Mervat Fathy Fouad

As a QAU Director, my essential tasks were to

1) Interpret the Institute's mission and vision into an applicable 3-year strategic plan with definite objectives and clear success metrics to deliver outcomes within deadlines.

2) Orchestrate people, schedules and resources through this meticulous process to ensure smooth execution of the strategic plan to get national accreditation. This was done by

• Meeting with the heads of all academic departments and units to ensure that the mission, vision and goals of each department and unit align with the large framework of the Institute's mission and vision.
• Discussing with the heads of the departments and units the strengths and weaknesses as well the training workshops and seminars needed by the faculty and staff to enhance performance. Reviewing employees' annual performance reviews helped much to decide on the areas that needed upskilling.
• Outlining, in the light of the discussions and suggestions, the training programs needed and proceed forward with the necessary preparations to provide such training sessions and workshops.
• Aligning the suggested training courses with local training indicators and transparency regulations followed in academic institutions.
• Keeping in mind the Institute's modest budget, I outlined the training course precisely in the light of the skills needed to be upgraded, how far they are linked to the Institute's objectives, the Institute's priorities, the best providers of the training workshops in terms of quality and budgeted goals, To avoid retraining as much as possible I tried to choose the appropriate time to hold classes and ensure the attendance of a reasonable number of employees before starting a training initiative. Yet, sometimes retraining and re-meeting were vital; particularly prior to the evaluation visit of the National Accreditation Committee.
• Informing the employees at the beginning of the semester of the projected training program, courses' schedules and attendance incentives. The aim was to foster a culture of continuous learning and professional development.
• Assessing the effectiveness during the training course to make the necessary adjustments, if needed, in order to ensure a return on investment.
• Collecting & analyzing feedback from the trainers and trainees along the training process to address emerging problems.
• Evaluating the application of the skills learned at the end of each training initiatives to make sure the course/ workshop objectives were achieved and the training really enhanced the performance.
• Establishing guidelines so employees understand expectations and parameters was an integral part of the strategic plan. This step was followed by holding different meetings and sessions with department heads, faculty, administrative staff and workers to make sure all had enough knowledge of their role specifications, rights, duties, criteria for annual performance review, the complaints procedure, etc.
• Weaving together the collective efforts of the Institute's 3 academic departments and all supporting units (e.g. HR, PR, finance, library, clinic, maintenance, student, faculty & staff affairs, etc.) to precisely meet the standards set by the National Accreditation Committee.
• Leading adeptly the QAU competent team of 6 faculty members + a secretary. Making use of my outgoing nature and ability to establish productive relations with my team members. Using the skills of “cross-functional collaboration”, “delegation” & “follow-up” as effective methods of efficient time management.
• Checking once a week the student complaint box, reviewing the anonymous complaint cards and directing them to the concerned department/ unit, following up the procedures to ensure solutions/ improvements and document them.
• Liaising with some of the students' guardians and businesses in the market, as samples, to collect data about the job market needs and satisfaction with the performance of our graduates to adjust teaching plans and academic courses accordingly.
• Preparing for the visit of the Accreditation Committee. Making use of my detail-oriented nature, I checked, with my team, the Institute's buildings, classes, offices, facilities, and workers' uniforms, etc. to make sure they align with the Committee's standards and recommendation.
• Managing wisely the QAU modest budget. It is worth mentioning that the training budget was the Dean's responsibility and separate from the QAU's budget. P-cards were also issued to very few members only in the accounting department.

1) Being a university teacher gave me the freedom and skill to design 32+ training and academic courses from A to Z; namely development, implementation & evaluation. During this integrated process, I focused on

• Setting the course description and its weekly breakdown in the light of many elements such as the alignment with the approved course specifications, the whole program objectives, the correlation with other courses within the curriculum and the Institute's mission.
• Using different methods for assessments, practical and written.
• Flexibility to modify course objectives and teaching techniques to suit students' levels and assimilation.
• Addressing the challenge of teaching a class with different levels by using innovative teaching methods, modern interactive learning techniques and e-learning technologies. Thanks to the enormous budget of King Saud University that made consistent training workshops and seminars on modern learning technology available to its faculty members.

2) As head of the Admission Test Committee for the BA translation program, my responsibilities included

• - Assigning proctors and interviewers for the exams
• - Supervising the logistic preparations for the exams
• - Announcing exams' dates and regulations to applicants
• - Coordinating colleagues' efforts to get the job done successfully
• - Preparing final results
• - Submitting the final report to the College Vice Dean

3) Taking part in the process of aligning the College BA program with the international educational key indicators.

• I discussed with the members of the International Accreditation Commission the steps taken by the College to comply with the international set standards and regulations regarding the File of Students' Rights. Prior to the discussion, I prepared the File's necessary data and feedback to prove such adherence.
• Academic Reviewer, with team, of all courses' specifications & descriptions in the BA program to ensure that they comply with the learning metrics before submission to the International Accreditation Commission.

4) My multitasking skill was developed in KSU vibrant, fast-paced environment where different views, insights and traditions of multicultural faculty and students blended. In addition, my interpersonal skills and ability to harmonize the efforts of large groups with diverse levels, talents, skills and interests were polished during extracurricular activities.

5) Being a faculty member at the prestigious King Saud University, 1.7% in the World Rank and 3rd nationally 2024, enriched my experience, polished my skills, developed a sense of belonging and inspired me to do my best in order to set a good example before my students and reflect the charisma of the reputable name. It is a dynamic multicultural environment of professionals who understand and demonstrate above-the-ordinary competence, thoroughness and perfectionism.

6) A committee member interviewing applicants for Faculty vacancies.

(As a part timer)

1) I coordinated a 9-level academic training Program. My duties included

• Designing the framework of the whole program with the objectives of each level.
• Conducting the enrollment process & placement test to determine the entrants' levels.
• Holding orientation sessions to help new entrants have a good understanding of the targets of the training courses, the teaching & learning methods to be used, etc.
• Assigning instructors to the program's different levels
• Establishing teaching guidelines & overseeing the trainers' adherence to them as well as to the teaching plan, textbooks, academic calendar, etc.
• Developing a follow-up strategy to assess the training effectiveness and the trainees' assimilation and progress.
• Listening to the students concerns & finding ways to address them in consultations with the instructors and the administration.
• Setting regulations regarding class attendance, collecting attendance sheets and keeping the data in an organized way.
• Choosing the textbooks & contacting major bookstores in Riyadh to ensure their availability.

2) As a university Professor, my course designing & teaching methods followed the principles of adult learning. For example, I

• Taught mainly college sophomores & senior students
• Designed and taught an intensive English Speaking course to senior staff members working at King Saud University with the aim of enhancing their professional performance & ensuring ongoing development of the University administrative cadre.
• Developed and taught an intensive course of Summary and Specialized Translation tailored to upskill a few group of long-experienced translators working at a Saudi key ministry.

3) I was keen to integrate modern learning technology into my teaching technique. As an example, I taught an intensive Business English Course (240 hrs.) tailored according to the needs of Insurance Diploma students, Institute of Banking, Saudi Arabian Monetary Agency. The Institute's big budget facilitated the availability of many technological gadgets and modern teaching materials that enriched my teaching experience, added vitality to the classes and increased the students' attention and comprehension.

4) understanding the standards and values of one of the ME top-notch universities and abiding by specific behaviors suitable only to highly reputable organization made me qualified enough to proctor, for 3 successive years, the 6-hr Chartered Financial Analyst Examination, offered by the internationally reputed CFA Institute, USA.