Effat University, Design Department Strategic Plan 2022-2027

Design Department

Strategic Plan 2022-2027

Effat College of Architecture and Design

Effat University

I. Department Chair's Message

Effat Design Department under the umbrella of the College of Architecture and Design is committed to responding to the needs of the nation and the region for graduates with high caliber to share the workforce in the area of design in different development projects and thus help in achieving the country’s Vision 2030 objectives that require leadership skills to drive the design industry forward.

As we plan for our fifth strategic plan, Design Department aspires to maintain design leadership, coupled with world-class education, design research that benefits the community, and emerge as a top design educator locally and internationally. We aim at deploying design as a methodology for solving real-life problems through planning, research, and digitization.

With this new strategic plan, we are driving the momentum that already exists to unlock the potential of faculty, students and staff and create positive change in the society.

We aspire to further strengthen innovation through creative design and digital fabrication that would serve as a prototyping platform and a strategic design hub, with broad educational, social, and economic advantages. Through the use of the open resources’ tools and equipment, the platform will seek to empower a broad range of users to realize sustainable yet low-cost solutions in response to the world changing needs.

II. Department Vision, Mission, and Goals

Mission

Committed to advance the design profession locally and globally by developing creative and innovative design leaders to shape the culturally rich products and interior environment, supported

Vision

To be recognized globally as a leader in the field of product and interior design education, by enhancing the state-of-the-art facility, coupled with innovative world class research in a progressive

Goals

Goal 1: Strengthen the presence of the Design Program nationally and internationally to make it stand out as one of the distinguished design programs graduating talented and creative design leaders in correspondence to its vision and mission and pursue their achievement progress to help achieve the strategic plan goals.

Goal 2: Generate and maintain a productive professional atmosphere that is ethically sound, creative, and rich to enhance the design students’ learning and help in achieving national and international accreditation for the Design Program.

Goal 3: Offer the highest level of design education coupled with relevant vocational training for interior and product design students using innovative teaching methods and resources.

Goal 4: Recruit and retain caliber students, and develop them to be responsible, ethical, and creative interior and product designers

Goal 5: Employ suitably qualified and industry trained faculty with good record of research and community service in the fields of interior and product design and support their professional development.

Goal 6: Provide all students and faculty with

by the world class research to deliver the sustainable solutions through design excellence.

context to connect the design with culture, environment, and human needs.

well-equipped learning resources, facilities and equipment conforming to interior and product design industry standards to offer excellent teaching, learning and research experience

Goal 7: Stimulate design research and development sphere that supports creation of innovative ideas and solutions that strengthen the economic sustainability and promote entrepreneurship.

Goal 8: Empower the design program to play a significant role in community service, design knowledge dissemination, symposia, and endowing volunteering activities, that reinforces collaboration with local and international community, and inculcate the social responsibility.

III. Summary of Market Scan Findings

• IPSOS conducted an in-depth market research on the KSA Education market in December 2021 with the following objectives to develop a sound strategic plan for Effat University (EU):

1. Macroeconomic and Employment Landscape – Economic profile of KSA and its key industries, current and future demand of programs of KSA

2. POV – Employers – Interviewing potential employers within institutions in the target segment to understand the expectations from candidates and programs

3. POV – Students & Parents – Understanding the perceptions and attitudes of the current students and potential students and their parents, towards universities and programs

• To achieve the objective, IPSOS conducted a comprehensive desk research, quantitative survey with 875+ stakeholders (employers (50), current students (154), potential students (61) and parents (112) of the potential students), backed up by qualitative research for deeper insights.

• Here are the key findings from the research for the DESN department (Bachelor of Science in Design comprising interior design and product design tracks).

Macroeconomic and Employment Landscape

• While oil remains the major export product for Saudi Arabia, its dominance of the total export share for the country has declined over the past few years as shown in the graph below:

• It is clear from this chart that employers from manufacturing and construction are about 11 % who would be seeking our graduates from Interior Design and product Design.

• According to the market study, KSA would need professionals with hands-on training in specializations such as machine tooling, metalworking, electro-mechanics, and auto mechanics. These specializations are covered under Product Design track in the DESN department.

• The market study has also indicated that Saudi Arabia will invest over SAR 500 billion in airports, seaports, rail and other infrastructure by 2030 to make the kingdom a global transportation and logistics hub. These will secure many job opportunities for our graduates from DESN undergraduate program.

• It is worth mentioning that travel and tourism are currently accounting for 9% of GDP and is expected to grow at an accelerated rate thanks to $65 Billion earmarked for investment into the sector with remarkable government focus on that sector. This would again push for more jobs related to DESN undergraduate program (including product and interior design); as there would be more need for building related constructions and infrastructure.

• On the overall, and according to the following chart, it is evident that design has 100% positive outlook reflecting the confidence of having come out the pandemic and on the path to recovery. This clearly indicates the needs for design undergraduate program covered by Effat College of Architecture and Design

• Despite a decline in overall population share, female share of total workforce has increased from 11% in 1990 to 16% in 2020.

• The chart below indicates the number of employees by sector, 2021:

and retail trade; repair of motor vehicles and motorcycles

This module captures the willingness and likelihood of employers in KSA to hire graduates of Effat University. The findings were as follows:

• Driven by Saudization, employers across sectors noted that entry level hiring is likely to grow more than 5% in the next 3 to 5 years. 6 -10% of the employees are at entry level/fresh graduates. Saudization is expected to bring about 7.6%-12.5% growth in recruiting entry level/fresh graduate candidates.

• 70% of the employers surveyed also stated when it comes to recruiting candidates for entry level jobs, the University the candidate graduated from is the most important parameter.

• The key parameters used by employers to evaluate a university are the ‘Reputation’ of the university, its ‘Partnership with International Universities’, ‘Regional Ranking’ & ‘Past Experience’ with the students from the same university. Below is the snapshot of the universities considered as most reputed among employers:

% of the employers indicated the university name as most reputed (Unaided resoponses)

• Effat University’s reputation stands tall amongst the private universities, with 56% of the employers considering EU as one of the most reputed universities.

• Majority of the employers state that they consider the candidates are technically sound, with very good communication skills, in addition to holding a recognized internationally accredited degree.

• 100% of the employers in Jeddah and Makkah are aware of Effat University, followed by 60% in Riyadh, while the awareness is lower in other regions of KSA.

• 70% of the employers that are aware of EU are inclined to recruit candidates from EU in the coming years.

• EU is currently ranked as 61 – 70 in QS Arab Regional Ranking 2022, moved up from 101 – 110 ranking in 2019, tracing an upward trajectory.

• EU has established strong partnerships with 15 global universities. In Effat College of Architecture and Design, DESN program has partnership with Auburn University and fi Universiti Teknologi Mara in Malysia.

• The table below depicts the key skills preferred by the employers in order to hire candidates:

% of the employers indicated the university name as most reputed (Unaided resoponses)

• While the employers (~10) that are likely to recruit from Effat in the coming years are content with the positive reputation of the university, technical skills of the students, positive relationship with EU, etc., they have suggested that the candidates from EU would have a scope to work on their confidence level and interpersonal/presentation skills.

• 75% of the employers would like to receive direct communication from EU about their updated curriculum to the industry needs and newsletters about their students’ achievements which will increase their likelihood of hiring from the university.

• Graduates from DESN department, at Effat College of Architecture and Design show great technical knowledge, communication skills, interpersonal skills, problem-solving skills, and practical exposure, which are amongst the most important characteristics employers are looking for.

• The DESN program requires the completion of 240 hrs of internships. 62% of employers consider this an important skill in new employees.

• It is worth noting that students’ enrollment in the Ambassador Program and their participation in campus-wide activities and clubs, in addition to volunteering in events give them the practical exposure 70% of employers are looking for and the

extra-curricular activities 56% of employers are looking for.

• Other programs/subjects suggested by employers that are likely to be in demand in the coming years are as follows:

• As for the employers’ propensity to hire candidates by different programs offered by Effat University, as indicated in the chart below, there is moderate demand for Bachelor of Science in Design, but it is expected that interior design and product design demand will also grow as a complementary specialization related to growth in manufacturing and construction sectors.

Existing Offerings of Effat University

Program Specializations

BSc Architecture

BSc Design

BSc Cinematics Arts

MSc Urban Design

Demand likely to be in the following sectors

Interior design

Product design

Animation

Film production and direction

Arch / Interior Design Construction Product Design in Engineering & Manufacturing

Media Houses NEOM Publishing / Research (Animation)

It is worth to refer to the high demand for the non-degree programs offered under the College of Architecture and Design including diplomas in interior and graphic design which are strongly related to the DESN department tracks of interior and product design.

Existing Offerings of Effat University

Program / Specialization

English Language Training & Test Preparation

Professional certificates and Diplomas (e.g.Accounting, Finance, Marketing, Risk Management, etc.)

Short Courses (e.g. PMP, Six Sigma, Soft Skills, etc.)

Specialized Programs (e.g. Robot Design, Computer Applications, Graphic Design, Interior Design, Automotive Design, Photograpyh, etc.)

Verbatimsy

“These programs are designed for working professionals for working professionals for further career development and these programs are affordable”

“With Saudization being implemented, these programs would be critical to enhance the knowledge of the existing and new employees across sectors”

“Not aware that Effat is offering these programs”

“Why aren’t these programs offered online?”

“Online programs would help the corporates to suggest and encourage their employees to do these programs”

Employers didn’t have opinion on a few programs like General Education Program (GEP)

It is worth to refer to the high demand for the short course in photography offered by SCA.

Students’ & Parents’ Point of View

• A student’s journey to choosing a university is described as follows:

Current Student

• Location, preferred subjects and reputation are the key parameters for evaluating among the universities.

• Even though the EU placement test (English & Math) are considered as moderately difficult, overall admission process at EU was seen as smooth.

• Before deciding on EU, current students planned on visiting the university’s official website, seek advice from their families and visiting the university’s campus as shown in the table below:

According to current students, design including both tracks (interior and product design tracks) represent streams of choice for higher or further education, as shown below.

According to current students, offering scholarships, the availability of preferred programs and the quality of education are the reasons behind choosing EU as shown in the table below:

After considering the overall experience as a student at EU, 6 in 10 students are satisfied with the institution. This is depicted by the table below:

• 2 in 10 students are highly likely to continue their higher education with EU. According to current students, the industrial Engineering, and Fashion Design should launch. Those two specializations could be integrated in the DESN program. Increasing the number of teaching staff is the top improvement area according to current students as depicted by the chart below:

Potential UG Students

• Quality of education, reputation of the university and the career opportunities are the top reasons high school students consider Effat University. When comparing results with the overall universities, availability of dorms, international affiliations and ties with foreign universities are significantly higher for Effat University as shown in the chart below

Internet / Social media 99%

TV 58% Magazines 14%

Newspapers

Out of those who access Internet / Social media Instagram 86% Twitter 82% Facebook 69% LinkedIn 24% Snapchat 12% Tik Tok 3% Likability to continue higher education at Effat university 9 - 10 21% 7 - 8 18% 0 - 6 62% Programs Effat university should lunch Law 10% Medicine 5% Industrial engineering 5% Political science 1% Public relations 1% Fashion 1% International relations 1% Improvement areas Doctors providing a sufficient number of Doctors / More doctors to teach in all majors 10% More courses / Variety of courses / Advanced courses 5% Building / Improve building / Development of building 5% Provide more teachers / Recruitment / Restaffing the ICT department 5% Scholarship offer / Pay attention to the issue of scholarships 5% More majors 3% Reduce fees / Fees 3%

Internet and social media are the types of media most viewed by high school student. Instagram, Twitter, and Facebook are the social media platforms accessed regularly as shown in the charts below:

Radio

7%

Potential PG Students

6%

Top reasons behind considering Effat University by postgraduate students are having affordable fees, quality of education and the alumni network. When comparing the results with the overall universities, affordable fee, alumni network, international affiliations, and the faculty’s profile are reasons that are significantly higher as shown in the table below:

IV. Strategic Plan Strategic Area 1: Mission,

Vision, and Strategic

Planning

Objective 1: Implement DESN Strategic Plan

Implement DESN Annual Operational Plan

Actions by Initiatives

Implement Annual Operational Plan

• Formulate and set the 5-year strategic plan.

• Develop and implement the annual operational plan.

Percentage of achieved indicators of the program operational plan objectives (KPI-P-01; KPI-PG-1)

V. Strategic Area 2: Governance, Leadership & Management

Objective 1: Revise Organizational Structure

2022-2027

LEAD: DEP. CHAIR

OTHERS: FACULTY

Initiative

Restructure DESN department units

Update leadership roles

Review and revise reporting lines

Evaluate DESN department leadership performance

• Assess and report on the achievement of the annual operational plan for all units every Fall and Spring semester.

• Provide recommendation and improve the operational plan of the following year.

Objective 2: Appraise DESN Mission Objective and Success

Evaluate the Achievement of the DESN and Program Mission Statements

Actions by Initiatives

Evaluate the Achievement of DESN Mission Statement

Overall achievement of Mission Matrix consisting of select indicators that best represent mission components

• Identify the relevant KPIs that best represent the Mission components.

• Evaluate and report on the related KPIs and assess the overall achievement of the Mission.

• Provide recommendation and improvement plans where necessary.

LEAD: DEP. CHAIR OTHERS: FACULTY

Actions by Initiatives

Restructure DESN Department units

KPIs Responsibility 2022 2023 2024 2025 2026

Percentage of operational steps completed.

Percentage of alignment between the tasks assigned to the updated leadership role description.

Percentage of operational steps completed.

Percentage of performance achieved by leaderships.

LEAD: DEAN

OTHERS: DEPT CHAIRS

LEAD: DEP. CHAIR

OTHERS: FACULTY

LEAD: DEP. CHAIR

OTHERS: FACULTY

LEAD: DEP. CHAIR

OTHERS: FACULTY

• Review the current DESN department organizational structure and number of institutional units by benchmarking with other universities of similar size and age to recommend updates at all levels.

• Monitor the effectiveness of the departmental structure based on a set of criteria and make updates if needed.

• Conduct an interim comprehensive review of organizational changes and make updates as necessary.

• Conduct a comprehensive review of the DESN department structure by the end of the planning period in preparation for the next 5-year strategic plan.

Update Leadership Roles

• Evaluate leadership roles and responsibilities by revising and updating the specific descriptions of these roles of leaders at different levels.

• Set specific authorities, responsibilities, and tasks for each leadership role based on the ECoAD Charter and the Ministry bylaws.

• Review the leadership succession plan regularly.

• Ensure the effective and efficient distribution of the responsibilities of academic and administrative leaders in order to achieve harmony among the different units.

• Monitor and evaluate the adherence of leaders to the description of their leadership roles and tasks annually and be ready to adjust the description based on work needs.

• Review the leadership roles and their tasks by the end of the third year of the strategic plan and make changes as needed.

• Conduct a comprehensive review of leadership roles by the end of 2026-2027 in preparation for the next 5-year strategic plan.

Review and Revise Reporting Lines

• Revise DESN department reporting system and reporting lines to ensure a clear and smooth flow of information from bottom-up and top-down among academic and administrative units in order to achieve cooperative teamwork environment.

• Update efficient reporting templates used for producing semester reports for all academic and administrative units for Falls and Springs.

• Agree on the reporting lines and templates with all units.

• Pilot the reporting system in Fall and Spring 2022-2023 to make adjustments as needed for use in subsequent semesters.

• Conduct an interim review of the reporting system by the third year of the strategic plan and adjust the reporting system and reporting lines as necessary.

• Conduct a comprehensive review of the reporting system and reporting templates in preparation for the next 5-year strategic plan.

Evaluate DESN department leadership performance

• Assess how far DESN department leaders have managed to achieve their units’ annual objectives and help them set their new objectives for the subsequent year for their units as part of oversight and accountability of DESN department governance system.

• Conduct an interim review by revising the tools for leadership assessment and make changes as needed.

• Conduct a final comprehensive review of leadership assessment tools in preparation for the following 5-year strategic plan.

Objective 2: Restructure DESN Responsibilities

Initiative 2022-2027 KPIs Responsibility

Establish new DESN department strategic roles

Develop role descriptions

Evaluate the performance of individuals carrying the new strategic roles

Actions by Initiatives

2022 2023 2024 2025 2026

Establish new DESN department strategic roles and Develop role descriptions

Percentage of operational steps completed.

Percentage of role descriptions developed.

Percentage of performance achieved by the individuals.

Objective 3: Streamline DESN committee structures

LEAD: DEP. CHAIR OTHERS: FACULTY

LEAD: DEP. CHAIR OTHERS: FACULTY

LEAD: DEP. CHAIR OTHERS: FACULTY

Actions by Initiatives

Review and evaluate DESN Department Standing Committees

• Evaluate the efficiency of current standing committees based on a set criterion and recommend improvements and updates of their mandate, structure and/or function, as necessary.

• Monitor the initiatives and projects carried out by all committees and give a final report on their performance in Spring each year.

• Conduct a comprehensive review of the standing committees to give final assessment of their work and recommend changes for the subsequent 5-year strategic plan accordingly.

Review and evaluate DESN Department Committees

• Evaluate the efficiency of current DESN department committees based on a set criterion and recommend improvements and updates of their mandate, structure and/or function, as necessary.

• Monitor the initiatives and projects carried out by all DESN department committees and give a final report on their performance in Spring each year.

• Conduct a comprehensive review of current DESN department committees to give final assessment of their work and recommend changes for the subsequent 5-year strategic plan accordingly.

Objective 4: Attain and Maintain Program Recognition

• Update the institutional strategic roles at the level of DESN department and specify their authorities, responsibilities, and tasks taking into consideration that they have both academic and technical skills to achieve effective governance.

• Update the Governance Manual to include the updated strategic roles at the levels of DESN department and their job descriptions/authorities, responsibilities, and tasks.

• Evaluate the Governance Manual that includes the administrative and organizational flowcharts and job authorities, responsibilities, and tasks by the end of the third year of the strategic plan to make changes, as necessary.

• Conduct a comprehensive review of strategic roles at DESN department levels and their descriptions to make organizational changes by the end of the planning period in preparation for the next 5-year strategic plan.

Evaluate the performance of individuals carrying the new strategic roles:

• Evaluate individuals carrying out new strategic roles based on an agreed criteria (e.g., competence and skills) for evaluation every Spring.

• Give recommendations for improvement to the concerned individuals to improve their performance for implementation in the following year.

Initiative 2022-2027

Obtain and maintain national program accreditation

Obtain and maintain international program accreditation

Attain and maintain subject ranking

Conduct benchmarking data analysis annually

KPIs Responsibility 2022 2023 2024 2025 2026

KPI-I-02 Proportion of accredited programs.

KPI-I-02 Proportion of accredited programs.

Position in ranking (national, regional, worldwide)

Number of programs achieving subject ranking.

LEAD: DEP. CHAIR

OTHERS: FACULTY

LEAD: DEP. CHAIR

OTHERS: FACULTY

LEAD: DEP. CHAIR

OTHERS: FACULTY

LEAD: DEP. CHAIR

OTHERS: FACULTY

Actions by Initiatives

Obtain and Maintain National Program National Accreditation

• Review, and revise, as necessary, the current approach to international accreditation.

• Set a schedule for supporting the university in achieving international accreditation from NECHE over the 5-year planning period.

• Set a schedule for monitoring and supporting the programs in acquiring international accreditations over the 5-year planning period.

• Set a plan for applying for other professional accreditations for all applicable programs across DESN Department

• Conduct an interim review of the effectiveness of QA oversight processes in steering international accreditations and recommend improvements and changes as necessary.

• Conduct a final review of the effectiveness of QA oversight of international accreditations by the end of the planning period and recommend improvements for the next 5-year strategic plan.

Obtain and Maintain International Program Accreditation

• Review, and revise, as necessary, the current approach to international accreditation.

• Set a schedule for supporting the university in achieving international accreditation from NECHE over the 5-year planning period.

• Set a schedule for monitoring and supporting the programs in acquiring international accreditations over the 5-year planning period.

• Set a plan for applying for other professional accreditations for all applicable programs across DESN Department

• Conduct an interim review of the effectiveness of QA oversight processes in steering international accreditations and recommend improvements and changes as necessary.

• Conduct a final review of the effectiveness of QA oversight of international accreditations by the end of the planning period and recommend improvements for the next 5-year strategic plan.

Attain

and Maintain Subject Ranking

• Establish protocols for improving institutional and subject ranking based on monitoring and analyzing benchmarking data of the top ranked universities nationally and internationally to develop a plan to acquire the targeted institutional and subject rankings over the remaining 5-year planning period.

• Monitor institutional and subject ranking achieved annually and set plans for improvement.

• Conduct an interim review of the protocols for institutional and subject ranking and revise as necessary.

• Conduct a final assessment of the achievements of institutional and subject rankings by the end of the planning period and provide recommendations for improvement for the next 5-year strategic plan accordingly.

Conduct Benchmarking Data Analysis Annually

• Review, and revise, as necessary, policies and procedures for benchmarking.

• Supervise data collection and analysis of benchmarking data annually.

• Make use of the benchmarking data to reinforce and streamline the KPI management process by introducing a sound KPI framework.

• Automate the KPI management process by continually raising the benchmarks every subsequent year.

• Review the action plan for benchmarking to introduce improvements as required annually.

Objective 5: Monitor the Effectiveness of the Governance System Recognition

Ensure the compliance of DESN governing bodies, bylaws, and policies and procedures with relevant authorities (e.g. MoE, MoI).

Ensure the dissemination of circulations and decisions made by all governing bodies.

Ensure that DESN Department members follow Effat ethical Conduct.

Actions by Initiatives

Percentage of adherence of the governing system with relevant authorities (e.g. MoE, MoI).

Percentage of circulations and decisions disseminated.

Percentage of violations of the code of ethical conduct (Tarbawyyat).

Lead: Dep. Chair Others: Faculty

Lead: Dep. Chair Others: Faculty

Lead: Dep. Chair Others: Faculty

Ensure the compliance of DESN governing bodies, bylaws, and policies and procedures with relevant authorities (e.g. MoE, MoI).

• Review, and revise, as necessary, the governance system, bylaws and policies and procedures for ensuring their compliance with regulatory authorities.

• Monitor compliance activities with regulatory authorities based on the agreed criteria and set action for improvement as necessary every semester.

• Evaluate the effectiveness of the governing bodies 4-Conduct an interim review of the effectiveness of the governing body, bylaw, policies and procedures for ensuring compliance with regulatory authorities by the third year of the planning period and revise, as necessary.

• Conduct a final review of the effectiveness of policies and procedures for ensuring compliance with regulatory authorities over the whole planning period and revise as necessary for the next 5-year strategic planning cycle.

Ensure the Dissemination of Circulations and Decisions made by all Governing Bodies

• Review, and revise, as necessary, policies and procedures for internal and external dissemination of DESN decisions.

• Monitor dissemination of relevant information to stakeholders and set and implement actions for improvement as necessary every semester.

• Evaluate the levels of awareness by stakeholders of disseminated circulations and decisions and set improvements accordingly.

• Conduct an interim review of the effectiveness of policies and procedures for dissemination of DESN decisions and circulations and introduce improvements as needed.

• Conduct a final review of the effectiveness of policies and procedures for dissemination of DESN circulations and decisions and circulations by Spring 2027 in preparation for the next 5-year strategic planning cycle.

Ensure that DESN Members follow Effat Ethical Conduct

• Review, and revise, as necessary, protocols for monitoring ethical conduct across the institution DESN Department.

• Monitor and report on the violations of ethical conduct in line with the approved protocols and take actions for improvement as necessary every semester.

• Conduct an interim review of the effectiveness of ethical protocols followed over the previous planning period and revise, as necessary.

• Conduct a final review of the effectiveness of ethical protocols over the planning period and revise, as necessary.

Risk Management

The following table indicates the key risks associated with each strategic recommended area and a corresponding mitigation plan for every risk:

Topic Risk Mitigation Plan

Enhanced Governance and Improvised Organizational Structure.

Develop and Maintain Professional Accreditations.

Communication gap between levels in the hierarchy. Regular committee meetings to align all organization personnel on the updated policies. Proposing additional responsibilities and defining objectives. Adherence to NCAAA standards while using best and innovative industry practices.

Stringent requirements to obtain the accreditations.

Task force to be established to oversee the execution of all operational steps.

VI. Strategic Area 3: Teaching & Learning

Objective 1: Redevelop the Academic Portfolio

Initiative 2022-2027

KPIs Responsibility 2023 2024 2025 2026 2027

Percentage of all programs reviewed

• Based on the graph below, enrollment in Arts and Humanities make up to 23% of enrollment in Higher Education, and up to 22% in manufacturing and construction which are both covered under DESN department.

Higher Education Enrollments by Specialization

Review and reassess the current academic portfolio.

Develop new academic programs.

Monitor and respond to national policy on international HE regarding academic offering.

Review existing, and identify new, international educational partnership opportunities (DDs, Minors).

Actions by Initiatives

Review and Reassess the Current Academic Portfolio

Percentage of nominated programs revised.

Number of new programs developed - (BSC, MS, PhD, Minors, DM, DD, Ass Degree, Diploma, Certificate).

Percentage of operational steps completed.

• Proportion of existing partnerships (At least 1/ program).

• Degree of fulfillment of the educational partnership agreements.

LEAD: DEP. CHAIR OTHERS: FACULTY

LEAD: DEP. CHAIR OTHERS: FACULTY

LEAD: DEP. CHAIR OTHERS: FACULTY

The table below shows the competition between the programs offered by DESN department and other institutions at the undergraduate level:

Undergraduate programs offered by universities: Effat University vs. other universities

LEAD: DEP. CHAIR OTHERS: FACULTY

King Fahad university for petroleum and minerals

Prince Sultan university

The American university in Cairo

American University of Beirut Wesleyan university Georgetown university

BSc Architecture x x

• Continue overseeing working parties at ECoAD levels to follow up on the Program Review schedule.

• Ensure all academic programs conduct regular assessment processes to continually improve the curriculum, through a feedback system for all teaching faculty.

• Deploy an assessment committee that reviews the reports periodically and provides feedback to the respective departments to re-assess the existing academic programs.

• Benchmark the academic programs with the leading national and international universities to review and assess the programs.

Develop New Academic Programs

• Assess the current portfolio strengths and weaknesses, to strengthen the existing portfolio and incorporate new programs to expand the current portfolio. We recommend a framework that incorporates competitors’ strength, current students’ ratings, and sector outlook to determine if the potential course is an opportunity or not.

• Assess the current portfolio strengths and weaknesses, to strengthen the existing portfolio and incorporate new programs to expand the current portfolio.

Effat College of Architecture and Design

As per the tables above, it is clear that there is weak competition with Design especially product design. As for students rating, the satisfaction percentage is high as per the latest program and student surveys. This implies to keep the program in the same way it is offered. Accordingly, we recommend the following framework to support future planning:

Based on the market analysis and the institutional capabilities, we recommend the following decision-making academic program portfolio matrix with actionable outcomes to each scenario:

• Moreover, the department has to monitor any updates in HE bylaws which can help its program become more attractive like creating exit points or including minors or double majors. The department has to invest in offering continuous education diplomas and training workshops for the community in all specializations related to the DESN department.

• Program feasibility studies to be conducted for four to five programs per academic year.

Conclusion

DESN

Area of Analysis Recommendations based on Analysis

Employers

• Employers from manufacturing and construction are about 11 % who would be seeking our graduates from Interior Design and product Design.

• Employers’ propensity: high demand mainly driven by the construction sector growth.

• Saudi Arabia will invest over SAR 500 billion in infrastructure This will secure many job opportunities for fields related to Product Design

Keep/Modify/Revamp Timeline

Objective 2: Establish E-Learning Provision

Initiative 2022-2027 KPIs Responsibility 2023 2024 2025 2026 2027

Review and revise e-learning facilities and resources

Develop and operate e-learning strategy

Actions by Initiatives

Saudi vision 2030

• KSA would need professionals with hands-on training in specializations such as machine tooling, metalworking, electro-mechanics and auto mechanics. These specializations are covered under Product Design track in the Design department.

• $65 Billion is earmarked for investment in tourism, pushing for more jobs related to interior and product design.

• Enrollment in Arts and Humanities make up to 23% of enrollment in Higher Education.

Students

• Although the demand shown below is moderate, but it is expected that interior design and product design demand will also grow as a complementary specialization related to growth in manufacturing and construction sectors.

• According to current students, design including architecture and both design tracks (interior and product design tracks) represent streams of choice for higher or further education.

Evaluation Framework

Competitor Strength: Weak Current Student Rating: Moderate

Sector Outlook: Strong

SWOT Outcome: Strength

Monitor and Respond to National Policy on International HE Regarding Academic Offering

• Monitor developments of national policies on internationalization in higher education.

• Monitor internationalization activities in other Saudi higher education institutions.

• Monitor international higher education institutions’ activities in the Kingdom.

• Develop response policies and activities considering changing environment.

Review Existing, and Identify New, International Educational Partnership Opportunities (DDs, Minors)

• Review current partners

• Evaluate effectiveness

• Recommend renewing contract or identifying new partners

• Develop and offer joint programs with international partner

Percentage of operational steps completed.

Percentage of operational steps completed.

• Continue activities, finalize proposals and submit to Teaching and Learning Committee for approval.

• Invest in an adequate e-learning platform.

LEAD: DEP. CHAIR OTHERS: FACULTY

LEAD: DEP. CHAIR

OTHERS: FACULTY

• Review the adequacy of the e-learning facilities and resources through satisfaction rate of the stakeholders (Faculty, students). Develop and Operate e-learning Strategy)

• Develop e-learning programs per Department

• Offer the programs as per the approved schedule

• Assess the successful implementation of the offered e-learning programs by assessing:

a. Number of students registered compared to the projection,

b Satisfaction rates of Faculty

c. Satisfaction rate of students

Objective 3: Develop and Extend Novel Pedagogies

Initiative 2022-2027 KPIs Responsibility 2023 2024 2025 2026 2027

Increase integration of project-based learning

Strengthen Research/Teaching nexus in educational delivery

Review, revise and extend cocurricular education and the Effat Ambassador Program

Actions by Initiatives

Proportion of courses involving project-based learning.

Proportion of courses embedding the research/teaching nexus (With Research Publication).

Percentage of operational steps completed.

Increase Integration of Project-based LearningInvest in an adequate e-learning platform.

LEAD: DEP. CHAIR

OTHERS: FACULTY

LEAD: DEP. CHAIR

OTHERS: FACULTY

LEAD: DEP. CHAIR

OTHERS: FACULTY

• Emphasize project and problem-based learning, helping students learn by constructing solutions to real-life problems through three main characteristics that are central to the twenty-first century pedagogy:

a. Problem statements are tied to curriculum and learning goals of the university.

b. Focus on the central concepts or principles of topics.

c. Projects are based on real-world problems and are presented in the form of case studies.

Strengthen Research/Teaching Nexus in Educational Delivery)

• Foster the concept of learning beyond classrooms using technology to gain a deeper understanding of complex ideas and ability to work in global teams to generate new ideas and theories.

• Lead the students to publish their work in journal/conferences.

Review, Revise and Extend Co-curricular Education and the Effat Ambassador Program

• Deploy teaching metacognitive skills, that will help the students to plan, monitor and evaluate one’s own understanding and performance, thereby allowing them to reflect on their own critical awareness about how they think and learn, enhancing their personality.

• Conduct Focus group to revise the co- and extracurricular activities.

• Update the co- extra-curricular activities.

• Implement the programs.

• Assess the successful implementation of the program through EGC achievement and students’ satisfaction of the EAP.

Objective 4: Embed Employability in Teaching and Learning

Initiative 2022-2027

Integrate service learning within all programs

KPIs Responsibility 2022 2023 2024 2025 2026

• Percentage of programs that integrate service learning

• Number of programs aligned (NQF, KSA Job Classification).

• Percentage of students acquiring Professional and training Certificates.

• Students’ performance in professional and/or national examinations *** (SR 1.1.1) (KPI-P-06).

Actions by Initiatives

Integrate Service Learning within all Programs

• Identify the courses that can be conducted with Service-Learning component.

• Discuss at the beginning of the semester the projects and companies to collaborate with.

• Plan for the workshop with the company to launch the project.

• Present the outcomes.

• Assess the successful implementation through companies and students’ satisfactions.

Align PLOs with Market Needs

• Establish and activate DESN Department Committee on Academic Portfolio (CAP)

• Continue Overseeing working parties at departmental levels to follow up on the Program Review schedule.

• Finalize new proposals to Curriculum Committee for approval if any.

LEAD: DEPT CHAIR

OTHERS: FACULTY

Deploy Professional Experts in Teaching

• Conduct workshops regularly within the DESN Department by inviting professional experts such as language experts, soft skill experts, etc. to prepare the students for their career ahead..

Provide on-campus and off- campus Field Experiences

• Integrate employability skills into the course to foster skills such as team effort, time management, project management, ethics and moral dilemmas, code of conducts, communication skills, etc. to prepare the students to face real-world corporate and entrepreneur challenges.

Integrate State-of-the art Technology within all Programs

• Learning activities must be designed on relevant and real-world incidents using appropriate technologies.

Align PLOs with market needs

• Graduate employability and enrolment in post graduate programs ** (KPI-I-05) (KPI_P-07) (KPI-PG-07)(Annually).

• National - International and

• within 6 months)”

• Employer evaluation of the institution graduate proficiency ** (KPI-I-08) (KPI-P-09) (KPIPG-08)

LEAD: DEPT CHAIR

OTHERS: FACULTY

Deploy professional experts in teaching

Provide on-campus and offcampus field experiences

Integrate state-of-the art technology within all programs

• Proportion of courses professional experts deployed for teaching

• Proportion of programs with on-campus and off-campus field experience

• Percentage of programs that utilize state-of-the-art technology

LEAD: DEPT CHAIR

OTHERS: FACULTY

LEAD: DEPT CHAIR

OTHERS: FACULTY

LEAD: DEPT CHAIR

OTHERS: FACULTY

Objective 5: Ensure Academic Excellence

• Average number of students in the class (KPI-P-08).

• Students’ evaluation of quality of learning experience in the programs (PES) ** (KPI-I-03; KPI-P-02; KPIPG-02).

• Evaluation of Faculty members to the learning Environment (FSS) *** SR 1.2.3.

• Grade distribution (% [A+, A] and % [D+, D, F] is less than 20%).

• GPA distribution (>= 2) of the graduates and continuing students.

Objective 6: Revise Learning Resources

Initiative

Review and improve learning resources

Actions by Initiatives

Monitor academic excellence

• % Of students progressed out of the risk status at all levels (UG & G).

• First-year students retention rate (Undergraduate) ** (KPI-I-04; KPI-P-05).

• Completion of Graduation rate for Undergraduate/graduate Students in the specified period ** (KPI-I-06 & KPI-P-04; KPI-PG-06).

• Students’ evaluation of the quality of the courses on five-point scale. (+Participation rate). ** (KPI-P-03 & KPI-PG-03).

• Achievement of Program learning outcomes.

LEAD: DEP. CHAIR

OTHERS: FACULTY

2022-2027

2022 2023 2024 2025 2026

Review and Improve Learning Resources

KPIs Responsibility

Satisfaction of beneficiaries with learning resources ** (KPI-I-07 & KPI-P-17 & KPI-PG-13)

LEAD: DEP. CHAIR

OTHERS: FACULTY

• Improvisation to the learning resources (textbooks, videos, relevant reading material, etc.) should be done every academic year by taking the collective feedback of both the students and the faculty.

• Constantly expand the learning resources used in the Effat library to broaden the learning gamut.

Risk Management

• The following table indicates the key risks associated with each strategic recommended area and a corresponding mitigation plan for every risk:

Topic Risk Mitigation Plan

Market data are challenging to acquire

Reputation of the newly launched program in the region

Conduct a thorough research project to procure data for the analysis.

Effective marketing to convey the prospects (employer demand) of the newly launched program.

Attain the Effat Graduate Characteristics

Attain the English Level proficiency

Actions by Initiatives

Monitor Academic Excellence

Percentage of students achieving the four Effat Graduate Characteristics annually.

Percentage of attainment of requested English level by DESN department students.

• Closely monitor every student’s scores obtained in their respective programs.

LEAD: DEP. CHAIR

OTHERS: FACULTY

LEAD: DEP. CHAIR

OTHERS: FACULTY

Reinforcing the academic portfolio

Shortage of faculty with expertise in the newly launched program

Legal and political risk.

Hire additional staff with prior experience in the newly launched program, along with newly graduated talent, as an assistant.

Legal formalities to be navigated by a firm specializing in education and the mission and vision of the program to be launched should be aligned well with the Department faculty.

Additional time effort and increased workload for the faculty. Set realistic timeline expectations for the faculty with appropriate boundaries.

Technical glitches. Setting contingency plans for the faculty.

Lack of necessary hardware or skill exhibited by the students.

• Actions must be taken after every trimester to ensure performance improvement every subsequent trimester.

• Post monitoring, we recommend the following framework to improve the academic performance of every student:

• Define student success as: timely degree completion, uninterrupted retentions, minimum cumulative GPA requirements, etc.

• Build a predictive model to arrive at a predicted success score for each student using: pre-enrollment data (income, demographic, high-school score, etc.) and post-enrollment data (class scores, attendance, etc.)

• Based on the success score, segment the students into predicted success groups: Above-average, average and below average.

• Devise strategic nudges to intervene and provide the necessary resources needed each segment..

Attain the Effat Graduate Characteristics

• Review and monitor the progress of students and provide aid to assist the attainment goals.

Attain the English Level proficiency:

• Conduct regular workshops to empower students’ English proficiency and encourage obtaining professional language certifications.

E-learning provision

The e-learning platform should be designed after carefully considering the students’ limitations to provide equal opportunities to all students.

Financial challenges. Usage of grants and endowments to facilitate the e-learning environment.

Resistance towards e-learning by the internal faculty.

Align the Department faculty with the benefits of e-learning and hire staff that is skilled in e-learning if the existing faculty chooses to opt out of it.

Enhanced Learning Experience and Skill Set Development

Students’ resistance towards new pedagogies.

Faculty with lack of knowledge or skills to execute newer pedagogies.

Communicate the benefits of the new pedagogies to the students and make the whole process likable to the students by executing them in the form of a game or in a fun way encouraging more participation.

Workshops by professionals to educate and align the color faculty to carry out the functions smoothly and appropriately.

VII. Strategic Area 4: Students

Objective 1: Improve Student Involvement

Initiative

Revise student clubs and activities

KPIs Responsibility 2022 2023 2024 2025 2026

• Number of clubs and students associations per year fulfilling IQRA value.

• Number of sport activities fulfilling IQRA value in which DESN Department students participated.

• Number of community service hours completed per student (volunteering) fulfilling IQRA value.

• Number of students participating in activities fulfilling IQRA value out of the total of DESN Department students’ body.

Objective 2: Improve Student Experience

Initiative

Automate DESN department students' related processes

Improve quality of student’s experience

• Percentage of students satisfied with automated processes.

• Percentage of utilization of the automated processes.

• Percentage of DESN department students satisfied with the quality of co-curricular and extra-curricular programs and activities.

LEAD: DEPT CHAIR

OTHERS: DEAN SA/ STUDENTS COUNCIL

Improve student services

Encourage students to become future entrepreneurs

• Students’ satisfaction with the offered services.

• KPI-I-10.

• Number of student activities geared. towards entrepreneurship

• Number of partnerships established.

• Number of start-ups.

LEAD: DEAN SA/ DEAN DAR

OTHERS: DEPT CHAIR

LEAD: DEAN SA

OTHERS: DEANS / DEAN QA DEPT. CHAIR STUDENT COUNCIL

LEAD: DEPT CHAIR

OTHERS: DEAN QA/ DEAN SA/ STUDENT COUNCIL

LEAD: DEPT CHAIR

OTHERS: DEAN QA/ DEAN SA/ STUDENT COUNCIL

Enhance student role in governance

Actions by Initiatives

Revise Student Clubs and Activities

• Number of identified DESN Department governing bodies with student involvement

• Satisfaction rate of students’ activities.

LEAD: DEPT CHAIR

OTHERS: DEAN SA/ STUDENTS COUNCIL

Actions by Initiatives

Automate University Students’ Related Processes

• Identify processes that need to be automated in collaboration with DSA/DAR or initiated by DESN Department

• Devise a plan with a timeline to automate the identified processes.

• Implement the automation plan.

• Measure the satisfaction of students.

• Broaden the range of clubs and students’ organizations to help students build unique set of skills

• Support sports activities by ensuring the participation of DESN Department students in sporting events.

• Contribute to the community with activities geared towards civic engagement (volunteering in charity organization, environmental projects, socio-cultural activities, etc.)

Enhance Student Role in Governance

• Enhance the DESN Department culture by supporting students’ participation in DESN Department governance (councils, committees)

• Improve students’ governance (students shura, student government) by aligning it with students’ interests and needs.

• Improve the automated processes as needed.

Improve Quality of Student’s Experience

• Review and recommend updating co-curricular and extra-curricular programs and activities serving DESN Department (Student Success Programs)

• Revise the Academic incentives for co-curricular and extracurricular programs and activities.

Improve Student Services

• Promote and support learning activities beyond the classroom (such as field trips, site visits, hosting guest speakers, workshops, students’ seminars, etc.).

• Enhance academic services (admission, registration, advising, orientation, grievances and appeals, graduate audit, scholarship, graduation ceremony).

• Improve campus wide services (food services, technology, printing services, housekeeping services, etc.).

• Plan, design, and implementing Campus Life student counseling and wellbeing services.

Encourage Students to Become Future Entrepreneurs

• Cultivate entrepreneurship culture within the DESN Department by focusing on the activities geared towards entrepreneurship

• Create opportunities for students to participate in social entrepreneurship contests.

• Develop partnerships with community entities that could support or finance DESN Department students’ start-ups..

Objective 3: Develop International Student Mobility

Initiative

Establish opportunities for outgoing student mobility

Establish opportunities for incoming student mobility

Establish virtual mobility experiences within programs

International Student Ratio

2022-2027

2022 2023 2024 2025 2026

KPIs Responsibility

Percentage of graduate and undergraduate DESN students enrolled at educational institution abroad for at least six weeks in the academic year.

Percentage of international incoming students to DESN Department.

Number of virtual mobility opportunities and programs established.

Proportion of international undergraduate and postgraduate DESN Department students who spent at least three months in the institution during the academic year.

Actions by Initiatives

Establish Opportunities for Outgoing Student Mobility

LEAD: DEPT CHAIR OTHERS: PROVOST/ DEAN/DEAN SA

LEAD: DEPT CHAIR OTHERS: PROVOST/ DEAN/DEAN SA

LEAD: DEPT CHAIR

OTHERS: DEAN/ DEAN T&L/DEAN DAR

LEAD: DEPT CHAIR

OTHERS: DEAN SA/ DEAN

Objective 4: Increase Student Population

Initiative 2022-2027

Achieve sustainability through recruitment and retention of diverse body of students

2022 2023 2024 2025 2026

Actions by Initiatives

KPIs Responsibility

Percentage of DESN Department students

population out of the projected number in the strategic plan.

Achieve Sustainability through Recruitment and Retention of Diverse Body of Students

LEAD: DEPT CHAIR

OTHERS: DEAN/DEAN DAR

• Launch and closely monitor a student journey management initiative, where strong recruitment and retention plans cover the entire students’, journeys based on the following different levels:

a.Enrolments – Conduct effective marketing activities on relevant students target groups, attractive online and offline recruitment processes, and on-campus school recruitments from leading schools with great pass-out, to ensure enrolling good quality students. Special attention should be given to male recruitment

b.Onboarding – Simplify the onboarding processes through efficient digital tools, bringing services directly to the students.

c.Student Life – Employ a Customer Relationship Management to track and monitor a student’s touchpoints throughout the journey.

• Promote student mobility program, select and send the best eligible undergraduate and graduate students to the partner.

• Select and send the best eligible undergraduate and graduate students to the partner.

Establish Opportunities for Incoming Student Mobility

• Plan and implement recruitment campaign for attracting international and visiting students.

• Update and maintain a well-informed website devoted to international students.

• Build and maintain strong connections to international entities (cultural attaché, Islamic centers, international schools, international universities, ...).

Establish Virtual Mobility Experiences within Programs

• Form successful virtual academic and nonacademic opportunities and programs for undergraduate and graduate students with DESN Department network of partners.

• Encourage motivated students to join the established virtual opportunities and programs with the partner universities.

• Evaluate the effectiveness of the virtual opportunities and programs and students’ satisfaction for continuous improvement.

International Student Ratio

• Plan and implement recruitment campaign for attracting international and visiting students.

• Provide attractive scholarship/sponsorship programs and support services.

• Update and maintain a well-informed website devoted to international students.

• Build and maintain strong connections to international entities (cultural attaché, Islamic centers, international schools, international universities, ...).

dAlumni Engagement – Engage alumni in building marketing capabilities and contributing to the ARCH department, college and university through donations or other non-revenue generating activities.

Objective 5: Improve Alumni Relations

Initiative 2022-2027

Graduates with entrepreneurial businesses

Improve alumni communications and data management

Develop focused portfolio of alumni activities

Establish alumni mentorship program

Improve alumni performance

2022 2023 2024 2025 2026

KPIs Responsibility

Percentage of entrepreneurial businesses of undergraduate alumni within (12/24) months of graduation.

Percentage of completion of DESN Department alumni database.

Number of alumni activities developed.

Percentage of alumni participation in mentorship programs.

Percentage of alumni participation in offered training programs.

LEAD: DEPT CHAIR

OTHERS: DEAN/DEAN SA

LEAD: DEAN SA

OTHERS: DEAN/DEPT CHAIR

LEAD: DEPT CHAIR

OTHERS: DEAN/DEAN SA

LEAD: DEPT CHAIR

OTHERS: DEAN/DEAN SA

LEAD: DEPT CHAIR

OTHERS: DEAN/DEAN SA

Actions by Initiatives

Graduates with Entrepreneurial Businesses

• Cultivate entrepreneurship culture within the DESN department by focusing on the following:

a.Case studies of real-world corporate stories and operational hiccups faced by them.

b.Create opportunities for students to participate in social entrepreneurship contests.

c.Invite business executives to deliver lectures.

d.Provide consulting services to non-profit organizations (for final year students).

• Follow closely with clubs and activities that encourage entrepreneurial activities.

• Follow graduates with entrepreneurial business and invite them as motivational speakers and for workshops, etc.

Improve Alumni Communications and Data Management

• Obtain the information while they are still students at the college.

• Build unbreakable alumni relations, promote their brand, and earn goodwill for the institution.

• Update the alumni database in collaboration with DSA to have a clear standpoint of all possible alumni information every semester.

Develop Focused Portfolio of Alumni Activities

• Organize focused portfolio of alumni activities and events in collaboration with the alumni association representative through:

a. Engaged and rich discussions with alumni from different ages, locations, and professional backgrounds.

b.Social media activities.

c.Personalized messages to establish a strong personal communication.

d.Alumni annual gathering.

e.Other focused activities.

Establish Alumni Mentorship Program

• Provide mentorship opportunities for alumni by current DESN Department faculty.

• Invite alumni to mentor current students through individual or group activities.

• Invite alumni regularly to the university campus to meet with the current students through seminars, speeches, etc.

Improve Alumni Performance

• Assess the needs of the alumni for professional development opportunities.

• Offer training programs, workshops, seminars, to improve the performance of the alumni.

Risk Management

The following table indicates the key risks associated with each strategic recommended area and a corresponding mitigation plan for every risk:

Topic Risk Mitigation Plan

Improve Students’ Involvement in Activities & Governance & Experience.

Financial restraints.

Organizational constraints (lack of time and resource).

Lack of internal capabilities.

Smart allocation of funds and collecting reasonable fees from the students participating to reduce the burden of additional funds required.

Hire additional resources to balance the workload and focus on student clubs and activities.

Improve Student Population and Experience.

Long term commitment.

Hire external agencies and organizations that are proficient, to deploy a few of these initiatives.

Deploying systems such as CRM to capture sufficient data can be applied as a long-term goal.

Student Mobility.

Financial consideration for the student.

Form strong relationships with the partner departments and programs, that would help in securing tuition waiver and free accommodation to visiting students from the host side and provide the same in return to the visiting students.

Alumni Engagements

Cultural differences between the host and home institution.

The international office should provide psychological counselling for students facing difficulties in coping with cultural changes. Language-barrier. Emphasis on English learning courses.

Pleasantries exchanged are usually one-way. Communication to be designed in an interactive way.

Alumni relations solely based on financial contribution.

Alumni contribution can be implemented through offering internships for ARCH department students in the alumni architectural firms, mentoring students through planned events, seminars and lectures when needed, etc.

Communication might be impersonal. Customized and more personalized communication to build an emotional connection.

VIII. Strategic Area 5: Faculty & Staff

Objective 1: Maintain the Staffing Profile that Complies with Governing Body Requirements

Initiative 2022-2027

KPIs Responsibility 2022 2023 2024 2025 2026

Percentage of achieve institutional Saudization body

Percentage of females vs males (KPI-P-12).

Enhance the staffing profile to meet and maintain the requirements of governing bodies

Proportion of faculty members with doctoral qualifications (KPI-I-12).

Percentage of Part-timers vs. Full-timers.

Percentage of achieved ranks (Full ProfessorAssociate Professor – Assistant Professor) (KPI-P-12, KPI-PG-11).

Percentage of achieved recruiting needs.

LEAD: DEPT. CHAIR

OTHERS: DEAN/S- MHR

Actions by Initiatives

Enhance the Staffing Profile to Meet and Maintain the Requirements of Governing Bodies

• Attract and recruit a qualified Saudis faculty and staff to fulfill the Saudization requirement by governing bodies.

• Promote talent Saudis within the department by offering incentives to pursue their path.

• Send Saudi students abroad for higher studies to prestigious DESN programs around the world under the scholarship program.

• Achieve the appropriate desired staffing profile complying with MoE regulations.

• Identify the needed teaching staff profile.

• Implement the recruitment process.

Objective 2: Improve Faculty Experience

Initiative 2022-2027

KPIs Responsibility 2022 2023 2024 2025 2026

Ratio of students to teaching staff (KPI-I-11, KPI-P-11, KPI-PG-10).

Rebalance faculty workload

Proportion of faculty with reduced teaching load.

Faculty satisfaction with work environment.

LEAD: DEPT CHAIR

OTHERS: PROVOST/ DEAN/ MHR

Provide professional development support for research

Actions by Initiatives

Proportion of professional development opportunities provided to support research out of the total.

Faculty satisfaction with professional development opportunities provided to support research.

Provide Professional Development Support for Novel Pedagogies

• Collect the annual needs for faculty professional development.

• Prepare an annual plan for professional development, which is implemented in three phases.

a.Educational Development.

b.Personal Development.

c.Organizational Development.

• Implement the PD plan.

• Assess the plan through the faculty satisfaction rate

• Recognize outstanding teaching.

• Encourage faculty to have memberships of professional societies aligned to DESN program.

LEAD: DEPT. CHAIR

OTHERS: PROVOST/ DEAN MHR

Foster equity diversity and inclusion strategy

Actions by Initiatives

Rebalance Faculty Workload

Proportion of teaching staff leaving the institution (KPI-I-13, KPI-P-13, KPI-PG-12).

International teaching staff Ratio.

LEAD: DEPT. CHAIR OTHERS: DEAN MHR

• Maintain the balanced workload to help the faculty to participate in different research and professional activities by retrieving research support (reduction of teaching load, incentives, facilities, leaves).

• Balance faculty workload between teaching and research for research-intensive faculty.

Foster Equity Diversity and Inclusion Strategy

• Provide an effective orientation program.

• Make the University and college bylaws& faculty and staff handbooks available for all employees.

• Maintain a healthy work environment.

• Enhance the climate of the university by engaging faculty & staff.

• Give employees multiple ways to provide feedback.

• Apply fair and transparent promotion procedures for all employees.

Objective 3: Extend Faculty Development Program

Initiative 2022-2027

2022 2023 2024 2025 2026

KPIs Responsibility

Provide Professional Development Support for Research

• Develop and implement an annual plan for professional development to support research activity.

• Conduct training and workshops to enhance the faculty research skills.

• Increase the involvement of Professors in research to increase the research and innovation output.

Objective 4: Maintain Appropriate Mechanism to Recruit and Retain Competent Support Staff in all Occupational Category

Initiative 2022-2027

KPIs Responsibility 2022 2023 2024 2025 2026

Ratio of students to support staff in all occupational category.

Develop and implement desired support staff profile plan

Actions by Initiatives

Develop and Implement Desired Support Staff Profile Plan

Proportion of support staff in all occupational category leaving the department.

Proportion of staff receiving professional development opportunities per year.

Staff satisfaction with professional development opportunities provided.

Provide professional development support for novel pedagogies

Proportion of professional development opportunities provided to support for novel pedagogies out of the total.

Faculty satisfaction with professional development opportunities provided to support novel pedagogies.

LEAD: DEPT CHAIR

OTHERS: PROVOST/ DEAN/ MHR/DQA

• Attract and recruit the finest staff.

• Apply retention strategies, aimed at retaining qualified employees.

• Ensure that 12% of DESN staff are being professionally developed.

LEAD: DEPT. CHAIR

OTHERS: PROVOST/ MHR

Stakeholders’ Management

• The development of a robust Stakeholder Management Plan (SMP) is critical to achieving project’s objectives in more streamlined and effective way. According to the industry best practices, the SMP can be bifurcated into four phases:

• Phase 1: Stakeholder Identification - Identify the stakeholders and bifurcate them into:

• Phase 3: Execution of the Plan - Assign a committee headed directly by and under the supreme control of the university president responsible for the execution of the SMP.

• Phase 4: Monitoring and Improvisation -SMP cannot be static; it must be dynamic and amended and updated as and when required throughout a project (continuously improved). Disaffected people within stakeholder groups must be identified throughout the process and managed accordingly..

To achieve the best results through the implementation of above-mentioned framework, we recommend the following to DESN::

• Assign a team of 3-4 members to a committee that is responsible for the development, monitoring and implementation of the SMP.

• One member will be responsible for the mode of meetings to be conducted with the stakeholders (face-to-face, telephonic, etc.). This member will segregate the stakeholders according to their seniority and position with the university to further decide on the mode of engagement.

Note: There might be an overlap for some people

• Phase 2: Stakeholder Analysis - Each stakeholder must be analyzed based on their influence, motivation/interest, success, etc. to develop a tailored plan to keep the stakeholders happy and committed to university’s vision. We recommend the following framework for the analysis:

• Build impersonal relationship with the stakeholders at various levels through constant interaction and engagement.

• Seek their opinion and views of the stakeholders regarding various issues and activities.

• Create a feedback system where the stakeholders are empowered to share their thoughts on sensitive matters without any apprehension.

• One member within the team will be responsible for the communication channel strategy, to choose the best mode of communication depending on the type (internal or external) of stakeholder and their importance to the university.

• One IT and process related member will be responsible for all the data to be stored and analyzed later. This process must be streamlined and eventually the same member will develop reports on a monthly basis to continually leverage stakeholders’ position with the university.

• Based on the category of the stakeholder, develop a tailor-made communication strategy plan using one or more of the following communication channels:

−Push – Where information is pushed to the stakeholder either manually in the form of emails, memos, written agreement or automatically, through a work management software, where email notifications are sent every time a project action has been performed.

−Pull – Consists of information and resources like project management plan, resource load charts, and other reports stored in a central repository for stakeholders’ perusal.

−Interactive – These include face-to-face meeting, training sessions, telephonic meetings, video calls and any other mode of communication involving direct human touch.

• Devise a communication plan based on the identification and segmentation of stakeholders to establish clear goals and action points. A sample table to illustrate the recommended framework is mentioned below:

Risk Management

The following table indicates the key risks associated with each strategic recommended area and a corresponding mitigation plan for every risk:

Topic Risk Mitigation Plan Recruitment Criteria Lack of talent or stringent recruitment criteria in the national market. Nurture talent from within as a part of a fast-track initiative.

Training workshops should be conducted, and lecturers should be utilized as a resource under the professors

Management Initiatives

Increasing research output with limited resource.

Vision Saudization Finding and recruiting local talent.

Lecturers will gain more exposure to research while contributing to more research output Assistant professors can contribute more to the research while passing on some of the administrative responsibilities to lecturers and admin staff.

Incumbents should be promoted from within the DESN Incentives in the form of scholarships, fast track-growth, exposure in the form of faculty exchange programs, etc.

Faculty Development Program (FDP)

Building an internal development center.

Knowledge Development.

Workload amongst the internal faculty needs to be redistributed in order to make time for the inception of an FDC

Introduction of professional courses or workshops to define and align the goals in professional development.

IX. Strategic Area 6: Institutional Resources

Objective 1: Maintain Financial Stability

Implement DESN department Financial plan

Actions by Initiatives

Enhance/Upgrade the Technological Solutions to Support Academic and Administrative Operations

• Improve the quality and equipment of the lecture rooms and computer labs to ensure high quality of teaching and facilitate the interaction with students.

Optimize the Use of Facilities and Equipment to Achieve Safe, Healthy, and Sustainable Campus

• Revise and update Master Campus Plan to ensure its alliance with DESN Department needs (including vacant land parcels) and to maintain compliance with Ministry of Education Bylaws.

Diversify income streams

Actions by Initiatives

Implement the DESN Department financial plan

Deviation percentage (positive or negative) of expenditure and income from the budget (measured monthly, quarterly, per semester and annually).

Percentage of self- income of the department to total income (KPI-I-14).

LEAD: DEPT. CHAIR

OTHERS: DEAN/MF

LEAD: MF OTHERS: DEAN/DEPT.

• Annually review campus building and facilities to meet the emerging needs of academic and administrative units

Risk Management

The following table indicates the key risks associated with each strategic recommended area and a corresponding mitigation plan for every risk:

CHAIR

• Maintain the financial planning and management control system, with capabilities to perform budgetary and forecasting processes, financial delegations, and risk management.

Diversify Income Streams

• Develop, implement, and evaluate Revenue diversification strategy.

Objective 2: Improve DESN Department services (IT and Facilities and Equipment)

Percentage of achievement for each source of income to budget. Initiative

Topic Risk Mitigation Plan

Improve Institutional Infrastructure

Enhance/upgrade the technological solutions to support academic and administrative operations

KPI-I-15 Average of beneficiaries’ satisfaction rate with technical services...) on a five-point scale in an annual survey in terms of:

a. Suitability.

b. Safety and confidentiality.

c. Availability and ease of access.

d. Maintenance and support services.

Percentage of fulfillment of facilities and equipment of the needs for the department

LEAD: DEPT. CHAIR

OTHERS: DEAN/DQA/ MIETS

LEAD: FACILITIES

OTHERS: DEPT CHAIR

Optimize the use of facilities and equipment to achieve safe, healthy, and sustainable campus

Average of beneficiaries’ satisfaction rate with facilities and equipment services on a five-point scale in an annual survey in terms of:

a. cleaning services.

b. Safety and healthy campus.

c. access for disabled.

d. Maintenance and support services.

e. security.

f. restaurant, CDC, residence.

g. transportation.

LEAD: DEAN QA – SES & PES

OTHERS: DEAN/DEPT CHAIRS

Untenable financial demands for new technology commitments.

Prioritization and smart allocation of funds based on more lucrative opportunities. Strong faculty and staff resistance to new solutions related to buildings and grounds on philosophical or other grounds.

Long-term benefits to the DESN department’s faculty and staff should be clearly communicated before taking capital decisions.

X. Strategic Area 7: Research & Innovation

Objective 1: Develop Diversified Research Impact in Areas of National and International Priority

Identify and establish focused research relationships with national and international partners

Monitor and respond to national policy on international HE regarding research

Identify and establish focused research relationships with national and international partners

Proportion of external funding for research to the total ARCH Department research budget (KPI-I-21)

The degree of international diversity in terms of partnered international research network*

Percentage of partnered research to the total research output (Including internal collaborations amongst ARCH Department and its departments)

LEAD: DEPT. CHAIR

OTHERS: FACULTY

Monitor and respond to national policy on international HE regarding research

Percentage of operational steps completed.

LEAD: DEPT. CHAIR

OTHERS: FACULTY

Actions by Initiatives

Identify and Establish Focused Research Relationships with National and International Partners

• Review policies and procedures related to research for faculty participation in national and international research venues.

• Promote research collaboration by enhancing DESN Department visibility through national media communication.

• Scan, identify and collaborate with possible opportunities for national, regional and international research partners.

• Evaluate the effectiveness of the research partnership and set the new goals for next cycle.

• Prioritize fund-raising efforts through collaborative research proposals targeting national and international funding organizations and businesses.

• Develop capabilities to raise funds (“5% from the total research budget of the department” “not less than 125 K SAR”) through external sources by targeting national and international funding organizations.

• Support Faculty in identifying external sources of funding to supplement funding from the department, thus ensuring their financial autonomy.

• Assisting faculty with the process of writing proposals for funding by, among other things, organizing proposal writing workshops, marketing the capabilities of ARCH Department Researchers among the funding agencies, and incentivize DESN Department Researchers for networking.

• Delegate responsibilities to the most credible names within the research faculty to write proposals for funding.

• Identify department DESN Department research clusters and link them to the activated research partnerships nationally, and internationally.

Monitor and Respond to National Policy on International HE Regarding Research

• Scan, on a yearly basis, the possible updates of research by checking the governmental research related institutions (i.e., KACST, RDO, SAIP).

• Design a timeline to review research related policies, and update if needed.

Objective 2: Consolidate Research Achievements

Increase proportion of active researchers

Extend integration of graduate students and programs in published research

Actions by Initiatives

Increase Proportion of Active Researchers

• Foster the recruitment of leading national and international scholars, leading in their respective fields of research (postdoctorates, scholars on sabbatical, retired scholars as they can contribute through their experience).

• Offer adequate compensation or incentives for the active researcher, based on the research projection.

• Conduct regular workshops and meetings to promote collaborations between DESN department faculty with active researchers.

Extend Integration of Graduate Students and Programs in Published Research

• Promote the process of involving PG students in research publication by co-authoring with their faculty.

Increase Researcher Productivity

• Focus further in the process of faculty recruitment on candidates with a proven track record in research.

• Aid new researchers and those seeking research careers in the process of publications and grant proposal writing.

• Provide adequate internal seed funding (Internal Financial Support) to increase the research productivity of active scholars.

• Allow teaching release time for very active researcher whenever possible to spend the needed time on research production.

Improve Research Impact

• Improve the quality of the research production published in national and international journals and books and impact through:

• Raise awareness for internal cross citations.

• Facilitate the DESN Department support for open access publications to increase the opportunity of citations.

• Indexing DESN Department journals to help in increasing the number of indexing citations.

• Empower faculty to publish with top 2% (highly cited) scholars.

• Spread the research advancements made by ARCH Department researchers through effective PR communication, both internally and externally.

• Establish a regular newsletter to highlight and celebrate the achievements of department ARCH Department researchers.

Percentage of publications of faculty members (KPI-P-14; KPI-PG-15)

Proportion of graduate students with at least one refereed publication (Journal Article or Proceeding) during their study to the total number of students in the PG program during the year. (KPIPG-18)

LEAD: DEPT. CHAIR

OTHERS: DEAN/DGSR

LEAD: DEPT. CHAIR

OTHERS: DEAN/DGSR

• Publicize and raise awareness about ARCH Department research activities on EU website and blogs as a gesture of promoting research culture both within and outside the ARCH Department.

• Instill and grow a strong research culture amongst DESN department to bolster research output through support and motivation to the researchers

• Encourage department Faculty & Students to produce quality research by providing variety of venues (Indexing Effat Journals/Proceedings, incentive systems, Editing Office Services).

Increase researcher productivity

Improve research impact

Rate of published research per faculty member (KPI-P-15; KPI-PG-16)

Citations rate in refereed journals per faculty member (KPI-P-16; KPI-PG-17).

Number of Scopus/ISI publications over the 5 years.

Number of patents, innovations, and awards of excellence (KPI-PG-19).

Number of Scopus publications per year.

LEAD: DEPT. CHAIR

OTHERS: DEAN/DGSR

• Maximize the opportunities for faculty to collaborate with highly cited researchers.

• Develop capabilities to increase the production of IPs, patents, and innovations through the establishment of an intellectual property office within the DESN Department.

• Support DESN Department faculty, students & researchers to obtain external research awards across various fields and category

LEAD: DEPT. CHAIR

OTHERS: DEAN/DGSR

Objective 3: Promote the Research Environment

Establish endowed/named research chairs

Utilize existing research labs/units / centers

Actions by Initiatives

Establish Endowed/Named Research Chairs

Number of chairs established. LEAD: DEPT. CHAIR

Degree of utilization of existing facilities & resources

Satisfaction of beneficiaries with research facilities, and equipment (KPI-PG-14).

XI. Strategic Area 8: Community Engagement

OTHERS: DEAN/DGSR

LEAD: DEPT CHAIR

OTHERS: DEAN/DGSR

Objective 1: Institutionalize Community Engagement Governance

Initiative 2022-2027

2022 2023 2024 2025 2026

KPIs Responsibility

• Identify research strengths and opportunities of the university and develop plans for scientific chairs.

• Scan, identify and collaborate with governmental and/or institutional bodies for the selected research areas.

• Address potential donors/ sponsors for research chairs.

• Manage the chairs and evaluate their effectiveness.

Utilize Existing Research Labs /Units /Centers

• Enhance the research environment and infrastructure to increase the research productivity through effective use of state-ofthe-art research laboratories, research centers, online databases and resources such as Scopus, Thompson Reuters Web of Science, and software for both qualitative and quantitative research.

• Evaluate the satisfaction of the users of research facilities and equipment

Risk Management

The following table indicates the key risks associated with each strategic recommended area and a corresponding mitigation plan for every risk:

Topic Risk

Research collaborations.

Research Output & Alignment to National Objectives

Competitive space to get grants and funding from external sources.

Mitigation Plan

Increase credibility of DESN research Enhanced communication and marketing to get DESN out there in the public space thereby enhancing visibility.

Financial constraint, lack of resource and skill. Focus on high ROI through spends to hire more resource Conduct training workshops to develop skill. Focus on winning grants and getting funded.

Establish coordinated approach to community engagement (Partnership and Agreement)

Increase memberships with wellknown organizations

Promote consultancy services

Actions by Initiatives

Number of partnerships and agreements per year (diverse and aligned with community service areas PACCE).

Number of memberships per year.

Number of consultancy opportunities offered per year.

Establish coordinated approach to community engagement (Partnership and Agreement)

• Develop, review, and implement policies for community engagement relations.

LEAD: DEPT CHAIR

OTHERS: DGSR/ FACULTY

LEAD: DEPT CHAIR

OTHERS: DGSR/ FACULTY

LEAD: DEPT CHAIR

OTHERS: DGSR/ FACULTY

• Nurture and continue community engagement activities both locally and internationally through constant communication with organizations in the community, showcasing the mutual benefits that can be achieved by partnering.

• Develop relationships with the community leaders by inviting them to the DESN for their expertise and problem-solving abilities.

• Focus on developing agreements and partnerships with key government, economic and service sectors, to support the sustainability of environmental resources.

• Increasing the awareness hereabout the important of community engagement.

Increase Memberships with Well-known Organizations

• Evaluate the current DESN memberships and recommend the renewal of efficient ones.

• Scan, identify and activate new membership opportunities with prestigious national/international organizations and DESN department.

Promote Consultancy Services

• Assess consultancy needs of the market, develop the marketing plan to promote consultancies, and implement & analyze the effectiveness based on the market study.

Actions by Initiatives

Enhance DESN Department contribution to MCPR /media Center:

• Specify the function, tasks and responsibilities of DESN Department contribution to the media center.

• Develop and implement the annual plan of DESN Department contribution to the media center.

• Assess the impact of the implementation of the plan on the DESN Department visibility.

Market DESN Department with all key external stakeholders:

• Maintain and update DESN Department content and insights on the university website as per international standards to attract the best talent and connect with all external stakeholders.

• Expand DESN Department stakeholder network, categorize them and tailor-made communication strategy plan

• Interact with the prospect students or their families through the chatbot to help resolving any query.

• Participate in major exhibitions to promote DESN Department.

• Scan, and identify, the solicitation opportunities in the market.

• Design a marketing plan to attract the attention of potential companies and evaluate its success.

Develop Revised Social Media Presence

• Intensify the presence of social media platforms such as Instagram, twitter, LinkedIn and Facebook.

• Enhance targeted ad-strategy to market the content on these social media platforms to increase the number of followers (Audience Growth) and post reach (impressions).

Promote the Participation in External Awards Opportunities for Effat University Faculty and Students

• Encourage the internal participation with awards and certificates to foster more participation.

MarCom (Marketing & Communication) Planning Framework

The following is an integrated marketing and communication (IMC) framework followed widely around the globe because of its strong fundamentals:

Review of the marketing plan of Design department

Analysis of the communication process between Design department and all related departments

Budget determination for a concrete recruitment plan for Design department

Develop integrated marketing communication program for Design department

Advertising Digital Marketing

PR & Design department Activities

Integrate and implement marketing communications strategy for Design department

Integrate and implement marketing communications strategy for Design department

Events and Fairs

• According to the research conducted by IPSOS, digital marketing is the most accessed channel by both the UG and PG potential students, with Instagram and Twitter being the most popular social media venues explored by the potential students.

• The visual representation of the same is depicted below:

Risk Management

The following table indicates the key risks associated with each strategic recommended area and a corresponding mitigation plan for every risk:

Topic Risk Mitigation Plan

Institutionalize and Enhance Community Governance and Engagement.

Assistance needed by the students engaging in community services.

Provide support to the students in the form of transportation, food, and guidance.

Lack of motivation for students and alumni to continue with community engagements. Reward the service providers in the form of awards and certificates.

Financial constraints.

Events can be done in collaboration with the local community bodies to reduce the financial burden on the department and university. Enhance DESN department Visibility.

Marketing team hiring constraints. Avail the services of an external marketing agency while slowing ramping up internal marketing capabilities.