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Oman Academic Accreditation
Authority
Report of an Audit of
Oman Dental College
October 2010
HEI Quality Audit Report Oman Dental College
© Oman Academic Accreditation Authority
Audit Report Number 012
©2010 Oman Academic Accreditation Authority
P.O. Box 1255
P.C. 133
Al-Khuwair
Sultanate of Oman
Ph +968 24614361/2
Fax +968 2461 4364
http://www.oac.gov.om
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CONTENTS
Overview of the Quality Audit Process......................................................................................................3
How to Read This Report ...........................................................................................................................4
Conclusions ..................................................................................................................................................5
Executive Summary of Findings ..............................................................................................................5
Summary of Commendations...................................................................................................................6
Summary of Affirmations ........................................................................................................................7
Summary of Recommendations ...............................................................................................................8
1 Governance, Leadership and Management .......................................................................................10
1.1 Mission, Vision and Values .........................................................................................................10
1.2 Governance .................................................................................................................................11
1.3 Management................................................................................................................................12
1.4 Institutional Affiliations for Programmes and Quality Assurance ..............................................12
1.5 The Strategic Plan .......................................................................................................................13
1.6 Operational Planning...................................................................................................................13
1.7 Financial Management ................................................................................................................13
1.8 Risk Management........................................................................................................................14
1.9 Policy Management.....................................................................................................................14
1.10 Entity and Activity Review Systems...........................................................................................14
1.11 Student Grievance Process ..........................................................................................................15
1.12 Health and Safety ........................................................................................................................16
1.13 Oversight of Associated Entities (e.g. owned companies) ..........................................................16
2 Student Learning by Coursework Programmes................................................................................17
2.1 Graduate Attributes and Student Learning Objectives ................................................................17
2.2 Curriculum ..................................................................................................................................17
2.3 Student Entry Standards ..............................................................................................................18
2.4 Foundation Programme...............................................................................................................19
2.5 Teaching Quality .........................................................................................................................19
2.6 Plagiarism....................................................................................................................................20
2.7 Student Placements .....................................................................................................................20
2.8 Assessment Methods, Standards and Moderation.......................................................................21
2.9 Academic Security and Invigilation............................................................................................21
2.10 Student Retention and Progression .............................................................................................21
2.11 Graduate Destinations and Employability...................................................................................21
3 Student Learning by Research Programmes .....................................................................................23
4 Staff Research and Consultancy .........................................................................................................24
4.1 Research Planning & Management .............................................................................................24
4.2 Intellectual Property ....................................................................................................................24
5 Industry and Community Engagement ..............................................................................................25
5.1 Industry and Community Engagement Planning & Management...............................................25
5.2 Relationships with Industry and Employers................................................................................25
5.3 Relationships with Professions....................................................................................................25
5.4 Relationships with Other Education Providers ...........................................................................25
5.5 Alumni ........................................................................................................................................26
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5.6 Relationships with the Community at Large...............................................................................26
6 Academic Support Services .................................................................................................................27
6.1 Academic Support Services Planning & Management ...............................................................27
6.2 Registry (Enrolment and Student Records).................................................................................27
6.3 Library.........................................................................................................................................27
6.4 Information and Learning Technology Services .........................................................................28
6.5 Academic Advising .....................................................................................................................28
6.6 Student Learning Support............................................................................................................28
6.7 Teaching Resources.....................................................................................................................29
7 Students and Student Support Services .............................................................................................30
7.1 Students and Students Support Services Planning and Management..........................................30
7.2 Student Profile.............................................................................................................................30
7.3 Student Satisfaction and Climate ................................................................................................30
7.4 Student Behaviour .......................................................................................................................31
7.5 Career and Employment Services ...............................................................................................31
7.6 Student Finances .........................................................................................................................31
7.7 Accommodation, Catering and Transport ...................................................................................31
7.8 Medical and Counselling Facilities .............................................................................................31
7.9 International Student Services.....................................................................................................31
7.10 Social and Recreational Services and Facilities ..........................................................................32
8 Staff and Staff Support Services .........................................................................................................33
8.1 Human Resources Planning & Management ..............................................................................33
8.2 Staff Profile .................................................................................................................................33
8.3 Recruitment and Selection ..........................................................................................................34
8.4 Induction .....................................................................................................................................34
8.5 Professional Development ..........................................................................................................34
8.6 Performance Planning and Review .............................................................................................35
8.7 Promotion and Other Incentives..................................................................................................35
8.8 Severance ....................................................................................................................................35
8.9 Staff Organisational Climate and Retention................................................................................35
8.10 Omanisation ................................................................................................................................35
9 General Support Services and Facilities.............................................................................................37
9.1 General Support Services and Facilities Planning and Management..........................................37
9.2 Public Relations and Marketing ..................................................................................................37
9.3 Communication Services ............................................................................................................37
9.4 Facilities Management ................................................................................................................37
Appendix A. Audit Panel.......................................................................................................................39
Appendix B. Abbreviations, Acronyms and Terms.............................................................................40
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OVERVIEW OF THE QUALITY AUDIT PROCESS
This Quality Audit Report (the ‘Report’) documents the findings of a Quality Audit by the Oman
Academic Accreditation Authority (OAAA) of Oman Dental College (ODC). It comments on ODC’s
Mission and Vision, and the appropriateness and effectiveness of its systems for achieving that Mission
and Vision. Quality Audit is the first stage in Oman’s institutional accreditation process. It is designed to
provide a level of assurance to the public about the quality of ODC’s activities and constructive feedback
to ODC to assist with its ongoing improvement efforts.
The Quality Audit commenced with ODC undertaking a self study of its Mission, Vision and systems.
The results were summarized in their Quality Audit Portfolio (the ‘Portfolio’). This document was
submitted to the OAAA by the due date of 6 October 2009.
The OAAA appointed an external Audit Panel (the ‘Panel’), comprising suitably qualified and
experienced local and international reviewers, to conduct the Quality Audit. For membership of the Panel
see Appendix A. The Panel met (international members by telephone) on 7 November 2009 to consider
ODC’s Portfolio. Following this, the Audit Panel Chairperson and Executive Officer undertook a
planning visit on behalf of the Panel to ODC on 21 December 2009 to clarify certain matters, request
additional information and make arrangements for the Panel’s audit visit.
Prior to the audit visit, the Panel invited submissions from the public about the quality of ODC’s
activities. No submissions were received.
The audit visit took place over 24 – 26 January 2010. During this time, the Panel spoke with
approximately 82 people, including governing authorities, staff, students and external stakeholders. They
also visited a selection of venues and examined additional documents.
No documents created after 26 January 2010 (being the last day of the audit visit) were taken into
consideration for the purposes of this audit.
The Report contains a summary of the Panel’s findings, together with formal Commendations where good
practices have been confirmed, Affirmations where ODC’s ongoing quality improvement efforts merit
support, and Recommendations where there are significant opportunities for improvement not yet being
adequately addressed. The Report aims to provide a balanced set of observations, but does not comment
on every system in place at ODC.
The Panel’s audit activities and preparation of this Report were governed by regulations set by the OAAA
Board. This Report was approved for release by the OAAA Board on 25 October 2010.
The OAAA was established by Royal Decree No. 54/2010 to replace the Oman Accreditation Council.
Its responsibilities include conducting quality audits of higher education institutions (HEIs) in the
Sultanate of Oman. For further information, visit the OAAA website (http://www.oac.gov.om). Full
details of the quality audit process are available in OAAA’s HEI Quality Audit Manual (available from
http://www.oac.gov.om/qa/HEI/).
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HOW TO READ THIS REPORT
Each OAAA Audit Report is written primarily for the institution being audited. The Report is specifically
designed to provide feedback to help that institution better understand its own strengths and opportunities
for improvement. The feedback is structured according to nine broad areas of activity and presented as
formal Commendations, Affirmations and Recommendations, or as informal suggestions, each
accompanied with explanatory paragraphs. It is expected that the institution will act upon this feedback
as part of its continuous efforts to provide the best possible education to students.
The Report is made public because it also may be of interest to students and potential students, their
families, employers, government, other higher education institutions in Oman and abroad, and other
audiences. Students, in particular, may find this Report useful because it provides some independent
comment on the learning environment at this institution (particularly Chapters 2, 6 and 7 below).
However, prospective students should still undertake their own investigations when deciding which
higher education institution will best serve their particular learning needs.
Quality Audit is the first stage in Oman’s two-stage process for institutional accreditation. Its focus is
formative (developmental) rather than summative. In other words, although the audit addresses nine
areas of activity which are common to all institutions, it does not measure the institution against
externally set standards of performance in those nine areas. Instead, it considers how well the institution
is attending to those areas in accordance with its own Mission and Vision and in the context of relevant
legal regulations. Therefore, Quality Audit recognises that each institution has a unique purpose and
profile; it does not directly compare one institution with all the other institutions in Oman.
For these reasons, a Quality Audit does not result in a pass or fail; nor does it provide any sort of grade or
score. It should also be noted that the precise number of Commendations, Affirmations and
Recommendations that an institution receives in its Audit Report is not as important as the substance of
those conclusions. For example, some Recommendations may focus on critical issues such as assessment
of student learning, whereas others may focus on issues such as the maintenance of teaching equipment in
classrooms which, while important, is clearly less critical. Therefore, it is neither significant nor
appropriate to compare the Audit Reports of different HEIs solely on the numbers of Commendations,
Affirmations and Recommendations.
The second stage in the institutional accreditation process is Standards Assessment. Unlike the Quality
Audit, this stage, which will take place about four years after the Quality Audit, does provide a
summative assessment against external standards in the same nine areas of activity. It should be noted
that Oman also operates a system of accreditation/recognition for academic programmes, separately from
the institutional accreditation process. For more information on Oman’s System of Quality Assurance in
Higher Education please visit www.oac.gov.om.
This Report contains a number of references to source evidence considered by the Audit Panel. These
references are for the HEI’s benefit in further addressing the issues raised. In most cases this evidence is
not in the public domain.
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CONCLUSIONS
This section summarises the main findings and lists the Commendations, Affirmations and
Recommendations. They are listed in the order in which they appear in the Report, and are not
prioritised. It should be noted that other favourable comments and suggestions for improvement are
mentioned throughout the text of the Report.
Executive Summary of Findings
Oman Dental College (ODC), the first and only dental college in the Sultanate of Oman, was established
in Muscat in May 2006, and admitted its first student cohort in September 2006 into the six-year Bachelor
of Dental Surgery (BDS) programme. It is currently affiliated to the AB Shetty Memorial Institute of
Dental Sciences (ABSMIDS), which is based in Mangalore, India. Inherent in ODC’s Mission is the
College’s wish to provide dental education of the highest international standards. ODC also aims to
address Oman’s national shortfall in dental clinicians as well as the Omanisation imbalance in the dental
profession.
In terms of this Quality Audit, it needs to be stressed that ODC is currently at a relatively early stage of
development; the College has not yet delivered the full BDS programme and key physical resources to
support this delivery are not yet fully in place. Although many quality processes have been developed,
these are still at the early stages of implementation, and in many cases ODC has not yet been in a position
to fully evaluate the results of these initiatives. ODC will be in a position to conduct a full ADRI based
self-assessment addressing all relevant areas of the Quality Audit scope only after the first student cohort
graduates.
In terms of the Portfolio, the Panel found the ODC submission to the OAAA to be a well-written and
coherent document resulting from a comprehensive and evaluative self-study of ODC’s operations. The
manner in which the Portfolio was prepared showed diligence, attention to detail and integrity. This is
consistent with the Panel’s conclusion that ODC has a sincere desire to develop a culture of continuous
quality improvement and to offer a high quality BDS programme.
ODC has established a strong foundation for its operations and is being guided by a comprehensive
Strategic Plan. In its start-up phase, although the Panel is of the view that ODC has received limited
support from its academic affiliate, the College has received a high level of support from renowned
experts in the field of dentistry and also from international quality assurance experts. As a result, ODC
has developed a strong framework for its quality management systems and has established an institutional
culture supportive of review activities and responsive to feedback. The Panel found the Dean and his
staff to be clearly committed to building a college with robust quality systems and processes, and one
which has standards that are benchmarked to international dental colleges. Internal and external
stakeholders whom the Panel met have high praise for the management’s commitment and determination
to make ODC succeed.
The Board of Directors, which founded and now governs ODC, has achieved success in establishing the
College as a viable entity. However, the Panel believes that the establishment of the Board of Trustees,
which is an expectation of the Ministry of Higher Education, must now commence as a matter of priority.
In addition, roles at governance and management level positions need to be reviewed to ensure
appropriate independence of advisory, strategic and operational practices.
ODC’s BDS curriculum is based on the British and Indian BDS curricula. It is now important for ODC to
implement its planned curriculum review process. There is a culture of small-group seminar-based
teaching at ODC and the learning experience of students is enhanced by ODC’s International Keynote
Faculty programme. ODC operates an external examiner system which, in the Panel’s view, is set to be
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further strengthened by the implementation of more rigorous appointment and reporting procedures. At
the time of the audit, construction of a purpose-built new dental college and teaching hospital building for
ODC was underway. Prior to completion of this, ODC has made interim plans to meet the delivery
requirements for the clinical component of the BDS programme. These plans need to be underpinned by
formal operational agreements with the organizations involved.
Two of the founding members of ODC (the Chairman of the BoD and the Dean) are active practicing
dentists in Oman. This has put ODC in a strong strategic position to foster cooperation and engagement
with dentistry in Oman and internationally, and success in this area has been a determining factor in
ODC’s success to date.
The Panel found ODC to be supportive and responsive to student needs and to encourage the ‘student
voice’. At the time of the audit, the student population, which is predominantly female, numbered only
223 and these students currently enjoy the benefits of high levels of individual attention from the College
staff. At this stage in its development, ODC lacks social and recreational facilities as well as formal
counseling and medical services; however, the College has plans in place to address these issues.
The Panel had concerns relating to both the overall number of ODC staff and the small percentage of full-
time faculty. Whilst ODC plans to maintain a high percentage of part-time faculty with appropriate
clinical expertise, ODC needs to develop strategies to ensure that it maintains a staffing profile that can
support the College’s Mission. ODC does however boast a high percentage of Omani part-time faculty.
ODC will be better placed to address its staffing challenges when it implements effective systems for staff
recruitment, professional development and staff appraisal.
At this early stage in its development, ODC is still housed in temporary premises and is still developing
its full suite of courses, services, and facilities. One of ODC’s greatest challenges at present is the
completion of its permanent purpose-built dental college within the established timeline. This new
facility is fundamental and critical to the realization of ODC’s Mission. The Panel was satisfied that
every effort is being made to have the building completed by June 2010 when clinical teaching in the
outpatient dental facility is due to commence.
In terms of general support services and facilities, the Panel is of the view that ODC has an organisational
culture and systems in place that will support it in meeting the demands that will arise with the transfer to
the new College building.
The Panel wishes to emphasise that the number of Commendations, Affirmations and Recommendations
in this report cannot be sensibly compared with other higher education institutions (HEIs) audited by the
OAAA, for the reasons usually stated by the OAAA (see ‘How to Read this Report’, p.4) but also because
of ODC’s early stage of development compared with other audited HEIs. ODC is a new institution and
the first cohort of students is not due to graduate from the BDS programme until July 2012. For this
reason, the Quality Audit did not fully cover some important areas which are included in other audits such
as ‘Graduate Destinations and Employability’. In areas where ODC has set up commendable systems, its
challenge will be to ensure that implementation of these is sustained as the College develops.
Summary of Commendations
A formal Commendation recognises an instance of particularly good practice.
1. The Oman Academic Accreditation Authority commends Oman Dental College for having
established an institutional climate of dedication and passionate support for the College that
impacts positively on quality enhancing activities............................................................................10
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2. The Oman Academic Accreditation Authority commends Oman Dental College for
establishing an International Advisory Panel which engages in extensive review and
benchmarking of ODC activities and has helped ODC to build a strong foundation for its
activities. ...........................................................................................................................................11
3. The Oman Academic Accreditation Authority commends Oman Dental College for
establishing a comprehensive system of strategic and operational planning and review..................13
4. The Oman Academic Accreditation Authority commends Oman Dental College for having
developed a comprehensive and well-managed policy and document management system. ...........14
5. The Oman Academic Accreditation Authority commends Oman Dental College for
establishing a system of external entity and activity reviews that impact positively on quality
assurance and improvement. .............................................................................................................15
6. The Oman Academic Accreditation Authority commends Oman Dental College for
implementing an International Keynote Faculty Programme that provides recognized
expertise in specialist areas and impacts positively on the learning experience of the students. ......19
7. The Oman Academic Accreditation Authority commends Oman Dental College for having
established extensive and sustainable relationships with other education providers which
impact positively on College operations. ..........................................................................................26
8. The Oman Academic Accreditation Authority commends Oman Dental College for
establishing comprehensive and effective student satisfaction feedback mechanisms. ....................31
Summary of Affirmations
A formal Affirmation recognizes an instance in which ODC has accurately identified a significant
opportunity for improvement and has demonstrated appropriate commitment to addressing the matter.
1. The Oman Academic Accreditation Authority agrees with Oman Dental College that it needs
to establish a Board of Trustees and strongly supports the steps being taken by the College
towards meeting this need. ................................................................................................................11
2. The Oman Academic Accreditation Authority agrees with Oman Dental College that its
external examiner system will be strengthened by standardizing the reporting requirements
and supports its plans to develop a formal policy and procedures to guide the appointment of
examiners and the operation of the system. ......................................................................................15
3. The Oman Academic Accreditation Authority agrees with Oman Dental College that it has a
need for a formal course review process to streamline and enhance its current activities in
this area and supports the College’s efforts towards implementing such a system...........................18
4. The Oman Academic Accreditation Authority agrees with Oman Dental College that
improved library facilities are required, and in order for the College to be able to provide
services consistent with the its Mission and Vision, it supports the College’s plans to develop
a state-of-the-art library.....................................................................................................................28
5. The Oman Academic Accreditation Authority agrees with Oman Dental College that a
purpose-built dental college and dental clinical teaching outpatient facility with state-of-the-
art equipment is critical for achievement of its Mission and Vision and strongly supports its
efforts towards ensuring the timely provision of this........................................................................29
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6. The Oman Academic Accreditation Authority agrees with Oman Dental College that its
provision of social and recreational services needs to be enhanced and supports its efforts to
address this. .......................................................................................................................................32
7. The Oman Academic Accreditation Authority agrees with Oman Dental College that
opportunities for professional development will need to be developed in line with the growth
of the staff base and development of the College and supports its efforts towards ensuring
this provision.....................................................................................................................................35
8. The Oman Academic Accreditation Authority agrees with Oman Dental College that an
inclusive Staff Appraisal System is required and supports the steps that the College has taken
toward implementing this..................................................................................................................35
9. The Oman Academic Accreditation Authority agrees with Oman Dental College that staff
satisfaction surveys need to be conducted and supports the College in implementing this
system as the staff base increases......................................................................................................35
Summary of Recommendations
A formal Recommendation draws attention to a significant opportunity for improvement that ODC has
either not yet accurately identified or to which it is not yet adequately attending.
1. The Oman Academic Accreditation Authority recommends that Oman Dental College
review roles and appointments within its governance structure and make changes which
ensure an appropriate level of independence of advisory, strategic and operational practices. ........11
2. The Oman Academic Accreditation Authority recommends that Oman Dental College ensure
that the Academic Council is appropriately empowered with respect to considering all
feedback relating to College activities that fall within its remit........................................................12
3. The Oman Academic Accreditation Authority recommends that Oman Dental College
review its academic affiliation agreement with ABSMIDS and the implementation of this to
ensure that the College is appropriately supported in fulfilling its Mission......................................13
4. The Oman Academic Accreditation Authority recommends that, as a matter of high priority,
Oman Dental College implement health and safety policies and procedures that address the
needs of the existing College community and align with best practice. ...........................................16
5. The Oman Academic Accreditation Authority recommends that Oman Dental College
review its programme entry criteria in relation to appropriate international benchmarks. ...............19
6. The Oman Academic Accreditation Authority recommends that Oman Dental College ensure
that all outreach clinical placement training of students is supported by robust formal
operational agreements and a comprehensive induction programme for supervising
clinicians. ..........................................................................................................................................20
7. The Oman Academic Accreditation Authority recommends that Oman Dental College
develop a mechanism to ensure sufficient and appropriate patient availability to meet its
training and education needs. ............................................................................................................21
8. The Oman Academic Accreditation Authority recommends that Oman Dental College adopt
a broad approach to engagement with the community at large leading to activities that
include the entire staff and student body...........................................................................................26
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9. The Oman Academic Accreditation Authority recommends that Oman Dental College
evaluate the planning and management of its academic support services to ensure input from
all members of its academic community and appropriate benchmarking of its provision. ...............27
10. The Oman Academic Accreditation Authority recommends that Oman Dental College
develop and implement a formal student disciplinary procedure and integrate this into its
Quality Management System. ...........................................................................................................31
11. The Oman Academic Accreditation Authority recommends that, as a matter of priority,
Oman Dental College appoint Heads of faculty groups identified on its organizational chart. ........33
12. The Oman Academic Accreditation Authority recommends that Oman Dental College
implements a systematic and rigorous approach to staff recruitment though consistent
application of its staff recruitment policy..........................................................................................34
13. The Oman Academic Accreditation Authority recommends that Oman Dental College
develop and implement a robust staff induction programme for all new staff..................................34
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1 GOVERNANCE, LEADERSHIP AND MANAGEMENT
This chapter considers the Panel’s views on the key areas of governance and management,
including strategic and operational planning; financial, policy and risk management; entity and
activity review systems and health and safety.
The Board of Directors (BoD) is responsible for the overall governance and management of
ODC, and in this capacity has oversight of all educational and management aspects of the
College, as well as responsibility for determining its strategic direction (Portfolio, p.11).
The Panel found high levels of dedication and support for the College amongst the BoD, the
Dean, faculty, staff, students and external stakeholders. This was evidenced through the very
positive institutional climate that the Panel witnessed and the commitment of the College
community to engage in initiatives to help advance the College. The Panel determined that there
was a single-minded desire to see ODC become a successful and internationally benchmarked
dental college with highly sought-after graduates.
Commendation 1
The Oman Academic Accreditation Authority commends Oman Dental
College for having established an institutional climate of dedication and
passionate support for the College that impacts positively on quality
enhancing activities.
1.1 Mission, Vision and Values
ODC’s Mission, Vision and value statements are clearly and consistently articulated throughout
relevant institutional documentation and have been communicated effectively to relevant
stakeholders. A thorough analysis of the needs of dental professionals in Oman was undertaken
during the feasibility study for ODC and this analysis informed the development of ODC’s
Mission Statement which is:
To provide Oman with a quality dental education of the highest international standards
and contribute towards the progress and development of national healthcare facilities
through the training of skilled, competent, ethical, and caring dental
professionals.(Portfolio, p.11)
The BoD is responsible for approving and regularly reviewing the Mission Statement. The Panel
considers ODC’s Mission to be both appropriate and realistic, although in this early phase of the
development of the College it is premature to comment on the actual fulfillment of the Mission
by ODC. The Panel is also of the view that the Mission Statement provides appropriate direction
for strategic planning at ODC. Consistent with ODC’s Mission is its Vision which is:
To excel internationally and particularly in the Middle East as a prestigious institute and
centre of reference for dental education through the utilisation of modern technology, an
evidence-based curriculum and contemporary techniques that nurture skilled and caring
dental professionals who value life long learning and fulfil patient expectations.
(Portfolio, p.11)
ODC’s Mission and Vision are supported by the following values: work; learn; believe (Portfolio,
p.11). The Panel considers these values, as further defined by ODC, to be appropriate and
enabling with respect to realisation of the Mission. The Panel believes, however, that ODC’s use
of the term ‘dental surgeons’ (Portfolio, p.11) in expanding on its values may not accurately
define the roles of all its future graduates.
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1.2 Governance
The governing body of the College is the Board of Directors (BoD). The current BoD consists of
the founding members of the College as well as the principal investors. The BoD meets regularly
to review and monitor the strategic direction of the College; the financial management of the
College; and to review reports from external academic reviewers. The BoD approves budgets
and financial plans. Having reviewed the evidence presented, the Panel was satisfied that the
BoD was committed to the provision of resources required for the planned future development of
the College.
The Chairman of the BoD also currently serves in the role of ‘Consultant’ to the Dean. In
addition to this, he is a voting member of the Academic Council (see Section 1.3). As a result,
the Chairman of the BoD currently undertakes governance, management, academic, and advisory
roles within ODC. This arrangement has been highly effective in advancing ODC both internally
and externally and has made a determining contribution to the establishment of the College.
However, in due course, to prepare the College for the next stage of development, the Panel
believes that roles at governance and management level positions should no longer overlap; a
clear separation of advisory, management and governance functions within the College will help
to ensure that each is carried out with an appropriate level of independence and will align the
College with international best practice in academic governance.
Recommendation 1
The Oman Academic Accreditation Authority recommends that Oman
Dental College review roles and appointments within its governance
structure and make changes which ensure an appropriate level of
independence of advisory, strategic and operational practices.
The Panel noted that ODC has identified, as an opportunity for improvement, the need to
establish a Board of Trustees (BoT) to advise the BoD on the overall strategic direction and
academic provision of ODC. In its preparation to address this, ODC has developed the terms of
reference for the BoT and this document is identified within ODC’s Quality Management System
(see Section 1.9). The establishment of this Board in an expectation of the Ministry of Higher
Education (MoHE) and is expected to strengthen the overall governance of the College. The
Panel is of the view that this should be progressed as a matter of priority.
Affirmation 1
The Oman Academic Accreditation Authority agrees with Oman Dental
College that it needs to establish a Board of Trustees and strongly supports
the steps being taken by the College towards meeting this need.
The Panel noted that the BoD had approved the establishment of an International Advisory Panel
(IAP) to provide advice to ODC in its start-up phase. The IAP is comprised of internationally
recognized professionals within the field and it monitors, reviews and reports regularly on ODC’s
operations and how these compare with contemporary international practice in educating dental
professionals. IAP reports and recommendations are conveyed to the BoD by the Dean. The IAP
has had a major positive impact on the College to date.
Commendation 2
The Oman Academic Accreditation Authority commends Oman Dental
College for establishing an International Advisory Panel which engages in
extensive review and benchmarking of ODC activities and has helped ODC
to build a strong foundation for its activities.
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The Panel had some doubt, however, concerning how actively each of the IAP members
contributes to the group’s work. The Panel was of the view that ODC should consider reviewing
the terms of membership of the IAP and establishing a mechanism to review the performance of
the IAP and its members.
1.3 Management
The management and organisational structure of ODC is evolving as the College develops. ODC
states that “Currently the Dean leads the academic thrust in conjunction with the Consultant and
the Academic Council, which collectively are responsible for academic accountability”
(Portfolio, p.13), and also indicates that the Academic Council is the key committee responsible
for issues relating to curricula and quality assurance of teaching and research (Portfolio, p.14).
The Academic Council has clear terms of reference. Members of the Council were consulted
during the development of these. The Panel confirmed that the Academic Council meets
regularly. Through its terms of reference, the Academic Council is charged with responsibilities
which include to plan and oversee implementation of all academic programmes and to report to
and to advise the BoD through the Dean on academic matters.
The IAP, which reviews and reports regularly on the academic programme, reports to the BoD
via the Dean. The College states “the Dean acts as a conduit between the IAP and the Board of
Directors” (Portfolio, p12). The Panel was told that the Academic Council did not see the IAP
reports but was informed of relevant contents. The Panel considers that a more robust process for
reporting matters to the Academic Council is required. This would ensure that the Academic
Council is able to systematically consider all feedback from the IAP on matters that fall within its
remit. The Panel is of the view that this would support the Academic Council in fulfilling its
stated role and also foster ownership of academic quality improvement by the faculty of the
College.
Recommendation 2
The Oman Academic Accreditation Authority recommends that Oman
Dental College ensure that the Academic Council is appropriately
empowered with respect to considering all feedback relating to College
activities that fall within its remit.
The Panel noted that the Consultant was a voting member of the Academic Council. The Panel is
of the view that this arrangement should be reconsidered to help ensure an appropriate level of
independence of the different bodies within the organisational structure (see Recommendation 1).
The Panel was pleased, however, to note student representation in the open sessions of the
Academic Council.
The organisational structure identifies three faculty groups: predental, preclinical and clinical.
The Panel had concern that Heads for these groups have not been appointed even though the
College is in its fourth year of operation. This needs to be addressed (see Recommendation 11).
As the College prepares its students for clinical training, the Panel believes that it is essential that
Clinical Heads in particular be appointed to ensure safe, high-quality clinical training of students.
1.4 Institutional Affiliations for Programmes and Quality Assurance
The College’s principal academic affiliation is with the A.B. Shetty Memorial Institute of Dental
Sciences (ABSMIDS), Mangalore in India. The Panel spoke to key representatives from the
affiliate, reviewed the academic affiliation agreement and examined the annual visit reports
submitted by ABSMIDS to ODC. The annual visits conducted by ABSMIDS are termed
‘inspection’ visits and appear limited in scope; the visit reports comment primarily on the
adequacy of infrastructure, physical resources and staffing but with limited evaluation or mention
of benchmarks in these areas. In the Panel’s view, these reports provide ODC with limited
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support for improvement. The Panel formed the view that at present ABSMIDS is not providing
quality assurance support to the extent that is provided for in the scope of the affiliation
agreement or that is appropriate for ensuring provision of “dental education of the highest
international standards” as articulated in ODC’s Mission Statement. The Panel was of the view
that a shortfall in support by the academic affiliate was to a large extent currently being
compensated for by the work of the IAP, but that this situation requires attention and resolution.
Recommendation 3
The Oman Academic Accreditation Authority recommends that Oman
Dental College review its academic affiliation agreement with ABSMIDS
and the implementation of this to ensure that the College is appropriately
supported in fulfilling its Mission.
1.5 The Strategic Plan
In July 2003, a commissioned feasibility study and proposal was submitted to the MoHE as part
of the process for seeking approval to establish ODC. The feasibility study was well researched
and formed the basis of strategic planning when the College commenced operations in 2006. The
College now works to the ‘Minimum Standards Document’ derived from the feasibility study
which was verified and endorsed by the IAP. This defines a number of criteria necessary for the
operation of the College (Portfolio, p.15), and provides the foundation for strategic planning. In
2008, a comprehensive Strategic and Operational Plan was prepared for the years 2008/2009 –
2012/2013. ODC has developed a suite of Key Performance Indicators (KPI’s) which is allowing
ODC to monitor delivery on its Strategic and Operational Plan. The Panel considered the
Strategic Plan and appropriately linked operational plans and performance indicators to provide a
sound and enabling suite of institutional documents.
1.6 Operational Planning
The initial feasibility study, the Minimum Standards Document and the Strategic Plan 2008/2009-
2012/2013 provided the basis for developing the linked operational plans. These plans contain
operational goals aligned with four themes: Professional Alignment and Standards; Building the
Dentistry Base in Oman; Quality Assurance; and Enabling Student Success. These operational
goals are set to time lines and linked to specific KPIs.
The Panel was pleased to view ODC’s Annual Operational Plan Annual Review 2009-2010. This
first annual review of the operational plan was facilitated by an external quality assurance expert
who assisted in the development of the current Strategic Plan. The review reports on progress
against the original 2008/2009 – 2012/2013 operational plan goals; provides an action plan for
areas for improvement identified in by both the 2008/209 IAP Internal Review and ODC’s self-
study for the Quality Audit; reports on progress against the key performance indicators; and
provides an update of the risk register. The Panel considers ODC to have established a strong
system of strategic and operational planning and review that should serve the College well.
Commendation 3
The Oman Academic Accreditation Authority commends Oman Dental
College for establishing a comprehensive system of strategic and operational
planning and review.
1.7 Financial Management
The Panel confirmed that the BoD approves the budget and financial plans of the College. The
Panel also viewed evidence of the College’s financial planning for the next 10 years of its
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operation. The College’s annual budgeting period has been changed to align with the September
to August College academic year.
The College has an accounting department headed by an external financial consultant and daily
financial operations are dealt with by an in-house accountant whose work is supported by use of
the electronic College Management System (Portfolio, p19). The Panel confirmed that approval
for expenditure against the budget is given by the Dean; there is no further delegation of financial
authority at present.
The Panel noted that, as the College is an SAOC company, its financial operations are audited
annually by the Ministry of Commerce and Industry.
1.8 Risk Management
ODC has established a Risk Management Register which quantifies probability, impact and the
resulting consequence of identified risks. It also details corresponding actions to be taken. The
Register is embedded within the Strategic Plan and is being utilized by ODC for decision making.
The Panel considered the Risk Management Register to be a good starting point for evaluating
and managing risk at ODC. The Panel confirmed that ODC is in the process of formalizing its
Risk Management Policy and this is expected to strengthen the system.
1.9 Policy Management
ODC has a system which it refers to as a ‘Quality Management System’ (Portfolio p.21) that
comprises all ODC plans, policies, processes, procedures, handbooks, guidelines, practices,
reports and reviews. The development of this system has been led by an external quality
assurance consultant; the Panel considers this to be a reflection of ODC’s commitment to seek
external expertise when necessary and to establish a robust system. Documents identified within
the framework are prioritized for development in line with the development of the College. The
Panel was impressed with the quality assurance processes planned and implemented to date and
considered the overall framework of the system to be strong. In parallel with the development of
new documents, appropriate monitoring and review of existing systems is taking place.
Following discussion with relevant stakeholders, the Panel concluded that ODC has developed a
comprehensive policy and document management system which provides a strong foundation for
quality management within the College.
Commendation 4
The Oman Academic Accreditation Authority commends Oman Dental
College for having developed a comprehensive and well-managed policy and
document management system.
The Panel is of the view that emphasis now needs to be given to monitoring the implementation
of ODC’s policies and procedures and to ensuring that the involvement of relevant stakeholders
in the development and refinement of these is sufficient to foster widespread ownership. This
needs to be supported by continued evaluation of the system as a whole in addition to review of
its individual elements.
1.10 Entity and Activity Review Systems
In the Panel’s view, ODC has established an institutional culture that welcomes internal and
external review of its entities and activities in a genuine attempt to assure quality and identify
areas for improvement. A system of external examiner review of assessment of the Bachelor of
Dental Surgery has been implemented since the inception of the programme, and the academic
affiliate and the IAP both undertake regular review activities.
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Whilst the Panel was of the view that the annual inspection of ODC by the academic affiliate
ABSMIDS at present provides limited feedback (see Recommendation 3), the Panel noted that
ODC had taken action in response to recommendations that had been made as a result of this
process; for example, ODC has introduced a new policy in relation to student attendance and is
preparing to review the results of this.
The IAP undertook an internal review of ODC in 2008-2009. The basis of this review was a self-
study undertaken by ODC using ADRI. The IAP reviewed the self-study in relation to ODC’s
plans and international best practice and reported on its level of confidence in broad areas. The
IAP also made recommendations which ODC has begun to address. The Panel was pleased to see
that this process had been documented within ODC’s Quality Management System and to learn
that it is to become an annual activity.
Commendation 5
The Oman Academic Accreditation Authority commends Oman Dental
College for establishing a system of external entity and activity reviews that
impact positively on quality assurance and improvement.
ODC utilizes the services of national and international external examiners in relation to both
written and practical professional examinations in order to “ensure objectivity, parity with
recognized academic standards in other established institutions, and transparency in examination
procedures”(Portfolio, p.22). The Panel spoke to representatives from both these groups,
examined a number of external examiner reports and noted the involvement of the Academic
Council in considering the appointment and work of external examiners. Whilst the current
external examiner system at ODC clearly has a positive impact on assuring academic standards,
the policy relating to the appointment and duties of external examiners identified within the
Quality Management System has yet to be developed. The Panel believes that this should now be
addressed and that the policy should be explicit in requiring external examiners to specifically
benchmark the academic performance and clinical competence of students against “dental
education of the highest international standards” as expressed in the Mission Statement of the
College. The Panel agrees that the system will be strengthened by ODC acting on its plan to
“formalize the external examiner process by developing a more rigorous reporting format in
order to standardize external examiner feedback” (Portfolio, p.22).
Affirmation 2
The Oman Academic Accreditation Authority agrees with Oman Dental
College that its external examiner system will be strengthened by
standardizing the reporting requirements and supports its plans to develop
a formal policy and procedures to guide the appointment of examiners and
the operation of the system.
1.11 Student Grievance Process
ODC has a comprehensive student grievance policy supported by clear procedures that address
both informal and formal grievances. The Panel found that the student grievance procedures
were well articulated in the Student Handbook, and were clearly understood by students, faculty
and staff. At the time of the Quality Audit, no formal grievance had been made by an ODC
student, but the Panel was advised that informal grievances received prompt attention. Members
of the Student Council confirmed that the process was well understood and worked to the
satisfaction of the students.
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1.12 Health and Safety
ODC has developed a ‘Health and Safety Statement of Intent’ stating that “ODC will monitor,
audit and review the safety management system and arrangements to promote the continuous
improvement of Health and Safety Performance” (Portfolio, p.24). The Panel noted ODC’s
intention to ensure safe clinical procedures with patients and students and also to form a Health
and Safety Committee at the beginning of the 2009-2010 academic year. A draft Clinical
Handbook has been produced which covers health and safety aspects relating to work in Ministry
of Health (MoH) laboratories and clinics. ODC states that “The Statement of Intent will be
developed into a full policy document once all aspects of Health and Safety have been reviewed
and especially when the College’s dental hospital becomes functional” (ibid).
The Panel had concern, however, that at present there are no approved health and safety policies
or procedures in operation at ODC. The planned appointment of a College nurse by ODC
(Portfolio, p.13) has yet to be made although the Panel was told that two staff members from
Student Affairs have undergone first-aid training. The Panel also found no evidence of regular
fire drills having been held.
Whilst the Panel acknowledges and strongly supports ODC’s future plans in relation to health and
safety, it believes that relevant health and safety policies and procedures should be put in place
immediately to address the needs of the existing College community and in order for ODC to
fulfill its stated commitment to “developing high standards of health and safety throughout the
premises” (Portfolio, p.24).
Recommendation 4
The Oman Academic Accreditation Authority recommends that, as a matter
of high priority, Oman Dental College implement health and safety policies
and procedures that address the needs of the existing College community
and align with best practice.
1.13 Oversight of Associated Entities (e.g. owned companies)
The Panel noted that ODC has no associated entities.
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2 STUDENT LEARNING BY COURSEWORK PROGRAMMES
ODC describes its Mission as follows:
To provide Oman with a quality dental education of the highest international
standards and contribute towards the progress and development of national
healthcare facilities through the training of skilled, competent, ethical, and
caring dental professions” (Portfolio, p.11).
Towards this, ODC admitted its first students into its Bachelor of Dental Surgery (BDS)
programme in September 2006, and its first cohort is scheduled to graduate after their sixth and
final year (including the Foundation Year) in 2012.
This chapter reflects the Panel’s findings in the areas of student learning by coursework
programmes such as graduate attributes; curriculum; teaching quality; student placement,
assessment methods and student retention and progression.
2.1 Graduate Attributes and Student Learning Objectives
The key dental knowledge, skills and values to be acquired by all students are expressed as
specific learning outcomes in ODC’s Minimum Standards Document (Portfolio, p.25). During
interviews it became apparent that most of the academic staff understand the significance of
learning outcomes and associated assessment requirements.
ODC aims to foster in its graduates three broad groups of learning attributes: understanding and
competence, professional and attitudinal and basic / core generic skills (Portfolio, p.24). While
ODC has produced a skills matrix that demonstrates where the professional and basic core
attributes are fostered in the curriculum, the Panel found some uncertainty over how these
attributes are formally assessed. ODC needs to ensure that the achievement of graduate attributes
is assessed and monitored appropriately.
2.2 Curriculum
The College advises that its curriculum has been specifically developed for the local context but
is based on a blend of the British and Indian BDS curricula and is designed to meet the academic
and professional standards of both, as specified by the UK General Dental Council and the Dental
Council of India (Portfolio, p.25). The Panel established that while students would not be able to
transfer to an Indian dental school during the duration of their formal programme (the Indian
Dental Council prohibits transfers between any dental colleges from outside India), an ODC
graduate would be able to progress into postgraduate studies at the affiliate college in any of the
specialisations with the exception of Community Dentistry.
The curriculum structure of ODC’s BDS consists of three phases: the one-year predental
foundation year; preclinical years (Years 2 & 3) and the clinical years (Years 4, 5 & 6). The first
cohort is currently at the start of the third phase, and for this reason there has been a great deal of
pressure regarding the completion of the new purpose-built campus (see Chapter 6 and
Affirmation 5).
ODC demonstrates a sincere desire to offer a high quality programme and to undertake external
benchmarking. It also demonstrates preparedness to review and revise its curriculum based on
external feedback. In this respect the International Advisory Panel (IAP), which includes dental
education experts from the UK, Hong Kong, Spain and India, has made significant contributions
towards ensuring and enhancing the quality of the curriculum. The same can be said of the
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external examiners. On its two main annual visits to date, the IAP has produced a comprehensive
report on ODS’s operations and has provided detailed constructive feedback on the curriculum
and its delivery.
The Panel heard a number of examples of feedback from various stakeholders leading to changes
in curriculum and also of some minor changes being progressed through the Academic Council.
Nevertheless, ODC has yet to implement a formal system of curriculum review, with scope for
progressing both major and minor changes, which systematically captures and considers the
feedback that ODC currently receives from the IAP, the academic affiliate, Keynote Faculty, part-
time professional faculty, external examiners and students. The Panel noted that ODC has a
draft Course Review Procedure which requires each course leader / coordinator to produce a
report which includes the course’s outline, a summary of student feedback on the course,
feedback from staff teaching on the course, student examination results and external examiner
reports. Recommendations and action plans within the report are to be approved by the
Academic Council. The Panel expects that once this procedure is finalized and effectively
implemented, the resulting reports will enhance the overall curriculum review and quality
monitoring processes at ODC. The course review system will itself need to be regularly reviewed
and in due course it will need to provide for feedback from other stakeholders such as employers
to be taken into consideration.
Affirmation 3
The Oman Academic Accreditation Authority agrees with Oman Dental
College that it has a need for a formal course review process to streamline
and enhance its current activities in this area and supports the College’s
efforts towards implementing such a system.
2.3 Student Entry Standards
For Omani General Education Diploma graduates, admission to ODC is via the national Higher
Education Admissions Centre and, currently, ODC allows students to enter the predental
foundation year with a Grade of C in English, Mathematics, Biology and Chemistry in the Omani
General Education Diploma (Portfolio, p.27). The Panel was concerned that this minimum entry
standard may not align well with international practice and may prove to be too low to support
ODC is achieving its Mission of “providing Oman with a quality dental education of the highest
international standards”. The Panel believes that students entering the College who do not
exceed these minimum entry requirements may find it very difficult to achieve the required
academic standards. The Panel heard that ODC wishes to make evidence-based decisions on
entry standards following analysis of the performance of its students. The Panel was told that
ODC has already lengthened its Foundation programme in response to evaluation of its entry
standards. ODC also monitors progression and, to date, reports better progression rates than
expected (Portfolio p.17). The Panel supports the actions that ODC has taken in this area, but
nevertheless considers that in order for ODC to be successful in achieving its Mission, further
review of its entry standards against international standards for entry to BDS programmes is
required.
The Panel confirmed that students on the Year 1 predental foundation year take an in-house exit
exam in English language and that a sample of the students undertakes a formal IELTS test
conducted by Hawthorn Muscat (which is an approved IELTS testing centre) that serves to
benchmark the in-house exam. Direct entry to the BDS programme requires students to produce
documentary evidence of having attained an IELTS score of 5.5 or equivalent. The Panel
believes that the language testing system in place is robust but nevertheless encourages ODC to
critically review and evaluate the level of English language required for entry onto the BDS
programme.
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Recommendation 5
The Oman Academic Accreditation Authority recommends that Oman
Dental College review its programme entry criteria in relation to
appropriate international benchmarks.
2.4 Foundation Programme
The English language component of the first (predental foundation) year is outsourced to
Hawthorn Muscat (a specialist English language institute in Muscat affiliated to the University of
Melbourne) and the students are based at the Hawthorn campus, a short drive from the ODC main
campus. The Panel was pleased to find that these Foundation Programme students are clearly
identified as ODC students by both the Hawthorn teachers and the students themselves, and ODC
policies and procedures apply to them while they are on the Hawthorn campus. The students
attend the main ODC campus one day a week when they receive tuition in Mathematics, IT and
Study Skills, and this also helps them to identify as part of ODC student life and culture.
Students appear to be very satisfied with the Foundation Programme and reported that they
experience its benefits when they progress to the BDS programme.
2.5 Teaching Quality
Teaching at ODC is carried out by full-time ODC faculty, faculty working at ODC on a
sabbatical basis, faculty working at ODC on a part-time basis (including, for example, faculty
from Sultan Qaboos University and practitioners from various MoH hospitals), and faculty from
the International Keynote Faculty Programme who visit the College on a regular basis and deliver
specific courses or elements of courses. Quality assurance and improvement in teaching is
supported by the work of ODC’s external examiners and also by the student feedback procedure
in place.
The International Keynote Faculty Programme has been operating since ODC began operations
and includes faculty from the UK and from India. ODC’s aim is for the International Keynote
Faculty Programme to provide students with opportunities to benefit from the expertise of
internationally renowned senior faculty (Portfolio, p.28). The Panel confirmed that it also
provides ODC with subject expertise in specialist areas of the curriculum. The Panel found the
feedback from both the keynote faculty and ODC students regarding this initiative to be very
positive.
Commendation 6
The Oman Academic Accreditation Authority commends Oman Dental
College for implementing an International Keynote Faculty Programme that
provides recognized expertise in specialist areas and impacts positively on
the learning experience of the students.
The Panel spoke to a range of faculty and was pleased to find evidence of common use of
student-centered teaching and learning strategies at ODC. These include small group, seminar-
based learning activities. Full-time and part-time faculty emphasized the importance of
contextualizing subjects, using scenario and task-based activities and using visual and electronic
materials, and testing understanding rather than memorization. The IAP provides advice and
support on teaching philosophy and approaches and in its reports has encouraged the use of
problem-based learning with small student groups and stressed the importance of promoting self-
directed learning. The two-year preclinical course also includes a learning skills component
(Portfolio, p.26) which appears well received by students. The Panel encourages ODC to develop
strategies to ensure that it continues to successfully employ such supportive student-centred
teaching and learning approaches.
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Student feedback on teaching and courses is sought at the end of each course, and also at the mid-
point when teachers are teaching on the course for the first time. This feedback is used to address
any issues that students may have with the quality of teaching or the course content. The Panel
found the analysis of this feedback to be thorough and found examples of how teaching had
improved as a result of actions taken in response to this feedback (see also section 7.3 and
Commendation 7).
Construction of ODC’s purpose-built dental college and dental clinical teaching outpatient
facility is still underway (see Chapter 9), and the Panel explored its concerns relating to the
provision of a clinical teaching environment necessary for the current Year 4 students. The
Panel was informed that this first cohort of students will undertake their clinical training at local
public health centres. These centres have been identified by the ODC Consultant acting in his
position of Head of Dental Services at Al Nadha Hospital (the only tertiary care MoH referral
centre in Oman) and the students will work under the direct supervision of selected clinicians
within these centres. The clinicians have received written details of what the students are
required to do and achieve and will be required to implement a system of competency
assessments. At the time of the audit visit, plans were in place for an initial briefing with the
clinicians. ODC indicated that whilst this planned exposure to general practice was an interim
solution to address the need for facilities to support the clinical component of the current Year 4
course, ODC may choose to retain an element of this after the completion of its own facilities.
The Panel acknowledges the extensive effort that the College has made to set up this interim
arrangement and was assured that the implementation will be monitored in support of providing
an appropriate learning experience for the students.
Nevertheless, the Panel believes that any future clinical placements for students should be
supported by comprehensive formalized operational agreements to help ensure the quality of the
students’ learning experience (also see section 2.7). ODC will also need to develop systems to
ensure that supervising clinicians are effectively inducted, particularly with respect to the ODC
curriculum and the specific learning outcomes for each clinical education placement.
Recommendation 6
The Oman Academic Accreditation Authority recommends that Oman
Dental College ensure that all outreach clinical placement training of
students is supported by robust formal operational agreements and a
comprehensive induction programme for supervising clinicians.
2.6 Plagiarism
ODC has a Plagiarism Policy and Student Guide in place as part of its Quality Management
System and the Panel confirmed that ODC takes the matter of plagiarism very seriously.
Students showed a high level of awareness of what plagiarism is and confirmed that ODC
operates a “zero tolerance” policy for any form of cheating. Plagiarism is addressed in the
predental foundation year and also in the Learning Skills course in the preclinical second year.
However, the policy is still relatively new and as a result its effectiveness requires monitoring.
The Panel supports ODC’s intention to do this.
2.7 Student Placements
An integral part and key aspect of the BDS programme is the clinical placement component
(which begins in Year 4), during which each student is required to complete 1,000 hours in the
planned 60 chair dental teaching hospital or in outreach centres where students will treat patients
under supervision by clinical faculty (Portfolio, p.29). The Panel noted that ODC had obtained
ministerial approval for the utilization of Al Nahdha Hosptial and MoH health centres in Muscat
to support this (also see Sections 2.5 and 5.1). At the time of the audit visit, the Year 4 students
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were taking part in the first phase of the clinical programme involving observations and
demonstrations. At this time, the College was preparing for its students to undertake clinical
placements and engage in treating patients. The College was also developing a Clinical
Handbook for students (see Section 7.1). During interviews the Panel was informed of a number
of initiatives relating to ensuring patient type and availability for clinical training that ODC will
be in a position to implement once its own dental facility becomes fully operational (see Chapter
9). The Panel acknowledges ODC’s significant efforts and plans in this area, but was
nevertheless unable to confirm that ODC’s requirement for patients would be satisfied. The
Panel considers that ODC needs to develop a mechanism by which it explicitly indicates its
requirements for clinical training in relation to patient type and availability and demonstrates how
these are to be met. Such a mechanism could also help ODC in identifying risk in this area. It
will also be important for ODC to develop policies and procedures to monitor clinical facilities
and supervision on an ongoing basis (see Recommendation 6).
Recommendation 7
The Oman Academic Accreditation Authority recommends that Oman
Dental College develop a mechanism to ensure sufficient and appropriate
patient availability to meet its training and education needs.
2.8 Assessment Methods, Standards and Moderation
Assessment details are published in the Student Handbook and have recently been formalized in
an Assessment Policy. An external examiner system is utilised whereby external examiners
validate examination standards and make recommendations regarding international
comparability. The external examiners, who are sourced from a range of countries and
institutions, undertake pre-assessment moderation of examination papers and post-assessment
moderation of scripts. They also attend and report on professional practical examinations. This
process impacts positively on the examinations process but the Panel noted that ODC is still to
develop a policy and process for the approval of external examiners and to implement a system
that will standardize external examiner feedback (see Affirmation 2).
2.9 Academic Security and Invigilation
ODC has academic security and invigilation policies and processes in place and the Panel
confirmed that academic dishonesty is taken very seriously.
2.10 Student Retention and Progression
ODC has developed a KPI relating to attrition rates and monitors progression and retention and
attrition rates in relation to this. This KPI is identified in ODC’s Strategic Plan under the theme
of “enabling student success” (p.20). To date ODC’s retention and progression rates appear good
and attrition rates are lower than predicted. The Panel encourages ODC to monitor how attrition
correlates with admissions standards in its overall evaluation of attrition rates (see section 2.3 and
Recommendation 5).
2.11 Graduate Destinations and Employability
ODC is due to graduate its first cohort in 2012. The Panel learned that, while most students
intend to sit the national licensing examination and practice dentistry in Oman, a few students
intend to study further in either the UK or in India. The Panel found the students to be well
informed about the options that will be available to them following graduation. The Panel noted
that the BoD is working with the MoH to address the current regulations which will require
expatriate students to wait for a three year period following graduation before being allowed to sit
the national licensing examination. ODC has plans to monitor employment through a specific
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key performance indicator with a target of 95% of its graduates achieving appropriate
employment within 12 months (Portfolio, p.16).
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3 STUDENT LEARNING BY RESEARCH PROGRAMMES
At the time of the Quality Audit, ODC did not offer research programmes per se so this section is
not applicable in this Report.
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4 STAFF RESEARCH AND CONSULTANCY
4.1 Research Planning & Management
ODC’s research plans are clearly articulated in its Strategic and Operational Plan 2008/2009-
2012/2013 and supported by an appropriate KPI. The plan includes operational goals relating to
establishing a research-teaching nexus and establishing an ODC dentistry knowledge reference
base in Oman. Activity in these areas is planned to start in 2011 and 2012 respectively. The
Panel believes that effective implementation of the research plans being formulated will support
the Vision and values of the College.
4.2 Intellectual Property
The Panel confirmed that an Intellectual Property Policy is in place which protects the intellectual
property rights of students, staff and the College.
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5 INDUSTRY AND COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT
ODC has been in operation since 2006 and two of the founding members (the Chairman of the
BoD who is the College Consultant, and the Dean) are active practicing dentists in Oman. This
has put ODC in a strong strategic position to foster cooperation and engagement with dentistry in
Oman and internationally.
This chapter includes the Panel’s findings in relation to the College’s relationship with
professional bodies, potential employers, other higher education providers, and the community at
large.
5.1 Industry and Community Engagement Planning & Management
ODC acknowledges that clinical teaching and training under the tutelage of experienced clinical
faculty members is a significant and integral component of dental education (Portfolio, p.34). In
planning for the clinical component of Year 4 of the BDS programme, ODC has obtained
approval from the MoH to use the dental clinics in Al Nadha Hospital and Muscat Region
Primary Health Centres until such time as the construction of its own dental hospital/clinic is
completed and becomes fully operational (see Chapter 9). The Panel considers this a good
strategy and arrangements made to date reflect ODC’s close and effective relationship with the
national dental healthcare community (although Recommendation 6 relates to the need for
appropriate operational arrangements for this initiative). It was not apparent that ODC has
delegated any specific responsibility to particular faculty member/s to coordinate student clinical
education; this is something that the Panel believes ODC needs to consider in its future planning.
5.2 Relationships with Industry and Employers
ODC has a unique situation where the Chairman of the BoD and Consultant is the Head of Dental
Services at Al Nadha Hospital, a MoH tertiary care referral centre. He also participates in MoH
licensing of dentists for both government and private practice. In addition, he is a founding
member of Oman Dental Society. This provides ODC with privileged access to dentistry and the
profession in Oman, which it is capitalizing on by gaining approval to use MoH clinics for
clinical education, identifying dentists to participate as part-time faculty and identifying clinics to
participate in clinical education.
5.3 Relationships with Professions
ODC has a close relationship with both the Dental Council of India and the General Dental
Council of the UK since the Chairs (and past Chairs) of these Councils are members of the
International Advisory Panel (IAP). This provides ODC with first-hand information for
benchmarking activities.
ODC has encouraged students to attend Oman Dental Society conferences by subsidizing student
registration fees. Students interviewed by the Panel and who have attended such conferences
expressed their appreciation for this support and clearly valued the learning experience.
5.4 Relationships with Other Education Providers
Since its inception in 2006, ODC has actively sought and established links with other education
providers. Given the early stage of development of the College, the specialist nature of the BDS
programme and also the associated staffing challenges that ODC faces (see Chapter 8), this
initiative has been of critical importance to ODC.
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Through members of the IAP, ODC has links with high profile dental schools in London, Hong
Kong and Spain. Through its Keynote Faculty Programme and the use of external examiners,
ODC has built additional relationships with local, regional and international education providers.
These providers include Sultan Qaboos University, Oman Medical College, the Arabian Gulf
University in Bahrain and both London University and Nottingham University in the UK.
Success in establishing relationships with other education providers has resulted in high positive
impact on ODC’s operations and in the Panel’s view will continue to do so.
Commendation 7
The Oman Academic Accreditation Authority commends Oman Dental
College for having established extensive and sustainable relationships with
other education providers which impact positively on College operations.
5.5 Alumni
ODC has had no graduates and therefore there are no alumni yet. ODC has set a key performance
indicator relating to the employment of its graduates (see section 2.11). In due course ODC will
need to plan for the follow-up of alumni from 2012 onwards in order to monitor employment
rates and graduate/employer satisfaction and ensure effective engagement with its alumni.
5.6 Relationships with the Community at Large
Relationships with the community at large have not yet been actively pursued by ODC. The
Panel heard of some limited engagement of students in community activities (for example, taking
part in blood donation campaigns and charity events). However, ODC’s main plans for
community engagement are through the proposed ODC dental hospital where members of the
public will be treated, through treatment of patients at MoH health centres and through
epidemiological data collection that will be part of the community dental health course for Year
4-5 students. Whilst the Panel recognises the value of these plans, there is scope for ODC to
strengthen its engagement with the community.
Recommendation 8
The Oman Academic Accreditation Authority recommends that Oman
Dental College adopt a broad approach to engagement with the community
at large leading to activities that include the entire staff and student body.
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6 ACADEMIC SUPPORT SERVICES
ODC is a relatively new institution which has yet to graduate students. As such, the College is
still developing its full suite of courses, services, and facilities. ODC currently operates from
three separate temporary sites; the main campus for Year 3 pre-clinical and Year 4 clinical
students; a nearby satellite campus for Year 2 preclinical students; and the Hawthorn Muscat
institute for predental foundation students undergoing English language training which is located
a short drive from the other sites.
This chapter reports on key academic support services offered by the College including library
and IT services, academic advising, student learning support and the provision of teaching
resources.
6.1 Academic Support Services Planning & Management
ODC’s academic support services are mainly planned and managed through the Academic
Council (Portfolio, p.36). There is student input to planning and management of the academic
support services via non-voting ex-officio student members of the Academic Council and ODC
receives student feedback on academic support services through their annual institutional Student
Satisfaction Survey. The Director of Administration who is responsible for academic support
services sits on the Academic Council in order to provide representation from units such as the
library and IT. However, the Panel did not find evidence of direct representation from staff from
these units. In addition, the Panel did not find direct evidence of benchmarking in this specific
area to assist ODC in ensuring that its provision aligns with its Mission and Vision. The Panel
believes that the system for the planning and management of the academic support services needs
to be strengthened.
Recommendation 9
The Oman Academic Accreditation Authority recommends that Oman
Dental College evaluate the planning and management of its academic
support services to ensure input from all members of its academic
community and appropriate benchmarking of its provision.
6.2 Registry (Enrolment and Student Records)
The registry tasks are handled by a Student Affairs Registry administrative officer under the
supervision of the Director of Administration. Registry functions are progressively being
managed through ODC’s new customized College Management System. This system is designed
to integrate all areas of College support activity and to be compatible with the MoHE Statistical
Database System (Portfolio, p.47). The Panel noted that ODC does not have a dedicated
registrar at the present time but found no evidence of dissatisfaction with the service provided.
6.3 Library
As a consequence of ODC’s operations at three separate interim sites, there are inherent
discontinuities in academic support services between the sites and in student access to the
services at each site. ODC currently operates two libraries, one at the main campus and the other
at the satellite campus. These libraries are managed by one full-time librarian and are open
Saturday to Wednesday from 8:30am to 6.00pm. The libraries have limited space, small
collections, and very few book titles. However, students are assured availability of key texts as
these are loaned to students for the duration of each academic course. ODC considers its current
provision to be adequate for its needs but the Panel noted that it is not consistent with the
College’s Mission of providing dental education of the highest international standards. The Panel
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was pleased to confirm that ODC has planned for a ‘state-of-the-art’ library within the new
building that will include a learning resource area (Portfolio, p.36).
Affirmation 4
The Oman Academic Accreditation Authority agrees with Oman Dental
College that improved library facilities are required, and in order for the
College to be able to provide services consistent with the its Mission and
Vision, it supports the College’s plans to develop a state-of-the-art library.
6.4 Information and Learning Technology Services
The College currently operates two separate information and learning technology services, one at
the main campus and the other at the satellite campus. The Year 1 pre-dental foundation students
have access to IT services at the Hawthorn Muscat building where the Foundation Programme is
presently conducted (as well as having access to the College IT services when they are present on
the main campus) (see Section 2.4). Personal computers and a wireless network are available at
both sites. Student interviews indicated to the Panel that that access to computers can be limited
for private study, although the Panel did not find substantive additional evidence to support this
either in the logs that ODC maintains to monitor IT usage or in the student feedback surveys.
The surveys indicate that the majority of students are satisfied with the College computer
facilities and internet access.
In the Panel’s view, however, the staffing level of the IT services is of some concern. Given the
split-site nature of ODC and the College’s intended expansion of digital library resources
(Portfolio, p.37), continuing development of its Virtual Learning Environment (Portfolio, p.38),
and recent acquisition of a comprehensive digital College Management System (Portfolio, p.47),
an adequate number of staff members needs to be available to manage and maintain the IT
facilities. As the College continues to develop, it will need to continue to evaluate its information
and learning technology services and benchmark these to levels consistent with its Mission and
Vision.
6.5 Academic Advising
ODC recently introduced academic advising in the form of a mentoring system. At the time of
the Quality Audit, the system had been in place for less than one year and, consequently, the
College had yet to conduct a formal review of this system. Student interviews indicated broad
satisfaction in this area although the Panel found that there was inconsistency in how the system
is actually put into practice. In addition, the Panel had some concern regarding the lack of a
dedicated coordinator for the mentoring system; the system is administered by the Student Affairs
Registry administrative officer, who single-handedly oversees the mentoring system, registry
functions, and Student Support Services (including functioning as the Student Counsellor). At
the time of the Quality Audit, the Panel was pleased to learn that ODC was in the process of
reviewing the system based on faculty and student feedback.
6.6 Student Learning Support
ODC has a proactive approach to assist student learning with an emphasis on small group
seminar-based learning (see Section 2.5). ODC also provides ‘refresher’ English language
courses and other remedial teaching sessions for students who have been identified by faculty as
requiring additional support (Portfolio, p.39). Feedback and interviews indicated widespread
faculty support and overall student satisfaction with this approach.
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6.7 Teaching Resources
ODC’s resources for teaching students up to the preclinical level include a dental preclinical
skills simulator laboratory; this is particularly noteworthy and highly valued by students and staff.
However, College resources are not yet operational for teaching the more advanced components
of the programme. Development of the necessary clinical teaching resources (physical facilities
for clinical learning, dental patients, and recruitment of clinical dental faculty) hinges on
completion of the construction and equipping of ODC’s permanent campus building. The Panel
shares the concern of ODC about the timely acquisition of the physical and human resources
needed to teach clinical dental students. At the time of the Quality Audit, construction of the
building was ongoing but behind schedule by more than a month. However, the Panel confirmed
that the equipment (such as dental chairs) for the building had already been purchased and was in
storage ready to be installed immediately following completion of the main construction phase of
the building.
Affirmation 5
The Oman Academic Accreditation Authority agrees with Oman Dental
College that a purpose-built dental college and dental clinical teaching
outpatient facility with state-of-the-art equipment is critical for achievement
of its Mission and Vision and strongly supports its efforts towards ensuring
the timely provision of this.
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7 STUDENTS AND STUDENT SUPPORT SERVICES
This chapter considers a range of student support services offered by ODC. These are
administered by the Student Affairs Registry under the supervision of the Director of
Administration.
7.1 Students and Students Support Services Planning and Management
The Student Affairs Registry administers student support services under the supervision of the
Director of Administration (Portfolio, p.40). ODC provides students with a well-designed and
comprehensive Student Handbook which provides information to students on regulations, rules,
assessments, the mentoring process and other processes relevant to ODC student needs.
The Panel noted that the Student Clinical Handbook is still in draft form, and that it needs to be
finalized before the Year 4 cohort embarks on the clinical practitioner placement component of
their programme.
The Student Council has been recently reactivated, and students appear welcoming of the
opportunity provided to them to make use of their representation on the Student Council to deal
with problematic issues when they arise. Further development of the Student Council has been
identified by ODC as an opportunity for improvement (Portfolio, p.41) and the Panel encourages
the College to develop strategies to support this.
The Panel found ODC to be student-focused and confirmed that students are kept informed of
developments at ODC that impact the student experience. This is facilitated by well-developed
communication channels. As noted earlier in this Report (see Section 1.3), Student Council
representatives attend open meetings of the ODC Academic Council. A healthy dialogue exists
between staff and students to address student concerns. For example, all expatriate students are
aware of the three-year stand-down period after graduating before they will be able to take the
dental licensing examination in Oman. Students also reported that they were aware that the ODC
management was working with the authorities to have this restriction removed.
7.2 Student Profile
At the time of the audit, the total student population of ODC was 223. The vast majority of
students at the ODC are Omani (92% in 2008/2009); this aligns with ODC’s stated intention of
addressing the shortfall in the dental profession in Oman (Portfolio, p.41). The student
population is also predominantly female (80% in 2008/2009); the Panel was advised that this
reflects an international trend, but nevertheless suggests that this gender imbalance should
continue to be monitored and evaluated.
7.3 Student Satisfaction and Climate
ODC has succeeded in establishing a culture of seeking and responding to feedback from its
students. Students at ODC provide regular formal feedback on teaching quality, and also
complete an annual general student satisfaction survey. The Panel found consistent evidence of
ODC analyzing and responding promptly to student feedback. Moreover, the Panel was pleased
to note the involvement of students, through the Student Council, in developing solutions to
address student concerns.
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Commendation 8
The Oman Academic Accreditation Authority commends Oman Dental
College for establishing comprehensive and effective student satisfaction
feedback mechanisms.
7.4 Student Behaviour
The Student Handbook clearly sets out the standards of behavior expected of ODC students, and
students have a clear understanding of what is and what is not acceptable. The Handbook states:
“The College has a particular responsibility in respect of students who are following a
programme of study leading to a professional qualification” (p.24) and includes a specific
section on ‘Professional Behaviour and Disciplinary Code of Conduct’. The Staff Handbook
contains guidance on maintaining student conduct in relation to this and advises that matters that
cannot be dealt with in the first instance by the member of staff are to be referred to the Dean.
However, the Panel did not find evidence of a formal disciplinary procedure in place as part of
the Quality Management System and believes that this is an omission that needs to be addressed.
Recommendation 10
The Oman Academic Accreditation Authority recommends that Oman
Dental College develop and implement a formal student disciplinary
procedure and integrate this into its Quality Management System.
7.5 Career and Employment Services
ODC expects that the vast majority of its graduates (95%) will find employment within Oman
and the College is currently focusing on developing relationships with the Ministry of Health and
other government bodies likely to employ ODC graduates (Portfolio, p.42). ODC is still to
develop a career or employment service which will help the College to achieve the above target.
7.6 Student Finances
Two thirds of ODC students are funded by either full or partial government scholarships, with the
remaining one third being self-funded. There are currently no grants or bursaries offered by ODC
to students (Portfolio, p.43).
7.7 Accommodation, Catering and Transport
ODC is a non-residential institution, but the Panel learned that the Student Affairs Registry
provides assistance to students in finding reasonable accommodation and transport. Management
of the College cafeteria is outsourced to an external provider. Student concerns about the
cafeteria expressed in the annual student satisfaction survey are being addressed by the College
working together with the Student Council.
7.8 Medical and Counselling Facilities
ODC currently does not have a student counsellor or an in-house nurse, although plans for
making these appointments are underway (Portfolio, p.43). Whilst ODC currently provides a
supportive environment for students, the Panel believes that these two appointments should be
progressed to help ensure the wellbeing of the students (also see Section 1.12).
7.9 International Student Services
ODC does not aspire to attract large numbers of international students who are not resident in
Oman and has had no requirement to date to develop significant services in this area; at the time
of Portfolio submission, ODC had only one international student requiring College sponsorship
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for residence purposes. The College states that this situation will be reviewed should the student
profile appear likely to change (Portfolio, p.43).
7.10 Social and Recreational Services and Facilities
The Panel met students who had participated in a variety of social and recreational activities. The
Panel found no evidence of formal evaluation of these, but ODC has nevertheless recognized that
its social and recreational facilities need to be developed as the College matures (Portfolio, p.43).
In relation to this, ODC has conducted a survey of students’ interests in relation to extra-
curricular and social activities and the results of this were being analysed at the time of the audit
visit. The College reports that it has not been granted additional land at the site of the permanent
building for the provision of outdoor sports facilities and that it therefore intends to make
arrangements with adjacent institutes for students to make use of their facilities (ibid). The Panel
viewed the action plan that ODC has developed in response to the need it has identified to
provide its students with better social and recreational services and facilities. In the interest of the
overall student experience, the Panel encourages ODC to continue its efforts in this area.
Affirmation 6
The Oman Academic Accreditation Authority agrees with Oman Dental
College that its provision of social and recreational services needs to be
enhanced and supports its efforts to address this.
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8 STAFF AND STAFF SUPPORT SERVICES
At the time of the Quality Audit, ODC had developed some, but not all, of the suite of human
resources related documents and processes identified in its Quality Management System.
This chapter considers the key aspects of staff and staff support services including recruitment;
induction, professional development; performance planning and review; severance and staff
organizational climate.
8.1 Human Resources Planning & Management
The Human Resources Plan outlined in the original feasibility study for ODC is now articulated
in ODC’s approved ‘Minimum Standards Document’ and embedded in the action plan of the
current Strategic Plan. The relevant operational goal is broken down into objectives relating to
the appointment of staff on a yearly basis and the target dates and responsibilities are specified.
This part of ODC’s Strategic Plan relates to the theme of ‘building the dentistry skill base in
Oman’ and the relevant KPI is to ‘provide an infrastructure and resource base in line with the
increase in students up to steady state in 2010’.
The expected staffing levels for ODC (which include full-time staff and visiting / part-time
lecturers and clinicians) show a dramatic increase from the requirement for delivery up to Year 3
(2008/2009) to the requirement for delivery up to Year 4 (2009/2010). This is detailed in the
College’s Minimum Standards Document, the contents of which have undergone relevant
benchmarking by the IAP (see Sections 1.2 and 1.5). This increase is largely due to the expected
appointment of teachers and support staff to support delivery of the clinical components of Year 4
of the programme. The Strategic Plan emphasizes ODC’s desire to recruit experienced faculty
and clinicians. In order to do this, ODC wishes to appoint part-time faculty consisting of
practicing dentists to deliver the clinical components of Years 4-6 of the BDS programme.
In 2008-2009, ODC’s staffing aligned with its expected development but, after consideration of
the number of formally appointed ODC staff as shown on ODC’s staffing list for 2009-2010, the
Panel considered there to be a shortfall in relation to expectations indicated in the Minimum
Standards Document. The Panel noted an increase in the number of International Keynote
Faculty and part-time faculty but that also that ODC had only six full-time faculty teaching core
BDS subjects. During interviews, ODC expressed the view that the level of staffing met the
College’s current needs but the Panel remained concerned over the apparent lack of alignment
between the actual staffing level and the College’s stated expected developments.
8.2 Staff Profile
ODC has both male and female staff of a number of different nationalities. However, as
indicated in Section 8.1, the Panel was concerned as to whether sufficient full-time faculty had
been appointed for the preclinical and clinical years. Moreover, as discussed earlier in this
Report (see Section 1.3), Heads of faculty groups identified in ODC’s organizational structure
need to be appointed.
Recommendation 11
The Oman Academic Accreditation Authority recommends that, as a matter
of priority, Oman Dental College appoint Heads of faculty groups identified
on its organizational chart.
The Panel recognizes that the recruitment of full-time dental faculty presents challenges, and
acknowledges the value of engaging practitioners and international guest lecturers in delivery of
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the programme. However, if ODC is to provide high quality dental education and maintain its
practice of small group teaching (see Section 2.5), the Panel considers that it will need more full-
time faculty. The College states through its values that it is committed to “creating an academic
and clinical learning environment in which students excel” (Portfolio, p.11). The Panel
encourages ODC to monitor the impact of its ratio of part-time to full-time academic staff in
relation to how well the College is able to fulfill this commitment.
8.3 Recruitment and Selection
ODC identifies a ‘global shortage of good dental faculty’ (Portfolio, p.44) and the Panel
acknowledges the challenge that ODC faces in relation to this. ODC has found that its
relationships and contacts within the dental profession (see Commendation 7) have to date been
more effective than traditional methods of advertising in sourcing staff, and identifies this as an
area of strength. In January 2009, ODC developed a Staff Recruitment Policy, in line with its
Quality Management System, which takes the above approach into account. However, the Panel
was of the view that, as yet, the recruitment and selection process as set out in the policy is not
implemented consistently. The Panel met with a variety of staff during interviews and heard
several instances where implementation of the policy had not been adhered to. Given the staffing
challenges that ODC faces, the Panel believes that a more rigorous approach to recruitment and
selection is required.
Recommendation 12
The Oman Academic Accreditation Authority recommends that Oman
Dental College implements a systematic and rigorous approach to staff
recruitment though consistent application of its staff recruitment policy.
8.4 Induction
The ODC Staff Handbook provides comprehensive details for new staff (and is also available on
the College website). Although the Panel observed that a limited induction process had occurred
for some new staff, ODC has yet to develop a formal induction process. The Panel believes that
the development and implementation of a robust induction process that serves the needs of all
new staff, including part-time and guest faculty, is essential for maintaining the implementation
of quality assurance processes at ODC, particularly as the College grows.
Recommendation 13
The Oman Academic Accreditation Authority recommends that Oman
Dental College develop and implement a robust staff induction programme
for all new staff.
8.5 Professional Development
Professional development has been considered by ODC in the Strategic Plan and also in the
Quality Management System framework. In its Strategic Plan, ODC states:
Ongoing staff training, career, and continuing professional development is
important to support the needs of the students at Oman Dental College and to
enable staff to achieve personal career objectives.
In support of this, ODC has developed a Staff Performance Appraisal and Professional
Development Policy and a Staff Development Record. ODC’s approach to professional
development is also clearly set out in the Staff Handbook. The Panel found a number of
examples of faculty professional development activities (mainly in relation to attending
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conferences) having been supported by ODC, and support ODC’s plans to further develop this
area of its activities as the staff base grows.
Affirmation 7
The Oman Academic Accreditation Authority agrees with Oman Dental
College that opportunities for professional development will need to be
developed in line with the growth of the staff base and development of the
College and supports its efforts towards ensuring this provision.
8.6 Performance Planning and Review
ODC has developed a Staff Appraisal System that is set out in the Staff Performance Appraisal
and Professional Development Policy and explained in the Staff Handbook. This new process
has been informed by an earlier system that was implemented for administrative staff. As with a
number of its newly developed systems, ODC is now ready to move to the next stage of
implementation, monitoring and review.
Affirmation 8
The Oman Academic Accreditation Authority agrees with Oman Dental
College that an inclusive Staff Appraisal System is required and supports
the steps that the College has taken toward implementing this.
8.7 Promotion and Other Incentives
ODC has not yet developed a staff incentive or promotion system although there is provision for
financial benefits for staff after three years of employment (Portfolio, p.45). The Panel
recognizes that the College is in its start-up phase, but is of the view that the introduction of
performance-based incentives could be considered by ODC as a strategy to support achievement
of its aim to attract quality dental faculty.
8.8 Severance
ODC’s severance conditions are set out in the Staff Handbook.
8.9 Staff Organisational Climate and Retention
The Panel found ODC to have a very positive institutional climate (see Commendation 1) and
there appears to be good staff retention. The Staff Handbook provides details of expected staff
conduct and disciplinary processes, although, as in the case of students, the Panel found no
evidence of a formal disciplinary policy and associated procedures (see Recommendation 10).
The Panel supports ODC’s intention to implement staff satisfaction surveys and formally analyse
retention. This evaluation will need to include both part-time and visiting or seconded faculty.
Affirmation 9
The Oman Academic Accreditation Authority agrees with Oman Dental
College that staff satisfaction surveys need to be conducted and supports the
College in implementing this system as the staff base increases.
8.10 Omanisation
ODC’s staffing profile is consistent with their stated intention to “employ Omani nationals
wherever possible in both faculty and non-faculty positions” (Portfolio, p.46). In 2008-2009,
Omani nationals (all working on a part-time basis) comprised 40% of ODC’s faculty and 36% of
the administrative staff were Omani. These figures have increased over time and it was clear at
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the time of the Quality Audit that this trend was continuing. The Panel was pleased to see that
ODC intends to support this trend by increasing opportunities for Omani dentists to work with the
College.
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9 GENERAL SUPPORT SERVICES AND FACILITIES
ODC is in the process of establishing a College Management System in response to its wish to
“create an integrated system in which all aspects of administrative, academic and financial
functions could be managed” (Portfolio, p.46). Further development of the College as it moves
towards steady-state with the graduation of its first cohort in 2012, and the anticipated transfer to
the new College building, will bring associated demands on the general support services and
facilities.
This chapter considers the Panel’s findings in the areas of public relations and marketing,
communication services and facilities management.
9.1 General Support Services and Facilities Planning and Management
The Panel noted that the current focus of facilities planning is the construction of the purpose-
built dental college and clinical teaching outpatient dental hospital in accordance with ODC’s
Mission and Strategic Plan (Portfolio, p.47) (see Affirmation 5). The Panel noted that the IAP
has been involved with the checking and approval of all stages of the planning process. The
Panel confirmed that there is significant progress towards meeting the anticipated completion
date of June 2010.
9.2 Public Relations and Marketing
ODC’s public relations and marketing focus to date has been on raising awareness of dentistry as
a profession and targeting, informing and interacting with potential students who meet the
particular profile required for embarking on a BDS programme. The additional public relations
and marketing function that is emerging, is the need to address the anticipated opportunity for
members of the public to receive supervised dental healthcare from ODC students at the new
dental teaching hospital. ODC College plans to address this by increasing its marketing and
public relations activities and that this will include, for example, further development of the
website and holding open days in the new College building (Portfolio, p. 47-8). The Panel heard
further details of these plans during interview, and supports ODC’s intentions in this area.
9.3 Communication Services
ODC states that information is communicated to students mainly through notice boards
(Portfolio, p.48). ODC has concluded that this system is moderately effective, and to address
this, an intranet portal is being investigated for the future once it has relocated to the new building
(Portfolio, p.48). ODC believes that use of its Moodle Virtual Learning Environment will
enhance communication between ODC faculty, administration and students. The Panel noted that
students have the opportunity to give feedback on how effectively the College communicates
with them through the institutional student survey that ODC conducts; this allows students to
comment specifically on, for example, how well changes in timetable and assessment schedules
are communicated.
The Panel concluded that ODC is appropriately responsive to changing needs and feedback on
communication within the ODC community.
9.4 Facilities Management
The Panel noted that currently all in-house maintenance of buildings, grounds and equipment is
supervised by the Director of Administration. ODC will review this arrangement in relation to
the facilities management needs of the new College building. Management of the College
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cafeteria is outsourced to an external provider, but is supervised by the Student Affairs Registry
and ODC receives feedback on the services provided through, for example, its annual institutional
student survey.
The Panel confirmed that ODC maintains breakdown logs for IT equipment and the specialized
dental equipment in the preclinical simulation laboratory which enables issues to be recorded and
rectified without delay (Portfolio, p.49). ODC also has a daily IT back-up system and makes use
of an off-site hard drive for data storage.
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APPENDIX A. AUDIT PANEL
Ms. Alya Al Rawahi (Panel Chairperson)
Education & Training Expert
Undersecretary of Planning Affairs Office
Ministry of Health
Oman
Dr. Tom Heming
Associate Dean
Oman Medical College
Oman
Dr. Patsy Paxton
SANTED Project
Nelson Mandela Metropolitan University
South Africa
Prof. Michael Irving
Former Vice Chancellor Sohar University
Higher Education Consultant
Australia
Prof. Johann De Vries
Dean School of Dentistry
The University of Adelaide
Australia
Susan Trevor-Roper (Executive Officer)
Oman Academic Accreditation Authority
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APPENDIX B. ABBREVIATIONS, ACRONYMS AND TERMS
The following abbreviations, acronyms and terms are used in this Report. As necessary, they are
explained in context. In some cases, URLs are provided to facilitate further enquiries about these
acronyms and terms.
ADRI ..............................................A four step, cyclical model for analysing a topic, comprising:
Approach → Deployment → Results → Improvement.
ABSMIDS ………………………. A.B. Shetty Memorial Institute of Dental Sciences, Mangalore
Approach ........................................The first dimension of the ADRI cycle, which focuses on evaluating
what a HEI aims to achieve for a given topic and how it proposes to
achieve it.
BDS ……………………………… Bachelor of Dental Surgery
BoD ……………………………… Board of Directors
Consultant ……………………….Formal position within Oman Dental College’s Organizational
Structure currently filled by the Chair of BoD
Call Back Interview........................An interview conducted by the Audit Panel towards the end of the
audit visit for which it has invited specific people, usually at short
notice, to respond to particular issues on which the Panel will require
assistance.
Deployment ....................................The second dimension of the ADRI cycle, which focuses on whether a
HEI’s plans for a given topic are being followed in practice, and if not,
why not.
Executive Officer............................An OAAA staff member assigned to an Audit Panel to provide
professional guidance and support.
External Reviewer ..........................A Member of the OAAA Register of External Reviewers; a person
approved by the OAAA Board to participate as a member of the
OAAA’s various external review Panels.
HEI .................................................Higher Education Institution (also known as HEP – Higher Education
Provider)
IAP ……………………………… International Advisory Panel
Ibid ……………………………… indicates the reference cited immediately before
IELTS …………………………….International English Language Testing System
Improvement ..................................The fourth dimension of the ADRI cycle, which focuses on how
effectively an organisation is improving its approach and deployment
for any given topic in order to achieve better results.
IT …………………………………Information Technology
KPI ………………………………. Key Performance Indicator
MoH …………………………….. Ministry of Health
MoHE .............................................Ministry of Higher Education (www.mohe.gov.om)
OAAA ............................................Oman Academic Accreditation Authority (www.oaaa.gov.om)
OAAA Board ..................................The governing body of the Oman Academic Accreditation Authority
ODC................................................Oman Dental College
ODS ……………………………... Oman Dental Society
OFI..................................................Opportunity for Improvement.
OQF................................................Oman Qualifications Framework.
Oman Dental College HEI Quality Audit Report
Page 41 of 43 © Oman Academic Accreditation Authority
Panel Chairperson...........................The Chairperson of the Audit Panel.
Panel Member.................................An OAAA External Reviewer who is a member of an Audit Panel.
Portfolio..........................................see Quality Audit Portfolio.
Quality Assurance...........................The combination of policies and processes for ensuring that stated
intentions are met.
Quality Audit ..................................An independent evaluation of the effectiveness of the system and
processes by which a HEI sets, pursues and achieves its mission and
vision.
Quality Audit Portfolio ...................The report produced as the result of a self study. Also forms the main
submission made to the OAAA by the HEI being audited.
Quality Audit Report ......................A public report published by the OAAA which presents the findings
and conclusions of the Audit Panel’s External Review of a HEI.
Quality Enhancement .....................The combination of policies and processes for improving upon
existing approach, deployment and results.
QMS .............................................. Quality Management System
Random Interview ..........................An interview conducted in situ by individual Panel Members during
the Audit but separately from the main interview sessions.
Results ............................................The third dimension of the ADRI cycle, which focuses on the
evidence of the outputs and outcomes of a topic’s apprOAAAh and
deployment.
SAOC …………………………… Société Anonyme Omanaise Close - A closed joint stock company in
Oman
System ............................................In this Report, system refers to plans, policies, processes and results
that are integrated towards the fulfilment of a common purpose.
HEI Quality Audit Report Oman Dental College
© Oman Academic Accreditation Authority Page 42 of 43
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