University of Nizwa Launches Student Success System to Provide Enhanced Academic Support
Rawan Al Nadabi
In an effort to support learners beyond the traditional classroom setting, the University of Nizwa (UoN) has recently launched the Student Success System (SSS), a new academic support department that aims to provide quality academic support to students across all study disciplines. The SSS comprises four primary units, including the Writing Center (TWC), Learning Enhancement Center (LEC), ANJIZ Resource Lab, and English Standard Testing, all of which will work together to support students in their academic endeavours.
The UoN was the first academic institution in the Sultanate of Oman to establish a writing centre in April 2009, providing continuous language support to learners. Since then, the university has expanded its efforts by providing quality academic support in core subjects such as mathematics, sciences, engineering, economics, business, and computer sciences. It has also extended its academic support to learners within its Foundation Program, offering improved opportunities for academic success upon initial entry before official post-secondary fields of study.
Each unit in the SSS provides different programs to targeted students, requiring pre-registration for an appointment. These programs vary in duration, depending on the unit. For instance, the Anjiz program is a 50-minute session that focuses on enhancing study skills and time management. On the other hand, the LEC (Learning Enhancement Center) and TWC (Tutoring and Writing Center) programs are 25-minute sessions that provide academic support and assistance in various subjects.
The SSS seeks to improve the quality of academic support initiatives and streamline their delivery to all students across all colleges and institutes. The new system has primary strategic goals aligned with the intent to deliver continuous and long-term assistance to learners by providing diverse academic support opportunities for fundamental skills that enable students to achieve academic and lifelong success.
Dr Ahmed Al Rahbi, the Director of the Student Success System, has laid out the vision for the educational provider. According to him, the Student Success System aims to offer top-quality academic support to learners across the curriculum and study disciplines. The goal is to enable students to improve their academic performance, succeed in their studies, and realize their full potential in all their academic pursuits. With this commitment to excellence, the Student Success System is poised to become a leading provider of academic support and guidance to students.
The SSS goals include contributing to student success, promoting academic excellence, and establishing quality peer mentoring programs. Launching the Student Success System is expected to significantly benefit students at the University of Nizwa, providing them with enhanced academic support and opportunities for academic success.
The Student Success System is an academic support hub consisting of four supplementary academic support centres that collectively aim to foster student improvement and success across all studies disciplines. The Writing Center, Learning Enhancement Center, ANJIZ, and Institutional Standardized Testing Lab cooperatively function to assist learners in improving language development, science and mathematics aptitude, computer literacy, and familiarization with summative forms of assessment that culminate and contribute to student academic success.
The launch of the Student Success System is a significant step towards providing learners with the support they need to achieve their academic goals. With the SSS, the University of Nizwa is committed to providing continuous academic support to learners, thereby contributing to their success and preparing them for lifelong achievement.