OFFICE OF THE
ASSOCIATE DEAN FOR ACADEMIC AFFAIRS
 DEPARTMENTAL COMMITTEES 
TERMS OF REFERENCE
Web: http://www.qu.edu.qa/engineering/ADAA/
EMAIL: dean4acdm_eng@qu.edu.qa
Tel: 44034323/ 4123
Version: March 2012
College Committees
Quality Assurance Office
The following committees have to be formed every academic year by the
Departments in the College of Engineering:
Curriculum Committee ............................................................................................................................... 1
Research and Graduate Studies Committee .......................................................................................... 3
Promotion Committee ................................................................................................................................. 5
Strategic Planning Committee .................................................................................................................. 7
Student Affairs Committee ........................................................................................................................ 9
Industrial Advisory Board Committee ................................................................................................... 10
Recruitment Committee............................................................................................................................ 12
The terms of reference of those committees are available in the following pages.
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College of Engineering Committees
CURRICULUM COMMITTEE
Purpose
This committee deliberates all important issues relevant to undergraduate curriculum
changes and restructuring; development of new programs; accreditation; quality
assurance; and course assessment.
Membership
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The committee consists of minimum five faculty members (including the Chairperson)
at the rank of Assistant Professor or higher.
Members are appointed by the Head of Department (HOD).
Members could be suspended from committee activities if they miss three meetings or
more during the year, or in case of a resignation, termination or breaching of
confidentiality.
Chairperson
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The Chairperson of the committee is nominated by the HOD.
The Chairperson must be at the Associate or Full Professor’s rank.
Responsibilities of the Chairperson include calling, conducting and closing meetings;
preparing meeting agenda; editing and distributing meeting minutes; and
communicating information to departmental and college boards, when necessary.
Secretary
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One of the committee members will serve as the committee secretary.
Main responsibility of the Secretary is to record meeting minutes.
Quorum
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There must be at least three members present at the meeting to have a quorum.
The committee shall not meet without the Chairperson.
All decisions must be reached by consensus. If not possible, decisions made must
have more than 50% support from the members.
Duration of Meetings
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The committee shall meet once every month during a regular semester.
More meetings could be held at the request of the Chairperson.
The duration of each meeting must not exceed two hours.
Functions
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Review existing curriculums including university, college and departmental course
requirements.
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College of Engineering Committees
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Review and recommend any proposed changes to curriculums including introduction of
new courses, prerequisites’ changes, course substitution, course equivalency and
course transfer.
Propose new programs in light of local Qatari market needs and/or new and improved
international curriculum design.
Ensure that curriculums are in line with ABET requirements.
Monitor the overall assessment process of courses and learning outcomes.
Monitor and report back on semester grades.
Liaison with the College Curriculum Committee.
Amendments

The terms of reference must be reviewed annually and approved by the College Board.
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College of Engineering Committees
RESEARCH AND GRADUATE STUDIES COMMITTEE
Purposes
This committee deliberates all important issues relevant to research and graduate studies
at the department, which include curriculum changes and restructuring; development of
new programs; accreditation; quality assurance; and course assessment, departmental
research activities.
Membership
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The committee consists of minimum five faculty members (including the Chairperson)
at the rank of Assistant Professor or higher.
Members are nominated by the Head of Department (HOD).
Members could be suspended from committee activities if they miss three meetings or
more during the year, or in case of a resignation, termination or breaching of
confidentiality.
Chairperson
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The HOD will nominate the Chairperson for this committee
Responsibilities of the Chairperson include calling, conducting and closing meetings;
preparing meeting agenda; editing and distributing meeting minutes; and
communicating information to departmental and college boards, when necessary.
Secretary
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One of the committee members will serve as the committee secretary.
Main responsibility of the Secretary is to record meeting minutes.
Quorum
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There must be at least three members present at the meeting to have a quorum.
The committee shall not meet without the Chairperson.
All decisions must be reached by consensus. If not possible, decisions made must
have more than 50% support from the members.
Duration of Meetings
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The committee shall meet once every month during a regular semester.
More meetings could be held at the request of the Chairperson.
The duration of each meeting must not exceed two hours.
Functions
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Evaluate admission applications; interview and accept applicants; and assess and
approve thesis proposals.
Review any proposed changes to graduate programs curriculums including
introduction of new courses, prerequisites’ changes, course substitution, course
equivalency and course transfer.
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College of Engineering Committees
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Review proposals for new graduate programs.
Ensure that curriculums are in line with Accreditation requirements
Conduct research seminars and organize graduate student orientation day.
Enhance the quality of research, including the research student experience, in the
department.
Carry out any other tasks devolved to it by the Head of Department.
Amendments

The terms of reference must be reviewed annually and approved by the College
Board.
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College of Engineering Committees
PROMOTION COMMITTEE
Purposes
Qatar University recognizes excellence in teaching and educational development,
research and scholarship, the advancement of knowledge, and academic innovation. The
Departmental Promotion Committee (DPC) reviews the academic promotion dossiers of
the Department faculty, according to Qatar University‘s promotion procedures and
policies, and reports its findings and recommendations to the Head of Department (HOD).
Membership
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The HOD appoints the members of the DPC.
The DPC consists of three senior faculty members at the rank of Full Professor. If the
department does not have enough full professors, associate professors may be
selected.
The HOD cannot serve as members of this committee.
Members of DPC cannot serve as members of college or university promotion
committees.
Chairperson
The chairperson of DPC shall
 Be selected by the HOD.
 Call, conduct and adjourn DPC meetings.
 Initiate and make all necessary communications with committee members and the
HOD.
 Request (as needed) from relevant the applicant supporting documents or clarifications
with regard to the applicant’s dossier.
 Provide a summary report to the HOD, at the end of the review and evaluation
process.
Secretary
The Chairperson shall act as the secretary, or request that one of the committee members
serve as the secretary, of the DPC. The secretary records the minutes of meetings and
distributes them to all other members of the DPC for final approval. The DPC meeting
minutes and reports should be prepared in such a way that the opinions and votes of
individual committee members would remain confidential and anonymous.
Quorum
The quorum shall be at least three members, including the Chairperson. The DPC will
seek to make decisions by consensus. However, a majority vote should be adequate. In
case of a tie, the Chairperson vote will be the decisive vote.
Duration of Meetings
Meetings shall be held as needed.
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College of Engineering Committees
Functions
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Develop and maintain Department promotion procedures that are in line with the
policies of Qatar University and the College of Engineering.
Develop and maintain Department promotion criteria based on the university
requirements, college expectation and Department needs. These department-specific
criteria should be endorsed by the HOD.
Review and evaluate submitted promotion dossiers of Department faculty members
based on university baseline expectations and any additional college- and departmentspecific criteria.
Prepare a summary report that summarizes the outcome of the promotion review and
evaluation process along with the committee’s recommendations and turned it in to the
HOD.
Share information with the Department faculty, about the promotion policies,
procedures and criteria.
Providing consultation, to applicants from the Department, with regard to the promotion
process.
All discussions during the DPC meetings and/or deliberations from the committee on
the promotion process of any individual faculty in the college shall be kept confidential.
Amendments
The terms of reference must be reviewed annually and approved by the HOD.
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College of Engineering Committees
STRATEGIC PLANNING COMMITTEE
Purposes
This committee deliberates all important issues relevant to the Department’ strategic
planning, including action plans, discusses targets and gap analysis and liaises with the
IRO-Industrial Relations Office. The committee main role is to prepare items for reporting
on the strategic plan and the way in which the department meets the intended targets.
Membership
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The committee consists of minimum 3 faculty members. Rank is not a factor in
selecting the committee members. Yet, selected members should have been in service
at QU for at least one complete year and are familiar with department, college and
university practices.
Members are nominated by the HOD.
Members could be suspended from committee activities if they miss three meetings or
more during the year, or in case of a resignation, termination or breaching of
confidentiality
Chairperson
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The HOD selects the Chairperson.
Responsibilities of the Chairperson include
preparing meeting agenda; reviewing the
developed; and communicating information
The chairperson develops the work plan
consultation with the HOD.
calling, conducting and closing meetings;
editing and distributing meeting minutes
to departmental boards, when necessary.
of the committee in a specific year in
Secretary
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One member of the committee is elected as a secretary and coordinates with the HOD
and the department administrative coordinator.
Main responsibility of the Secretary is to record meeting minutes.
Quorum
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There must be at least three members present at the meeting to have a quorum.
The committee shall not meet without the Chairperson.
All decisions must be reached by consensus. If not possible, decisions made must
have more than 50% support from the members.
Duration of Meetings
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The committee shall meet once every month during a regular semester.
More meetings could be held at the request of the Chairperson, if necessary
The duration of each meeting must not exceed two hours.
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College of Engineering Committees
Functions
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Review and update current department strategic plan and action plan.
Review and approve any proposed changes to the plan including revisions of
objectives, targets, and key performance indicators.
Prepare the department’s report and communicate it through the HOD to the College
Committee and the IRO.
Discuss targets and achievements.
Discuss and develop gap analysis and achievements at the end of the academic
year/or before the start of the new academic year.
Liaise with the college committee and the IRO administrative coordinator in charge.
Amendments
The terms of reference must be reviewed annually and approved by the College
Board.
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College of Engineering Committees
STUDENT AFFAIRS COMMITTEE
Purposes
The Student Affairs Committee addresses matters pertaining to the welfare of the
undergraduate students in the Department of Civil Engineering. These areas include, but
are not limited to, academic and non-academic appeals. This committee reports a
summary of all decisions to the Head of Department (HOD).
Membership
The Department Student Affairs Committee shall consist of three members selected by the
HOD. The members of this committee are selected at the beginning of the academic year
and serve for one year.
Chairperson
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The HOD selects the Chairperson.
Responsibilities of the Chairperson include calling, conducting and closing meetings;
preparing meeting agenda; editing and distributing meeting minutes; and
communicating information to departmental and college boards, when necessary.
Secretary
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One of the committee members will serve as the committee secretary.
Main responsibility of the Secretary is to record meeting minutes.
Quorum
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There must be at three members, including the Chairperson, present at the meeting to
have a quorum.
All decisions must be reached a majority vote of the members, preferably –but not
necessarily- by consensus.
Duration of Meetings
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Meetings shall be held at the request of the Chairperson, the HOD, or two members of
the committee.
The duration of each meeting depends on the cases.
Functions
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Provide the HOD with recommendations for all cases of violations related to students
(undergraduate and graduate).
Provide the HOD with recommendations for all cases of Appeals related to students
(undergraduate and graduate).
Amendments
The terms of reference must be reviewed annually and approved by the Dean.
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College of Engineering Committees
INDUSTRIAL ADVISORY BOARD COMMITTEE
Purposes
The purpose of the Industrial Advisory board (IAB) in the Department is to serve as a
liaison between the department and Qatar’s industrial sector as well as the civil society
and the different governmental organizations. IAB plays a key role in providing input and
recommendations to the department from an industry perspective as well as supporting
the department’s strategic directions in terms of academic programs, research, faculty
development and students training.
Membership
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The IAB comprises of representatives from governmental agencies and major
companies in Qatar, who primarily employ department’s graduates.
The committee constitutes of at least seven senior members from various companies
and governmental agencies in addition to the Head of Department (HOD) and one
senior faculty member.
Members and Chair of the Board will normally serve a three-year term of office.
Chairperson
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The Board is chaired by the Head of Department.
Responsibilities of the Chairperson include calling, conducting and closing meetings;
preparing meeting agenda; editing and distributing meeting minutes; and
communicating information and Departmental Boards’ decisions, when necessary.
Secretary
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The senior faculty member will serve as the committee secretary.
Main responsibility of the Secretary is to record meeting minutes.
Quorum
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There must be at least five members present at the meeting to have a quorum.
The committee shall not meet without the Chairperson.
No decision making is required as this is an advisory committee.
Duration of Meetings
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The committee shall meet once every year during a regular academic year.
More meetings could be held at the request of the Chairperson.
The duration of each meeting must not exceed two hours.
Functions
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To annually follow up on the achievement of the department in relation to its strategic
plan, and to provide feedback for improvement.
To continuously review existing degree programs within the department, in terms of the
extent to which they prepare engineering students for professional careers in industry.
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College of Engineering Committees
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To identify new and existing engineering directions and trends in industry that could be
incorporated into the department’s degree programs and activities; hence, retain the
alignment with local industry and market needs.
To strengthen and support the department’s engagement with industry at all levels,
including teaching, research, faculty development, student projects, short courses,
consulting and careers advice.
To review the department’s research activities, and assist in identifying opportunities
for faculty members and students’ involvement in research and projects.
Amendments
The terms of reference must be reviewed annually and approved by the College Board.
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College of Engineering Committees
RECRUITMENT COMMITTEE
Purposes
This committee is charged with overseeing the new faculty selection and recruitment
according to existing policies and procedures.
Membership
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The committee consists of minimum of three faculty members at the rank of Assistant
Professor or higher.
Members are nominated by the Head of Department (HOD).
Members will be given a privilege to access the online recruitment system of the
department.
Chairperson
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The HOD is the Chairperson of the committee.
Responsibilities of the Chairperson include preparing the advert for the positions,
preparing the HR authorization to advertise and the authorization to initiate recruitment.
There forms will apply to faculty and non-faculty vacant positions. The chairperson will
be responsible to communicate to the college of engineering the details of vacancies
that will be put online by HR.
Responsibilities of committee members include reviewing applications online,
producing a review report on all applications online then submitting these to the
chairperson for further consideration and final short listing of suitable candidates for an
initial screening by phone interview.
The Chairperson or his/her designee is responsible for communicating with the
candidates and candidates referees if these candidates have been shortlisted for a
campus interview.
Secretary
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This committee does not require minutes of meetings as the committee’s main output
is in the form of application review reports.
Each applicant online will have a specific comment recorded online according to the
categories selected (rejected, nominated or approved). These comments may be input
by committee members or by the committee Chairperson on behalf of the committee
based on the recommendations.
Quorum
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There must be at least three members present at the phone interview for screening
purposes.
The phone interviews shall not proceed without the Chairperson
After each phone interview the committee discusses the outcome of the phone
interview and the Chairperson records comments from committee members.
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College of Engineering Committees
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The committee and other faculty members will be required to attend campus interview
presentations by invited candidates.
The Chairperson is responsible for collecting feedback from the committee members
and other faculty members attending the campus interview presentation.
Duration of Meetings
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No regular meetings are anticipated for this committee.
Meetings may be held at the request of the Chairperson to discuss application review
reports.
No specific duration for the committee is prescribed and it depends on the number of
cases and responses to adverts considered.
The campus interview candidate is normally allowed up to one hour presentation and
this is the minimum period committee members and other faculty may attend such
presentations.
Functions
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Access online applications upon instruction from the Chairperson, review applications
online and produce a summary report for all applications with a recommendation on
each case to reject or invite for phone interview.
The Chairperson is responsible for planning the replacement of faculty or staff
members who resign or are terminated.
The Chairperson is responsible for compiling interview outcomes after phone or
campus interviews.
The Chairperson is responsible for providing the recommendation to the college
management for hiring staff or faculty.
Amendments
The terms of reference must be reviewed annually and approved by the College Board.
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