of the past activities, which the College called "pockets of good practice"

(Portfolio, p.66), were held on ad hoc basis and mainly arose from initiatives of staff and

students.

The College states that it has sought to formally develop a clear policy for community

engagement. Its revised Mission considers the partnership with community as an integral part to

its future mode of operation (Portfolio, p.66). However, although a lack of community service has

been identified in the SWOT analysis within the 2011-2018 Strategic Plan (Portfolio, p.12), none

of the strategic goals address this area. Through interviews with staff involved in student affairs

and marketing, it was clear to the Panel that there was no dedicated College individual or body

taking the responsibility for planning and managing relationship with the community at large.

Also, the Panel could not find any evidence for a system or policies that inform proper regulation,

monitoring and evaluation of activities involving the community at large. These areas need to be

considered as the College develops and implements a plan for its industrial and community

engagement activities (see Recommendation 5).



6 ACADEMIC SUPPORT SERVICES

To enable ICEM to perform its academic role and to fulfill its Vision and Mission, various

College departments provide a range of support services, including laboratories, computer labs, a

library, an Independent Learning Centre (ILC), among others. The Deputy Dean for Planning and

Administration is responsible for the coordination across Course Teams in matters such as

classroom allocation and timetabling. This Chapter highlights the Panel findings regarding

academic support services planning and management, registration services, library services,

information and learning technology services, academic advising, student learning support and

teaching resources.

6.1 Academic Support Services Planning & Management

According to the College, the ultimate responsibility for academic support services is held by the

Dean. His role involves ensuring that all necessary services are identified, planned and

incorporated into broader planning and budgeting procedures. ICEM states that “in 2010 a

process of reorganising the administrative support services commenced, with a new, centralised

HE Administration Office created to work in close collaboration with Registry and Student

Services” (Portfolio, p.68). This was confirmed through interviews with staff. The Panel was

also informed that there is a management team which coordinates the activities of these services.

On the other hand, there seem to be no medium to long range plans to make this coordination

effective. Interviews with staff revealed that procedures for managing academic support services

are fixed year by year, but without an overarching operational plan at the departmental level.

The planning and management of academic support services still needs to be addressed in line

with the College’s strategic objectives (see Recommendation 5). A number of the academic

services offered (such as registration and some teaching resources) are shared between the HE

and vocational divisions. The Panel was informed that there had been occasions whereby the

College’s ability to provide the required academic support services (such as teaching resources)

was limited by financial restraints as the HE division is not given its own budget in this area. The

College needs to ensure that there are sufficient resources allocated to support the academic

service provision. The College is also urged to develop key performance indicators to measure

its effectiveness in this area and to develop mechanisms for monitoring progress.

6.2 Registry (Enrolment and Student Records)

The College states that a new centralised HE administration was established to reorganise

administrative support services and to work collaboratively with Registry and Student Services

(Portfolio, p.85). This is still an ongoing process which is envisaged to improve the

administration and planning of the College’s academic support services. The Registry plays a

central role in administering academic support services and is responsible for the registration and

progression of students, managing their ongoing academic records and liaising with external and

internal stakeholders (Portfolio, p.70). The Panel was informed that student and staff records are

kept in two different places, with students’ records being maintained by Registry staff and staff

records by Finance Department. The College has a registry system called "Marksis" for keeping

and tracking personal information of all students from entry to exit while the grading and

assessment database of HE students is managed and maintained by the affiliate, University of

Central Lancashire (UCLan). Staff have no access to the UCLan system as their role is limited

only to entering student grades on spreadsheets which are then send to UCLan. Any changes

afterwards follow a secured procedure through the Deputy Dean or Dean.

Some student information, such as payment arrangements, are kept with the Finance Department

which, as reported to the Panel, has led to a number of issues such as students not being able to



attend classes as a result of slow communication between Registry and the Finance Department.

A student satisfaction survey carried out by Registry staff in 2010 showed a low satisfaction

level, especially with regard to payment arrangements and waiting periods. The College stated

that the payment process has been reviewed and improved (Portfolio, p.73), which was confirmed

in interviews with administrative staff.

The Panel was informed that there are a number of challenges to maintaining the integrity of

student data as it was found that there was no unified system for keeping student records.

Interviews with staff also revealed that there are sometimes differences in data found in the

Registry and those maintained in other departments. This issue was highlighted through

inconsistencies in the data presented in the Portfolio. ICEM relies on UCLan for HE records and

Foundation Programme records are produced manually, which makes it difficult to provide

replacement certificates to graduates who have lost their originals. The Marksis registration

system is more than seven years old and, as indicated by administrative staff, is not always

helpful, as its main function is only to keep ICEM student personal details and not marks. From

interviews with staff, it was also noted that all information for the Ministry of Higher Education

(MoHE) has to be managed manually and that records older than two years are not saved in the

Marksis system. The Panel concluded that there is a pressing need for the College to review and

improve its system of information management.

Recommendation 18


International College of Engineering and Management review the

effectiveness of its management information system, such as the

appropriateness of its current registration software and consistency of data

entry, to ensure that it meets the needs of all College stakeholders.

6.3 Library

The College has a Library and a Learning Resource Centre (LRC) that provides students with

information through print and electronic information resources. The Library is managed by a

Library and Information Manager assisted by two library support staff (Portfolio, p.73). A

Library Committee has recently been established to determine resources needed to review

policies and recommend improvements in line with the framework of ICEM Library Handbook

Policy and Procedures. The Panel’s visit to the Library and LRC confirmed that library services

have been expanding, and documentation showed that the Library Committee is operational. For

each academic year, the Library and Information Manager requests resources, but there is no

specific budget allocated or, it would appear, communication as to whether these resources have

been approved. ICEM stated that staff and students are involved in recommending books for

acquisition (Portfolio, p.74) but it was found that students are not systematically involved in the

selection process as Course Leaders are responsible for recommending books to the Library for

acquisition every year.

The LRC provides Internet access to electronic sources of information for students, including

those provided by UCLan. In 2010, the Library carried out a user satisfaction survey amongst

students which found just over a third of students were satisfied with the number of books and

availability of printed materials. Students were dissatisfied with the quantity of multimedia

materials (Portfolio, p.75). Although the Library seems to be making progress in terms of book

acquisition, it is urged to develop an action plan to address the issues including those raised in the

survey and ensure that its acquisition policy aligns with the needs of the academic programmes.

The Panel was informed that the two support staff members working in the Library have received

no staff development since they joined the College and this is an area the College needs to

address (see Section 8.5).



In terms of staff usage, no Library user survey has yet been carried out with staff. The Panel was

informed that, from the staff viewpoint, the Library does not offer enough resources to carry out

research, and access to UCLan electronic sources is not made available to teaching staff members

of ICEM unless they are registered as students or alumni of UCLan. This is an issue that needs to

be addressed with UCLan, especially in light of the strategic objectives to build the College’s

research profile (see Chapter 4).

Recommendation 19



implement a fully-resourced action plan to improve its library provision

and, in consultation with its affiliate, address the issue of staff access to

electronic resources in order to support the College’s research aspirations.

6.4 Information and Learning Technology Services

The College states that the Information and Learning Technology Services (ITS) department

provides learning technology facilities required by both students and staff with information

storage and installation of software and hardware. Licensing of software is carried out annually,

and there is a daily back-up of the server (Portfolio, pp.76-77). The Panel was informed that a

back-up of the system is maintained off-campus. The Panel also considered supporting materials

that showed that a regular maintenance schedule and updates are carried out regularly.

Students are provided with space on the College server but the College does not keep statistics

with regard to computer usage. Maintenance is carried out through a contract with an external

company. There is a policy of computer replacement every 5 years but it has not been in effect

because of budget limitations; hence common IT laboratories are 6-7 years old. The Panel is of

the view that ICEM needs to ensure the resources are in place to ensure the implementation of its

IT renewal policy.

Since its establishment, the Library Committee (see Section 6.3) has been involved in discussing the logistics related to ITS. The Panel was informed that while there are staff members ready to

offer short courses on developing information literacy skills to other staff and students, resources

are not adequately available to deliver the workshops. This is an area that the College needs to

review. The College is also urged to monitor the satisfaction of staff and students with ITS, for

example through surveys (see Section 7.3).

Recommendation 20


International College of Engineering and Management review the current

status of its IT provision in order to ensure it meets staff and student needs.

6.5 Academic Advising

Academic advising is primarily provided by personal tutors at course level (with a personal

tutorial scheme with classes of 5-8 students) and by module tutors at module level (Portfolio,

p.78). The Panel considered evidence to show that further support is offered in the Student

Handbook and during induction activities. The Panel was informed by students and staff that

they were satisfied with the tutorial system. While the College states that its personal tutor

provision is one of its strengths, it is implementing a feedback system in order to gauge the

students’ level of satisfaction (Portfolio, p.83). The Panel supports the College’s efforts in this

area.



6.6 Student Learning Support

ICEM states that it aims to support students in meeting course learning outcomes through the

provision of high quality teaching, practical case studies, and by encouraging independent

learning. The College also asserts that its curricula for the different programmes are designed

“with a commitment to blending classroom teaching, independent study and off-campus learning

opportunities” (Portfolio, p.80). The Panel found evidence to support the fact that students were

being taken on field trips but was informed by students that the number of these visits was

considered to be insufficient. Current students and alumni also stated that, in their view, some

programmes offer more theory than practice and some rely on simulations rather than actual field

work. The College also stated that “all courses have, embedded in them, inputs from guest

lecturers – individuals (often non-academic) who can introduce practical case studies and ‘real

life’ experiences into the class room” (Portfolio, p.80). This was confirmed by the Panel

although students interviewed requested more input from guest lecturers and representatives from

industry.

The College makes an effort to provide support for late-registering students. The Panel

considered evidence to show that the College has recently introduced remedial sessions where

students can seek extra assistance outside normal scheduled hours. These remedial sessions are

also available to weaker students. The Panel encourages the College to further monitor and

evaluate the effectiveness of this provision.

Affirmation 6


College of Engineering and Management that it needs to continue to address

the needs late-registering students, and supports it efforts to do so, for

example through the introduction of remedial teaching sessions.

6.7 Teaching Resources

ICEM states that its teaching resources include 55 classrooms, three IT Labs, one Computer

Aided Design (CAD) Lab and seven departmental laboratories (Portfolio, p.81). The classrooms,

as is the case of most of the College buildings, are temporary structures. The Panel was informed

that at the time of the site visit there was a process in place to procure equipment for the

laboratories supporting the five HE programmes in order to improve the current provision.

Currently, apart from the Computer-aided Design laboratory, departmental laboratories are not

made available for students to use outside their classes for self-learning. Also during the audit

visit, the Panel was informed that there was a shortage of laboratory technicians and that the

teaching staff sometimes perform the technician’s role. While students get the benefit of seeing

an experiment demonstrated in some of the laboratories, the Panel was informed that the students

often do not get any hands-on experience. The College acknowledged that responding to

problems or breakdown in equipment is reactive rather than proactive (Portfolio, p.82).

The Panel found that some laboratories lack security measures as there are no posters offering

instructions in case of hazard or fire. The Panel concluded that teaching resources, particularly

laboratories, appear to be limited, especially as one laboratory is expected to serve the needs of a

number of modules. The College noted that “there are many limitations presented to teachers by

the ‘temporary’ nature of most teaching facilities” (Portfolio, p.84) but the Panel found no action

plan in place to address the current issues.

Recommendation 21


International College of Engineering and Management review the provision



of its teaching resources, in order to ensure they are fit for purpose and

develop an action plan to address shortcomings.



7 STUDE�TS A�D STUDE�T SUPPORT SERVICES

ICEM highlighted two issues in regards to its approach to students and student support services.

These are the international nature of its student body and the significant proportion of female

students, both of which call for the recognition of the diverse needs of students (Portfolio, p.85).

This Chapter reports on the Panel’s findings regarding the College’s commitment to meeting

students' needs with a focus on the planning and management of student support services in

relation to student profile and behavior, and student satisfaction and climate. In addition, the

findings include career and employment services, student finances, accommodation, catering,

transport, medical and counselling facilities, international student services, and social and

recreational services and facilities.

7.1 Students and Student Support Services Planning and Management

According to ICEM, Student Affairs staff in conjunction with the Dean and/or his Deputies,

Course Leaders and the Head of Foundation have a key role in student support services. The

Head of Student Affairs maintains a close dialogue with the Student Council (Portfolio, p.85).

The College states that:

Student Affairs plays a key role in the planning of student support services. At the

‘interface’ between College and the student body, it has the ability to lead the

development of innovative approaches to student support (Portfolio, p.86).

The planning and management of student support services, provided by Student Affairs staff, is

integrated into the College planning and management framework with a “dedicated budgetary

line” (Portfolio, p.85). The College stated that the Student Affairs staff also play a vital role in

formal and informal liaison with the student body, the Student Council, internal stakeholders

(including academic and administrative departments) and with external stakeholders (including

government bodies). Student Affairs also provides support to students through initiatives like

awareness programmes and Open Days. According to ICEM, much of the planning agenda is

driven from student feedback received both formally and informally and student satisfaction

surveys (Portfolio, pp.86-87). The College stated that during 2011, it developed a Student

Support Action plan in order to provide a more robust planning process, integrating academic and

support departments to improve support services (Portfolio, p.86). However, interviews with

students and staff indicated that this plan has yet to be implemented and the intention to link

student support planning with College strategic planning has yet to be realised. Interviews with

Student Affairs staff suggested that the current staffing provision is inadequate and that training is

needed to support them in fulfilling their roles (see Section 8.5).

The College recognises that it needs to develop mechanisms to elicit feedback from students on

its provision of student support services (Portfolio, p.87) but more action needs to be taken in this

area. Planning in the areas of student support services needs to be reviewed as the College

addresses the need to improve its overall approach to operational planning (see Recommendation

5). As it develops its operational plan in this area, ICEM is also encouraged to develop a system

to measure the effectiveness of its planning and management of student support services.

ICEM states that the “Student Council President has served the student body well in representing

their views and inputting to the student support planning process” (Portfolio, p.86). It was

acknowledged that the Student Council had a key role to play in the improvement of the catering

facilities for students (see Section 7.7) but otherwise there was little evidence to suggest that the Student Council has taken part in a systematic way in the College decision-making processes.

The College is urged to review the role of the Student Council and how to support its potential

usefulness.



Recommendation 22


International College of Engineering and Management review the role of the

Student Council to ensure that it has the ability and resources to represent

the student interest and welfare at appropriate levels of governance and

management.

7.2 Student Profile

The ICEM Registry is in charge of maintaining comprehensive data relating to the student profile,

(Portfolio, p.88). It is also in charge of overseeing the quality and consistency of academic and

non-academic data relating to each enrolled student and providing reports and information on

request to both internal and external stakeholders. The student profile indicated rapid expansion

(almost doubling) of HE students since 2006, peaking at approximately 1100 in 2009 and with a

steady increase in the proportion of female students enrolled; however, the number of students

has started to decline since 2009/2010 with the number of HE students enrolled at the time of the

audit standing at 960 (Portfolio, p.88 and p.90). The Panel was informed that the decline has been

due to a more structured and disciplined approach to the HE division admission rules coupled

with a revision of the College Entry Test which reduced the number of offers to students. The

data also showed that the withdrawal rate across College has shown a generally decreasing trend

over the past four years, with around 30% of the 2009/2010 withdrawal from the Foundation

Programme (Portfolio, p.90). The Panel was informed that this increase in the attrition rate has

been attributed to the stricter control on entry and progression standards (see Section 2.3).

The profile also showed a significant proportion of non-Omani students which makes up 20% of

the total student population (Portfolio, p.89). Most international students are from Kuwait,

reflecting the close relationship between the College and the Fire Department of the Kuwait Civil

Defense. Other international students come from the United Kingdom, Zimbabwe, Egypt,

Pakistan, India, Morocco, Lebanon, Tanzania, GCC states, as well as other countries. However,

the Panel has noted that there has been no increase in international student numbers to the level

planned for in the College’s strategic objectives (Strategic Plan, p.15). The Panel encourages

ICEM to develop a systematic approach to reviewing the full range of reasons for the decrease in

student enrolment to HE programmes and to devise plans to address issues in alignment with its

strategic plan.

7.3 Student Satisfaction and Climate

ICEM states that it recognises the importance of student satisfaction in pinpointing its strengths

and areas for improvement (Portfolio, p.94). It further explains that the College collects feedback

from students through the use of several tools, such as evaluation surveys adopted from UCLan

and other surveys designed locally. Feedback is also generated via meetings with student

representatives and direct interaction with students, tutors and College managers (Portfolio, p.94).

Students in the past have also been able to voice their views informally through direct meetings

with the Dean.

Analysis of collected data is typically the responsibility of the Deputy Dean for Planning and

Administration and Course Leaders, who feed the information into annual Module Tutor and

Course Leader’s Reports. In 2010-2011, the College introduced the collection of student feedback

through Course Committee meetings which are conducted each semester where elected student

representatives comment on the level of satisfaction of their peers on College activities,

infrastructure facilities, accommodation and transport, and any other matter impinging upon their

experience at College (Portfolio, p.94). However, after reviewing the minutes of these meetings,

the Panel found that little student feedback is noted. The Panel noted that the Student Satisfaction



Survey 2011 was only responded to by 24 students (representing less than 3% of the student

population) (Portfolio, p.94). The College is urged to look for ways to increase students’

engagement with surveys for the data to be meaningful. ICEM highlighted, however, that the

2011 evaluation of student satisfaction came at a time when the overall climate of ‘satisfaction’

was affected by external factors of wider social issues (such as the 2011 period of vocal protests)

impacting upon students’ attitudes and behaviour (Portfolio, p.94).

Students who had been involved in surveys informed the Panel that they received little indication

of which measures have been taken in response to their feedback (apart from improvements in

catering mentioned in Section 7.7). The Panel is of the view the ICEM needs to review its process

of collecting and processing student feedback on student support services in order to address the

low students’ participation in these surveys and assure that main issues are attended to. The

College is also urged to integrate and analyse all students’ feedback, measure their satisfaction

comprehensively so as to use these results systematically to inform decision making, and to

establish a more effective quality cycle to improve the student satisfaction climate.

Recommendation 23



implement a systematic approach to the collection and analysis of student

feedback questionnaires, and ensure that students are informed of any

changes made in response to their feedback.

7.4 Student Behaviour

ICEM states that it has clear policies and disciplinary procedures governing student behaviour.

Some of the policies and procedures have been adapted from those deployed by UCLan while

others are locally created to reflect the cultural and social norms of Oman (Portfolio, p.96). The

College gave some examples of such policies as dress code, parking regulations, driving

standards and expectations, the use of mobile telephones, and gift giving. It has the intention to

expand the policies to include a policy on sexual harassment which did not exist at the time of the

audit. According to the College, these policies are disseminated through Student Handbooks to

all Foundation and HE students. The College also conducts induction sessions for students to

ensure that they are aware of how disciplinary and behavioural issues are dealt with. In addition,

all staff are requested to advise students on the definition of ‘acceptable’ standards of behaviour

(Portfolio, p.96).

In interviews, the Panel found that students were aware to some extent of rules governing

behaviour and confirmed that they had received a copy of the Student Handbook, although some

students stated that they received the Student Handbook only after the beginning of the semester.

The College is encouraged to monitor the effectiveness of its current approach to disseminating

information about the rules and regulations governing student behaviour and the consistency in

the application of these throughout the College community.

7.5 Career and Employment Services

According to ICEM, many staff members, including Module Tutors, Course Leaders and Student

Affairs officers play a role in career and employment services offered to students. College staff

members also give support to students in developing their employment opportunities through the

delivery of the Personal and Professional Development Modules. These are designed to nurture

students with presentation skills, interview techniques and CV writing (Portfolio, p.97).

Companies relevant to students' field of specialty hold on-campus activities where potential

employers can engage with students.



The Student Affairs department encourages students to submit their CVs to employer-driven

recruitment activities and is responsible for coordinating employment initiatives such as the

yearly Career Awareness Programme conducted by Shell Petroleum. During interviews, the

Panel was informed that companies or government bodies (such as the Fire Service) contact

Student Affairs informing them of job vacancies. Student Affairs then match available applicants

with the appropriate vacancy. Staff do not play a proactive role in finding job opportunities and

advertising them among graduating students. The College informed the Panel that while some of

its students are sponsored and have already secured career opportunities, for the majority of

students the College acts as a facilitator between students and employers and informs students of

vacancies.

The College recognises that it needs to be able to quantify the employability of its graduates more

effectively through an alumni database although there is little evidence to suggest that work has

commenced on this (see Section 5.5). ICEM recognises that it needs to develop a centralised

careers service in order to provide more proactive and systematic support, and further enhance the

linkages between students and potential employers. The College is urged to resource and realise

its ambitions in this area in order to ensure that its students are provided with adequate career and

employment support.

Recommendation 24



implement a centralised and proactive career service in order to provide

systematic support to its graduates.

7.6 Student Finances

ICEM asserts that it strives to support students financially through several means. It has clear

financial support regulations for students, which are explained in the Student Handbook. It

recently introduced a new system for payment of fees through instalments which offered more

flexibility to students. The College attempts to accommodate the circumstances of families and

sponsors and gave examples of its spirit of flexibility where it deals with students, on a case-by-

case basis. It has also adopted a scholarships support system over the past six years to the benefit

of its highest performing students, facilitating their progression into Years 3 and 4 of their

courses (Portfolio, p.98). The Panel considered further documentation indicating that 44 “flyer”

students had been offered scholarships since 2006 with an average of seven students each year.

The College scholarship system has enabled ICEM to nurture academic talent. A number of

returning students have joined the staff of the College which supports ICEM’s Omanisation

agenda (see Section 8.10). The Panel commends the College for its achievements regarding its

scholarship support to high achieving students.

Commendation 4


College of Engineering and Management for providing financial support for

high achieving students to continue their studies.

7.7 Accommodation, Catering and Transport

The College does not currently provide accommodation to its students. The present role of the

College is limited to offering assistance to students, particularly international students, through

the Student Affairs staff in identifying accommodation options. During the last academic year,

approximately 150 male students and 75 female students received direct assistance from Student

Affairs staff to locate accommodation (Portfolio, p.99). During interview sessions, students

revealed dissatisfaction with the current accommodation options because of the limited options,



high rents, the struggle with transportation, and the distance between accommodation and the

College. ICEM senior management informed the Panel that this will be resolved once the new

campus is built as student accommodation will be developed during the initial phases of the

campus development project. However, in the meantime the Panel urges the College to seek

other immediate solutions to improve their support for students in terms of accommodation.

Regarding catering, ICEM constructed a large canteen in 2010 in response to student comments

and suggestions. Interviews with students suggested that this new development had been

appreciated. ICEM states that it provides free transport from a local interchange to the College

and provides free of charge transportation for all extra-curricular activities to and from College

(Portfolio, p.99). However, students indicated to the Panel that they were not satisfied with the

current transport provision. Although the College acknowledged that it needs to develop a more

systematic approach to eliciting students’ feedback on support services (Portfolio, p.100), it has

not yet embarked on any systematic feedback collection regarding accommodation, transport and

catering, that may help the College to improve services. It was clear to the Panel through

meetings and interviews with student and staff that the College follows a reactive approach in

meeting student needs in these areas. The Panel urges the College to systematise its approach to

student feedback (see Recommendation 23).

7.8 Medical and Counseling Facilities

ICEM states that it provides high quality medical through its first aid procedure, medical centre

and ambulance service (Portfolio, p.100). The Panel found that there is one first aid staff

member, one qualified nurse, and an ambulance. However, the qualified nurse is often off-

campus conducting training, and the first aid officer is not able to deal with all medical cases.

Although the medical clinic is in need of improvement in terms of equipment and supplies, the

Panel considered documentation to show that this was being addressed.

Affirmation 7


College of Engineering and Management that it needs to upgrade its medical

provision for students, and supports its efforts in this area.

ICEM stated that it “conducts proactive health care programmes, driven by the ethos that

‘prevention is better than cure’” (Portfolio, p.100), although the Panel found that these are not

being carried out on a regular basis. The College acknowledges that its counselling services for

students are less developed and that training needs to be provided for staff in this area (Portfolio,

p.101). ICEM is encouraged to develop and implement plans to address these opportunities for

improvement.

7.9 International Student Services

ICEM states that it does not differentiate between Omani and non-Omani students regarding the

provision of support services, except in a very small number of cases. The College arranges to

meet arriving international students, and provides transport to their accommodation.

Accommodation is not available on campus, but ICEM provides support to international students

by providing details of available hotels and rental properties (Portfolio, p.101).

In addition to that, the Panel was informed that Student Affairs staff provide induction

presentations to all non-Omani students once they arrive at the College. The induction covers

cultural matters, ethical codes, Laws of the Sultanate of Oman, and the College’s rules and

regulations. As one of ICEM’s strategic objectives is to expand its international student body, the

College is encouraged to carry out its proposed international student experience survey (Portfolio,

p.102) in order to monitor student satisfaction in this area.



7.10 Social and Recreational Services and Facilities

The College recognises that it has limited social and recreational services and facilities for

students. The College is hopeful that the envisaged campus redevelopment will result in

improved recreational facilities (Portfolio, p.102). Although the College states that it has a “ring-

fenced resource” for non-academic extracurricular activities (Portfolio, p.86), the Panel was

informed by Student Affairs staff that they do not have a budget allocated specifically for

recreational activities. The Panel found that while extracurricular activities off campus had been

planned and delivered, students stated that the number of activities was inadequate. The College

recognises that it has been more reactive to student needs than proactive (Portfolio, p.85) and it is

now urged to develop an operational plan (see Recommendation 5) to improve the provision of

recreational services and facilities as well as ensure the participation of a greater number of

students in a larger number of activities on and off-campus.



8 STAFF A�D STAFF SUPPORT SERVICES

ICEM states that “Human resource (HR) planning and management has tended to revolve around

loosely structured procedures and policies. Recent changes to personnel, and a strong

commitment from the College Chairman to improve HR practices, are becoming evident”

(Portfolio, p.106). This Chapter considers how ICEM approaches its HR planning, management

and operations which enable the College to deliver on its stated Mission and Vision. It focuses

on staff profile; recruitment and selection; induction; professional development; performance

planning and review; promotion; severance; staff satisfaction and Omanisation.

8.1 Human Resources Planning and Management

The College states that historically its approach to HR planning and management has been

reactive rather than proactive (Portfolio, p.106). The SWOT analysis provided with the 2011-

2018 Strategic Plan identifies a number of issues related to this area such as high staff turnover,

lack of staff interaction and limited continued professional development (CPD) (Strategic Plan,

p.11). It also identified “lack of available qualified staff” (Strategic Plan, p.13) as a threat, which

was confirmed as an issue in interviews with staff. The Panel was informed that there have been a

number of occasions where a lack of long or medium term staff planning has led to staff teaching

modules at the limits of their specialisation or staff being reassigned to work in areas away from

their designations. The College is urged to address this issue to ensure the quality of the student

learning experience (see Recommendation 11). Despite ICEM’s recognition of the challenges the

College faces in relation to HR planning, there is no HR plan for developing its staff profile in

place to realise its long-term objectives. ICEM states the intention to: “Review staff recruitment

policy to place an increasing emphasis on research-based qualifications over the duration of the

2011-18 Academic Plan” (Strategic Plan, p.16) but it is not clear how the College intends to

achieve this goal. The College now needs to develop and implement an overarching HR plan

which addresses all aspects of the HR planning and management system.

Recommendation 25



implement an overarching human resources plan that aligns with the

Colleges strategic objectives.

ICEM’s HR Department is headed by a senior HR officer who was appointed in 2011.This officer

reports to the Managing Director and consults with the Dean concerning the appointment and

termination arrangements for teaching staff (Portfolio, p.108). The College states that the

original HR policies were drawn from the parent company, the Zubair Corporation. These have

remained unchanged as ICEM has developed even though the College considers that a number of

the policies are irrelevant in the higher education environment (Portfolio, p.12).

A number of initiatives have come from the HR Department to develop HR documentation which

includes policies for job descriptions, promotion, recruitment and appraisal of teaching staff. The

Panel was informed that when these are fully operational, a similar exercise will be applied to

support staff. This is an ongoing process and, although there is still some way to go, a good start

has been made. Teaching staff confirmed that they had already received their job descriptions

and a copy of the regulations for employment (‘The Blue Book’) which had been compiled by the

Dean. The Panel acknowledges the efforts of the College to review its HR documentation based

upon a consistent, structured and transparent approach (Portfolio, p.113) and supports its efforts

in this area.



Affirmation 8


College of Engineering and Management that it needs to review its human

resources policies and practices, and supports its efforts to do so, such as

through the development of job descriptions for all staff.

8.2 Staff Profile

At the time of the audit, there were 52 academic staff and 81 administrative staff (serving the

needs of both the HE and vocational divisions). Of the teaching and technical support staff,

around 54% are Diploma, Bachelor or PG Certificate holders; around 36% are Masters Degree

holders; and around 10% are PhD holders (Portfolio, p.110). The College’s Strategic Plan aims

to have 40% PhD holders amongst academic staff by 2018 although there is no indication of how

this aim will be achieved.

The College also has aspirations in its strategic objectives to develop a research portfolio and to

underpin this with staff members with research degrees or research credentials. How such an

environment might be created to attract such staff will need to be considered by the College (see

Recommendation 25).

8.3 Recruitment and Selection

The approach to recruitment and selection for all staff, academic and administrative, is outlined in

the College regulations, although ICEM states that these have been used more as guidelines rather

than rules (Portfolio, p.112). Vacancies are identified by Heads of Department and approved by

the Dean, although the College states that ‘the ability to be either proactive or reactive is subject

to management decisions’ (Portfolio, p.112). Posts are advertised on the internet and in

newspapers. The Panel was informed that CVs of short listed prospective teaching staff are sent

to the Dean of the relevant programme at UCLan for approval. ICEM then confirms the

appointment. In some cases, potential teaching staff members are asked to give a presentation.

CVs are also sent to the Ministry of Higher Education (MoHE) as part of the approval process.

The College has a strict student staff ratio model of 20:1 which means there is little room to

recruit new staff if the ratio of staff and student in a department is close to the model. The Panel

was informed that this has meant teaching staff being asked to teach subjects that may be at the

margins of their expertise (see Recommendation 11). The rigid adherence to the ratio has

allowed for little flexibility in staffing, for example being able to recruit to cover if a staff

member leaves, especially in light of the high staff turnover (see Section 8.9).

As mentioned in Section 8.1, the College is working on a new HR strategy which includes a recruitment and selection policy. The College is urged to action this in order to ensure that a

transparent, consistently communicated approach is in place, along with a clear plan for

recruitment in order to meet the College’s strategic objectives (see Affirmation 8).

8.4 Induction

As part of the induction process for academic staff, the Dean and Deputy Deans give

presentations at the start of the academic year on course regulations. However, the College

acknowledges that is does not have a formal, well-defined induction policy in place and that the

induction for academic staff is the responsibility of the Heads of Department and the Course

Leaders (Portfolio, p.113). From discussions with staff at all levels, it became evident that the

availability of staff induction was not uniform across the HE Division and where induction did

occur was very variable in quality and content for academic and administrative staff. The College

stated that it was in the process of developing an Induction Handbook but this had not been



advanced at the time of the audit. ICEM is urged to develop and implement a consistent

induction programme for all academic and administrative staff and to monitor its effectiveness.

Recommendation 26


International College of Engineering and Management develop a

consistently implemented induction programme for all teaching and

administrative staff across the College which includes a comprehensive

monitoring of the effectiveness of the induction process.

8.5 Professional Development

The College states that it has a strong focus on providing professional development activities to

support Omani staff. Non-Omani staff are also given the opportunity to attend conferences

(Portfolio, p.115). Teaching staff are also offered professional development opportunities during

visits from UCLan staff, although these are not scheduled on a regular basis (see Section 2.5). The future plans of the HR Department do include the introduction of a systematic professional

development system which will be linked to an appraisal system in due course. This is described

in the Human Resource Planning Book (2010) already referred to as the ‘Blue Book’ (see Section

8.1).

As these future plans are developed, there is also a need to consider the professional development

and training needs of staff in non-academic departments, such as Student Affairs (see Section 7.8)

and the Library (see Section 6.3). The Panel urges ICEM to implement its plans to address the

professional development needs of all staff and ensure consistent implementation across the

College together with a system for a comprehensive evaluation of its effectiveness.

Recommendation 27



implement a system of professional development for teaching,

administrative and other support staff

8.6 Performance Planning and Review

The principles for performance planning and review are set out in the College Regulations and,

for Foundation staff, in the Foundation Programme Staff Evaluation and Deployment Policy

(Portfolio, p.116). According to the College Regulations, each employee has a face to face

meeting in December of each year with their immediate line manager to discuss the employee’s

performance for the preceding twelve month period. An appraisal form is completed by the line

manager and signed by the employee. In respect of teaching staff, the form will be countersigned

by the Dean and all staff appraisal forms will be forwarded to the Executive Committee. The

staff appraisal documents form the basis for the Executive Committee’s decisions on staff

rewards and increments (College Regulations, p.41).

The College acknowledges that there has been limited and inconsistent formal performance

planning and review for teaching and support staff offered by the HE Division of the College at

the time of the audit (Portfolio, p.116). The Panel was informed that the appraisal piloted in the

Foundation Department had not been yet applied throughout the College. As noted in Section

8.1, the College has proposed an approach to performance planning and review in its new HR

documentation and is urged to now implement this for all academic and administrative staff.



8.7 Promotion and Other Incentives

ICEM states that historically it has lacked formal systems for rewarding high achievement. In

2010, the HE and Foundation Departments introduced an integrated system which provides a

formal means of rewarding staff on the basis of their experience, academic qualifications and

responsibilities held at College. The system, as presented in the Blue Book, ensures that staff

members are aligned on a salary scale according to a mathematical formula. This approach has

been introduced to “ensure objectivity, and to eradicate the perceived inequitable way promotions

and rewards were previously distributed” (Portfolio, p.118). The Panel was informed that the new

appraisal system has been appreciated for its transparency and well received by staff. The

concept of the annual increment has been particularly welcomed by HE staff. The College is now

encouraged to ensure that the promotion policy is fully disseminated and acted upon (see Section

8.1) and to ensure that it aligns with its strategic objectives.

8.8 Severance

The approach to severance is set out in the College regulations, which includes staff rights and

guidelines for severance. The College states that the dissemination of the policy in this area in

one of its priorities (Portfolio, p.119) but the Panel found no progress in this area. As the College

develops its HR documentation, it needs to ensure that the College’s approach to severance is

well communicated to all staff (see Section 8.1).

8.9 Staff Organisational Climate and Retention

The College acknowledges that a legacy in underperformance in areas such as governance,

management, communication and the development of policies and procedures has had a negative

impact on staff satisfaction. The College also has a “higher than acceptable rate” of staff turnover

(Portfolio, p.119). In the SWOT analysis presented in the Strategic Plan (p.11), high turnover of

staff was identified as a weakness but no solution was included in the plan to address this. The

Panel was informed that the high turnover staff has led to the disruption of the student learning

experience as on occasion modules have had to be delivered out of sequence until new staff

members have been appointed. Staff members have apparently been leaving because they have

better offers elsewhere and there is a perceived lack of career opportunities in the College. In

interviews, the Panel was told that staff wanted to have a greater awareness of how decisions are

made and that they need to be more involved in decision making.

The Panel heard from staff that there have been few channels for their views to be heard and that

there were areas of dissatisfaction, such as timetables being changed at short notice. As a matter

of priority, the College needs to devise mechanisms to improve staff retention including a means

for measuring staff satisfaction, such as surveys and a forum in which staff views can be

discussed in order to determine the steps necessary to reduce the high turnover.

Recommendation 28


International College of Engineering and Management explore and address

the reasons for high staff turnover and develop mechanisms to identify

issues which undermine staff retention.

8.10 Omanisation

The College states that it has made a number of efforts to recruit and offer professional

development opportunities for Omani staff (Portfolio, p.121). In ICEM’s Strategic Plan SWOT

analysis, Omani staff base and commitment to Omanisation is seen as one of the strengths of the

College. The College acknowledges, however, that there is a threat associated with too rapid



Omanisation and it plans to ensure CPD opportunities are in place to develop Omani staff

(especially College graduates) to satisfy academic and administrative criteria.

As noted in Section 7.6, the College has been providing scholarships for high achieving students to continue their studies in the UK and the Panel was informed that a number of these students

have come back to work for the College. According to the 2011-2012 staff statistics submitted,

around 30% of the academic staff are Omani (including teaching assistants and instructors).

While the Panel acknowledges the efforts that ICEM has made in this area, the College is

encouraged to develop a clear operational plan with targets in order to meet its strategic

objectives in this area.



9 GE�ERAL SUPPORT SERVICES A�D FACILITIES

The College plans to divide its teaching operations into areas dealing with higher education (HE)

programmes and vocational programmes and it is already engaged in this process (Portfolio, p.ii).

It is envisaged that while these two separate divisions will be self-contained academically,

support services and facilities will be shared. This Chapter considers general support services and

facilities planning and management; public relations and marketing; communication services; and

facilities management.

9.1 General Support Services and Facilities Planning and Management

The Panel acknowledges that the ownership of land issues surrounding the future development of

ICEM have had an impact upon the aspirations of the College in terms of its teaching and

learning facilities and the general improvement of the College environment. This has been

highlighted as a concern in all the College’s previous 2004-2008 Strategic Plan and in the SWOT

analysis in the newly developed 2011-2018 Strategic Plan. The Panel was informed that a

Campus Re-development Plan has been drawn up in order to support the College’s medium and

long term objectives. However, in the meantime, operational planning in this area needs to be

developed (see Recommendation 5). While the Panel was informed that from the staff and

students’ viewpoint that, overall, the management of the services appeared to be satisfactory, they

were seen to be lacking in overall coordination. The Panel considers that, regardless of the future

development of new facilities, ICEM needs to review the fitness for purpose of its current

teaching accommodation; facilities and equipment (see Section 6.7). The College is urged to ensure that facilities which currently exist on the campus receive appropriate attention while the

future of the campus is being resolved.

Recommendation 29


International College of Engineering and Management review the planning

and management of current facilities to ensure that they meet, as far as

possible, the immediate needs of all students and staff.

9.2 Public Relations and Marketing

ICEM states that it has a strong, experienced marketing and business development team, with

responsibilities for both HE and vocational divisions of the College (Portfolio, p.124). Although

the College submitted a marketing plan, the document contained a list of budgeted items rather

than a clear plan linked to the College’s overall strategic objectives. In terms of public relations,

local employers, who were generally supportive of the College, informed the Panel that they were

disappointed with the lack of current information they receive from ICEM.

The Marketing department informed the Panel that it was primarily concerned with student

recruitment opportunities in the Gulf States and had an ultimate objective of 5000 new students

by September 2018 (in line with goal 1 stated in the Strategic Plan). The College is encouraged

to develop and implement a focused Marketing Plan with clear performance indicators which

would support the achievement of ICEM’s medium and long term objectives.

9.3 Communication Services

Remote communication between staff and students at all levels is by email (Portfolio, p.127) and

there are video conference facilities for communication with other stakeholders such as UCLan.

In different interview sessions, it was evident to the Panel that at times there was a lack of a

consistent approach with regard to internal communication, whether between staff and



management or between different departments within the College. Moreover, external

stakeholders expressed their dissatisfaction with the lack of a clear and consistent route for them

to communicate with different departments in the College. Discussions with staff and students

identified the need to make improvements in the College internal communication systems. The

College is urged to review its approach in this area and develop an action plan to address current

issues raised.

Recommendation 30



implement a communications policy, procedures and monitoring

mechanisms across all areas to improve communications with internal and

external stakeholders.

9.4 Facilities Management

The College Facilities Management (FM) Section attends to the day-to-day maintenance of the

College's infrastructure (Portfolio, p.128). The duties are very wide in nature and deal with

general maintenance, electrical services, schedules of repair, records, inventories of equipment,

security, the cafeteria and many other duties. The FM has skilled and dedicated staff members

who, from interviews with students and staff, generally provide satisfactory services. The

monitoring of satisfaction by those who use these services would be a very useful exercise and

this might be worth considering by the College (see Section 7.3). If there is to be a new campus

development for the College in the future, then FM will have an important role to play.



APPE�DIX A. AUDIT PA�EL

Professor Brian Swanick (Panel Chairperson)

Former Executive Pro Vice-Chancellor

De Monfort University

UK

Dr Wafa Al Mansoori

Senior Director

Quality Assurance Authority

Bahrain

Mr Peter Cheung

Secretary General

Federation for Continuing Education in Tertiary Institutions (FCE)

Hong Kong

Dr Rahma Ibrahim Al Mahrooqi

Assistant Professor

College of Arts and Sciences

Sultan Qaboos University

Oman

Dr Bader Ahmed Abuid

Engineering Expert

Directorate General of Technical Education

Ministry of Manpower

Oman

Tess Goodliffe (Executive Officer)

Oman Academic Accreditation Authority



APPE�DIX B. ABBREVIATIO�S, ACRO�YMS A�D TERMS

The following abbreviations, acronyms and terms are used in this Report. As necessary, they are

explained in context. In some cases, URLs are provided to facilitate further enquiries about these

acronyms and terms.

ADRI.............................................. A four step, cyclical model for analysing a topic, comprising:

Approach → Deployment → Results → Improvement.

Approach........................................ The first dimension of the ADRI cycle, which focuses on evaluating

what an HEI aims to achieve for a given topic and how it proposes to

achieve it.

BoD................................................ Board of Directors

BoT ................................................ Board of Trustees

Call Back Interview ....................... An interview conducted by the Audit Panel towards the end of the

Audit Visit for which it has invited specific people, usually at short

notice, to respond to particular issues on which the Panel will require

assistance.

CPD................................................ Continuous Professional Development

CV.................................................. Curriculum Vitae

Deployment.................................... The second dimension of the ADRI cycle, which focuses on whether a

HEI’s plans for a given topic are being followed in practice, and if not,

why not.

Executive Officer........................... An OAAA staff member assigned to an Audit Panel to provide

professional guidance and support.

External Reviewer ......................... A Member of the OAAA Register of External Reviewers; a person

approved by the OAAA Board to participate as a member of the

OAAA’s various external review Panels.

FM.................................................. Facilities Management

GFP................................................ General Foundation Program

HE.................................................. Higher Education

HEI................................................. Higher Education Institution (also known as HEP – Higher Education

Provider)

HoD................................................ Head of Department

HR.................................................. Human Resources

ICEM ............................................. International College of Engineering and Management

IELTS............................................. International English Language Testing System

ILB................................................. Industrial Liaison Board

ILF ................................................. Industrial Liaison Forum

ILO................................................. Intended Learning Outcome

Improvement.................................. The fourth dimension of the ADRI cycle, which focuses on how

effectively an organisation is improving its approach and deployment

for any given topic in order to achieve better results.

ITS ................................................. Information and Learning Technology Services

KPI................................................. Key Performance Indicator

LRC................................................ Learning Resource Centre

MoHE ............................................ Ministry of Higher Education (www.mohe.gov.om)



OAAA Board ................................. The governing body of the Oman Academic Accreditation Authority

OAAA............................................ Oman Academic Accreditation Authority (www.oaaa.gov.om)

OAC............................................... Oman Accreditation Council (became OAAA in 2010)

OFI................................................. Opportunity for improvement.

OQF ............................................... Oman Qualifications Framework.

Panel Chairperson.......................... The Chairperson of the Audit Panel.

Panel Member ................................ An OAAA External Reviewer who is a member of an Audit Panel.

Portfolio ......................................... see Quality Audit Portfolio.

QA.................................................. Quality Assurance

Quality Assurance.......................... The combination of policies and processes for ensuring that stated

intentions are met.

Quality Audit ................................. An independent evaluation of the effectiveness of the system and

processes by which a HEI sets, pursues and achieves its mission and

vision.

Quality Audit Portfolio .................. The report produced as the result of a self study. Also forms the main

submission made to the OAAA by the HEI being audited.

Quality Audit Report...................... A public report published by the OAAA which presents the findings

and conclusions of the Audit Panel’s External Review of a HEI.

Quality Enhancement..................... The combination of policies and processes for improving upon

existing approach, deployment and results.

Random Interview.......................... An interview conducted in situ by individual Panel Members during

the Audit but separately from the main interview sessions.

Results............................................ The third dimension of the ADRI cycle, which focuses on the

evidence of the outputs and outcomes of a topic’s approach and

deployment.

SQU ............................................... Sultan Qaboos University, Oman

SSR ................................................ student staff ratio

SWOT analysis .............................. Analysis of an organisation’s strengths, weaknesses, opportunities

and threats

System............................................ In this Report, system refers to plans, policies, processes and results

that are integrated towards the fulfilment of a common purpose.

TLC................................................ Teaching and Learning Committee

UCLan............................................ University of Central Lancashire, UK



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Date post:	19-Feb-2020
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Oman Academic Accreditation Authority Report of an Audit ... Report v6 final.pdfOman Academic...

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