Vision & Mission
Vision
Academic Advising Department aspires to be the leading academic advising provider in the region in developing and disseminating best practice in higher education academic advising for students and faculty.
Mission
Fostering a culture of quality academic advising at SQU by developing academic advising policies, regulations and guides, coordinating all academic advising efforts at SQU, providing support for SQU units that offer any kind of academic advising services.
Strategic Objectives
1. Develop general academic advising procedures and regulations
Aligned with SQU vision, mission, graduate attributes and the National Qualification Framework. This ensures that all advising practices are consistent with the university's strategic direction and national standards.
2. Educate SQU students, faculty and staff
Provide comprehensive information about academic advising policies and regulations through workshops, guides, and online resources, ensuring everyone understands their roles and responsibilities.
3. Oversee and follow up the implementation of academic advising procedures
Monitor the application of advising procedures at university, college, and department levels to ensure consistency and effectiveness, and provide support where needed.
Management of Academic Advising System
Decentralized Model: Applied for all direct activities of advising students. In this model, advising of students will be conducted by faculty members at department level.
Supplementary Model: Applied for managing academic advising at SQU and college level:
- Academic Advising Unit will supervise and coordinate academic advising activities via the online system and in collaboration with colleges through ADUS office.
- ADUS office and College Academic Advising Committee will supervise and coordinate all academic advising activities in their colleges.
4. Coordinate between different SQU units
Facilitate collaboration between colleges, Student Counselling, Center for Career Guidance, Deanship of Student Affairs, and Independent Learning Center to offer seamless support to students.
5. Review academic advising at university, college and department levels
Conduct regular evaluations and assessments to identify strengths and areas for improvement, ensuring the advising system evolves to meet student needs
6. Anticipate the future to achieve institutional leadership
Forecast changes and develop innovative and sustainable strategies to guide the academic advising system and its governance.
Responsibilities & Activities
1. Governance, Policies, and Procedures
- a) Provide overall supervision and oversight of academic advising across SQU.
- b) Develop, maintain, and regularly update academic advising policies, procedures, and guides in collaboration with colleges.
- c) Ensure that academic advising guides at the college and department levels are aligned with SQU academic advising policies and regulations.
- d) Follow up on the implementation of academic advising policies and regulations at the university, college, and department levels.
- e) Coordinate with the ADUS office and relevant units on matters related to academic advising policies, student progression, retention, orientation, training, and support services.
2. Communication and Information Management
- a) Launch, maintain, and regularly update the official academic advising webpage on the SQU website.
- b) Disseminate academic advising policies, regulations, and updates through the academic advising webpage, SQU email, and official social media platforms.
- c) Manage the Online Academic Advising System (OAAS).
- d) Manage and maintain data and records related to academic advising activities.
- e) Communicate assessment findings and recommendations to colleges and the DVC–AACS office.
3. Student Support
- a) Coordinate SQU orientation activities with colleges and other units.
- b) Coordinate with the Student Counselling Center, Deanship of Student Affairs, Center for Career Guidance, and Independent Learning Center on matters affecting academic advising and student success.
- c) Monitor students’ progression and retention in collaboration with relevant units.
- d) Handle critical student cases, including students at risk, on academic probation, students with disabilities, and those subject to withdrawal from SQU.
4. Professional Development and Training
- a) Organize and coordinate workshops, seminars, and training programs on academic advising best practices in collaboration with the Center for Excellence in Teaching and Learning (CETL).
- b) Develop, deliver, and evaluate general and specialized academic advising training programs for faculty members in collaboration with CETL.
5. Assessment, Quality Assurance, and Reporting
- a) Develop assessment tools and mechanisms to evaluate academic advising activities and services.
- b) Conduct periodic evaluation of academic advising practices to ensure continuous quality improvement and compliance with quality assurance requirements, in collaboration with the Quality Assurance Office (QAO).
- c) Produce assessment and quality assurance reports on academic advising at the college and university levels.
- d) Communicate evaluation findings and recommendations to relevant stakeholders and follow up on improvement actions.
Procedures
1. Undergraduate Academic Regulations
2. Postgraduate Academic Regulations
3. Student Retention and Progression Procedure
Quality Insurance
Quality Assurance content will be added here soon.