PYD EP is committed to the advancement and mentoring of all its teachers, especially those joining the staff for the first time, and its policy is to provide effective mentoring to these new faculty members.

PYD EP believes policy regarding teachers joining its staff for the first year is necessary not simply to help these staff members adapt to its methodologies and pedagogies, but also to help these staff members adjust to living in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, which can prove to be a difficult task. Life in KSA is a totally new experience for many individuals, especially those from Western nations that are unfamiliar with Islamic customs and laws. Saudi Arabia has a very strict, conservative view of the world. Men and women are segregated in most activities (including education); driving is not allowed for women; non-Muslim religions cannot be practiced in public; there are no movie theaters; and alcohol and pork are illegal. Therefore, making sure these teachers understand not only how to teach at PYD EP but also how to live in KSA is essential.

Mentoring can be formal and informal, can be about every feature of academic life, and can include professional development, conferences, social events, and one-on-one mentoring between more senior members of the teaching staff and teachers joining the staff for the first time.

More formal aspects of this mentoring is in the form of presentations. New teachers view presentations regarding the module system, quarter system, grade explanation, the syllabus, classroom management, and other facets of the program. New Team Leaders are given a hard copy of the Team Leader FAQ, and in the second session of the orientation, new faculty members meet with their Team Leaders for welcoming meetings. Finally, new teachers participate in presentations regarding visas and Saudi culture.

Presently, there is no formal PYD EP policy in which there is a pairing of a more senior faculty mentor with a novice teacher, but the program is exploring the possibility of including one.

Personnel Records and Confidentiality of Personnel Information

PYD EP personnel files are defined as documentation regarding its administration, support, and teaching staff members. The contents of these personnel files regard copies of the staff members’ initial applications, qualifications (if necessary), iqammas (national registration cards) or other Saudi visas, evaluations, any disciplinary action (if necessary), and personal leave such as bereavement.

To safeguard this information, only authorized individuals have access to these personnel files. PYD EP utilizes both file cabinets and digital folders to protect these records; access is limited only to certain administrative and support staff members. Health records can be revealed to medical and first aid workers. Active members of faculty have the right to access their own records. An individual may review these records by appointment with the support staff member(s) in charge of safeguarding these files. It is possible for these individuals to request copies of these records at no charge.

Any request a member of staff has to edit any erroneous information in his or her records may be made to the appropriate support staff member in writing. Some errors (such as those regarding birth) may only be fixed when accompanied by appropriate documentation. The designated support staff official may consult with the Program Director and Assistant Director(s) if necessary. The content of the personnel files may not be disclosed to third parties without the official consent of individual who is the subject of the file request.

The following is the schedule for record retention:

Medical records

30 years after termination

Faculty promotion/demotion

30 years after termination

Grievance/other leave records

30 years after termination

Payroll

10 years after termination

Applications (successful candidates)

10 years after termination

Applications (unsuccessful candidates)

5 years after termination

Teaching Class Assignment

Purpose: To ensure that PYD EP has a stable, transparent, and fair process of allocating teaching assignments on a quarterly basis.

This procedure is known as the Teaching Class Assignment process, or TCA.

The contract with KFU calls for 16 contact hours per week, thereby requiring every teacher to teach for four contact hours every day, as well as lesson plan and/or provide other contributions during two office hours per day from Sunday to Wednesday. Thursday tests generally last two hours, and proctoring assignments are given by teachers’ Team Leaders. Teaching assignments are considered primarily on the teacher’s previous contributions they have made in teaching, related activities, and service.

Every determination will be made to assign teaching duties in a rational and fair way, and will attempt to accomplish the following:

assigning classes that are most appropriate for certain teachers

minimizing odious comparisons among the teaching staff regarding duties

attempting to ensure that all teachers have as reasonable amount of students as possible, with ideally no more than 25 students

If a teacher disagrees with his or her assignment, the teacher may meet with the Assistant Director to discuss the disparity. If the teacher is still dissatisfied, then a committee of three teaching staff members (including one Team Leader) will be selected to hear the case, and then make a recommendation for the Program Director.

If a teacher has a specific teaching assignment request, he or she should contact the Assistant Director on the male or female side at least eight weeks before the quarter begins. If a teacher has a disability or temporary impairment (and any limitations the disability or impairment presents) that affects TCA, the teacher should provide the Program Director with the appropriate medical documentation so he can plan accordingly.

It is understood that TCA might change over time, with developments being added if needed.

Formal Program Yearly Appraisal

Planning and Development

Finances

• What unique budgetary issues, if any, need to be resolved to ensure the success of PYD EP’s mission?

• What initial steps/actions, if any, need to be taken and by when?

Academic

Evaluations

• What distinctive flaws and/or successes were evident in the weekly unit tests?

• What distinctive flaws and/or successes were evident in the accompanying audio tracks for the Listening Tests? Did any feature any section(s) that had incomprehensible audio?

  • What can be done to remedy these issues?

Teaching Staff

• Were there any specific members of the teaching staff who are returning for the next academic year and who demonstrated weaknesses and therefore need assistance in their instruction and other pedagogical practices?

• What were some issues that the teaching staff had holistically?

  • What are some ways to remedy these issues?

Student Performance

• What were the general trends visualized in the audit of yearly student data?

  • What, if any, changes are needed in the curriculum and instruction?

Mission

• Did the program fulfill its mission this past academic year?

  • If not, what can be done for the upcoming year to ensure the program is fulfilling it mission?

Improvement

The following table shows the breakdown for which individuals are in charge of review and improvement:

Sector Fall Winter Spring Summer

Executive Committee and Research Counsel

-Review quarter results; determine if any changes are needed.-Identify teachers who are in need of pedagogical support.-Determine which aspects teachers as a whole need professional development.-Decide if any operational changes are necessary.

-Review quarter results; determine if any changes are needed.-Decide if any operational changes are necessary.

-Review quarter results; determine if any changes are needed.-Decide if any operational changes are necessary.

-Review quarter results; determine if any changes are needed.-Review the academic year holistically and determine if changes are needed for the following academic year.-Decide if any operational changes are necessary.

Team Leaders

-Coordinate with academic team to identify teachers who are in need of assistance.-Identify specific areas within the entire group of teachers where professional development may be needed.-Identify and recommend to the ECRC teachers who might be able to lead professional development.

-Coordinate with teachers who are in need of assistance.

-Coordinate with teachers who are in need of assistance.

-Review the academic year holistically and recommend changes to the ECRC that are needed for the following academic year.

Student Assessment Review

1. Conduct assessments.

2. Attain pertinent data.

3. Analyze data.

4. Conclude what (if any) changes need to take place regarding the assessments.

5. Implement modifications.

Assessments

Date of assessment

Relevant data

Analysis

Changes

Implementations

Placement tests

Weekly unit tests

Weekly unit quizzes

Midterm and Final Exams

Records Retention Policy

Statement

PYD EP requires that university records be disposed of or retained for specific periods of time in accordance with KFU policies. These records should be managed according to procedures outlined in this policy document.

Who needs to be aware of this policy?

• The Dean of the PYD

• The Program Director

• Assistant Directors and other managers

• Team Leaders and Module Leaders

• Support Staff

• Teachers

Who is responsible for maintaining records?

PYD EP support staff

Records schedule

Student examination results are retained for a total of three years before being securely discarded. Record retention periods may be increased for reasons such as KFU administrative orders, government regulation, or audit requirements (if any).

Student Complaint Procedure                                                                          Student Complaint Procedure (Arabic)

A formal complaint is a student’s expression of dissatisfaction because the student feels that his or her rights and/or interests have been negatively impacted by either a PYD EP teacher or because of one of the program’s policies.

The topics that are subject to complaints are the size of the student’s class, the ability to view a test after receiving a failing grade, issuing a complaint about the student’s grade(s), Moodle support, other complaints and general enquiries. Any non-failing grade does not warrant a justified academic appeal, and it will not be accepted. An academic appeal can regard an error in grade calculation, but a disagreement regarding the instructor’s professional opinion will not be heard.

Students are able to file a formal complaint if they have been unsuccessful at resolving their issue informally with their teacher or appropriate member of staff, or if the nature of the issue cannot be solved informally. PYD EP aims to be fair and efficient in this process, and PYD EP management staff will investigate the matter promptly.

The following is a list of procedures PYD EP follows when a formal complaint is issued.

The investigation may include the complaining party and other parties (such as PYD EP staff members) involved.

• If the formal complaint involves a teacher’s pedagogical practice and/or classroom behavior, the teacher’s Team Leader may be informed of the issue and decision.

• Decisions will be made available to all parties involved orally. If necessary, a conference may be required to discuss the issue with multiple parties if appropriate.

• Appeals may be directed to the Preparatory Year Program Dean.

• A record of complaints is maintained by PYD EP support staff.

Academic Referral Policies

PYD EP teachers who are concerned about certain aspects of a student’s performance and conduct may notify the student and the PYD EP administration via several avenues:

Academics

Teachers concerned about a student’s academic performance may utilize the KFU PYD Student Improvement Plan. The areas of concern a teacher may identify on this sheet are attendance, quizzes, writing assignments, participation, behavior, tests, or other areas and specific problems. An individualized plan is created with the student, teacher, and the Academic Director and/or Operations Director, and students should keep track of student progress at the conclusion of every week. A Final Report is composed to record and analyze reasons for the student’s poor performance, if necessary.

Behavior

Behavior issues that arise may be logged by a teacher via Behavior Warning sheets. The first warning warrants a meeting with the student’s teacher to create an action plan for improving the student’s behavior. The student will be warned that additional acts of misconduct may lead to more severe action. A second warning merits a meeting with a member of the PYD EP administration, and an action plan for improving the behavior will be created. A third warning results in a meeting with the Dean of the PYD to discuss an action plan.

Suspension and expulsion from the program are not within the realm of jurisdiction of PYD EP management and staff, but is the decision of the Dean of the PYD.

Attendance

Attendance warnings are given to students if they have missed ten percent of their English classes. They are referred to support staff members if they need to submit late and/or absent excuses. If the student has been absent for fifteen percent of the classes without receiving any dismissal of the absences, he or she will be forbidden from taking the final examination.

Referrals should contain the name of the student being referred, the specific conduct, specific evidence of the deficiency, the name and signature of the teacher, and the date of the referral. All referrals are submitted by teachers to support staff members, who forward them to the Dean and any other relevant individuals. A copy is kept with support staff members.

Safety Procedures for Social Activities

PYD EP strives to provide a safe environment for students and staff members participating in recreational and social activities. PYD EP insists that all associated with the activities involved adhere to the applicable KFU regulations regarding safety policies and procedures.

Each faculty member involved has primary authority in providing the safety of those under their authority. All teachers and staff members must report to their supervisor any hazardous conditions which conflict with correct safety practices. Managers are accountable for confirming that corrective action is immediately taken, as well as ensuring that first aid treatment is attained and reports are made regarding the incident. The Operations Director must be notified of any unsafe condition.

In preparation of these recreational activities, PYD EP members should adhere to the following KFU safety procedures:

• Safety requirements of university buildings

  • http://www.kfu.edu.sa/ar/Departments/safty/Documents/ReportsEshterAatat.pdf

• Restroom safety

  • http://www.kfu.edu.sa/ar/Departments/safty/Documents/10-SafetyinToiletsReport.pdf

King Faisal University

Preparatory Year Deanship English Program Administrator Performance Appraisal

Goals:

• Performance is in line with the program’s mission

• Meets all deadlines

• Demonstrates familiarity of program policies and procedures

• Anticipates difficulties and recommends a variety of solutions

• Corresponds with other members of the program’s management

ADMINISTRATOR INFORMATION

Employee name:

Years with the program:

Position title:

E-mail address:

Possible ranks:

Exceptional (E): Achieved exceptional level of performance in a way that is deeply valuable to the program, its team, and its students. Exceeds requirements of the role, and does so even when the tasks are challenging. Consistently works to improve the program and ensure it is meeting its mission.

Meets expectations (M): All requirements of the role are consistently met, with minimal errors. Fully meets the expectations of the job, requiring only standard management. Completes assignments on time.

Improvement needed (I): Role requirements are usually met but are inconsistent. Some other performance features not met. Requires more supervision to ensure the administrator fully understands all aspects of the position.

Unsatisfactory (U): Consistently fails to meet job expectations. Improvement needed is significant. Corrective action needed.

Summary and further comments/narrative (if needed):

Plans for growth:

I have reviewed this appraisal with my supervisor, and I have been advised of my performance.

____________________________________________

Employee Signature

____________________________________________

Date

_____________________________________________

Supervisor Signature

_____________________________________________

Date