His Excellency the President of Umm Al-Qura University, Prof. Moaddi bin Muhammad Aal Madh-hab, inaugurated the first interactive forum for the college vice deans for educational affairs and the heads and deputy heads of the academic departments with the aim of introducing academic rules and regulations. The forum was organized by the Deanship of Admission and Registration and took place in the presence of the University's Vice Dean for Educational Affairs, Dr. Amer Al-Zaidi, and the deans of the supporting deanships, in King Abdul-Aziz Historical Hall.

The UQU President, Prof. Moaddi Aal Madh-hab, praised the support given by the wise leadership (may Allah support it) to the educational process at the university, providing the means for its success. He noted the support of His Excellency the Minister of Education, Dr. Hamad bin Muhammad Aal Al-Sheikh, and His Excellency the Deputy of the Minister for Universities, Research, and Innovation, Dr. Muhammad Al-Sudairi, to all the activities and the programs of the university.

He commended the cooperation of the academic departments at the beginning of the academic year, which made the university a safe and healthy campus that applies the utmost precautionary measures. He stressed the importance of academic guidance of the students in choosing the right academic career and ultimately their graduation according to their study plan as well as the necessity of effective coordination and communication with the Support Deanship so that these would reflect positively on the quality of academic services provided to students.

In turn, the UQU Vice President for Educational Affairs, Dr. Amer Al-Zaidi, urged everyone to build on the gains of the past stage and the successes achieved in the distance education process. He reviewed the steps in applying the mechanism of distributing the specific percentages for the academic divisions to ensure the distribution of courses over the entire study plans, by days and weeks.

He also reviewed the scheduling plan, stressing the importance of the colleges' cooperation with the supporting deanships to ensure a successful start of the second semester.

In the same vein, the Dean of Admission and Registration, Dr. Khaled Al-Thaqafi, reviewed the themes of the first interactive forum with academic departments and colleges, which included the readiness of the registration statistics to build tables for the second semester 1443 A.H. The timing of offering courses and sections during the next week was also discussed. Moreover, the necessity to focus on the needs of stumbling students by spotting them as well as students who are expected to graduate, addressing their cases respectively at an early stage and directly communicating with the Deanship of Admission and Registration in this regard, were all highlighted.

On his part, the Dean of Information Technology, Dr. Atef Al-Hejaili, talked about the academic system, the procedures for preparing the study schedule via the system, mechanisms for granting and correcting powers, and forms for technical support and assistance for users. He also reviewed the electronic system related to academic services, reports and technical support forms, and related user guides.

On his part, Dr. Abdul-Muhaimin Al-Khatib, a faculty member in the Department of Shari`ah, reviewed the experience of the Department of Shari`ah in the process of preparing the study schedule. He noted that this is carried out through three basic stages that include: performing a statistical analysis, preparing an inventory of information on academic advising, calculating the sections and also opening and reviewing them, assigning the times and halls for the lectures along with the faculty members, and entering the table on the system after checking the initial steps.

Following the same thread, the Vice Dean of the Department of Computer Science, Dr. Reem Aal Al-Sheikh, talked about the experience of Computer Science in academic advising, including the department activating the role of the Advising and Advisors Committee, holding academic advising workshops, and preparing a comprehensive guide for advisors at the college level. Finally, she reviewed examples of the different aspects of the academic advising process during the registration periods.