University of Nizwa Forum Recommends Strengthening Course Alignment and Academic Standards
Participants in the Second Faculty Forum at the University of Nizwa have called for strengthening the accuracy and alignment of the university’s Meaningful Teaching and Learning framework through additional external educational review, in a set of recommendations issued at the close of the event.
The forum, held on 24 November 2025 at the Hazm Hall on the university’s main campus, brought together academic staff and college deans and was attended by Prof. Ahmed Khalfan Al-Rawahi, the University Chancellor. The discussions centred on enhancing course design, assessment practices, and institutional policies to ensure compliance with national and international quality standards.
Participants stressed the importance of submitting the Meaningful Teaching and Learning framework to further evaluation by external pedagogical experts to verify its effectiveness and alignment with recognised quality benchmarks. They also urged the Centre for Enhancing Teaching and Learning (CETL) to organise additional workshops on course design guidelines, course development, approval and review processes, as well as the university’s academic assessment regulations for students.
The recommendations also called on the Executive Board for Academic Affairs (EBAA) to review the updated student academic conduct policy, introducing a dedicated clause on the use of artificial intelligence and developing a university-wide AI policy to guide academic practice.
College deans and academic faculty further highlighted the need to review general and university-wide requirement courses, taking into account the competencies expected by relevant schools and departments. They underscored that course structures must reflect the hierarchical progression outlined in the Oman Qualifications Framework (OQF), ensuring that programmes cover all required learning levels.
Forum participants agreed that each school or department should complete the process of submitting course outlines before the end of the current academic year. Curriculum committees within schools were tasked with verifying the accuracy and completeness of these submissions. Departments were also encouraged to appoint an external reviewer to evaluate course submissions to ensure objectivity, adherence to standards and independent verification.
The forum further recommended that faculty members use the electronic Table of Specifications (TOS) as a guiding tool in developing tests and examinations. Academic staff are expected to utilise automated teaching and assessment plans to demonstrate alignment between course learning outcomes, teaching strategies and assessment methods, subject to external pedagogical review.
In a keynote presentation, Prof. Abdulaziz Al-Kindi, Vice Chancellor for Academic Affairs, provided an overview of the forum’s agenda. He addressed the principles governing course design, development, approval and review, alongside the university’s Student Academic Assessment Policy (SAAP). His presentation also explored the broader considerations shaping course content, objectives and orientations in line with national educational policies and the university’s strategic vision.
