President of the Community College of Qatar (CCQ) Dr Khalid Mohamed al-Horr has revealed that the college's strategic plan and its new orientations meet the labour market needs, respond to career and academic ambitions of students, as well as promote its local stature, role, and reputation.
In an interview with Qatar News Agency (QNA), al-Horr said the new strategy is an expansion of CCQ's efforts throughout previous years, and concurrently keep up with the mobilisation of various sectors in the country to launch its sectoral strategies within the Qatar National Development Strategy 2023-2030, emanating from the Qatar National Vision 2030.
Readiness among the operating cadres in CCQ was strikingly high whether in the academic or administrative aspects at a variety of levels. The work has started one year ago to upgrade a new dynamic and flexible strategy that meets the aspirations of various segments of those who wish to complete their higher education and simultaneously fulfil the requirements of local labour market, al-Horr added.
He pointed out that the strategy is evidently the product of discussions among many CCQ's sectors and stakeholders from companies and state institutions, indicating that after productive discussions the high administration identified the CCQ's strategic orientation for 2023-2030 by drawing on renewal and development element through constant upgradation and optimisation of all major operations of the college, by focusing on strengths to meet the requirements of labor market through laying out new academic programmes and expanding students enrollment process.
Al-Horr stated that the efforts generated methods of reformulating CCQ's vision, mission, and values, in addition to identifying five strategic objectives to be achieved through the implementation of seven-year 22 strategic initiatives measured through 11 key performance indicators (KPIs) and all are dedicated to supporting CCQ's students and achieving their goals.
The new strategy was based on the accomplishments made during the past years with a sharp focus on supporting students' academic development and bolstering their career prospects, he pointed out, adding that CCQ has become a critical component of higher education in Qatar, especially after the graduation of 4,544 students from both genders since its inception in 2010.
After a closer look at the past strategic plan 2020-2023, and its impact on the primary operations in the college, along with the follow-up on the strategic plans of the best community colleges in the world, it has been concluded that the identification of crucial values is the core of the vision and mission in the new strategy, al-Horr added.
He outlined that those values underpin the service of parties of the educational process, mainly excellence, innovation, and students success, along with internal values that depend on diversity, impartiality, and accountability, which primarily boost CCQ's capabilities in achieving its vision set forth in the new strategy 2030 to be a catalyst for supporting students' academic progress and promoting their career prospects.
Subsequently, this will help communicate the educational and academic message represented in empowering students to strengthen their career opportunities, develop their personal skills, and proceed with lifelong education through providing excellent and flexible learning tracks, as well as strategic partnerships with a variety of institutions in the labour market, he noted. (QNA)
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Al-Horr recalled that CCQ's strategic plan includes five key objectives represented in offering quality education, achieving excellence of human capital, fostering partnerships, and providing supportive services for students to be an active institution.
The quality education entails laying out high-quality academic programmes that meet labour market requirements through providing an educational environment that supplies students with the essential knowledge to be active members in the community, whilst excellence of human capital implies expansion of attracting the pedagogical and competent staff, as well as upgrading their skills and expertise. (QNA)
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The college identified the third objective 'fostering partnerships' to build robust and clear partnerships with a variety of institutions to support CCQ's efforts and endeavours to achieve the strategic goals.
He added that CCQ's fourth objective ' supportive students services' comes to promote a unified culture to be supportive and attractive to students through a wide range of services, whilst the fifth objective ' active institution' is oriented towards ensuring efficiency of resources utilisation, as well as empowerment components to achieve sustainable growth and success.
Al Horr touched on the prominent initiatives listed under those objectives, including the obtainment of academic accreditation from the relevant national and international accreditation authorities, design a plan of employing the pedagogical staff to elevate the percentage of Qatari competences in the college, evaluate the current programs and take appropriate decisions accordingly, as well as device other programs in consistent with the college's philosophy.
He pointed out that the strategy includes key indicators to achieve the objectives, including measuring the achievement percentages within each initiative and inspect the requirements of the infrastructure with an assessment of the extent of progress required in each initiative, according to the schedule.
The performance indicators adopted help identify the progress levels, along with the extent of the commitment of the work team in each sector, department and section, each one with his fields of work and the purviews determined in the plan, in addition to the annual assessment of the performance of the teaching staff and administrative cadre, measuring the level of students' satisfaction with the educational services provided, and analyzing the level of public awareness of the status and role of the college in the community.
Al Horr highlighted the new organisational structure designed in accordance with the CCQ's new strategy, noting the creation of three new positions for CCQ vice presidents for academic, student, and shared services affairs.
Part of the new 2023-30 strategy, Al Horr said that the new organisational structure aims to facilitate work at the college among various organizational departments and academic sectors, and to create further cooperation in order to implement the vision and achieve the goals.
He stressed that the new structure ensures increased operational efficiency, responsibility and accountability, adding that responsibilities for the main sectors have been clearly defined to achieve this goal and enhance the performance.
In a related context, Al Horr indicated that the administrative units had been reduced to 56 from 76 in the previous structure, by merging some units in accordance with the new strategy, its philosophy and its objectives.
Regarding academic accreditation, he explained that the CCQ has begun academic accreditation procedures for six of its programs, to be added to the ELC Foundation Program, which earned the accreditation of US English Language Programs Accreditation Commission (CEA) in 2020.
He highlighted the efforts to obtain institutional accreditation and talks with the Ministry of Education and Higher Education (MOEHE) to be part of the experimental phase of the new accreditation system that will be launched in the country.
Al Horr stressed the CCQ's keenness to attract the best specialised academic and administrative competencies, and to work to keep pace with the best international practices in academic education, in a manner consistent with the national identity, which was reflected positively in expanding and disseminating knowledge, and enhancing students capabilities in the teaching, learning and problem-solving processes.
He added that the CCQ is working to accelerate the process of attracting qualified national competencies to work within its teaching staff, and to raise its contribution to the academic staff to more than 30% during the next three years.
In this context, he highlighted the CCQs 'academic competencies' initiative launched in June, in partnership with the MOEHE, and the Civil Service and Government Development Bureau, in order to attract national cadres and competencies and providing distinguished opportunities to develop their skills and abilities to work within the teaching staff of the community college, in addition to completing their post graduate programs in the country, in a way that achieves their ambitions, meets the needs of the labor market, and keeps pace with the countrys strategic directions.
The initiative included 16 majors, namely cybersecurity and network security, mechanical engineering, electrical engineering, political science, sociology, history, mass communication, theatre, project management, human resources management, marketing, economics, finance, and logistics and supply chains management, general administration, and business administration.
Speaking about the CCQ's infrastructure that witnessed great development since it was founded, Dr. Al Horr said the CCQ now has four educational buildings, and more than 8,340 male and female students from one building and 300 students in 2010.
The most recent expansions were in 2022 through the inauguration of two new campuses in Lusail. The two separate buildings for male and female students include the latest laboratories and modern classrooms, in addition to accommodations.
He revealed a plan to establish a unified building within the framework of the new strategy aiming to enhance plans to expand nationwide and meet the growing demand for its academic programmes.
In the 2023-24 academic year, the CCQ received 8,346 male and female students, Dr. Al Horr said, highlighting that it awarded 6,315 academic degrees, including 5,046 associate diplomas and 1,269 BA degrees, which qualified it to be a worthy model of academic excellence among higher education institutions in the country and an effective contributor to achieving sustainable development in accordance with Qatar National Vision 2030.
Al-Horr stressed that the CCQ will continue to co-operate with all college members and local and international partners, pursue a policy of continuous development, and provide new and diverse educational opportunities and programmes with international standards, to create an educational environment that stimulates creative thinking and innovation, call on all those wishing to complete their higher education to join the colleges academic programs, in various specialisations, in a way that meets their ambitions, reflects the aspirations of the local market, and responds to its needs for qualified national cadres to lead the next stage of Qatar's future. (QNA)
