QAA – Action Plan

Last Updated on November 28, 2022

QAA – Action Plan

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Recommendation
Action to be taken
Date for completion
Action by
Success indicators
Action Taken
Status
1 Make the Quality Policy publicly available on the School website (ESG Standard 1.1). Publish QA Policy on ADSM website COB: 07:11:2022 Director of Quality Assurance and Risk Management Upload of the QA Policy to ADSM website. To address the recommendations, ADSM has made the QA policy available to external stakeholders via ADSM’s website. See the link:
https://adsm.ac.ae/wp-content/uploads/2022/10/P106-QualityAssurancePolicy.pdf
Met
2 Ensure that students and external stakeholders such as employers and alumni have a formal means of involvement in the development and revision of the Quality Assurance Policy (QAP) and associated quality assurance (QA) processes (ESG Standard 1.1).

1) Update the constituent membership of the Policy Committee to include alumni and/or employers before the next policy review cycle.

2) Involve Students, Alumni and/or employers in the revision of the Quality Assurance Policy and associated quality assurance (QA) processes via the Policy Committee.

COB: 04:07:2023 Policy Committee

1) Update of membership of Policy Committee to include students and alumni

2) Review of QA Policy and manual during the next policy review cycle to involve students, alumni and/or employers.

To address the recommendations:

1) ADMS has updated the constituent membership of its Policy Committee to include student and alumni representatives.

Approximately 95% of ADSM’s students are employed professionals. These students are senior managers and leaders in public and private sector. Likewise, members of ADSM’s alumni have similar leadership and managerial profile in industry. ADSM deems it necessary to add both alumni and student representatives to its Policy Committee. The committee is responsible for the development, update and review of ADSM’s policies.

2) ADSM shall review the QA Policy (P 106) and manual during its policy review cycle: 04.07.2023

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3 Review the regulations for academic appeals, mitigating circumstances and non-academic complaints ensuring clear definitions, criteria, and processes for making and reviewing decisions (ESG Standard 1.3). Review the regulations for academic appeals, mitigating circumstances and non-academic complaints by providing
∙ clear definitions
∙ clear criteria
∙ clear processes for making and reviewing decisions
COB: 07:11:2022 Academic Dean

Updated regulations for

1) non-academic complaints (Grievance)

2) academic appeals

Ensuring that mitigating circumstances are clearly defined

To address the recommendations, ADSM has clearly delineated the differences between ADSM’s Students Grievances Policy P 420 and its Grade Appeal Policy P 419.

1) Non-Academic Policy
ADSM has made updates to its Students Grievances Policy P 420. The updates include:
° Clarification that the policy is a non-academic policy.
° A clearer definition of the word “Grievance” used in a non-academic context.
° A clear process for making the decisions are clearly itemised in the Procedure section of the policy P 420.
° Criteria for decision making addressed in the sections below of the policy P 420:

7.3.1.1 Criteria for decision-making is in accordance to the afore-stated definition of Grievance, which is in relation to associated ADSM non-academic policies and their application.
7.3.1.2 The criteria for decision-making is to ensure that the pre-defined conditions in ADSM non-academic policies are maintained
7.3.1.3 Related ADSM policies are defined in the above Related Document section.

The “Related Documents” include ADSM’s policies:
ADSM P 707 – Information Release Policy
ADSM P 412 – Student Disciplinary Policy
ADSM P 405 – Student Records Policy

2) Academic Policy
ADSM’s Students Appeal Policy P 419 clearly defines “Academic Appeal”. However,
° The policy is now updated to provide a clearer definition of “Mitigating Circumstance”: all appeals or complaints in relation to academic circumstances / reasons / conditions not limited to teaching delivery and / or assessments.
° It is clearly indicated within the policy P 419 that the policy is an academic policy.
° The Criteria for decision making is captured within the sections below:

7.2.4.1 Criteria for decision-making is in accordance to the afore-defined academic mitigating circumstances, that are in relation to associated ADSM academic policies and their application.
7.2.4.2 The criteria for decision-making is to ensure that the pre-defined conditions in ADSM academic policies are maintained
7.2.4.3 Related ADSM policies are defined in the above Related Document section.

Related Documents include the institutional policies below:
ADSM P 301 – Grading and Assessment Policy
ADSM P 303 – Grade Approval and Change Policy
ADSM P 405 – Student Records Policy
ADSM P 412 – Student Disciplinary Policy
ADSM P 418 – Academic Integrity Policy
ADSM P 707 – Information Release Policy

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4 Review the processes to ensure that the information on the website remains current and accurate (ESG Standard 1.8). Review the established website review process aiming for:
∙ accuracy,
∙ update regularity and
∙ that the information is current.
COB: 07:11:2022 Website review committee. Reviewed and implemented website update process aimed at
∙ accuracy,
∙ update regularity and
∙ that the information is current.
ADSM’s Website Committee is responsible for the review and update of the website and its contents.

To address the recommendations
, ADSM through the Website Committee has:Created a Website Content Review Process. The steps for reviewing the website content information during the annual review cycle include:1.0 By mid-May and mid-October of every year, the chair of the website committee initiates the process by sending a request to the heads of the business unit commence the review process of the website content related to their respective areas.
2.0 The deadline for receiving feedback from the business units is June 15th and December 15th.
3.0 The website committee chair and the website developer review the feedback and the technical aspects of the deployment.
4.0 The website committee chair might request more information from the business unit head to support the feedback.
5.0 The website committee meets by the end of June and December to discuss the final version of the requested changes, ensure the accuracy of the provided information and approve/disapprove them respectively.
6.0 If needed, the committee may invite the head of the business unit to discuss the changes.
7.0 The committee will categorize the approved changes into major or minor changes.
8.0 Minor changes will be sent directly to the website developer for implementation.
9.0 The chair will submit major changes to the executive committee for approval.
10.0 The website developer maintains a tracking sheet of the implemented changes.
11.0 Notify the content owner at the time of publishing the changes.
Created an ad-hoc Website Content Review and Update Process. This is also stipulated in ADSM’s Website Content Review Process for reviewing the website content outside the institutional review cycle. This ensures that the information on the website is current. The steps in the ad-hoc process include:1.0 The content owner may initiate the change process at any time by sending a justified change request to the website committee chair.
2.0 The website committee chair reviews the request with the website developer to validate it and requests more information from the content owner if needed.
3.0 The chair calls the website committee for an impromptu meeting to discuss the request and take the approval or disapproval decision
4.0 Depending on the significance of the request, the committee may send the request to the executive committee for approval.
5.0 The website developer maintains a tracking sheet of the implemented changes.
6.0 Notify the content owner at the time of publishing the changes.
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