The Custodian of The Two Holy Mosques King Abdullah bin Abdulaziz President of the Council of Higher Education has approved a number of resolutions adopted by the council in its 60th session.

In a statement to Saudi Press Agency, Minister of Higher Education Dr. Khalid Al Anqari said the resolutions approved by the King included bylaws for distance education at higher education institutions in the Kingdom.

Minister informed that council approval of the bylaws of distance education comes in the backdrop of world recent developments on knowledge and technology grounds where several trends and advancements are transforming all walks of life, and higher education is no exception.  Laws and frameworks that govern quality and improve efficiency have to be put in place prior to successful and continuous application of technology-assisted education and distance education systems, while there are organizations mandating such laws ,amending them and enacting all measures necessary to assess institutions and programs of higher education.

Minister said that world advanced countries are more concerned with concepts of quality management and their application at distance education, a phenomena witnessed through science and technology rapid developments and the emergence of new patterns of work in the world.  Nevertheless, society and academic rounds are still reluctant with regard to distance education essence, feasibility and outcomes given its relative recency as a method of education , its heavy use of technology and its prevalence over geopolitical and cultural borders.  Hence the bylaw for distance education was formulated with due regard and got approved for proper and quality application of such means of education.

Minister pointed that council have approved change of the extension of college of applied studies and community service affiliated to the University of Dammam into a college of of applied studies and community service.  Council also approved establishment and change of a number of departments at the following universities:

- establishment of Islamic economics department at the college of shari'a, Islamic University

- establishment of public health department at the college of medicine , Al-Imam Mohammad Ibn Saud Islamic University

- change of family and community medicine department at the aforementioned college into family medicine department

- upgrade of kindergarten section at psychology and education department of college of education, King Faisal University into a kindergarten department affiliated to the same college

- establishment of three new departments at college of applied medical sciences at Turubah, Taif University : namely, medical laboratories, physiotherapy and pharmaceutical manufacturing

The council approved also restructuring of the departments of college of dentistry at King Khalid University into the following :

diagnostic science & maxillofacial biology department, department of oral and maxillofacial surgery,department of pediatric dentistry & orthodontics, dental public health department, restorative dentistry department, prosthodontics department and dentistry education department.

Dr. Al Anqari added that among the resolutions of the council is change of the name of pharmacology department at college of pharmacy, King Saud University into pharmacology & toxicology department.  Also resolved change of mathematics department at college of science, Princess Nora bint Abdulrahman University into the department of mathematical sciences, and detachment of the department of special education off college of management and humanities, Al Jouf University and affiliating it to college of education at the same university and detachment of the department of Quran studies off college of arts, University of Dammam and affiliating it to college of education at the same university.

His Excellency also added that council approved transforming of several units into support deanships at several universities, namely: center for information technology and technical support at Umm Al-Qura University become a deanship of information technology, information and computer center at the Islamic University become a deanship of information technology, center for academic development and quality at King Khalid University become a deanship of academic development and quality, center for information technology at Taibah University become a deanship of information technology and computer centre at Taif University become a deanship of computing and information technology.

Council of higher education also approved establishment of research and consultations center at Taif University, the establishment of deanship of university education development at Al-Imam Mohammad Ibn Saud Islamic University.
Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques endorsed council decision to assignment of faculty members at university deputies and also establishment of deputies at some universities as follows :
Assignment of Dr. Awad ibn Khuzaim Al Asmari as deputy for graduate studies and academic research at Al Kharj University for three years term, establishment of a deputy for technology and health informatics at King Saud bin Abdulaziz University for Health Sciences and assignment of Dr. Majid ibn Mohammad Al Tuwaijri as deputy for three years term and establishment of a deputy for academic affairs at University of Dammam.

The Council also approved to extend the tenure of 32 faculty members at a number of universities.

The council reviewed several memoranda of understanding between Saudi universities and Islamic and world universities, memoranda drafts included: draft between Islamic University and Darussalam Islamic University of Indonesia, draft between Islamic University and University of Malaya Kuala Lumpur of Malaysia, group of drafts between High Institute of Judiciary at Al-Imam Mohammad Ibn Saud Islamic University and École nationale de la magistrature of France, Judicial Studies Board of United Kingdom, Institute of Comparative Law of Germany, National Judicial Institute of Canada and Australian Institute of Judicial Administration.  The council also passed a number of drafts for memoranda of understanding between Princess Nora bint Abdulrahman University and Kookmin University of South Korea, International Education Institute and British Columbia Institute of Technology.  Council reviewed and proceeded to submit to the president of council of ministers several annual reports pertaining to National Commission for Academic Accreditation & Assessment and a number of universities.