College of Engineering > About > College > Quality Assurance and Accreditation Unit

Quality Assurance & Accreditation Unit

The Quality Assurance & Accreditation Unit
QA and Accreditation Unit Responsibilities
ABET Accreditation at the College of Engineering

Dr. Hanan Al-khatri
Head of Quality Assurance and Academic Accreditation Unit (QAAAU)
College of Engineering
Ext: 2509
E-mail: khatri@squ.edu.om

Quality assurance means that a product or service satisfies certain demands or characteristics. In the context of higher education, quality assurance ensures that the educational process meets a certain level to confirm that the graduates satisfy certain attributes in line with the vision and mission of the higher education institution. In addition, the Omani Qualification Framework has identified the characteristics of the higher education graduates in the Sultanate of Oman. The importance of quality assurance in higher education evolves from its role in enhancing the performance of educational institutions and equipping graduates with the knowledge, skills, and competencies that contribute to their success and employability in a highly competitive international market.

At Sultan Qaboos University (SQU), there is an obvious interest in achieving high-quality standards at all levels. For this, the Quality Assurance Office was established in 2010 followed by the Quality Assurance and Academic Accreditation Units (QAAAU) in SQU colleges and the preparatory centre in 2017. At the College of Engineering, we are proud that all undergraduate programmes are accredited by the Accreditation Board for Engineering and Technology (ABET) with the first programme accredited in 2007, which shows the maintenance of the high quality of the undergraduate programmes in the college. Considering the postgraduate programmes, they are undergoing the Academic Programme Review (APR) with the first two Self-Study Reports (SSRs) of MSc Civil Engineering and MSc Mechanical Engineering being submitted to the Quality Assurance Office (QAO) at SQU. The visit of these two programmes is scheduled for Fall 2024. In addition, the Unit at the college supports SQU in the Institutional Standards Assessment (ISA) process by providing the Mandatory Materials (MMs) and Supplementary Materials (SMs) required for the SSR of the ISA.

Dr. Hanan Al-Khatri

Head of Quality Assurance and Academic Accreditation Unit, College of Engineering

Prepare and draft an academic accreditation roadmap for the College of Engineering.
Communicate with other relevant units within the College and the university on issues related to quality assurance and accreditation.
Supervise and coordinate quality assurance and academic accreditation activities in the college.
Follow up the implementation of quality assurance and academic accreditation processes in the college.
Prepare regular reports to the Dean of the college about quality assurance and academic accreditation processes.
Prepare and implement necessary training programs for staff on quality assurance and academic accreditation, in coordination with relevant units at SQU.
Carry out the logistical activities related to quality assurance and academic accreditation processes in coordination with relevant university units.
Collect and file data in the appropriate format required by institutional accreditation.

The college has always strived to ensure and maintain a quality engineering education. After the graduation of first batch, the college has started to invite ‘External Examiners’ for every program offered by the college. These external examiners were very carefully selected with right balance of educational and research experience. This yearly critical review has helped the college to maintain its standard through the first decade.

In Fall semester 2000, the University and College decided to proceed with ABET accreditation for all engineering programs. Currently all engineering programs offered by the college are ABET accredited. Four engineering programs namely Civil Engineering, Electrical and Computer Engineering, Mechanical Engineering and Petroleum and Natural Gas Engineering, attained substantial equivalency in 2006. The other four programs namely Architectural Engineering, Chemical and Process Engineering, Industrial Engineering, and Mechatronics Engineering, are ABET accredited since 2007. The remaining programs are ABET accredited since 2012, which is an acknowledgement of sustained quality efforts by the College of Engineering at Sultan Qaboos University. The college and departments have dedicated ongoing committees to work on continuous evolution of curriculum and its delivery in response to recent advances and local and regional community needs.