Quality

 

Quality Assurance Policy

The Dean of the College of Dentistry at King Khalid University (KKUCOD), along with the Vice Deans, Chair of AQDAC, Head of the Departments and sections, academic faculty, technical, and administrative staff, is dedicated to implementing a Quality Assurance System across Teaching, Training, Research, Community service, and Patient care. Recognizing the value of continuous improvement, the college has established a structured approach to ongoing development and training for all its levels, sections, and departments. Furthermore, the College of Dentistry remains committed to offering solid infrastructure, consistent maintenance, and a supportive work environment in every department and section to meet the accreditation standards.

---

The Internal Quality Assurance System

King Khalid University College of Dentistry (KKUCOD) has designed the internal quality assurance (IQA) to match the IQA at KKU. It focuses on spreading the quality culture and monitoring the quality in the administrative and academic areas of the College. The KKUCOD IQA's primary purpose is quality assurance of the various operations within the college in teaching, training, research, community services and patient care. Moreover it serves to facilitate the implementation of the KKUCOD strategic plan to achieve its strategic goals, mission, and vision. The KKUCOD IQA is practiced by implementing quality policies and initiatives, periodic reports and measurement and analysis of indicators. The KKCUOD quality management system (QMS) implements and monitors the policies and procedures of the KKUCOD IQA.

 

---

The External Quality Assurance System

The External Quality Assurance (EQA) at KKUCOD ensures regulatory compliance. It conducts College benchmarking at a national level. The KKUCOD IQA complements the KKUCOD EQA by providing the data and statistics compiled at different courses and committee levels at different times.

The components of KKUCOD EQA are the following:

• Self-Study for NCAAA Accreditation
• Compliance with the National Qualification Framework (NQF)
• Program Accreditation
• Benchmarking with National Dental Colleges in KPIs

Applying for NCAAA accreditation and preparing a comprehensive self-study report, measuring its performance on the NCAAA five standards and criteria defined by the Education and Training Evaluation Commission (ETEC).

 

---

Objectives of Quality Management System

The KKUCOD QMS objective is to standardize the quality activities and spread the quality culture across the College. The following are the objectives of KKUCOD QMS:

• Develop and share the quality policies, practices and procedures
• Improve the quality of KKUCOD administrative and academic activities
• Spread quality culture across the College
• Develop necessary quality structures
• Define the roles and responsibilities of participants in the quality assurance framework
• Continuous Assessment of Performance
• Identify good practices
• Promote continuous improvement

 

---

Academic Quality Development and Accreditation Committee Structure (AQDAC)

Purpose

The KKUCOD Academic Quality Development and Accreditation Committee (AQDAC) is responsible for quality assurance at KKUCOD. It also governs, reviews, and approves the quality assurance processes aligning with the College's teaching and learning mission, research, community engagement, and patient care.

Membership

The Dean selects the Quality and Accreditation Committee members, and the College Board approves the membership. The Committee is headed by a chairperson and assisted by its members. The members are chosen according to the following criteria.

• Full-time faculty
• Qualification or experience related to the committee tasks
• Has no conflict of interest

Terms of Reference

• The workload distribution of the Committee must be according to the expertise of the committee member.
• The Committee Chair should workload should be fairly distributed among the committee members.
• The Committee should be reconstituted partially or fully every year. The reconstitution of the Committee is based on the Committee's achievements and contributions to ensure continuous improvement.

Duties

• Communication with the Dean, Vice Dean, Department Chairmen, and Committee heads about quality activities.
• Provide feedback on the results of annual program reports, action plans, and performance assessments.
• Make recommendations for improvement and other program activities to the departments and the appropriate committees.
• Disseminate department and committee performance information to promote quality assurance and a culture of excellence.
• Ensure the quality is upheld in all College activities & the NCAAA standards are met.
• Ensures the College maintains continuous, appropriate, and effective quality improvement through all activities and regular performance assessments.
• Annually review college performance for use in submissions for NCAAA accreditation requirements. 
• Ensure that the appropriate resources are available to support the QA process.
• Ensure that the requirements for program accreditation are met promptly.
• Assure a systematic implementation of the curriculum, the best utilization of learning resources, and optimal educational management, and monitor the outcomes of the academic program. 

Chair, Academic Quality Development and Accreditation Committee

Responsibilities

•  
• Leadership and governance for the Academic Development and Accreditation Committee (AQDAC).
• Oversee the AQDAC activities to maintain and enhance academic excellence and compliance with NCAAA accreditation standards
• Oversee the implementation of quality assurance policies and procedures across all academic units.
• Control of Quality documents
• Facilitate Quality culture among committee members, faculty, and stakeholders regarding Quality assurance in Teaching, Training, Research, Community services and Patient care
• Oversee the continuous improvement at KKUCOD academic program.
• Serve as the primary liaison for NCAAA accreditation-related activities and correspondence.
• Lead the preparation and submission of NCAAA accreditation reports and self-study documentation.
• Coordinate site visits and ensure compliance with NCAAA standards
• Monitoring of key performance indicators (KPIs)

Responsibilities of Quality Coordinators at KKUCOD

• Support and coordinate the implementation and monitoring of Quality assurance policies and procedures in areas of Teaching, Training, research, community services and patient care at KKUCOD
• Maintain accurate and up to date related documentation of policies, procedures and reports
• Support the implementation of quality assurance policies and procedures
• Monitor and evaluate the effectiveness of quality systems in all the academic activities and reports it to the Chair AQDAC.
• Conduct  and report periodic internal reviews to maintain and exceed quality benchmarks

Responsibilities of Quality Representatives at KKUCOD

• Assist in implementing Quality assurance measures in accordance with the Quality assurance process of KKUCOD in areas of Teaching, Training, research, community services and patient care
• Report any non-conformities observed for Quality assurance activities at KKUCOD to the Quality coordinators and AQDAC for preventive and corrective actions.

Responsibilities of Accreditation Coordinator at KKUCOD

• Coordinating and overseeing NCAAA accreditation processes
• Assisting in the preparation and submission of accreditation documents, such as self-study reports, compliance reports, and evidence files
• Gathering, organizing, and analyzing data required for accreditation purposes
• Developing and maintaining databases and documentation systems to support accreditation activities
• Assisting the Chair of AQDAC in organizing committee meetings, preparing agendas, and documenting minutes

 

---

Program Learning Outcomes (PLO) and Graduate Attributes (GA)

KKUCOD PLO Planning and Assessment Policies

Purpose

The PLO development and assessment policies establish a framework for developing, assessing, and improving KKUCOD PLOs. The PLOs align with the college's mission, graduate attributes, academic standards, and the National Qualification Framework (NQF), while addressing labor market needs and stakeholder expectations. The aim is to uphold high academic standards and prepare graduates with the essential knowledge, skills, and values for professional success.

Scope

Effective communication of PLOs and the assessment results is essential, as it must be shared via various platforms like the college website to keep students and faculty informed. The annual assessment, led by the Department of Dental Education, involves data collection and analysis by the PLO Assessment Team, with findings reported to aid decision-making. Continuous improvement is supported by feedback from the PLO Assessment Committee and the College Board to ensure the learners' academic success.

Developing KKUCOD PLOs

The KKUCOD Program Learning Outcomes (PLO) are statements that outline the knowledge, skills, and values that graduates are expected to demonstrate upon completing the program. PLOs play a crucial role in guiding the design, delivery, and evaluation of the program. They also help communicate the program's purpose and expected outcomes to students, faculty, and all other stakeholders.

While formulating or revising the PLOs, the program ensures its alignment with the college's mission, graduate attributes, academic standards, Course Learning Outcomes (CLOs), and the National Qualification Framework (NQF). The PLOs are directly reflective of the college's mission, as they identify and incorporate key areas outlined in the mission statement. Furthermore, these outcomes are designed to meet the KKUCOD Graduate Attributes (GAs), ensuring that students are well-prepared for their future careers. In addition, the PLOs are framed in accordance with the academic standards established by the Education and Training Evaluation Commission (ETEC), taking into account the current needs of the labor market. Course coordinators play a vital role in this process by ensuring that the CLOs are structured in a way that supports the achievement of the PLOs. Lastly, the development of the PLOs carefully considers the alignment with NQF standards, as detailed in the Program consistency document.

 

---

Manuals & Handbooks