Task Force On Improving Arts

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Task ForceOnImproving Arts HumanitiesAt KFUPM
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AGENDA

• Task Force Members
• Task Force Charges
• GER Components
• GER Report Findings
• Academic Committee Recommendations
• Current GS and IAS Electives
• Accomplishments
• Task Force Recommendations

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Task Force Team

• Dr. Ibrahim Al-Jabri, Leader
• Dr. Eid Al-Shammari, Member
• Dr. Khudair Al-Khudair, Member
• Dr. Hocine Bahlouli, Member

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Charges of the Task Force

• Update report on GER submitted to VRAA.
• Identify accomplishments made.
• Recommend options for adding 2 GS courses in the
  curricula as recommended by Academic Committee.

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GER Components Identified in the Report

• Math and Sciences
• Mathematical Sciences
• Quantitative Reasoning
• Natural Sciences
• Science, Technology and Society
• Critical thinking
• Computer Literacy
• Communication Skills (Arabic and English)
• Written Communication
• Oral Communication
• Visual Electronic Communication
• Religion and Humanities
• Islamic Studies
• Ethics
• Social Sciences
• Human behavior
• Social, cultural, and political processes
• Attitudes and skills for healthy life
• Physical Education

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Report Findings

• After updating the GER report, the Task Force
  found the following
• There are variations in the GERs from department
  to department.
• There is no well defined understanding of GER
  components in all departments.
• Almost anything that is not part of the
  core/concentration requirements is considered
  GERs.
• There is inadequate coverage of the human
  behavior. Arts and Humanities are almost absent
  history of civilizations, economic developments,
  industrial revolution, philosophy, linguistics,
• There is insufficient coverage of the social,
  cultural, and political processes. A lack of
  social sciences ( psychology and sociology) in
  our GER curriculum.

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Academic Committee Recommendations

• The Academic Committee discussed the GER report
  and made the following recommendations
• The report recommendations should be made
  available to departments to see what GERs exist
  and what need to be implemented.
• Departments should revise their curricula so that
  the degree plan has room for more GS courses (2
  courses) to satisfy GERs in Social Science and
  Human behavior.
• Faculty with special skills for the recommended
  courses should be hired.

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Current GS Electives

• The University offers some of the following GS
  courses
• GS 200 Info Searching Skills
• GS 221 Industrial Sociology Production
• GS 321 Principles of Human Behavior
• GS 423 International Relations
• GS 424 Planning Social Development
• GS 427 Man Environment

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Current IAS Electives

• The University offers some of the following IAS
  courses
• IAS 411 Contemporary Islamic World
• IAS 416 As-Sirah An-Nabawiyyah
• IAS 418 Contemporary Financial Transactions in
  Islam
• IAS 419 Inimitability of Al-Quran

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KFUPM Accomplishments to Improve GERs

• Opening a new GS Department
• Appointment of a Chairman for the Department
• Introducing two IAS course
• IAS 212 Professional Ethics.
• IAS 322 Human Rights in Islam
• Transforming two IAS courses
• IAS 201 Writing for Professional Needs
• IAS 301 Oral Communication Skills
• Searching for hiring more GS faculty members.

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Task Force Recommendation

• There must be a common GER courses for all
  colleges. (i.e. University Requirements).
• Departments may add relevant GER courses as seen
  fit for their students.
• A full revision of the present IAS credit-hour
  requirements is very much needed.
• We should speed up building our capacity in the
  new GS department to take care of the shortcoming
  in the GERs.

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Task Force Recommendation (contd)

• In order to make up for the addition of 2 GS
  courses (6 Credit Hours) recommended by the
  Academic Committee, the Task Force recommends the
  following options

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Task Force Recommendation (contd)

• Option 1
• Reduce the IAS credits from 14 to 8.
• Option 2
• Reduce the IAS credits from 14 to 10.
• Reduce the COOP credits from 9 to 6.
• Option 3
• Reduce the IAS credits from 14 to 10.
• Reduce the Major credits by at least 2.

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TF Recommendation (contd)

• The Task Force recommends adopting option 1 for
  the following reasons
• The IAS and GS courses are part of the GERs.
• Some IAS courses have little benefit compared to
  potential GS courses. (e.g. IAS 101 and IAS 111
  syllabi contain material to which students have
  been exposed in the high school).

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