Oman Academic Accreditation Authority Report of an … Quality Audit Report Final.pdf · Oman...

Oman Academic

Accreditation Authority

Report of an Audit of the

College of Banking and

Financial Studies

October 2011

HEI Quality Audit Report College of Banking and Financial Studies

© Oman Academic Accreditation Authority

Audit Report Number 024

©2011 Oman Academic Accreditation Authority

P.O. Box 1255

P.C. 133

Al-Khuwair

Sultanate of Oman

Ph +968 24614361/2

Fax +968 2461 4364

http://www.oac.gov.om

College of Banking and Financial Studies HEI Quality Audit Report

Page 1 of 50 Oman Academic Accreditation Authority

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 .................................................................................................................. 7

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

Summary of Recommendations............................................................................................................... 8

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 Programs and Quality Assurance................................................... 14

1.5 Strategic Plan.............................................................................................................................. 15

1.6 Operational Planning .................................................................................................................. 16

1.7 Financial Management ............................................................................................................... 16

1.8 Risk Management....................................................................................................................... 17

1.9 Policy Management .................................................................................................................... 17

1.10 Entity and Activity Review Systems .......................................................................................... 17

1.11 Student Grievance Process ......................................................................................................... 18

1.12 Health and Safety ....................................................................................................................... 18

1.13 Oversight of Associated Entities (e.g. owned companies) ......................................................... 18

2 Student Learning by Coursework Programmes ............................................................................... 19

2.1 Graduate Attributes and Student Learning Objectives ............................................................... 20

2.2 Curriculum.................................................................................................................................. 20

2.3 Student Entry Standards ............................................................................................................. 20

2.4 Foundation Programme .............................................................................................................. 21

2.5 Teaching Quality ........................................................................................................................ 22

2.6 Plagiarism................................................................................................................................... 22

2.7 Student Placements..................................................................................................................... 22

2.8 Assessment Methods, Standards and Moderation ...................................................................... 23

2.9 Academic Security and Invigilation ........................................................................................... 23

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

2.11 Graduate Destinations and Employability.................................................................................. 24

3 Students Learning by Research Programmes................................................................................... 25

3.1 Research Programme Design...................................................................................................... 25

3.2 Supervisors ................................................................................................................................. 25

3.3 Postgraduate Supervision and Student Research Support .......................................................... 26

3.4 Thesis Examination .................................................................................................................... 26

3.5 Retention, Graduate Destinations and Employability ................................................................ 26

4 Staff Research and Consultancy......................................................................................................... 27

4.1 Research Planning and Management.......................................................................................... 27

5 Industry and Community Engagement ............................................................................................. 28

5.1 Industry and Community Engagement Planning & Management .............................................. 28


© Oman Academic Accreditation Authority Page 2 of 50

5.2 Relationship with Industry and Employers ................................................................................ 28

5.3 Relationship with Professions .................................................................................................... 29

5.4 Relationship with Other Education Providers ............................................................................ 29

5.5 Relationship with Alumni........................................................................................................... 29

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

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............................................................................................. 35

7.1 Students and Student Support Services Planning & Management ............................................. 35

7.2 Student Profile ............................................................................................................................ 36

7.3 Student Satisfaction and Climate................................................................................................ 36

7.4 Student Behaviour ...................................................................................................................... 37

7.5 Career and Employment Services............................................................................................... 37

7.6 Student Finances......................................................................................................................... 38

7.7 Accommodation, Catering and Transport................................................................................... 38

7.8 Medical and Counselling Facilities ............................................................................................ 38

7.9 International Student Services .................................................................................................... 39

7.10 Social and Recreational Services and Facilities ......................................................................... 39

8 Staff and Staff Support Services ........................................................................................................ 40

8.1 Human Resources Planning & Management.............................................................................. 40

8.2 Staff Profile................................................................................................................................. 40

8.3 Recruitment and Selection.......................................................................................................... 40

8.4 Induction..................................................................................................................................... 40

8.5 Professional Development.......................................................................................................... 41

8.6 Performance Planning and Review............................................................................................. 41

8.7 Promotion and Other Incentives ................................................................................................. 42

8.8 Severance.................................................................................................................................... 42

8.9 Staff Organisational Climate and Retention ............................................................................... 42

8.10 Omanisation................................................................................................................................ 42

9 General Support Services and Facilities............................................................................................ 44

9.1 General Support Services and Facilities Planning and Management ......................................... 44

9.2 Public Relations and Marketing ................................................................................................. 44

9.3 Communication Services............................................................................................................ 44

9.4 Facilities Management................................................................................................................ 44

Appendix A. Audit Panel ...................................................................................................................... 45

Appendix B. Abbreviations, Acronyms and Terms............................................................................ 46



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) of the College of Banking and Financial Studies (CBFS). It

comments on CBFS’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 CBFS’s activities

and constructive feedback to the College to assist with its ongoing improvement efforts.

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

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

submitted to the OAAA by the due date of 1 December 2010.

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 15 January 2011 to consider

CBFS’s Portfolio. Following this, a representative of the Audit Panel Chairperson and the Executive

Officer undertook a planning visit on behalf of the Panel to CBFS on 13 February 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 CBFS’s

activities. Two valid submissions were received.

The audit visit took place over 13-15 March 2011. During this time, the Panel spoke with over 100

people, including governing authorities, staff, students and external stakeholders. They also visited a

selection of venues and examined additional documents.

No documents created after 15 March 2011 (being the last day of the audit visit) were taken into

consideration for the purposes of this audit.

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

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

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

adequately addressed. The Report aims to provide a balanced set of observations, but does not comment

on every system in place at CBFS.

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 31 October 2011.

The OAAA was established by Royal Decree No. 54/2010. 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.oac.gov.om). Full details of the quality audit process are available in

OAAA’s HEI Quality Audit Manual (available from http://www.oac.gov.om/qa/HEI/).



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 useful because it provides some independent

comment on the learning environment at this institution (particularly Chapters 2, 6 & 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. Unlike the Quality

Audit, 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.oac.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 College of Banking and Financial Studies (CBFS) operates under the supervision of the Central Bank

of Oman (CBO). It has grown from being essentially an industry training organisation, training Omani

citizens for roles in the banking and finance industry, to being a higher education provider open to

industries other than banking and finance, while retaining a banking and finance focus for core offerings.

The College originated as the “Oman Institute of Bankers” in 1983 as a result of a Royal Decree (No

64/1983). The Mission of this Institute was to train Omanis in the field of banking. Success in this was

followed by the creation of the “Institute of Banking and Financial Studies” by a second Royal Decree

(No 83/1998); this reflected a diversifying of professional course offerings in the broad area of finance.

In recognition of subsequent further development and broadening of its role and activities, Royal Decree

(No 12/2004) changed the name of the Institute to the “College of Banking and Financial Studies”. This

change supported the College in increasing its offering of academic programmes and in admitting school

leavers and employees from a wider range of sectors.

The College’s strategy for developing its provision of professional courses and academic programmes is

to host the provision of internationally recognized courses and programmes by a range of international

partners. The rationale for this is to ensure that international standards are maintained. Under this

arrangement, the College has three partners offering academic programmes: the University of Strathclyde

(UoS, UK) which offers its MBA; the University of Bradford (UoB, UK) which offers BSc programmes

in Accounting and Finance, and Business and Management as well as a Foundation Certificate in

Combined Studies; and the Arab Academy of Banking and Financial Studies (Jordan) which offers a BSc

in Banking and Finance. The College also offers its own General Foundation Programme. In 2009-2010,

the College had a total of 1723 students. Of these, approximately 30 percent were studying at the

foundation level and around 20 percent were enrolled on degree programmes. The remaining students

were enrolled on professional courses.

CBFS reported in depth on the topic of “governance and management” in its Portfolio although some

subsequent areas were dealt with less comprehensively. The Portfolio utilized ADRI (Approach,

Deployment, Results, Improvement – see Appendix B) headings for each area reported on but the

commentary remained primarily descriptive, highlighting a general lack of data available on which to

base critical analysis and formulate evidence-based conclusions. Development of the Portfolio was,

nevertheless, undertaken by the College as a genuine and inclusive self-study exercise.

CBFS has considerable strength in its governance and management. It recently engaged in a systematic

and thorough review of its Mission, Vision and Values resulting in statements that have been embraced

by relevant stakeholders and which are guiding the College’s work. The College makes extensive use of

external reviews and this has supported the development and maintenance of clear and effective

governance arrangements.

The management of the College is aided by various committees, including a particularly active Academic

Affairs Committee, although a system is needed to ensure that the terms of reference of these long-

standing groups, along with other institutional policies and documents, are reviewed and updated

regularly. The College has a Quality Assurance Committee and a more recently established Quality



Assurance Group, although fulfillment of their respective identified roles will require enhanced direction.

The College has established strong partnerships with its UK affiliates whose programmes, and the

accreditations these carry, directly support the College’s Mission. On the other hand, the College’s

affiliation with the Arab Academy is currently under review; a number of quality issues need to be

resolved if this programme is to re-start enrollment and continue to run.

Together with the aid of external consultants, strategic planning has been undertaken by the College.

The Strategic Plan itself now needs to be finalized and to be supported by the implementation of more

effective systems of both operational planning and risk management than currently exist. There is also a

need for the College to implement a comprehensive policy and associated procedures to guide its

planning and management of health and safety.

The College has engaged in critical review of its entry criteria for academic programmes and has

enhanced these in the long-term interest of producing high quality graduates. In terms of assessment, the

College has developed expertise in the area of examination security and administration through its

partnerships with internationally recognized organizations and administration of their examinations.

These partnerships bring a variety of good teaching practices to CBFS but a mechanism is required for

these to be shared effectively, and for teaching quality across the College to be monitored consistently.

Institutional data collection and analysis is underdeveloped at the College. This is particularly evident in

relation to monitoring both retention and progression on academic programmes as well as the

employability of graduates. The College is, however, in the process of implementing a comprehensive

management information system which will support the College in maintaining a comprehensive data

base which can also be used to support institutional research.

In response to its Vision to become a recognized “world-class Centre of Excellence” by 2020, the

College is taking steps towards developing a research centre which targets, in particular, applied research

in its core business areas. Whilst research and consultancy functions have therefore yet to be developed,

the College has been a UoS MBA Centre since 2000. Whilst appreciating the international recognition

of this MBA, it is still important for the College to not only systematically monitor and evaluate retention

and completion rates of its students on this programme but also its impact on the employment

performance of graduates.

The College’s link with the finance industry and community is inherent in its status as a division of CBO

and its receipt of funds from the sector as directed by CBO. This has been strengthened by the relatively

recent establishment of a College Academic Advisory Panel which includes members of the banking and

related industries as well as College staff. The College now needs to develop and implement systems that

provide formal feedback from stakeholders about the College’s programmes. This includes the need for

the College to engage effectively with its alumni, perhaps by building on the practices of individual

affiliate partners to engage with alumni from their particular programmes. In order to drive its initiatives

and evaluate its performance in the area of industry and community engagement, an overarching plan,

which is aligned to strategic goals and includes defined key performance indicators, is required.

CBFS mainly serves as a vehicle for the delivery of programmes from other institutions but it has a key

role to play in the provision of academic and general support services. Two factors in particular have

contributed to the challenges concerning the College’s provision of these. Firstly, the hosting of

programmes from different affiliate partners brings programme-specific demands and practices.

Secondly, the evolution of CBFS from an “institute” to a “college” has been accompanied by admission

of secondary school graduates, a group requiring considerably more support than working adults. The

College is lacking a clear conceptual framework within its organizational structure for the provision of

consistent and integrated academic and general support services and needs to build on its efforts to date to

develop a comprehensive plan for both areas which aligns with the College’s strategic planning and

includes mechanisms for systematic evaluation. This should, for example, guide the College towards

ensuring the provision of effective academic advice to students on all, rather than only some, academic

programmes. With respect to general support services, enhanced planning should support steps taken by



the College to enhance communication with students through establishing a Student Council and

conducting regular student satisfaction surveys.

CBFS has a comprehensive set of staff regulations, which, although in need of review and update, support

the College’s planning and management of staff and staff support services. The College needs, however,

to enhance both horizontal and vertical communication in the College, both in general and in order to

share good practice derived from different affiliates. It also needs to conduct regular staff satisfaction

surveys and enhance its planning for the Omanisation of faculty positions.

The College currently occupies a well-maintained, purpose-built building which was completed in 2004.

Since then, the campus has been subject to review and further development in a manner which appears

sustainable and aligned with the strategic intent of the College.

Summary of Commendations

A formal Commendation recognises an instance of particularly good practice.

1. The Oman Academic Accreditation Authority commends the College of Banking and

Financial Studies for the timely, thorough and systematic review of its Vision and Mission

and its adoption of new statements that have been effectively communicated and are well

understood by the College community. ............................................................................................ 12


Financial Studies for its clear governance arrangements and the rigorous review that these

are subjected to. ................................................................................................................................ 12


Financial Studies for its well-established affiliations with internationally accredited business

schools which directly support its Mission....................................................................................... 15


Financial Studies for subjecting its admission criteria to critical review and applying more

stringent criteria that are appropriate in relation to its strategic intent. ............................................ 21


Financial Studies for the measures taken to ensure the security of examinations conducted at

the College........................................................................................................................................ 23

Summary of Affirmations

A formal Affirmation recognizes an instance in which the College of Banking and Financial Studies 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 College of Banking and

Financial Studies that its affiliation with the Arab Academy of Banking and Financial

Services needs to be reviewed, with regard to both the continuation of the programme

currently offered and also the quality assurance arrangements for any future offerings, and

supports the steps being taken by the College to do this. ................................................................. 15


Financial Studies that a Strategic Plan should be formally adopted and implemented and

supports the comprehensive steps the College has taken to address this.......................................... 16



3. The Oman Academic Accreditation Authority supports the work being done by the College

of Banking and Financial Studies to develop a sound and comprehensive risk management

system. .............................................................................................................................................. 17


Financial Studies that in order to fulfill its Vision the College needs to develop its research

capability and supports the steps it has taken towards developing a research centre which

targets, in particular, applied research in its core business areas...................................................... 27


Financial Studies that a comprehensive planning process for the delivery of its academic

support services, that includes mechanisms for systematic evaluation, is required and

encourages the College to build on its efforts to date to achieve this............................................... 31

6. The Oman Academic Accreditation Authority supports the College of Banking and Financial

Studies’ introduction of a system to enable online student registration and to support the

collection and analysis of data for institutional research and planning. ........................................... 32


Financial Studies that a College Student Council is required and supports the steps that have

been taken to establish this body. ..................................................................................................... 36


Financial Studies that student satisfaction surveys need to be conducted on a regular basis

and supports the steps taken by the College to address this. ............................................................ 37

Summary of Recommendations

A Recommendation draws attention to a significant opportunity for improvement that the College of

Banking and Financial Studies has either not yet accurately identified or to which it is not yet adequately

attending.

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

Financial Studies takes steps to ensure that the work of its Quality Assurance Unit is

supported by comprehensive, formalized, operational procedures which are aligned to its

expected monitoring role, as embodied in, for example, the Quality Policy of the College. ........... 13


Financial Studies develop and implement a comprehensive plan for data collection and

ensure that analysis of relevant data informs management decisions and planning in relation

to areas such as student admission, retention, progression and employment as well as staff

recruitment, retention and development. .......................................................................................... 14

3. The Oman Academic Accreditation Authority recommends that, once the Strategic Plan has

been finalized and adopted by College Council, the College of Banking and Financial

Studies develop and implement a system of operational planning which guides the work of

the College and ensures that achievement of strategic objectives is monitored and evaluated

effectively. ........................................................................................................................................ 16

4. The Oman Academic Accreditation Authority recommends the College of Banking and

Financial Studies review and revise its system of policy and document management to

ensure that policies and associated documents are appropriate in terms of content and are

kept up to date. ................................................................................................................................. 17




Financial Studies implement a comprehensive policy and associated procedures to guide its

planning and management of health and safety in the College. ....................................................... 18


Financial Studies adopt a structured approach to ensuring that its graduate attributes are

developed through its programmes and confirmed through assessment and that regular

feedback from employers and alumni on attainment of graduate attributes is used to inform

this process. ...................................................................................................................................... 20


Financial Studies develop and implement a mechanism to share good practice that assists in

ensuring coherence in the way teaching quality is monitored throughout the institution. ............... 22


Finance develop an overarching plan for its industry and community engagement, aligned

with the overall Strategic Plan of the College, with defined key performance indicators and

specific targets, to drive its initiatives and measure progress and growth in related activities

over time........................................................................................................................................... 28


Financial Studies develop and implement a formal system whereby feedback on academic

programmes is regularly received from industry and employers and used to help evaluate

their satisfaction with the College’s provision of academic programmes. ....................................... 29


Financial Studies establish means to engage systematically with alumni from all academic

programmes in a way which ensures that relevant data is maintained and which provides for

feedback to be collected on a regular basis. ..................................................................................... 30


Financial Studies build on existing work to develop a clear plan for the library, which aligns

with its strategic intent and clarifies the position of the library within the College structure. ......... 32


Financial Studies develop and implement an ICT disaster recovery plan that includes

maintaining duplicate student records at a secure, off-campus site.................................................. 33


Financial Studies build on the systems of academic advising currently employed at the

College to develop and implement an integrated system of effective academic advising for

all students across all academic programmes. .................................................................................. 34


Financial Studies strengthen its work to improve its student support services by developing a

clear plan in which objectives are supported by targets, key performance indicators and

identified responsibilities.................................................................................................................. 35


Financial Studies develop a mechanism to ensure that all relevant College information is

communicated systematically to students on different academic programmes. ............................... 36


Financial Studies review the effectiveness of its career and employment services, and take

actions to ensure systematic utilization of services that are planned to meet the requirements

of those graduates in need of career counseling and employment support....................................... 38




Financial Studies evaluate its provision of counselling services to students in order to ensure

that this is effective and adequately resourced. ................................................................................ 39


Financial Studies develop mechanisms to improve communication between and among

programs so as to share good practice. ............................................................................................. 41


Financial Studies conduct regular staff satisfaction surveys to identify any problems or issues

that need to be addressed and to aid in planning. ............................................................................. 42


Financial Studies enhance its planning of human resources to specifically target the aim of

increasing the number of Omanis taking up faculty positions.......................................................... 43



1 GOVER�A�CE A�D MA�AGEME�T

The College of Banking and Finance Studies originated as the Oman Institute of Bankers in 1983

as a result of a Royal Decree (No 64/83). The Institute’s role and Mission was to train Omanis

for the banking and finance industry so as to ensure the full involvement of Omani nationals in

the field of banking. This was addressed through the provision of a diploma in financial studies.

By the mid 1990s, the Institute had largely achieved its Mission - with around 90 percent of

employees in the banking sector being Omani (Portfolio, p.2). As a result, the Institute then

sought to embrace the finance sector as a whole, rather than focusing simply on banking. Royal

Decree (83/98) created the Institute of Banking and Financial Studies to take up this role and to

improve the quality of offerings (ibid).

The Institute required a more diverse range of course offerings in order to meet the needs of the

finance industry, and sought to develop international affiliations to achieve this. This resulted in

the offering of a range of internationally accredited programs. Recognizing the changing nature of

the Institute, Royal Decree 12/2004 changed the name of the Institute to the College of Banking

and Financial Studies. This supported the organization in offering academic programs and

admitting school leavers as well as bank employees.

Throughout its evolution, the College of Banking and Financial Studies has been a division of the

Central Bank of Oman (CBO). Accordingly it is a public institution. The College reports to

CBO; it does not report to the Ministry of Higher Education.

This chapter reports on the Panel’s findings in relation to overall governance and management at

CBFS and specifically covers the following: Mission, Vision and Values; governance;

management; strategic plan; operational planning; financial management; risk management;

policy management; entity and activity review systems; student grievance process; and health and

safety.

1.1 Mission, Vision and Values

The College’s initial Vision and Mission statements were derived from the Royal Decree by

which it was originally established, and were based on Omanisation of the banking and finance

workforce. Following achievement of targets in this area, a subsequent revision of its Mission

recognized the College’s move to service the financial sector as a whole (Portfolio, p.8).

More recently, the College has undergone an exercise to review both its Vision and Mission in

order to: embed a specific focus on quality; re-emphasise its commitment to the banking and

finance community nationally and regionally; and ensure tight linkage between the Vision and

Mission (Portfolio, pp.8-10). During this exercise, considerable consultation among key

stakeholders was undertaken and the advice of an external consultant was sought (Portfolio, p.9).

The industry was involved through the College’s Academic Advisory Panel (CAAP) and the

College Directors. Draft proposals were put before the College’s Quality Assurance Committee

(QAC) which refined the proposals to those presented to the College Council (Portfolio, p.9).

This review has been aligned with the College’s move to offering more internationally accredited

and recognized qualifications at both employment entry level and to middle and senior managers.

The Panel heard how the increasing use of technology in banking and finance is bringing new

educational requirements to the sector. Further, following the Global Financial Crisis of 2008-

2009, the existence of new international banking conventions and rules (as developed by the

Basel Committee – See Appendix B) were brought to the Panel’s attention. These also bring

educational requirements, notably for senior and midlevel banking executives.



The Panel found the most recent Mission and Vision review process to have been timely,

systematic and thorough. The process included the College developing a set of institutional

Values aligned to the new Mission and Vision. The resulting statements are:

Achieve world-class ‘Centre of Excellence’ status by 2020 through provision of

specialized and innovative education and training, focusing on the Banking and

Financial sector in Oman and the region (CBFS Vision – Portfolio, p.9); and

Our mission is to provide internationally accredited education and training

programmes for professional, executive and leadership development to meet the

evolving needs, especially in the Banking and Financial sector in Oman and the

region. (CBFS Mission – Portfolio, p.9)

The College’s Values are: Ethics; Integrity; Professionalism; Quality Focus; Customer Focus;

and Creativity and Innovation. The Panel noted that the Mission and Vision were clearly

communicated in College documentation and the Panel was pleased to note that staff and students

who were interviewed had a genuine understanding of the intention behind the Mission and

Vision statements. Moreover, through its planning, the College has identified means to evaluate

achievement of its Mission and Vision, and these will be subject to appropriate review (Portfolio,

pp10-11).

Commendation 1

The Oman Academic Accreditation Authority commends the College of

Banking and Financial Studies for the timely, thorough and systematic

review of its Vision and Mission and its adoption of new statements that

have been effectively communicated and are well understood by the College

community.

1.2 Governance

The College is a subsidiary of the Central Bank of Oman and as such is a public institution. Its

structure and delegation of powers have undergone extensive external review. The Panel viewed

reports from three external bodies commissioned by the College between 2006 and 2009. The

different reports focused on: options available for structural changes, internal governance; and

operations within the College (Portfolio, p.13). The Panel noted that these extensive reports have

been systematically considered by the College. Changes implemented as a result of these

considerations include the Dean exercising a much greater level of general and financial authority

than previously was the case. The Panel spoke to all parties involved in governance of the

College and concluded that the College has developed clear divisions of roles and clear reporting

lines through its governance structure: industry partners through the CAAP, the Dean, the

Chairman of the College Council and the CBO. In particular, the Panel noted the active and

productive role of the College Council in the governance of the College. The Panel considers the

arrangements to be straightforward and appropriate. Moreover, these arrangements are subject to

critical internal and external review.

Commendation 2


Banking and Financial Studies for its clear governance arrangements and

the rigorous review that these are subjected to.

The Panel recognized the appointment of the CAAP, which includes representatives of the

banking and finance industry as well as a representative from the Research Council, as a

mechanism to ensure that the College is receiving appropriate advice as to industry needs. The

CAAP is comparatively new and at the time of the audit visit had met just four times.



Nonetheless, after reviewing the terms of reference of this group and the minutes of the meetings

that have taken place to date, the Panel strongly supports this initiative as a useful way to ensure

long term industry needs are met.

1.3 Management

The Dean is the academic and administrative head of the College. The College’s organisational

structure has also been subject to review, but the Panel considers the present structure (Portfolio,

p.17) needs to be further developed to include all functional units; at present, for example, the

Student Affairs Section and the Library are not shown.

In addition to department heads and directors, the College also has a variety of committees which

are designed “to provide for the decentralization of the decision making process thereby ensuring

transparency in the managerial system” (Portfolio, p.15). The Panel noted that the terms of

reference for a number of these committees were established during the early 2000s (some were

established as early as 2001) but found no evidence that these had been systematically reviewed

or updated. The Panel considers that it is important for this to be addressed in order to ensure the

relevance and effectiveness of this system of committees is maintained. This is addressed in

Recommendation 4.

Minutes of committee meetings and interviews with members indicated that these committees are

active in contributing to the management of the College. In particular, the Panel noted the work

of the Academic Affairs Committee (AcAC); detailed minutes from frequent, regular and well-

attended meetings form an impressive record of consideration of pertinent issues resulting in clear

action points.

The Panel was pleased to note that the College established a Quality Assurance Unit (QAU) in

2009 and has had a Quality Assurance Committee in place since 2006 (Portfolio, pp.7, 15). The

Panel viewed what it considered to be a very ambitious Quality Policy although remained unclear

as to the formal status of this. According to the Policy, the QAU is responsible for governance

and management of the policy and the QAC is responsible for policy making and reviewing. The

Panel found, however, that the QAU faces a number of challenges relating to its wide range of

responsibilities. The Unit consists of two persons but the Panel learned that the Head of the Unit

often had to undertake other activities not central to the QAU. There also seemed to be lack of

strong guidance as to priorities in executing the responsibilities of the Unit and of a support

structure to help ensure compliance with the requisites stipulated by the policy and to ensure that

action is taken in response to the findings of the QAU. For example, if the QAU is to be the

custodian of all surveys undertaken within and on behalf of the College, and take responsibility

for the analysis of the results and monitoring follow-up actions stemming from the survey (as

implied by the policy), it will require substantially more support. It will also require a formal

channel to decision making structures. The Panel considers that the work of the QAU needs to be

supported by the development of a stronger framework of formalised operational procedures.

These need to be in alignment with the demands of the Quality Policy and should help the QAU

in, for example, planning and setting priorities, calling on the support of additional human

resources from within the College (or external to the College) as required, and in systematically

reporting on and following up on its work.

Recommendation 1

The Oman Academic Accreditation Authority recommends that the College

of Banking and Financial Studies takes steps to ensure that the work of its

Quality Assurance Unit is supported by comprehensive, formalized,

operational procedures which are aligned to its expected monitoring role, as

embodied in, for example, the Quality Policy of the College.



The Panel found an overarching need for the College to engage in more systematic data collection

and, importantly, to use subsequent analysis of data to inform decision making and planning. The

College is in the processes of implementing a comprehensive Enterprise Resource Planning

(ERP) system which will facilitate the collection of data (see Affirmation 6). What is now

required is for the College to ensure that a comprehensive plan for data collection is developed

and implemented and that systematic analysis of relevant data is used to inform actions that lead

to improvement. This is required in relation to areas such as student admission, retention,

progression and employment as well as staff recruitment, retention and development. The data

collected needs to include formal feedback from all relevant stakeholders.

Recommendation 2


of Banking and Financial Studies develop and implement a comprehensive

plan for data collection and ensure that analysis of relevant data informs

management decisions and planning in relation to areas such as student

admission, retention, progression and employment as well as staff

recruitment, retention and development.

The College’s implementation of a comprehensive Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) system

(Portfolio, p.30) will support institutional research. The College may also wish to consider

introducing a dedicated institutional research office to assist with the compilation, dissemination

and analysis of questionnaires as well as the structured capturing and analysis of quantitative data

to better inform decision making by the College Council and management.

1.4 Institutional Affiliations for Programs and Quality Assurance

CBFS’s Vision is to become a recognized “Centre of Excellence” by 2020 and its Mission calls

for internationally accredited education and training programmes. The Panel established that the

College has taken a well-considered and clear strategic-level decision to offer these programmes

through affiliations with appropriate educational partners. It was emphasized to the Panel that the

rationale for this is to ensure the quality of the programmes and their graduates. The College

currently has no intention to offer its own degree programs. The College states:

The College’s current strategy is thus one of quality building through

international affiliations. The ‘Umbrella Concept’ adopted by the College

envisions an Omani institution of international quality achieved through hosting

assorted international benchmark programs with home-country quality norms

being maintained (Portfolio, p.26).

The College has provided entry level internationally recognized qualifications of training through

ACCA, CAT, CSI and HND for some years (see Appendix B). The College also provides entry

and advanced internationally recognized qualifications of education though the University of

Strathclyde (UoS) and the University of Bradford (UoB). The choice of these partners is in line

with the requirements of the Mission to provide “internationally accredited” education. The UoS

MBA, which has been offered by the College since 2001, is triple-accredited by independent

agencies. The Panel appreciates that this is recognized as one of the leading MBA qualifications

in the UK and that it is highly regarded internationally (Portfolio, p.19). The UoB School of

Management too is an independently accredited institution. The College has offered both a

Bachelor programme and a Foundation Certificate programme from UoB since 2006, and in 2010

a second Bachelor programme was launched.

The Panel explored these affiliations and found them to be working well for all major

stakeholders (also see Chapter 2).



Commendation 3


Banking and Financial Studies for its well-established affiliations with

internationally accredited business schools which directly support its

Mission.

The College also has an affiliation agreement with the Arab Academy of Banking and Financial

Sciences (AABFS - Jordan) through which it has offered a Bachelor of Banking and Finance

programme since 2005 (Portfolio, p.4). However, enrolments for this programme have been

suspended. The Panel learned that this has resulted from a decision by the Ministry of Higher

Education in Jordan to suspend new enrolments pending renewal of the Academy’s license to

operate the programme.

However, aside from this, the College had identified a need to enhance the quality of this

programme. The Panel noted that there is no moderation of assessment by the Arab Academy for

this programme and, in contrast to the College’s other affiliation arrangements, the Panel found

limited mechanisms in place for the Academy to assure and maintain academic standards and

quality. During interviews, the Panel heard that there were concerns that the College did not

receive the same kind of support from the AABFS as from the other affiliate institutions. Yet the

students in the programme that were interviewed by the Panel seemed to be positive about the

learning experience they were receiving.

It was clear to the Panel that the College is now monitoring closely the progress and support of

existing students on this programme. The Panel was pleased to learn that a high level visit from

the College to the Arab Academy had taken place to discuss the programme and that the

agreement between the AABFS and the College is currently under review. The Panel considers it

important that decisions about continuation of the programme are informed by a review of the

quality assurance procedures of the programme and the working relationship between the two

parties.

Affirmation 1

The Oman Academic Accreditation Authority agrees with the College of

Banking and Financial Studies that its affiliation with the Arab Academy of

Banking and Financial Services needs to be reviewed, with regard to both

the continuation of the programme currently offered and also the quality

assurance arrangements for any future offerings, and supports the steps

being taken by the College to do this.

The Panel noted the range of professional studies programs offered by the College through

agreements with internationally recognized overseas educational bodies (e.g. ACCA, CIMA,

EDEXCEL). College records show a good and sustained demand for many of these programmes

(Portfolio, p.5).

1.5 Strategic Plan

The College has been working to develop a strategic plan based upon the Mission, Vision and

Values. External consultants have been contracted to undertake strategic reviews in support of

this, primarily in relation to governance matters (see Section 1.2). The College now has a draft

Strategic Plan which includes a number of pertinent questions under the heading “Strategic

Issues” and “Academic Issues”. No clear statement of the answers to those questions is provided.

The Panel considered this to be a SWOT analysis of issues which in itself is useful. The Strategic

Plan then lists 50 actions to be taken by 2015 under the heading “Fifty Steps on the Road to

2015”. The Panel was of the view that this list was more operational in nature than strategic. In

addition, the College is working on “CBFS as a Centre of Excellence (COE) - An Education Plan



for CBFS: Towards 2020”. The draft of this plan which was viewed by the Panel includes a

SWOT analysis in relation to the College’s Vision of achieving COE status by 2020 and

identifies “critical success factors” for this to be achieved. It also views the College in relation to

the national “Oman’s Vision 2020” and includes the “Fifty Steps on the Road to 2015”. The

College is still engaged in its process of completing its Strategic Plan prior to formal approval.

The Panel encourages the College to give priority to this activity and ensure that the existing

elements of the plan are well integrated.

Affirmation 2


Banking and Financial Studies that a Strategic Plan should be formally

adopted and implemented and supports the comprehensive steps the College

has taken to address this.

1.6 Operational Planning

Currently, operational planning at the College is driven by the preparation of the annual budget.

The College states that administrative and academic departments generate annual business plans

(Portfolio, p.27). The Panel reviewed a sample of these and found them to be variable in length,

quality and detail, and thus potential effectiveness. The College states that it “appreciates the

need to link its operational plans to goals and ultimately the Strategic Plan” and, further, that it is

“in the process of defining Key Performance Indicators and thus linking the Operational Plan

more firmly with its Vision, Mission and Strategic Plan” (Portfolio, p.28). The Panel agrees that

action in these areas is required. The confirmation of the Strategic Plan by the College and its

Council needs to lead to a set of mechanisms that ensure the Strategic Plan is enacted. Further

work is required to implement an effective system of operational planning (as distinct from

business and financial planning) at the College and ensure that an appropriate set of KPIs is

developed through which progress and achievements can be monitored and evaluated. The

College has adopted an inclusive initial approach towards developing KPIs but further work is

now needed to develop clearly defined indicators that align with strategic objectives and which

can be measured in relation to identified targets.

Recommendation 3

The Oman Academic Accreditation Authority recommends that, once the

Strategic Plan has been finalized and adopted by College Council, the

College of Banking and Financial Studies develop and implement a system

of operational planning which guides the work of the College and ensures

that achievement of strategic objectives is monitored and evaluated

effectively.

1.7 Financial Management

The College receives funds from the banking sector and also student fees. Contributions paid by

the banks are fixed annually by the CBO (Portfolio, p.28). The College engages in an annual

budgeting process. The budgets for 2009-2010 and 2010-2011, as well as an annual financial

report, were viewed by the Panel. The Panel was advised that the current funding model is

sustainable both in the short term and the long term, but that it is nevertheless subject to review,

both from a strategic perspective and in relation to, for example, students’ means, and the extent

to which banks benefit from their contributions to the College. The College has an internal

auditor and is subject to annual external audit and state audit visits at regular intervals (Portfolio,

p.28). In addition, the College advises that “Financial transactions are recorded in accordance

with International Accounting Standards and financial reports are provided to the management

to assist in the decision-making process” (ibid). The Panel noted that the College appears to have

a well-functioning financial management system which is to be expected.



1.8 Risk Management

The College identifies a number of risk areas and also various risk mitigation strategies

(Portfolio, pp.29-30). The Panel also viewed the “Key Risks Matrix for CBFS in Strategy

Building” in the College’s Strategic Plan document and a “Policy on Risk Management”

comprising a paper outlining risk management in the College. However, these documents are not

well aligned and the Panel formed the view that the College has yet to develop and implement a

comprehensive risk management policy. The Panel recognizes the work done towards this and

encourages this to be further developed. The Panel learned that the College has no disaster

recovery plan for its ICT (see Section 6.4) and this needs to be included in this work. The Panel

notes that the College’s clear governance and management hierarchy is well placed to support the

implementation of a fully developed risk management system.

Affirmation 3

The Oman Academic Accreditation Authority supports the work being done

by the College of Banking and Financial Studies to develop a sound and

comprehensive risk management system.

1.9 Policy Management

The College describes how policies are developed through a consultative process and some

policies examined by the Panel provided evidence of having been through a formal approval

process. The College identifies “consideration of a definite period for the policy review process”

as an area for improvement. The Panel agrees with this. The Panel examined a number of

“internal policies” (including, for example, the “Internal Procedures for Admissions, Registration

and Student Affairs”) that were approved in the early 2000s and still refer to the “Institute of

Banking and Financial Studies” rather than the College. The Panel noted that the College

Council constitution and terms of reference are contained in “The Articles of Association for

Oman Institute of Bankers”; this document also needs updating. The Panel found that different

policies vary considerably in content and guidelines for implementation, ranging from a Financial

Policy which includes clear and comprehensive policies and procedures for financial management

to a much less clearly developed policy on Student Advising and Mentoring. There is a need for

the College to review both its management of policies and existing policies themselves.

Recommendation 4

The Oman Academic Accreditation Authority recommends the College of

Banking and Financial Studies review and revise its system of policy and

document management to ensure that policies and associated documents are

appropriate in terms of content and are kept up to date.

1.10 Entity and Activity Review Systems

The College Council’s Executive Information System (EIS) is an internal reporting system that

provides for review of departments, programmes and services (Portfolio, p.33). This system

includes a requirement for quarterly departmental reports to be submitted to the College Council.

The Panel viewed a sample of these and found them to be comprehensive. In particular, the

Panel noted the reports submitted by the Academic Affairs Committee. The minutes from regular

meetings of this committee reflect a high level of engagement and activity. The College noted

that the EIS also includes a budget monitoring system (ibid). The Panel formed the view that the

College has a clear and well-established reporting system through its EIS that allows for review

of its departments and activities.



1.11 Student Grievance Process

The College advises that it has long standing grievance policies in place, with non-academic

grievances being received by the Student Affairs Section and academic grievances being received

by respective departments (Portfolio, pp.34-35). Whilst the Panel did not explore this area in

depth, it was pleased to be told by students that they knew of the process and how to use it. The

College has identified a number of improvements that could be made in the area of student

grievances. One of these is the need to conduct a formal College-wide survey that provides

feedback on the College’s grievance processes and outcomes, and also measures student

satisfaction in general. This aligns with the College’s broad intention to “get closer to students

and to listen to them” (Portfolio, p.35) and the Panel is strongly supportive of this (see

Affirmation 8).

1.12 Health and Safety

The Panel noted that the College reported very little activity in relation to health and safety in the

College in the Portfolio. Although the Panel learned that a draft Health and Safety Policy had

been developed for the College by an external consultant, this did not appear to have been under

active consideration by the College at the time of the audit. The College stated that the two

hospitals located near to the College are used to deal with medical situations, that students and

staff have health insurance and that the Ministry of Health has conducted some seminars for

students (Portfolio, p.36). The College also reports that it has a fire alarm maintenance

agreement in place and the Panel was informed that a policy relating to fire is being developed

and that occasional fire drills have taken place. However, although the College has identified a

number of actions that it intends to undertake to improve in this area, the Panel considers that it is

important for any action taken to be part of a coordinated and systematic approach to the

management of health and safety in the College. The Panel is of the view that the College needs

to a comprehensive health and safety policy and, further, that this should be addressed as a

priority.

Recommendation 5


of Banking and Financial Studies implement a comprehensive policy and

associated procedures to guide its planning and management of health and

safety in the College.

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

The College has no Associated Entities.



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

CBFS provides a range of academic and professional programmes. The College states that this

has been achieved “through international affiliations or agreements with reputed [sic]

international bodies, all of which have their own quality assurance procedures”. Further, the

College states: “The standards of the home country are adopted in totality by the host country”

(Portfolio, p.18). Whilst recognizing the importance of all its courses to the College, in respect of

its remit, the Panel focused its attention on the College’s provision of degree programmes, and

the foundation programmes which prepare students for these.

In pursuit of its Mission and Vision to maintain international standards and the quality of its

graduates, CBFS has established affiliations with two British universities: the University of

Strathclyde (UoS) which offers its MBA programme; and the University of Bradford (UoB)

which offers two of its undergraduate programmes and also a Foundation Programme. Of

particular importance to the College is the fact that the Business Schools of these universities

(which offer the degree programmes) are of recognised international standing as determined by

their independent accreditations and worldwide reputation (see Commendation 3). Since 2005,

the College has also offered an undergraduate programme through an affiliation agreement with

the Arab Academy of Banking and Finance (AABFS); this programme, however, is not

internationally accredited. At the time of the audit, this affiliation was under review (see

Affirmation 1).

The UoS MBA, which has been offered through the College by the Strathclyde Business School

since 2000, is accredited by a British accrediting body (AMBA – the Association of MBAs).

Further, the School is accredited by independent American (AACSB) and European (EQUIS)

bodies and is held in high regard internationally. . The Panel confirmed these accreditations from

the relevant websites at the time of the audit visit. The Panel learned that an agreement has been

negotiated with UoS to add an MSc in Banking and Finance (to be launched in Sept 2011) to the

MBA already on offer. The Panel strongly supports this development, recognising its alignment

with the College’s Mission and Vision in terms of providing higher level programmes to the

banking and finance sectors.

In 2006, the College introduced a BSc in Accounting and Finance offered by the EQUIS

accredited UoB Business School. At the same time the UoB “Foundation Certificate in

Combined Studies” programme was introduced. This programme is designed to ensure that

graduating students that subsequently enrol for the UoB undergraduate programmes are

adequately prepared (Portfolio, p.24). A second UoB undergraduate programme, the BSc in

Business and Management, started in 2010. The College also runs its own General Foundation

Programme (GFP).

The College had the following enrolments in 2009-2010: UoS MBA-189; UoB BSc -124; Arab

Academy BSc Banking and Finance-26; UoB Foundation-35; General Foundation-545. Together

these students comprised approximately 53% of the total enrolments (Portfolio, p.5). CBO and

other commercial banks support CBFS financially and in return the College offers free places to

employees nominated by the banks for relevant programmes.

This chapter reports on the Panel’s findings in relation to the following: graduate attributes and

student learning objectives; curriculum design; student entry standards; plagiarism; student

placements; assessment methods, standards and moderation; academic security and invigilation;

student retention and progression; and graduate destinations and employability.



2.1 Graduate Attributes and Student Learning Objectives

An external ‘Quality Scan Report’ commissioned by the College in 2009 identified a need for the

articulation of graduate attributes (Portfolio, p.37). As a result, the QAU of the College organised

a workshop where these attributes could be debated. Various stakeholders were involved,

including academic leadership at the College and members of the CAAP. After further

consultation with academic staff, a draft was submitted to the QAC. Seven attributes were

decided upon and subsequently approved by the College Council (ibid). The Panel found a

general awareness of and support for the desirability and content of the attributes but little

indication that the attributes were explicitly mapped and assessed. The Panel was told that

graduate attributes from the College’s affiliates had been used as benchmarks and that the

College graduate attributes could easily be mapped onto existing programme learning outcomes.

The College nevertheless acknowledges the need for more work in this area (Portfolio, p.38) and

the Panel, whilst acknowledging the complexity of dealing with higher education programmes

offered by different international partners, supports this viewpoint. The employment destinations

and employability of graduates also potentially provide an important measure of attainment of

graduate attributes. Therefore, the College needs to seek regular feedback on these from

employers and alumni. The College has identified a need to survey the employers of its graduates

for this purpose (Portfolio, p.38) and the Panel recommends that the College act on this.

Recommendation 6


of Banking and Financial Studies adopt a structured approach to ensuring

that its graduate attributes are developed through its programmes and

confirmed through assessment and that regular feedback from employers

and alumni on attainment of graduate attributes is used to inform this

process.

2.2 Curriculum

The College took a deliberate decision not to develop its own curricula but to offer programmes

from carefully selected international partners (Portfolio, p.38). The exceptions are the General

Foundation Programme which is based on national standards (Portfolio, p.39) and the degree

programme in Banking and Finance, offered by the Arab Academy of Banking and Financial

Sciences, where changes were effected to make it more relevant to Oman (Portfolio, p.38). The

Panel was pleased, however, to hear from both UoS and UoB representatives that in covering

some aspects of their curricula local tutors would be expected to give locally relevant examples

and that there is scope for some assignments and case studies to reflect the local context. That

this takes place was confirmed by lecturers the Panel spoke to.

The College states that the QAU intends to undertake a survey to examine whether curricula

match with student expectations (Portfolio, p.40), although whether this is in relation to all

programmes was not specified. While student expectations are certainly important in deciding on

programme content, the Panel wishes to caution that it has limitations even if the students are

mature and have relevant work experience. The Panel considers that any such initiative should

form part of a comprehensive system of evaluation rather than be undertaken as an isolated

exercise.

2.3 Student Entry Standards

CBFS states that the College Council, the CAAP and the AcAC continuously monitor and review

the admission criteria for all programmes offered by the College (Portfolio, p.41). The Panel

noted the clearly specified minimum criteria for admission to the various programmes on offer

listed in the College Prospectus. In the case of the UoS, UoB and AABFS, the final decision

regarding acceptance rests with the partner institution.



The Panel noted that the critical elements of admissions criteria for most programmes are, besides

the appropriate school leaving certificate, acceptable proficiency in Mathematics and English.

These elements are identified in terms of a minimum overall mark obtained in the secondary

school General Education Diploma (mostly 70%) with a minimum mark in Mathematics (70%)

and a minimum IELTS score. A minimum IELTS score of 5.5 is required for entry onto the UoB

Foundation Programme and a score of IELTS 6.0 is required for entry onto the UoB and AABFS

undergraduate programmes. Students who do not meet the entry criteria for academic or

professional programmes may enrol in the GFP at the English Language Centre (ELC). Minutes

from the AcAC demonstrate that an earlier requirement of an overall General Education Diploma

mark of 60% had been reviewed and raised.

The Panel was told that the specific requirement for students to have a minimum of 70% in

Mathematics from secondary school (as opposed to the requirement for simply an overall score of

70% which was previously the case) had been approved by the College Council in response to its

examination of failure rates on some programmes resulting from students experiencing

difficulties in mathematics. This requirement applies to all programmes (including entry to the

General Foundation Programme).

The Panel also noted that the English Language entry requirement for the undergraduate

programmes (of IELTS 6.0) exceeds the minimum standard set by the National Standards for

General Foundation Programmes. The Panel explored this with respect to the impact increased

entry requirements may have on admissions. The Panel was told that the non-profit funding

model supports the College in focusing on quality and that it was expected that the enhanced

entry criteria would help to ensure above average graduates and bring long-term benefits to the

College in terms of reputation and thus admissions.

The College reports that student performance indicates that entry standards are appropriate

(Portfolio, p.42). The Panel agrees that one indicator as to whether minimum admission criteria

are appropriate is to investigate the dropout rate of students (or its counterparts, the retention and

success rates), and supports the College in continuing to monitor this. The Panel examined

student progression and retention figures for a number of programmes/departments at the College

and, although comparable benchmarks were not available, agreed with the view of the College

that the current admissions criteria appear appropriate.

Commendation 4


Banking and Financial Studies for subjecting its admission criteria to

critical review and applying more stringent criteria that are appropriate in

relation to its strategic intent.

2.4 Foundation Programme

The Panel noted that in the 2009/2010 academic year, approximately 30% of the College students

were registered in the ELC (Portfolio, p.5). The College states that it has modified its General

Foundation Programme (GFP) to conform to the Oman Academic Standards (Portfolio, p.38).

Minutes from the AcAC demonstrate that this restructuring and transition has been carefully

considered and monitored by the Committee. The Panel noted that the College has developed a

strong working relationship with the British Council which utilizes the College as a venue for

conducting IELTS tests. The Panel was told that the GFP is designed to take students to an

IELTS level of 5.5 from which they progress to the UoB Foundation Programme. The Panel

spoke to students from both programmes who spoke in positive terms of their overall experience.

The Panel nevertheless formed the view that there was scope for a closer relationship between the

ELC and other academic programmes and departments (see Recommendation 18).



2.5 Teaching Quality

The primary function of the College is teaching and learning and the College identifies seven

dimensions according to which “the quality of teaching is broadly analysed” (Portfolio, p.42).

These include: the quality of the faculty recruited; staff development; and both student and

affiliate evaluations of teaching.

The Panel heard details of how UoB and UoS apply their standard practices to ensure the quality

of teaching on their programmes at CBFS. The BSc in Banking and Finance offered in affiliation

with AABFS is not, however, subject to such practices by the affiliate. Generally the UoB and

UoS teaching quality monitoring mechanisms appear to be working well although the Panel

formed the opinion that some challenges remained around local tutors using UoB teaching

materials that they themselves had not developed.

Interviews with a range of students from various programmes were conducted. Their response

was generally positive regarding the quality of teaching they receive, although there were isolated

concerns expressed. It was clear to the Panel that there is a great deal of good practice in the

College for monitoring and evaluating teaching quality but that at present not all programmes are

subject to an inclusive and coherent approach that provides for continuous quality improvement.

Aside from the UoS and UoB programmes, the Panel considered the quality systems for

monitoring teaching quality to be patchy. The Panel considers that the College would benefit

from developing a formal mechanism whereby the good practice that exists is effectively shared

and used to help ensure robust systems for monitoring teaching quality on all programmes.

Recommendation 7


of Banking and Financial Studies develop and implement a mechanism to

share good practice that assists in ensuring coherence in the way teaching

quality is monitored throughout the institution.

2.6 Plagiarism

The Panel was pleased to find clear signs that the College is seriously attempting to eradicate

plagiarism, whether committed knowingly or through ignorance. UoS and UoB programme

documentation outlines robust systems for addressing plagiarism and the Panel found these to be

well understood by staff and students. The College has a licence to utilise Turnitin (software

which identifies attempts to plagiarise from the Internet, previously submitted assignments and

other materials) and the College states that students on MBA and UoB programmes are required

to utilise this with respect to coursework (Portfolio, p.44). During interviews, students from

foundation and degree courses demonstrated an appropriate awareness of plagiarism and the need

to avoid it. Further, during the audit visit, the Panel noticed computers in the library being used

students to obtain evidence that they checked their work for plagiarism. The College states that is

it guided by the policies on plagiarism of its affiliate institutions and also by the OAAA policy on

plagiarism. However, the College indicates that it wishes to develop its own policy relating to

plagiarism and academic intellectual property (Portfolio, p.45). The Panel supports this as it will

ensure that the College’s own specific context is fully reflected.

2.7 Student Placements

The College has a significant number of students who already have work experience but it

encourages diploma and degree students who do not have this to undertake internships during the

summer holidays to enhance their employment potential (Portfolio, p.45). The internships are not

a formal requirement of the existing academic programs and students have to find training

opportunities themselves, although they are supported by a letter from the College. The Panel



found alumni to hold the internship experience in high regard, and the Panel encourages the

College to consider further development of this area.

2.8 Assessment Methods, Standards and Moderation

Assessment processes, responsibilities and moderation depend on the provider of the courses on

offer at the College. They vary from professional programmes, notably those of the Canadian

Securities Institute and the Association of Chartered Certified Accountants who set papers and

assess all scripts themselves, to the Arab Academy where papers are set and scripts assessed by

the College staff and the results then sent to the Academy for moderation purposes (Portfolio,

pp.46-49). In the latter case, a course outline indicating assessment criteria to be used is sent to

the Academy for prior approval. An internal verification process carried out by a CBFS staff

member is utilised in this and in other cases where College staff have more substantial

responsibility.

In contrast to a lack of oversight of the assessment process on the Arab Academy programme

(also see Affirmation 1), the Panel found strong oversight of assessment standards by UoS and

UoB on the programmes they offer at the College. Assessment instruments (e.g. examination

papers) are developed by staff from the partner universities and are identical for all institutions

worldwide where the programmes are on offer. Administration of assessments, and first marking

of some of these, is carried out according to clear procedures by College staff before being sent to

the partner institutions. There, processes of the partner universities are followed to ensure

consistency of marking standards and that the final award certificates issued by the University

(UoS or UoB) reflect the same standard of competence for all graduates, regardless of where they

studied.

2.9 Academic Security and Invigilation

The Panel was impressed by the care being exercised by the College to minimise the dangers of

examination papers being leaked before the examination or subsequent tampering with the

scripts. An Examination Committee manages the system (except in the case of the English

Language Centre which conducts its own examinations but with comparable rigour).

Examination papers received from partner institutions (and those prepared locally) are kept in a

dual lock safe in the Dean’s office. The keys are kept by two separate members of the

Examination Committee and transactions regarding the safe are recorded. Requisite numbers of

papers are issued and serialised answer booklets signed by an Examination Committee member

are utilised (Portfolio, pp.49-50). Minutes from the Examinations Committee provided evidence

of this area of the College’s operations being conducted conscientiously and confidence in the

College’s management of academic security and invigilation was expressed by partner

institutions.

Commendation 5


Banking and Financial Studies for the measures taken to ensure the security

of examinations conducted at the College.

2.10 Student Retention and Progression

The College did not report on student retention and progression in its Portfolio. The Panel was

informed that at the time of preparing the Portfolio, data that existed had not been collated or

analysed. The Panel respects the decision by the College to host and facilitate the provision of

higher education courses by partner institutions (rather than offer its own courses) but

nevertheless considers that this area warrants systematic monitoring and evaluation by the

College itself, in addition to, or together with, evaluation by partner institutions. This will

provide the College with independence in evaluating the success of students enrolled on the



programmes offered at the College. This information should also inform the College’s actions in

supporting students through their studies. By the time of the audit visit, the College has collated

existing retention and progression data for the higher education programmes and the GFP and

commented on retention. The Panel encourages the College to build on these steps to develop a

formal system whereby such data is systematically analysed and used to inform change (see

Recommendation 2). Implementation of the College’s Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP)

system will facilitate action in this area.

2.11 Graduate Destinations and Employability

The College did not report on graduate destinations and employability in its Portfolio. The Panel

was informed that no data regarding this was available. In its early years, College graduates were

effectively guaranteed employment in the banking industry. However, in 2004-2005, the College

began to enrol school leavers for whom employment is not guaranteed. The Panel considers

formal monitoring and evaluation of this area to be overdue as data on graduate destinations and

employability are critical to formal evaluation of the College’s success in achieving its Mission of

graduates meeting the evolving needs of the banking and financial sectors in Oman and the region

(see Recommendation 2).

The College reports its intention to survey employers of graduates to determine attainment of

graduate attributes (Portfolio, p.38, also see Recommendation 6) and to conduct a graduation

destination survey (Portfolio, p.79). Action in these areas will support a comprehensive system

for evaluating the success of the programmes offered by the College.



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

At the time of the audit, CBFS hosted one programme with a research component: the Master in

Business Administration (MBA) offered by the University of Strathclyde (UoS). This

programme has been offered at CBFS since 2000 and is subject to the quality assurance

procedures of UoS.

The CBFS Prospectus informs students of the UoS MBA’s world ranking and its accreditation by

all three major accreditation bodies for MBAs in the world, i.e. AMBA (Association of MBAs),

AACSB (Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business) and EQUIS (European Quality

Improvement System). The Panel was advised that the programme is classified as a “part-time”

programme, and hence that these accreditations apply to the programme delivered in Oman. The

Panel noted that neither the transcripts nor the certificates for the programme state the mode of

study (full-time or part-time), or where the programme was studied. The Panel understood this to

align with UoS policy.

During separate interviews with College staff, MBA students, MBA alumni and employers the

Panel found that the MBA on offer at CBFS was well thought of by many of its stakeholders.

UoS senior representatives also expressed satisfaction with the operation of the programme at

CBFS (also see Commendation 3).

With respect to the UoS MBA, this chapter reports on the Panel’s findings in the following areas:

research programme design; supervisors; postgraduate supervision; student research support;

thesis examination; and retention, graduate destinations and employability.

3.1 Research Programme Design

The UoS MBA is a postgraduate/post-experience degree rather than an “academic” research

based postgraduate degree. Student learning through research takes place predominantly in the

compulsory Project component which counts for 40 out of a total of 180 credits for the

programme, hence approximately 22% of the degree. The Panel was pleased to note that students

are encouraged to conduct locally-based or locally-relevant research (Portfolio, p.54) and titles of

projects supervised locally show a range of Oman-based research having been undertaken by

College MBA students. The College states that it wishes to encourage the publication of papers

resulting from such research (ibid), and the Panel supports this.

The College reports that the UoS Business School “delivers an identical MBA programme in

Oman to the one offered on their campus in the UK” (Portfolio, p.18). The programme in Oman

is, however, delivered on a part-time basis, whereby UoS academic staff visit CBFS periodically

to deliver intensive evening or weekend seminars. These seminars are supported by tutorials

delivered by UoS-approved “Local Counsellors”, some being alumni of the programme.

3.2 Supervisors

Project supervision is carried out by UoS-approved supervisors. These are listed on the intranet

used to support the programme. The UoS-MBA offshore brochure advises students to select a

supervisor from institutions in nine countries where the MBA is offered by UoS. The Director of

Postgraduate Studies at CBFS is the only locally approved project supervisor. The Panel learned

that stringent approval criteria are applied in the selection of supervisors, and a period of co-

supervision supports new project supervisors.



3.3 Postgraduate Supervision and Student Research Support

A UoS staff member leads a Project Methodology Seminar prior to students embarking on their

research and the students appear to receive regular support from their supervisors, although there

have been occasions where the College had to intervene on behalf of students who encountered

delays in receiving responses from overseas supervisors (Portfolio, p.54). The College also

provides support in the form of ‘research sessions’, notably in data analysis (ibid).

3.4 Thesis Examination

Projects are marked according to UoS guidelines and procedures (Portfolio, p.55). The College

states that projects are undertaken either individually, or as a group (Portfolio, p.52) and reports,

for example, that in 2009-2010, three groups of students obtained distinctions. The Panel was

surprised, however, to learn that when the project is undertaken by a group (of up to 4 students)

there is no mechanism in place to determine the contribution of each student. Whilst it is

acknowledged that the College’s role is to facilitate the delivery of the MBA programme by UoS,

the Panel nevertheless considers that this is an area that warrants attention and encourages the

College to engage in discussion with UoS to explore potential risks associated with group project

work and to identify possible mechanisms for ensuring that individual contributions are

appropriately recognized and reflected in final marks.

3.5 Retention, Graduate Destinations and Employability

The College did not report on this section in its Portfolio, taking the view that as the programme

is aimed at working professionals, it was not applicable. The Panel learned that UoS does not

track graduates of the programme either. Minutes of annual review meetings of the programme

do, however, indicate that some attention is given to retention of students on the programme. The

College demonstrated that it has retention and progression data for the programme although prior

to the audit this had not been formally analysed.

Whilst the MBA programme is offered by UoS, CBFS takes the lead on marketing the

programme in Oman, and it also has a role in supporting delivery of the programme and in

supporting the students on it. Moreover, the College hosts the programme as a means of

supporting it in achieving its Mission. The Panel therefore considers it important for the College

to formally collect and analyse data to determine its effectiveness in these areas and inform future

action. College data indicates that of the 436 students who have been admitted to the programme

since it started in 2001-2002, 82 (approximately 19%) have dropped out and 155 (approximately

36%) have completed it. The remaining students are still enrolled. This data warrants evaluation

in relation to appropriate benchmarks and this evaluation needs to be used to inform any potential

action to enhance retention and completion rates.

In terms of the College’s success in fulfilling its Mission, evaluation of the impact that

completing the UoS MBA has had on graduates in the workplace (for example, in terms of

performance and career success) is required. This information could also be used to inform

marketing initiatives. The Panel was pleased to note that the College reports that after an

inaugural meeting of MBA alumni in January 2010, regular meetings of these graduates have

been held (Portfolio, p.65). The College may wish to systematically collect and analyse MBA

alumni and employer survey data to inform this evaluation.

In addressing Recommendation 2 in this Report, the College needs to ensure postgraduate

retention and completion rates as well as subsequent employment performance are evaluated

effectively.



4 STAFF RESEARCH A�D CO�SULTA�CY

The pursuits of research and consultancy by CBFS to date have been limited in scope and have

yet to be developed. The College states that it has “a long-term goal of evolving into an

advanced research institution for research concerning financial and economic issues from a

multi-disciplinary perspective” (Portfolio. p.56). This chapter reports on the Panel’s findings in

relation to this goal.

4.1 Research Planning and Management

The College states that it has emphasized the need to establish a Research Centre in Banking,

Economics, Finance and Management through a submission to the College Council in 2006

(Portfolio, p.56). The Panel examined this submission and also the College’s Post Graduate

Studies and Research Centre 2010-2015 Business Plan. The Business Plan addresses the

development of two centres within the Post Graduate Studies and Research Centre: a centre for

postgraduate studies for middle to senior managers and a centre to spearhead research activities

and research which targets needs in Oman. The College states further that it intends to “provide

direction to applied research in the economic and financial sectors in the Sultanate with expertise

in the areas of Economics, Banking, Finance, Insurance, Accountancy, Management as well as

Education and Language” (ibid). These plans and stated intentions align with the College’s

Vision to become a ‘Centre of Excellence’.

The Panel noted that the majority of external staff research conducted at CBFS from 2002-2010

related to the teaching and learning of English Language (Portfolio, pp.57-59). However, during

the audit visit, and in the course of further investigation, the Panel found that the College’s

research intentions address a genuine demand within the banking and finance sectors. Feedback

elicited by the Panel from CBO, employers, staff and alumni implied strong interest and support

from relevant stakeholders. CAAP meeting minutes confirm that the setting up of the Centre is

also an ongoing topic of discussion by the CAAP.

The College has developed a Business Plan for its Post Graduate and Research Centre and this

provides an analytical basis for the realization of the Centre. Based on this, the College now

needs to develop a clear implementation plan which includes strategies and KPIs in support of

objectives and goals and which aligns with the Strategic Plan. Thorough planning is required to

ensure sustainability of the Centre. The College needs to ensure that the plan covers all relevant

aspects, such as: research performance; research funding; research ethics; consultancy;

intellectual property; professional development for research; research commercialization; and,

with respect to its role as an academic institution, how research is to inform teaching in the

College. Furthermore, the College needs to improve its research capacity with respect to the

number of staff with PhD’s; at the time of the visit, apart from the Dean and three directors, the

College had six lecturers and one senior lecturer with a PhD out of 107 academic staff.

Affirmation 4


Banking and Financial Studies that in order to fulfill its Vision the College

needs to develop its research capability and supports the steps it has taken

towards developing a research centre which targets, in particular, applied

research in its core business areas.



5 I�DUSTRY A�D COMMU�ITY E�GAGEME�T

The College is a division of the Central Bank of Oman (CBO) through which its engagement with

the banking and finance sectors is directed and facilitated. Its role in Omanization of the banking

sector is discussed in Chapter 1. The College states that it also maintains strong links with

schools, community groups and other stakeholders (Portfolio, p.60).

This chapter reports on the Panel’s findings in relation to CBFS’s planning and management of

its engagement with industry and the community and comments specifically on the College’s

relationship 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 College has a direct and strong link with banks in Oman through their contribution to the

College budget as directed by CBO (also see Section 1.7). Engagement with its stakeholders is

supported by, for example: the role and membership of the College’s Council; the establishment

of the College Academic Advisory Panel (CAAP); and various activities pursued by CBFS such

as its role in the recent establishment of the ‘HR Fourm’ comprising HR and Training Heads of

major banks in Oman and the Middle East.

CBFS engages with the community through the offering of extensive training courses for

professionals and it has established productive relationships with various professional bodies and

other educational providers. The College recognizes the importance of maintaining a link with its

alumni and has formed an Alumni Executive Committee for this purpose, although the work of

this committee is still in its infancy (Portfolio, p.65). The College also supports and takes part in

community and charity events.

In order for the College to both drive and monitor its overall effectiveness in engaging with

industry and the community however, its activities need to be guided by an overarching plan for

this area which aligns with the College Strategic Plan but covers this particular area more

comprehensively This plan needs to include targets and key performance indicators in relation to

specific goals and objectives.

Recommendation 8


of Banking and Finance develop an overarching plan for its industry and

community engagement, aligned with the overall Strategic Plan of the

College, with defined key performance indicators and specific targets, to

drive its initiatives and measure progress and growth in related activities

over time.

5.2 Relationship with Industry and Employers

The Panel noted that the College maintains strong contact with the industry and employers

through its Council and the recently formed CAAP. The Panel considers the establishment of the

CAAP, which provides a discussion forum for members of the banking and related industries and

College staff, a strong step in engaging industry in a structured way (also see Section 1.2). This engagement is valued by the College as a means of keeping pace with industry and professional

needs (Portfolio, p.61).

The College’s Vision statement include a commitment to provide specialized and innovative

education and training programmes to meet the needs of the banking and financial sectors in



Oman (Portfolio, p.9). Professional training courses fall under the responsibility of the Training

Department in the College. These courses, which have increased over the years, are delivered by

CBFS’s faculty and external consultants. The Panel sensed considerable strength in the College’s

provision of training courses, but did not explore this area of activity as it falls outside the formal

remit of the Panel (also see Section 2).

The Panel appreciates the efforts made by faculty members who described maintaining links with

industry through inviting employers to deliver class presentations and through field visits and

industry-related students’ projects. While these activities are commendable, they appear

fragmented and the Panel considers that better overall planning and coordination is required (see

Recommendation 8).

The Panel learned that the banks are offered places on academic and professional programmes in

return for the funding (as set by CBO) the College receives from them. The Panel was told that

not all these places were taken up. The Panel was advised that a study previously undertaken by

CBO had concluded that the banks were getting value for money under this arrangement.

However, the Panel found no formal mechanism to evaluate this on a regular basis, or to evaluate

general satisfaction with the academic programmes offered. The CAAP’s terms of reference

show that this group is well placed to support the development and implementation of a system to

address this.

Recommendation 9


of Banking and Financial Studies develop and implement a formal system

whereby feedback on academic programmes is regularly received from

industry and employers and used to help evaluate their satisfaction with the

College’s provision of academic programmes.

5.3 Relationship with Professions

The College maintains links with various professional bodies through sponsorship of the regional

chapters of the Information Systems Audit and Control Association (ISACA), the Institute of

Chartered Accountants of India (ICAI), the Institute of Internal Auditors (IIA), and the recently

formed Human Resource (HR) Forum (Portfolio, p. 63). These activities need to be integrated

into College plans and subject to evaluation (see Recommendation 8). This will help the College

in promoting activities that effectively support its Vision and Mission. The Panel encourages the

College to maximize the potential for students and staff to engage with relevant professional

bodies and their activities.

5.4 Relationship with Other Education Providers

The College maintains links with four banking institutes in the Gulf Region. CBFS also has a

partnership with the British Council to provide on campus IELTS services for students. The

Panel found this relationship to be working well for both parties. The College provides Library

internships for students from Sultan Qaboos University (Portfolio, p.64). The Panel encourages

the College to evaluate this area in relation to its overall planning, with a view to broadening its

range of relationships with other higher educational providers and identifying activities within

these, such as benchmarking, with the potential to enhance quality.

5.5 Relationship with Alumni

CBFS states its belief in maintaining contact with its alumni and seeking their views on relevant

issues (Portfolio, p.64) but the Panel found that the College has yet to establish a formal system

for achieving this.



The College has a database for graduates of the MBA Programme and reports that an inaugural

meeting for these alumni was held in January 2010 (Portfolio, pp.64,65). A Strathclyde Oman

Alumni Board has been set up comprising UoS MBA holders. Documentation indicates that this

Board is to lead an association open to all UoS alumni in Oman. The College, as the Oman UoS

MBA Centre, is set to provide some financial and administrative support, and to host events. The

Panel found this initiative to be welcomed by MBA graduates interviewed during the audit visit.

It is clear that the establishment of this association provides the potential for the College to

engage systematically with its UoS alumni, although plans for this have not been developed. The

Panel found no evidence, however, of action being taken in relation to establishing formal

relationships with graduates of other academic programmes offered at the College, i.e.

programmes offered in partnership with the UoB and the Arab Academy.

This Panel is of the view that, in addition to any relationships its graduates may enter into with

the institutions from which their programmes originated, the fact that they are also graduates of

CBFS needs to be recognized formally. The College needs to establish effective relationships

with all its alumni in order for the potential contribution of these alumni to the College, and vice

versa, to be realized. Moreover, this will allow the collection of data from, and about, this

important group of stakeholders which will support the College in the evaluation of its own goals

and in this way inform decision making.

Recommendation 10


of Banking and Financial Studies establish means to engage systematically

with alumni from all academic programmes in a way which ensures that

relevant data is maintained and which provides for feedback to be collected

on a regular basis.

5.6 Relationship with the Community at Large

The College offers a range of training programmes, with its Graduate Development Programme

being offered in the interior regions of Oman as well as at the College. Examples of community

engagement in the College include providing scholarships for underprivileged students, hosting

and participating in community and charitable events and participating in local sports and cultural

events (Portfolio, pp.65-66). In order for the College to know how effectively its activities in this

area contribute to its institutional goals, these need to be planned and subject to evaluation. This

is addressed in Recommendation 8.



6 ACADEMIC SUPPORT SERVICES

The evolution of CBFS from an “institute” to a “college” was accompanied by a change in the

nature of the student population (Portfolio, p.3). The admissions base has gradually changed

from comprising primarily working adults to including young graduates of secondary schools, a

group requiring considerably more academic support. This shift in student populations has

necessarily changed the scope of many basic academic support services. Students on academic

programmes offered at the College receive different types and levels of academic support from

the institutions from which their programmes originate but, in addition to this, some academic

support services are provided to all students studying at CBFS by the College itself.

This chapter reports on the Panel’s findings on the overall planning and management of academic

support services at CBFS and on the following specific areas: the registry; the library;

information and learning technology services; academic advising; student learning support; and

teaching resources.

6.1 Academic Support Services Planning & Management

One "basic principle" of academic support adopted by the College is "a committee approach to

all issues so as to maximize involvement, brainstorming and collective decision making in

student-related matters" (Portfolio, p.67). The College states that is has a system in place to

render academic support with the Academic Affairs Committee (AcAC) overseeing the various

academic services provided (ibid).

Reviewing the past year's minutes of the AcAC, the Panel found, however, that although that

committee considered many matters related to students including absenteeism, enforcement of the

dress code, re-sitting of exams, fee waiver requests, and other such matters, it did not provide

planning or guidance for the development of key academic support services. There was no

evidence of "collective decision-making" related to the management of these offices and services.

The Panel did find evidence of planning for some areas of academic support services in a 2008

document, "Students and Student Services Unit: Business Plan 2009-2013," although little, if

anything, of that plan seems to have been implemented. The College is aware that proper

planning and also systematic evaluation of its academic support services is required to “align its

services with it new Vision, Mission and Strategic Plan” (Portfolio, p.68), and the Panel urges the

College to ensure that this matter is addressed effectively. The College needs to ensure that any

feedback received from its academic partners on the academic support services it provides is

considered systematically together with direct feedback from students and College staff and that

this information is used to inform change.

Affirmation 5


Banking and Financial Studies that a comprehensive planning process for

the delivery of its academic support services, that includes mechanisms for

systematic evaluation, is required and encourages the College to build on its

efforts to date to achieve this.

6.2 Registry (Enrolment and Student Records)

CBFS is in the process of implementing a student records (and other records) system, the

Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) system. This will address a need for student progression and

retention data to be maintained and analysed effectively. Panel requests for enrollment and

progression data were met, but the data had to be compiled by hand. Monitoring enrollments and

progression of students in various programs is essential to institutional research and planning, and



the Panel supports the ongoing development of a system to enable the essential collection and

analysis of data (also see Recommendation 2).

Affirmation 6

The Oman Academic Accreditation Authority supports the College of

Banking and Financial Studies’ introduction of a system to enable online

student registration and to support the collection and analysis of data for

institutional research and planning.

The College states that, since 2010, all students on both academic programmes and professional

courses, except those enrolled in the MBA programme, are registered through its Registry. MBA

students register through the Postgraduate Department (Portfolio, p.68). Although records are

now entered into the ERP system and securely maintained in the CBFS building, the Panel

learned that no duplicate records are maintained at an off-campus site. The Panel considers it

important for the College to address this (see Recommendation 12) and to include any records of

UoS MBA students or alumni that are maintained by the College.

6.3 Library

The College has had a Library Committee in place since 2001 (Portfolio, p.69). This was

reconstituted in 2008 with clear, updated terms of reference. Although the Panel was informed

that there is no current business plan for the library, the College states that eventually it plans to

convert the library into a "Resource Educational Information Centre" (ibid). Other College

documentation refers to a “Library Information Centre” and a “Research Information Center”, but

the Panel was unable to determine the exact nature of this planned development, or, for example,

how this related to the College’s current Vision and Mission. Beyond stated intentions to add

more e-books and electronic resources and to make the library more accessible as a library for

Muscat citizens, the Panel found current planning for the library to lack clarity and consistency.

The position of the library in the organizational structure is also unclear, although the Panel

learned through the minutes of the AcAC of an agreement to have it report to a planned position

for Research (a position that does not yet exist). The College has a comprehensive manual of

library rules, regulations and procedures, but this was approved in 2003 and needs to be reviewed

and updated (also see Recommendation 4).

Recommendation 11


of Banking and Financial Studies build on existing work to develop a clear

plan for the library, which aligns with its strategic intent and clarifies the

position of the library within the College structure.

The Panel was pleased to learn that students in both the UoS MBA programme and the UoB

programmes have complete access to those institutions’ libraries through the internet.

A user's survey conducted in June 2010 by the QAU provides evidence of general satisfaction

with the librarians and the library services although the survey found the number of computers to

be limited and the space available insufficient at times. The number of regular users, however, is

small, at less than 10% of the student body. Moreover, the library appears to be used primarily

by students studying at Foundation level rather than by undergraduate and postgraduate students.

The Panel was encouraged by the collection of this feedback, but remained unclear as to how the

recommendations made by the QAU as a result of this were to be followed up to make

improvements to the services offered and increase the satisfaction of users. The College’s

evaluation of its library and the development of this facility need to be informed by regular

collection and analysis of relevant data and the Panel urges the College to develop systems to



ensure this, and to communicate actions taken as a result of feedback to relevant stakeholders.

This is also addressed in Affirmation 5.

The Panel learned that the librarians and the Library Committee have increased their efforts to

involve the faculty in building the book and journal collection. Faculty members receive lists of

titles relevant to their teaching fields and interests with follow up prompts from the librarians to

determine whether they want the books added to the collection. The Panel was impressed by the

College’s systematic work with the faculty to build a better book and journal collection and

encourages this practice to be built into its formal procedures.

6.4 Information and Learning Technology Services

CBFS is in the middle of implementing a new, comprehensive records system (ERP) that will

serve as a linked system for data collection throughout the institution, containing the student

records, personnel records, library data, financial data, and so on. The "IT Department

Operational Plan: 2009/2010-2011/2012" includes the planned enhancement to all IT solutions

and systems on the campus and provides timelines and budget details. At the time of the Panel's

visit, implementation of the plan appeared to be broadly according to schedule.

In its discussions with faculty members and students, the Panel found that such improvements

will be welcome. Students commented on both the insufficient number of computers on campus,

particularly in the library, and on the instability of the Blackboard facility, used (though not

essential) by the University of Bradford Foundation students. Blackboard is not generally used as

a course management system by the faculty, although the Panel considers that it could be an

important tool for all programmes if it were stable and faculty members were trained in its use.

The Panel urges the College to act on its stated intent to conduct user satisfaction surveys of its IT

provision (Portfolio, p.72).

The College has no disaster recovery plan for its ICT, a matter that needs to be addressed. Some

limited forms of “mirroring” data are undertaken on a daily basis but with the implementation of

the new ERP system, the opportunity exists to develop an ICT recovery plan which would

include storing backed up data, such as student records, at a separate location.

Recommendation 12


of Banking and Financial Studies develop and implement an ICT disaster

recovery plan that includes maintaining duplicate student records at a

secure, off-campus site.

6.5 Academic Advising

As in many other areas, the Panel found that the support students received very much depended

on the programme in which they were enrolled. Although the Portfolio refers to an "Academic

Advising system” (Portfolio, p.73), the Panel learned of several different systems, but also of no

system at all. There are some students who receive one-on-one personal and academic advising

on a regular, scheduled basis, but others that do not. The College acknowledges that it has yet to

develop an effective College-wide system despite previous work in this area (ibid).

The Panel learned that the "Academic Advisor system" referred to in the Portfolio as being run on

a "trial basis" (Portfolio, p.73) is actually one for UoB students only. Separately, the GFP has

also implemented a system of academic advising that includes regular meetings and tutorials.

CBFS says that it "intends to obtain Student feedback on Academic Advising from the academic

year 2010-11”. The Panel urges it to do this as part of a comprehensive evaluation that informs

development of a system of academic advising for all students on academic programmes. This

system should accommodate programme-specific requirements from partner institutions and build



on any identified good practice that currently exists. The College identifies the need for

appropriate training of faculty members who are to be advisors. This training will be an

important requirement of the system together with regular evaluation of its effectiveness. The

College now needs to act on its stated intentions.

Recommendation 13


of Banking and Financial Studies build on the systems of academic advising

currently employed at the College to develop and implement an integrated

system of effective academic advising for all students across all academic

programmes.

6.6 Student Learning Support

As recognized by CBFS, support for student learning is ad hoc, and dependent on the willingness

of faculty members and their having the time to provide it (Portfolio, pp.73,74). Workshops,

guest lecturers and seminars do take place to enhance learning, but no programme or office exists

to assist students struggling with, for example, Mathematics or English. While the entrance

requirements go a long way to ensuring student competence in these areas (see Commendation 4),

and students on UoS and UoB programmes are provided with online assistance (Portfolio, p.73),

there is a requirement for the College to undertake an evaluation of learning support

requirements and develop a system of support in response to the evaluation’s results. The

College is "contemplating conducting more qualitative seminars on campus at a department

level," but the Panel found no evidence that this possibility is linked to a needs analysis that

should precede it. The Panel encourages the College to build on existing practices to plan a

system of support that addresses the actual requirements of students in different programmes as

identified through a comprehensive needs analysis (see Affirmation 5).

6.7 Teaching Resources

The Panel noted that the classrooms were well maintained and generally well equipped. Faculty

members interviewed by the Panel expressed satisfaction with their teaching environment,

although some urged that some classrooms be more fully equipped with, for example, smart

boards and other technological resources. Future development of teaching resources needs to be

based on systematic evaluation of provision and requirements (see Affirmation 5).



7 STUDE�TS A�D STUDE�T SUPPORT SERVICES

The College reiterates the point that “the demographic profile of students has gradually changed

from employees of banks to higher secondary school graduates and employees from other

sectors” (Portfolio, p.77). As with the provision of academic support services (see Chapter 6) the demand for general support is therefore likely to have both changed in nature and to have

increased.

This chapter reports on the general planning and management of student support services at

CBFS and specifically comments on the following: career and employment services student

finances; accommodation catering and transport; medical and counselling facilities; international

student services; and social and recreational services and facilities. This chapter also comments

on the Panel’s findings in relation to the profile of students at the College, student behaviour and

student satisfaction and climate.

7.1 Students and Student Support Services Planning & Management

CBFS names the Student Affairs Section, the Registration Section, and the Finance &

Administration Department as involved in extending student support services at the College

(Portfolio, p.76). The Panel noted that the Student Affairs Section is not identified on the

organisational structure presented by the College (Portfolio, p.17). The Panel was informed that

the 2001 appointed Working Group on Student Affairs was no longer working in its original

format and that with the appointment of a Student Counsellor and the constitution of the

Discipline Committee, the specific tasks assigned to the committee had been bifurcated. In 2009

the College developed an Admissions, Marketing & Students Affairs Business Plan which

includes elements of strategic and operational planning for 2010-2011 where different aspects of

Student Support Services are the responsibility of these three departments. Other areas of Student

Support Services are addressed in the Student Advising & Mentoring Policy. The Panel

appreciates these efforts, but found the planning to be underdeveloped; the Panel was not able to

identify an explicit conceptual framework or a clear delegation of responsibilities for this area.

Further work is needed to ensure alignment of planning for student support services with the

College’s overall strategic direction and objectives need to be supported by targets, key

performance indicators and clear delegation of responsibilities. This will allow the College to

systematically monitor and evaluate its performance and identify opportunities for improvement.

Recommendation 14


of Banking and Financial Studies strengthen its work to improve its student

support services by developing a clear plan in which objectives are

supported by targets, key performance indicators and identified

responsibilities.

Information on College procedures, rules and regulations is given during student orientation and

general instructions are displayed on notice boards (Portfolio, p.78). Some of this information is

included, for example, in the UoB Student Handbook for undergraduate students. The Panel,

however, found no evidence of a mechanism by which the College can ensure that all students,

irrespective of the programme on which they are enrolled, have access to consistent information

about such matters as College policies, services, and health and safety information.



Recommendation 15


of Banking and Financial Studies develop a mechanism to ensure that all

relevant College information is communicated systematically to students on

different academic programmes.

The College may wish to consider developing a College Student Handbook, which may

supplement programme specific handbooks, for this purpose.

The Panel recognizes CBFS’s aim to get closer to its students (Portfolio, p.35) and that it

considers students’ overall experience and satisfaction to be very important factors (Portfolio,

p.77). Presently, however, there are limited systems to ensure a transparent and effective

exchange about student support services between the management and students. The UoS MBA

programme and the UoB programmes have elected student representatives. However, the

College’s intention to establish a centralized Student Council which will “represent the student

community across all academic departments of the College” (Portfolio, p.76) has yet to be

realized, although quite extensive documentation has been developed in support of this. The

College needs to ensure that this body is established.

Affirmation 7


Banking and Financial Studies that a College Student Council is required

and supports the steps that have been taken to establish this body.

The establishment of a Student Council will support the College in meeting an overarching need

to establish stakeholder feedback systems. The College needs to develop and implement diverse

forms of student and other stakeholder feedback processes to ensure student and stakeholder

involvement in the planning, managing and evaluation of services for students (see Affirmation 8

and Recommendation 9).

7.2 Student Profile

CBFS had a total of 1723 students in 2009-2010 of which the majority, approximately 60%, was

female (Portfolio, p.5). Over 50% of these were studying at foundation level or on higher

education programmes, with the remaining studying on professional courses. Orientation

documentation indicates that approximately 40% of the student population comprises working

professionals who mostly study in the evenings. The student profile has changed over time in

relation to the College’s status and its strategic aims; as an “institute” it initially catered for the

banking sector (towards achievement of high levels of Omanisation) but has since broadened its

student base to include employees from other finance related sectors and, since 2004-2005, has

enrolled higher secondary school graduates (ibid). CBFS anticipates that implementation of the

ERP system will facilitate systematic research, analysis and evaluation of student profile data.

The Panel would like to underline the importance of this process both for informing College plans

and for contributing to evaluating overall institutional performance (see Recommendation 2).

7.3 Student Satisfaction and Climate

The College conducted a survey on overall student satisfaction in 2008-2009, but acknowledges

that this was not followed up effectively (Portfolio, p.78). The College has identified the need to

conduct regular surveys and the Panel supports this. The Panel learned that, with the support of

an external consultant, the College had developed new student survey instruments and that these

were being finalized. It is important for the College to now implement these on a regular basis.



Affirmation 8


Banking and Financial Studies that student satisfaction surveys need to be

conducted on a regular basis and supports the steps taken by the College to

address this.

The College will also need to demonstrate visibly that the results are taken seriously. Otherwise

“questionnaire fatigue” can rapidly render such surveys meaningless. Results need to inform

actions taken to make improvements (see Recommendation 2), and these actions need to be

clearly communicated back to survey participants.

Although a system of student representation is in place for each class, a centralized mechanism

for hearing students has yet to be established (see Affirmation 7). In interviews with elected UoS

and UoB student representatives, the Panel noticed that students of these programmes identify

themselves foremost as students of the international programmes. The Panel considers that the

College needs to encourage and increase student participation in College processes to strengthen

their commitment towards CBFS and make them essential participants in forming the College’s

future. The College needs to explore different formal mechanisms to ensure that the student

voice and input is heard and considered. The establishment of the College Student Council is one

such mechanism that has the potential to serve the College well.

7.4 Student Behaviour

CBFS points out that it has a firm but compassionate approach to student discipline and that

disciplinary matters are dealt with systematically. Misbehaviour of students is reported to

department Directors who may resolve the matter or refer it further to the College’s Student

Counsellor or the Disciplinary Committee (Portfolio, pp.78,79), A Discipline Committee was

constituted in 2008 and reformed in 2009. Parts of the College’s Code of Conduct Policy,

however, date from 2003 and need to be updated (see Recommendation 4). Minutes of the

Student Disciplinary Committee indicate a series of penalties that can be imposed for disciplinary

offences. These also need to be detailed in College documentation covering disciplinary

procedures. As with other College systems and regulations, the disciplinary policy and

procedures need to be clearly communicated to all stakeholders (see Recommendation 15).

7.5 Career and Employment Services

CBFS indicates that facilitating the employment of its graduates remains an important objective

for the College (Portfolio, p.79). The College describes a range of activities designed to assist

students who are not already employed, and reports examples of success in this area (ibid), but

these activities have been conducted on a relatively ad hoc basis. Historically, the College has

recorded high employment due it its direct role in Omanisation of the banking sector, but with

greater diversity in both its student profile and its programme offerings, a more structured

approach to this area is required. In order to measure, monitor and improve the employability of

its graduates, systematic data collection on graduate destinations, employment rates and career

progression is required (see Recommendation 2). This data can inform the planning of actions

and initiatives to support students in career planning and securing employment. The College

indicates its intention to collect data on skills requirements of employers as well as conducting

relevant workshops and seminars (ibid). It also plans to establish a Placement Centre, which,

amongst other things, is to facilitate campus recruitment (Portfolio, p.46). The Panel wishes to

encourage these initiatives, but they need to be planned effectively – for example, a clear

framework needs to be established; objectives, and a means of measuring achievement of these,

need to be developed; timelines need to be established; and resources need to be allocated.



Recommendation 16


of Banking and Financial Studies review the effectiveness of its career and

employment services, and take actions to ensure systematic utilization of

services that are planned to meet the requirements of those graduates in

need of career counseling and employment support.

The College may also wish to consider developing a Career Advisory Policy to guide its work in

this area. The Panel considers the recently established ERP system as ideally suited for

systematically tracking students from application, to registration for studies, to

graduation/programme completion and subsequent employment.

7.6 Student Finances

The College wishes to “provide financial support to eligible students and offer quality education

to the community at an affordable cost” and explains that the AcAC reviews the fees applicable

for each academic year (Portfolio, p.80). Reports to the College Council show that the majority

of students at CBFS are self-financed. Deserving students are selected for financial support based

on annual recommendations submitted by the Scholarship Committee which was established in

2008 and re-constituted in 2009 (ibid).

The College shows considerable understanding for the students’ financial concerns and has taken

actions in offering deferred payment schemes, subsidising food rates at the canteen (although the

College acknowledges that the latter was withdrawn due to implementation difficulties), and

discussing the possibility of increasing the number of scholarships from 10 to 20 per year. The

College is considering an endowment fund to support needy students (Portfolio, p.80).

Furthermore, the College has decided to reduce the fees for students whose siblings work at the

College and a reduction for deserving staff pursuing the MBA programme. The Panel would like

to encourage the College to continue its efforts to reduce financial costs for students where

possible and consider subsidizing staff and their family members should they consider taking up

studies at CBFS.

7.7 Accommodation, Catering and Transport

The College states that it does not provide on-campus accommodation, catering and

transportation (Portfolio, p.81). The College does, however, have a cafeteria. The Panel was

pleased to learn that in 2007 the College considered student survey results in its selection of a

provider for its cafeteria service, and further, that a survey on the provision was conducted in

2009. In interviews with the Panel, students pointed out that the cafeteria was overcrowded

during the lunch break, an issue that is noted in the survey report. The Panel encourages the

College to continue to involve students in its management of services such as this and emphasizes

the importance of this being embedded in College systems (see Affirmation 7 and Affirmation 8).

Students arrange their own accommodation and transportation. Student needs and satisfaction in

these areas also need to be monitored and evaluated on a regular basis.

7.8 Medical and Counselling Facilities

The College states that a Student Counsellor, who provides advice, counselling and support

services, was appointed in 2003 (Portfolio, p.34). The Panel learned that the current Student

Counsellor, who was appointed in 2008, is also Head of both the Student Affairs Section and the

Admissions and Marketing Department. The Panel appreciates that the involvement of the

Student Counsellor in several departments of the College may be beneficial for the inter-

exchange of information and feedback. However, with a population of 1493 students in 2010-

2011 and only a single Student Counsellor, the Panel was concerned about this overload of



responsibilities and its impact on the provision of the counselling services provided. This needs

to be evaluated.

Recommendation 17


of Banking and Financial Studies evaluate its provision of counselling

services to students in order to ensure that this is effective and adequately

resourced.

The College has no medical facilities, or nurse (Portfolio, p.81), although the UoB Student

Handbook indicates that the College does have First Aiders and has first aid boxes in the

Registration Department. Although the Panel appreciates the arrangement for referring relevant

medical cases to the nearby Muscat Private Hospital/Royal Hospital, for the protection of both

staff and students, a policy and associated procedures need to be implemented for handling

medical situations (see Recommendation 5). Moreover these need to be communicated

effectively to all stakeholders, through, for example, induction and student/staff handbooks.

7.9 International Student Services

The College has students representing 15 nationalities (Portfolio, p.76) but currently all students

at CBFS are resident in Oman and the College has no office for international students (Portfolio,

p.81). In view of the College’s aspiration to become a regional benchmark of quality in the

spheres of banking and financial education (Portfolio, p.10), it may begin to attract students from

the region, and therefore may wish to further consider this area.

7.10 Social and Recreational Services and Facilities

CBFS states that it encourages students to participate in extracurricular cultural and sports

activities and events and provides various examples of these (Portfolio, pp. 81,82). The Panel

noted that in 2006 students had completed a ‘Students’ Activities Form’ indicating their interests

with respect to sports, hobbies, volunteer work and students’ committees. The involvement of

students in selecting and organizing activities that meet their interests is currently not apparent

but foreseeable in the future, particularly with the implementation of a Student Council (see

Affirmation 7).

Presently, CBFS has no sport facilities on-campus and has an agreement with two local clubs to

use their facilities (Portfolio, p.82). Female students stated that these are available to male

students only. The Panel therefore appreciates the College’s intention to provide on-campus

sports amenities (ibid) and encourages the College to monitor and remain responsive to student

feedback in this area (see Affirmation 8).



8 STAFF A�D STAFF SUPPORT SERVICES

The College pays comprehensive attention to staff and staff support services. The Human

Resources Department’s "Business Plan 2009-2014" provides guidance for future development

under five goals with particular attention paid to the recruitment and professional development of

staff.

This chapter considers the planning and management of human resources at CBFS and reports on

the Panel’s findings in areas such as: recruitment and selection; professional development and

training; performance planning review; staff organizational climate and retention; and

Omanisation.

8.1 Human Resources Planning & Management

The head of the human resources is responsible for recruitment and selection, performance

evaluation, training and development, and staff retention. The College has a detailed manual

containing staff regulations which includes the promotion policy, the internal policies and

procedures for study schemes for employees, and the induction procedure. Most of the material,

however, dates from 2003 or 2004, and needs a thorough review and updating (see

Recommendation 4).

8.2 Staff Profile

The majority of the faculty comes from India, Sri Lanka, and South Africa, and the College is

currently seeking ways to increase the national diversity of faculty members and the number of

Omani faculty members (Portfolio, p.84). CBFS policies support the further education of Omani

staff members. One reason given to the Panel for offering only one-year contracts was the desire

to keep positions relatively free to be filled by Omanis, a strategy that should perhaps be

evaluated for the potential loss incurred by very short term contracts as well as the possible gain.

A detailed profile of the staff over time was not made available to the Panel in an analyzable

form. The College’s new ERP system is planned to capture human resources data and make

essential analyses and planning possible and to ensure equity in pay scales and promotions (see

Recommendation 2). The Panel noted that the number of staff holding PhDs and the number of

research-trained faculty members was very small for an institution with research ambitions.

8.3 Recruitment and Selection

Although CBFS concludes that "the College has managed to achieve a satisfactory blend of

talents," (Portfolio, p.85), the Human Resources Department "Business Plan 2009-2014" notes

that it is difficult to recruit and retain the employees who are needed. . . , " citing expensive

housing, competition with other institutions, and other factors. A new salary scheme has recently

been approved, partially to address this problem. In the absence of specific data, the Panel

assumes that attrition varies from programme to programme since one academic partner

institution commended CBFS for the stability of its faculty, citing that as one reason they felt the

CBFS programme was their strongest of their off-campus sites.

8.4 Induction

The College describes a relatively comprehensive staff induction process (Portfolio, p.87) and

faculty members recently inducted reported its benefits to the Panel. Those for whom it was

available were particularly enthusiastic about the helpfulness of the mentor system, which is used

by the UoB programme: a senior faculty member, one who has previously taught the courses the



new faculty member is assigned, helps the newcomer understand what needs to be done in terms

of course management and is available to help in other general ways. This is one of many

examples of good practice that the Panel believes should be shared throughout the College.

Faculty members currently tend to be compartmentalized by programme, and unless they teach in

more than one programme, as some do, they know little of what is happening elsewhere. The

Panel considers that horizontal as well as vertical communication needs to be improved so as to

proliferate good practice.

Recommendation 18


of Banking and Financial Studies develop mechanisms to improve

communication between and among programs so as to share good practice.

8.5 Professional Development

Opportunities for training and professional development are noted by the College (Portfolio,

p.87) and faculty members confirmed that seminars, workshops, and conferences have been made

available to them both on and off campus. Faculty members teaching in the UoB programmes

have had short term visits to the home campus which has helped to forge closer relationships, as

both the faculty and UoB administrators reported to the Panel.

Performance appraisal and professional development activities are to be linked in the future, as

noted below, but the current process for gaining approval to attend an external event has been

reported to the Panel as being cumbersome. Those who wish to avail themselves of a training

opportunity must apply to the Administrative Affairs Committee from where, if recommended, it

goes to the Dean for approval. Depending on the frequency of the committee's meeting, this

process can make it difficult to take advantage of a last-minute opportunity.

Despite the constraints on most CBFS faculty members in teaching courses they have not

developed and the necessity of achieving specified learning outcomes, particular attention to

instructional development could still be of benefit. The Panel notes that given the significance of

student-centered learning, College faculty members would be assisted by both an on-going,

periodic programme to increase their repertoire of instructional strategies and from sharing good

practice with one another. One faculty member mentioned, for example, that he had learned

some skills in working with students in groups in one programme that he was able then to use in

another programme in which he taught. One of CBFS's partners, the UoB, offers a certificate in

teaching skills that could perhaps be the foundation for an instructional development programme.

8.6 Performance Planning and Review

All staff members have an annual performance review (Portfolio, p.88). The Panel learned that

what informs the annual performance review for College staff varies from programme to

programme. For faculty in all programmes the review includes the director's evaluation and

student evaluations, although the protocol for student evaluations is not identical for all

programmes; some programmes mandate and include peer reviews; some use information from

external evaluations. The Panel reviewed examples of the various sources of information that

inform performance reviews at the College and found that they provided a multi-dimensional

picture.

The College reports that it is “ in the process of developing and implementing faculty peer review

procedures to be applied across all departments" (Portfolio, p.88) although, as is the case with so

many other matters at CBFS, the Panel found that peer review is limited to one programme and

has not yet been disseminated beyond those faculty. The examples of peer reviews examined

seemed both collegial and professional. Performance reviews include the opportunity for the



employee to respond in writing or otherwise add comments for the record and serve as the basis

for promotions and merit increases.

The Panel considers that the College would benefit from monitoring the consistency of

information used to inform annual performance reviews.

8.7 Promotion and Other Incentives

At CBFS promotions appear to refer either to promotions in pay grade (1-17) or to a vacant

administrative position. The Panel found the promotion policy to be clear both in the written

documentation and to faculty members. There is, however, apparently no policy concerning

promotion in academic rank. The College may wish to explore this area.

8.8 Severance

Severance may be voluntary or involuntary, and the reasons for involuntary severance are

included in the staff rules given to all employees. The College notes that there is a "need to

institutionalise the Appeals Procedure" (Portfolio, p.92). The 2003 version of the Staff

Regulations notes that appeals "against disciplinary action can be made in writing and should be

addressed to the Chairman, CBFS."

8.9 Staff Organisational Climate and Retention

The College describes a range of processes and activities aimed towards promoting employee

satisfaction and retention (Portfolio, p.92). In the absence of retention data and staff surveys

however, the Panel had relatively few sources of information concerning staff morale and

retention. In interviews faculty members generally reported satisfaction with their employment

although comments suggested that improvements in communication - both horizontally across

programs and vertically—would be welcome. A staff survey conducted by an external consultant

for the quality team emphasized the need for "better communication between managers and

employees." While that survey also highlighted the need for employees to feel empowered and

appreciated, it also revealed a fairly high level of satisfaction. The Panel learned that, with the

support of the external consultant, the College had developed both staff and student survey

instruments and that these were being finalized. It is important for the College to now implement

staff surveys on a regular basis.

Recommendation 19


of Banking and Financial Studies conduct regular staff satisfaction surveys

to identify any problems or issues that need to be addressed and to aid in

planning.

8.10 Omanisation

The Panel acknowledges the efforts that are being made by the College to increase the number of

Omani employees. Data indicates a steady increase in the number of Omani administrative staff

between 2006-2010. The same cannot, however, be said for Omani faculty members; the current

number remains small and has actually decreased since 2006 (Portfolio, p.93). The College has a

higher studies scholarship scheme for Omani staff but this does not appear to have impacted

significantly on the numbers of Omani faculty members to date. The College identifies the need

to “integrate career progression plans to enable Omani staff to be promoted to senior positions

after the completion of higher studies” (Portfolio, p.94). The Panel supports this intention.

Although the College states that “Omanisation has been integrated into the College HR planning

process” (Portfolio, p.93), the 2009-2014 HR Business Plan does not address Omanisation

explicitly. The Panel considers that enhanced planning and action is required in this area.



Recommendation 20


of Banking and Financial Studies enhance its planning of human resources

to specifically target the aim of increasing the number of Omanis taking up

faculty positions.

This should help the College in addressing what is clearly a challenging area. The Panel

acknowledges that Omanis meeting the requirements to serve as faculty on the College’s higher

education programmes are likely to be drawn to employment in the banking and finance industry

itself, where remuneration can be very attractive.



9 GE�ERAL SUPPORT SERVICES A�D FACILITIES

The College currently occupies a purpose built building which was completed in 2004. Since

then the campus has been subject to review and further development “so that the institution’s

mission and goals are met in a sustainable manner” (Portfolio, p.95). This chapter reports on the

CBFS’s planning and management of its general support services, and comments specifically on

the following: public relations and marketing; communication services; and facilities

management.

9.1 General Support Services and Facilities Planning and Management

Support services and facilities planning and management fall under the responsibility of several

committees and working groups including the Administrative Affairs Committee, the Working

Group on IT and the Library Working Group (Portfolio, p. 94). As part of the ongoing

development of the campus, the College has plans to construct an additional building to

accommodate sports and recreational facilities and provide additional space for teaching and

training (Portfolio, p. 95). Whilst students the Panel spoke to clearly appreciate the College

environment, which the Panel observed to be clean and well-maintained, a system of collecting

feedback from students and also staff on this area has yet to be established. The Panel considers

this to be an important element in the planning and management of College services and facilities

( Affirmation 8 and Recommendation 19).

9.2 Public Relations and Marketing

Public relations and marketing activities fall under the responsibility of the Department of

Admissions and Marketing. The department uses advertisements, educational exhibitions and

electronic media to create awareness about its programs and activities. With its change in status,

student profile and programme offerings, the focus of the College’s marketing activities has also

changed. The College cites an increase in the number of self-supporting students as evidence of

success in this area (Portfolio, p.96). The department has developed a business plan which

identifies aims, objectives and responsibilities. Further development of this plan is required so

that progress and achievements can be monitored and evaluated effectively (see Recommendation

14). The Panel was pleased to see the College’s intention for stakeholder feedback to inform its

marketing efforts (ibid). As noted earlier, the Head of Admissions and Marketing also currently

hold the posts of both Head of Student Affairs and Student Counsellor (see Section 7.8); given the collective range and number of responsibilities involved, this situation warrants attention.

9.3 Communication Services

The College uses a range of typical modes of communication and has a wireless network

available in most areas. The Panel did not explore this area in depth but noted the College’s

intention to appoint more IT support staff in response to feedback from staff (Portfolio, p.97).

The Panel encourages the College to formalize a system for collecting feedback from the College

community on its communication services, and measuring the effectiveness of its provision in

this area (as in Affirmation 8 and Recommendation 19).

9.4 Facilities Management

Planning and management of College’s facilities (building, parking, housekeeping, maintenance,

security etc.) is the responsibility of the Administrative Affairs Committee. Some provision is

outsourced and annual maintenance contracts are in place. The general facilities appeared to the

Panel to be impressively managed and maintained by the College; a system of formal evaluation

in this area would substantiate this and guide future planning.



APPE�DIX A. AUDIT PA�EL

Professor Raymond Harbridge

Consultant to the Vice- Chancellor,

La Trobe University, Australia

Former Dean

Faculty of Law and Management

La Trobe University

Australia

Dr Diane Strommer

Higher Education Consultant

Former Vice President - Academic and Student Affairs

American University of Ras Al Khaima

Dean Emerita - University of Rhode Island

USA

Professor Jos Grobbelaar

Consultant in Higher Education

Pretoria, South Africa

Former consultant to the Institutional Research and Planning Unit

Office for Institutional Effectiveness

University of Johannesburg

South Africa

Professor Ramzi Taha

Dean Postgraduate Studies

Sultan Qaboos University

Oman

Dr Nicola Huson

DAAD (German Academic Exchange Service) Representative and German Coordinator

German University of Technology in Oman (GUtech)

Oman

Susan Trevor-Roper (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.

AABFS ………………………………... Arab Academy of Banking and Financial Studies

AACSB ………………………………. Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business

AcAC ………………………………….. Academic Affairs Committee

ACCA ………………………………… Association of Chartered Certified Accountants

ADRI.............................................. ........ A four step, cyclical model for analysing a topic, comprising:

Approach → Deployment → Results → Improvement.

AMBA…………………………………. Association of Master of Business Administration

Approach........................................…… The first dimension of the ADRI cycle, which focuses on

evaluating what a HEI aims to achieve for a given topic and how

it proposes to achieve it.

Basel Committee …………………….. The Basel Committee on Banking Supervision

http://www.bis.org/publ/bcbs188.htm

CAAP…………………………………. College Academic Advisory Panel

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.

CAT …………………………………. Certified Accounting Technician

CBFS………………………………….. College of Banking and Financial Studies

CBO …………………………………… Central Bank of Oman

CIMA …………………………………..Certified Institute of Managerial Accounting

COE …………………………………… Centre of Excellence

CSI ……………………………………. Canadian Securities Institute

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.

EDEXCEL ……………………………. UK Examinations Board

EIS ……………………………………. Executive Information System

ELC …………………………………... English Language Center

EQUIS ……………………………...… European Quality Improvement System

ERP ……………………………….…. Enterprise Resource Planning

Executive Officer ........................... ....... An OAC staff member assigned to an Audit Panel to provide

professional guidance and support.

External Reviewer.......................... ........ A Member of the OAC Register of External Reviewers; a person

approved by the OAC Board to participate as a member of the

OAC’s various external review panels.

GFP …………………………………… General Foundation Programme



HEI.................................................…… Higher Education Institution (also known as HEP – Higher

Education Provider)

HND …………………………………. Higher National Diploma

HR ……………………………………. Human Resources

Ibid ……………………………………. Indicates the reference cited immediately before

ICAI …………………………………… Institute of Chartered Accountants in India

ICT ………………………………….. Integrated Communication Technology

IELTS …………………………….….. International English Language Testing System

IIA ……………………………….…… Institute of Internal Auditors

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.

ISACA …………………….…………. Information Systems Audit and Control Association

MBA ………………………….………. Master of Business Administration

MoHE ............................................ ........ Ministry of Higher Education (www.mohe.gov.om)

OAC Board .................................... ........ The governing body of the Oman Accreditation Council

OAC...............................................…… Oman Accreditation Council (www.oac.gov.om)

OFI.................................................…… Opportunity for improvement.

OQF ...............................................…….Oman Qualifications Framework.

Panel Chairperson.......................... ........ The Chairperson of the Audit Panel.

Panel Member ................................…… An OAC External Reviewer who is a member of an Audit Panel.

Portfolio ......................................... ........ see Quality Audit Portfolio.

QAC …………………………………... Quality Assurance Committee

QAU ………………………………..… Quality Assurance Unit

Quality Assurance.......................... ....... The combination of policies and processes for ensuring that

stated intentions are met.

Quality Audit Portfolio .................. ....... The report produced as the result of a self study. Also forms the

main submission made to the OAC by the HEI being audited.

Quality Audit Report......................…… A public report published by the OAC which presents the

findings and conclusions of the Audit Panel’s External Review of

a HEI.

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 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.

Sic …………………………………….. indicates that the preceding segment of the quote was copied

faithfully, in spite of a mistake

SWOT ………………………………… 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.

UoB ………………………………… University of Bradford

UoS ……………………………..…… University of Strathclyde



�OTES

....................................................................................................................................................................................................................................

....................................................................................................................................................................................................................................

....................................................................................................................................................................................................................................

....................................................................................................................................................................................................................................

....................................................................................................................................................................................................................................

....................................................................................................................................................................................................................................

....................................................................................................................................................................................................................................

....................................................................................................................................................................................................................................

....................................................................................................................................................................................................................................

....................................................................................................................................................................................................................................

....................................................................................................................................................................................................................................

....................................................................................................................................................................................................................................

....................................................................................................................................................................................................................................

....................................................................................................................................................................................................................................

....................................................................................................................................................................................................................................

....................................................................................................................................................................................................................................

....................................................................................................................................................................................................................................

....................................................................................................................................................................................................................................

....................................................................................................................................................................................................................................

....................................................................................................................................................................................................................................

....................................................................................................................................................................................................................................

....................................................................................................................................................................................................................................

....................................................................................................................................................................................................................................

....................................................................................................................................................................................................................................

....................................................................................................................................................................................................................................

....................................................................................................................................................................................................................................

....................................................................................................................................................................................................................................

....................................................................................................................................................................................................................................

....................................................................................................................................................................................................................................

....................................................................................................................................................................................................................................

....................................................................................................................................................................................................................................

....................................................................................................................................................................................................................................

....................................................................................................................................................................................................................................

....................................................................................................................................................................................................................................

....................................................................................................................................................................................................................................



....................................................................................................................................................................................................................................

....................................................................................................................................................................................................................................

....................................................................................................................................................................................................................................

....................................................................................................................................................................................................................................

....................................................................................................................................................................................................................................

....................................................................................................................................................................................................................................

....................................................................................................................................................................................................................................

....................................................................................................................................................................................................................................

....................................................................................................................................................................................................................................

....................................................................................................................................................................................................................................

....................................................................................................................................................................................................................................

....................................................................................................................................................................................................................................

....................................................................................................................................................................................................................................

....................................................................................................................................................................................................................................

....................................................................................................................................................................................................................................

....................................................................................................................................................................................................................................

....................................................................................................................................................................................................................................

....................................................................................................................................................................................................................................

....................................................................................................................................................................................................................................

....................................................................................................................................................................................................................................

....................................................................................................................................................................................................................................

....................................................................................................................................................................................................................................

....................................................................................................................................................................................................................................

....................................................................................................................................................................................................................................

....................................................................................................................................................................................................................................

....................................................................................................................................................................................................................................

....................................................................................................................................................................................................................................

....................................................................................................................................................................................................................................

....................................................................................................................................................................................................................................

....................................................................................................................................................................................................................................

....................................................................................................................................................................................................................................

....................................................................................................................................................................................................................................

....................................................................................................................................................................................................................................

....................................................................................................................................................................................................................................

....................................................................................................................................................................................................................................

....................................................................................................................................................................................................................................

Date post:	24-Mar-2018
Category:	Documents
Upload:	truongnhan
View:	215 times
Download:	0 times

Oman Academic Accreditation Authority Report of an … Quality Audit Report Final.pdf · Oman...

Documents