On Wednesday, March 30^th, 2016, Business Administration College organized a meeting between its Dean, Prof. Sultan ibn A’ayd Albaqmi and its students. It was held at the ballroom in its headquarters in Ra’ai Zakhr. Present were the College’s entire staff in terms of academic staff members and employees and students. Professor Suzan Abdul-Qadir Wazan, the College Vice-Dean of students’ section, supervised the meeting along with the coordinators in terms of field training students and students’ club. 

Still, the meeting aims at shining light on the students’ needs. This is out of the belief in creating effective communication between the Deanship of the Collge from one hand and its students on the other. Professor Sultan brought up and discussed several topics. He first welcomed his students expressing his interest in communicating with them for listening to their opinions and suggestions, and all what advances the educational process. Still, he updated them about the latest on College regarding transferring the Accounting Department from Shariah and Islamic Studies to its headquarters. He also informed them about its plan of allowing students to enroll in Tourism and Hospitality Department.   

Afterwards, Prof. Sultan spoke about the plan of obtaining the academic accreditation and applying quality standards. He also stressed that the College seeks to achieve distinction through its departments in line with the University President’s, Prof. Bakri Ma’atuq A’assas, interest in the quality of the education outcomes. He went on taking pride on the College’s   students and graduating the first batch of the academic year 1436-1437. And, this coincides with the needs of the labor market for the College’s graduates.

Similarly, during the meeting, Prof. Sultan raised a plan meant for providing hands-on training for the students next summer. This is after having this year’s practical training assessed. He also touched upon the issues faced by some students such as not finding companies going with the student’s desire in a specific career. This in turn leaves them short of adequately benefiting when they engage in labor market. He further remarked about the options available to the students regarding the next training plan. These options include off-campus training in which the student chooses the training place they desire; on-campus training based upon simulating the off-campus training and opening training within the College. Still, training is also available at international universities for whoever desires and affords to train abroad. During summer, under the supervision of the international university, the student, accompanied by one of their family members, enroll for the English learning program, which is the training program.     

In a similar fashion, the College Vice-dean of the Student’s Section, Prof.  Susan Wazn pointed out that the simulating training was put forward as a solution to the increasing number of the students. Such training is based upon creating work environment simulating real companies. A plan has been set for such kind of training to the effect that it is applied in two phases. The first phase includes three week workshop and courses for the students. It accounts for 70% of the training hours. The second phase involves a field paper extending for a week in which each student presents a paper covering some issue or discussing a field visit. It makes up 30% of the training hours, in addition to the report submitted by the students.      

All the more, an academic staff member at the Marketing Department, and an advisor on field training issues, Prof. Shaza A’azi stated the international training details, and how such an option can put an end to the problems faced by the students. In so doing, they follow in the footsteps of the King Abdul-Aziz University students she supervised.

The meeting also featured comments from the College Vice-dean, Prof. Mutl’aq Alotaibi; Educational Affairs Deputy, Prof. Ahmed Alqarni, and the Supervisor of the Graduate Studies and Scientific Research Deanship , Professor Ahmed Almasri. They remarked that the College lends the field training in the off-campus institutions a top priority, followed by the on-campus simulating training. They also noted that the main goal of the training is to identify how far the student can apply what they have studied practically.  Similarly, the Head of the Department of Tourism and Hospitality, Prof. Yusri El-sayed spoke about signing a contract with reputable world hotels for creating field training opportunities for the College’s students, and job opportunities for graduates.

Among the key highlights of the meeting is answering the students’ questions which the Dean was glad to listen to. They inquired about several topics such as the possibility of setting up intensive English programs, making field visits to the commercial and industrial institutions and equating the courses regarding the students transferred to the College. They also asked about the College’s facilities and the date of transferring the Students’ Section to Alabidiah headquarters, due with the beginning of the first semester 1437-1438.