Review of the computer science program


B. Interaction with Faculty



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B. Interaction with Faculty

1. Describe how you achieve effective interaction between students and faculty or teaching assistants in lower-division courses, particularly in large sections.




One component of achieving effective interaction between students and faculty is through the provision of small student numbers in course sections. We do not have large classes and the average class size is about 25 in all courses.

Many lower-division courses also have a laboratory component. These labs are closed, with an instructor lead. The number of students in these labs also remains the same, typically smaller in size than lecture sections.

Another means of achieving interaction is through faculty office hours. The department stipulates the provision of a minimum of six office hours a week by each faculty. Each faculty spreads these hours through the week dedicated exclusively for addressing students’ concerns in general.

Faculty also interacts with students through WebCT, the course management system where most of our courses are hosted. Student-student interaction is also common under this platform.



2. Describe how you achieve effective interaction between students and faculty in upper-division courses. Give detailed explanation and/or documentation how you do this for sections with more than thirty students, if applicable.




What was written in the preceding box, in terms of class size, laboratory, faculty office hours, and interaction through WebCT apply equally to upper-division courses.

In addition, there are also course projects in the intermediate and upper-division courses where students are required to make presentations among their classmates or on a group basis to the instructor. This enables students get feedback on their work not only from the instructor but from their peers.




Standard II-3. Guidance on how to complete the program must be available to all students.

C. Student Guidance

Describe what determines the requirements that a student will follow and how the student is informed of these requirements.




Requirements are listed in the Undergraduate Bulletin, which is available to all students. The department also publishes a Student Guide that contains the program requirements, and it is freely available to students from the department office. Students may follow the degree plan in these documents as it was carefully designed to assist students complete the program smoothly.

The department also has a Web page, which provides program requirements and information to the students. Moreover, every student is assigned an academic advisor, and the student is required to meet his advisor on need basis.



Standard II-4. Students must have access to qualified advising when they need to make course decisions and career choices.

D. Student Advisement

Describe your system of advisement for students on how to complete the program. Indicate how you ensure that such advisement is available to all students.




Every freshman student is assigned an academic advisor. Advising is almost always available on a "walk-in" basis and it is always available by appointment. In addition to the student advisor, student counseling and advising is provided by the Counseling and Advising Center at the Deanship of Student Affairs. Moreover, to ensure quality advising, only professorial rank faculties are assigned the advising task.



E. Access to Qualified Advising

When students need to make course decisions and career choices, what is their procedure for obtaining advising? Do they have adequate access to qualified professionals when necessary?




Every semester, the Deanship of Student Affairs organizes a “Career Day” event. It provides a good opportunity for the student to meet various company executives, and make their career choices.

The students also have the co-op training option. It provides an opportunity to the students to interact with practitioners and hence enhancing their professional skills.

IEEE-Computer Society Saudi Arabia Chapter has established a student section at KFUPM. Through the section, its members are encouraged to participate in all the professional activities of the chapter at a reduced student rates.


Standard II-5. There must be established standards and procedures to ensure that graduates meet the requirements of the program.

F. Meeting the Requirements


Describe your standards and procedures for ensuring that graduates have met all of the requirements of the program.


There is a graduation checklist form that students must fill, through their advisor, to ensure that they have met all the program requirements. This form spells out the core ICS courses, ICS electives, free electives, and includes a section for courses taken not for credit. This procedure provides a clear audit for the students on whether or not they have met the graduation requirements.

Students are now required to complete a Graduating Students Survey to provide input on various aspects of the program.




III. Faculty
Intent: Faculty members are current and active in the discipline and have the necessary technical breadth and depth to support a modern computer science program. There are enough faculty members to provide continuity and stability, to cover the curriculum reasonably, and to allow an appropriate mix of teaching and scholarly activity.
If different programs have different faculty members, please identify which faculty members are associated with which program(s), and the percentage of time allotted, if they are associated with more than one.
Standard III-1. There must be enough full-time faculty members with primary commitment to the program to provide continuity and stability.


  1. Faculty Size

The purpose of this section is to determine whether you have sufficient faculty to offer courses often enough for students to complete the program in a timely manner.


In Section II you gave the course numbers of courses required for the major which are offered less frequently than once per year, and those allowed for the major but not required, and explained how it is determined when they will be offered. Explain (if applicable) any difficulties you have offering required or optional courses frequently enough, particularly as they might be affected by faculty size.


Not Applicable



  1. Faculty with Primary Commitment

1. Indicate the number of faculty with primary commitment to the program, that is, who regularly teach courses in the computer science segment of the program: _41__.


The purpose of the next question is to ascertain the continuity and stability provided by the faculty with primary commitment to the program.
2. Please list below the number (FTE) of faculty with primary commitment to the program in each academic rank, broken down within rank by tenure status.





Full

Professor



Associate Professor

Assistant Professor

Instructor or

Lecturer


Other

Faculty


Tenured




4

4







Untenured

1

3

13

14



Please note that tenured faculty members are Saudis, while untenured faculty members are expatriates. Expatriates are hired on a two-year renewable contract basis. This recruitment policy is a University-wide policy. It is worth mentioning that untenured does not mean that there is no continued budget for the position, as it is the case in most universities in the United States. According to the Saudi government regulations, non-Saudis cannot be hired as tenures in governmental organizations such as universities. However, there is always a budget available for the occupied untenured positions. It is also worth mentioning that it hardly happens that KFUPM terminates or discontinues a faculty contract. However, when it happens, it is always due to the faculty level of competence-related issues.






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