Academic Advising and Student''s Follow up Procedure

Academic Advising

a. MPI Assistant Dean for Educational Affairs shall assign groups of students to each MPI Educational Affairs Coordinator to provide students with continuous advice throughout the semester with regards to their progress and GPA. 

b. MPI Educational Affairs Coordinator is responsible for providing academic advising for students while registering their new courses or during their period of study as per the Postgraduate Executive Rules  2012.

Postponing, Leave of Study and re-enrollment

a. Students who wish to postpone their studies shall consult the Assistant Dean for Student Affairs.

b. Students are allowed to postpone the study for 2 semesters (consecutive or separate) as per the Postgraduate Executive Rules (2012) clause 29 and this period is not counted from the maximum allowable period for graduation.

c. The student shall complete the postponing request form (PGQMS 4/1) and submit it to the MPI Assistant Dean for Educational Affairs for review and approval and then to the MPI Dean for final approval.

d. Students are not allowed to postpone study after the end of the second week of the running course and the request shall be submitted to the Head of Postgraduate Department of the AASTMT Deanery of Admission and Registration to take the necessary action on registration system.

e. After the approval, the MPI Assistant Dean for student Affairs keeps a copy of the request in the student file.

f. A copy of the request is submitted to MPI Education Coordinator to update the student list database.

g. Students who wish to leave the study for any reason shall consult MPI Assistant Dean for student Affairs to ensure their acknowledgement of the rules and guided by the student guide and the AASTMT Postgraduate Executive Rules (2012) clause 29.

h. The student shall complete the Leave request form (PGQMS 4/2) not after 2 weeks from the beginning of the semester, and submit it to MPI Assistant Dean for student Affairs for approval and to the MPI Dean for final approval

i. After approval, the MPI Assistant Dean for student Affairs submits the original form to the Head of Postgraduate department at AASTMT Admission and Registration Deanery for updating the system and financial matters.

j. A copy is kept in the student data file and database is updated by MPI  Education Coordinator

k. A student who was on leave of study for any reason for not more than 2 semesters and wishes to re-enroll in the program shall consult the MPI Assistant Dean  for Educational Affairs   and complete the re-enrollment form (PGQMS 4/3).

l. In case of leaving study for more than 2 semesters (consecutive or separate), the approval of the MPI Postgraduate Committee and the Vice President for Postgraduate Affairs after investigation of the reasons of late re-enrollment is required.

m. Academic advising is provided to the students before completing the request to ensure compliance with  the re-enrollment rules according to MPI  student’s Guide and Postgraduate Executive Rules  2012 (clause 33) regarding the financial matters and study period.

n. In case of approval the form will be sent by MPI Assistant Dean for student Affairs to Head of Postgraduate department at AASTMT Admission and Registration Deanery for approval and to take necessary action. The student’s database is updated by MPI Education Coordinator.

Change /transfer of Education Path

a. Students who wish to change their education path within the AASTMT programs, shall consult the MPI Assistant Dean for student Affairs and review the student guide  and AASTMT Postgraduate Executive Rules (2012) for acknowledgement and comply with the appropriate requirements according to the Postgraduate Executive Rules   20102 (clause 36).

b. Students shall complete the change/transfer path request (PGQMS 4/4) and approve it from the MPI Postgraduate Committee of the required institute, and the AASTMT Postgraduate Affairs Council.

c. The approved request shall be submitted to the Head of Postgraduate Department at AASTMT Admission and Registration Deanery for final approval. Database is updated by MPI Assistant Dean for Education Affairs.

Withdrawal from a Course

a. A student is allowed to withdraw from a course or more during the semester on condition:

i. The withdrawal is before 2 weeks before the final exam date.

ii. Approval of the MPI  Dean

iii. The semester enrolled in is not an additional chance semester (Postgraduate Executive Rules (2012-clause 35)

b. Student shall complete the course withdrawal form (PGQMS 4/5) and approve it by the MPI Assistant Dean for Educational Affairs. Final approval from the MPI Dean is completed and database then updated accordingly.

c. The withdrawal form is submitted to the Head of Postgraduate department at the AASTMT Deanery of Admission and Registration for final approval and take necessary actions on the system.

Assessment of Postgraduate Students Procedure

Continuous assessment

a. Students are assessed regularly during their period of study as per the requirements of the degree required (Diploma- Masters- Doctorate).

b. Students are considered "passed" in condition if they obtaining a grade not less than "C" in each course.

c. Each lecturer shall assess regularly all students according to the course description in the MPI status report to determine the assessment method suitable for the nature of the course (class presentations, case studies, projects, quizzes, term exams, class workshops, seminars).

d. The total score of the assessment is 100 marks divided on the following basis

 30 marks on the midterm examination

 20 marks as part of student’s continuous assessment. When assigning these marks lectures should take into consideration home works, work assignments and quizzes.

 10 marks continuous assessment. When assigning these marks lecturers should take into consideration 2 parameters students'' attendance and interaction.

 40 marks on the final examination.

e. Lecturer shall record the results of students’ assessments for midterm on students’ grades list (PGQMS 6/1) and submit it for approval from MPI Dean.

f. In case of internal lecturer, he/she will enter the approved results on Postgraduate result entry form (online-AASTMT portal).

g. In case of external lecturer, he/she will submit the approved grades list to the MPI Assistant Dean for Educational Affairs who will assign an internal lecturer to process the grades on-line at the AASTMT portal and to be submitted to the Head of Postgraduate department at the AASTMT Deanery of Admission and Registration.

Written Examination

a. In case a midterm exam and an end of term exam, written examinations are prepared by the lecturer, on the exam template form (PGQMS 6/2) after reviewing the course ILO''s matrix to ensure that the exam assess the students accordingly.

b. Exam is submitted to the MPI Assistant Dean for Education Affairs who shall approve the exam by signing the first page of the exam paper, and they are kept in a secure location. For project works and presentations, lecturers should submit to the MPI Assistant Dean for Education Affairs the marking scheme for assessing the students.

c. The MPI Assistant Dean for Educational Affairs shall assign Invigilators who shall complete the Examination Attendance Register (PGQMS 6/3), five minutes before the start of the exam and distribute the answer books (PGQMS 6/4).

d. The invigilators shall open the envelope and distribute the examination papers.

e. Lecturer (or delegate) shall provide an overview of the examination and clarify questions from students if required.

f. The invigilators shall start the examination.

g. At the end of the examination the invigilators shall collect the answer books and/or exam papers and give them together with the exam attendance register to the Course Coordinator.

h. Grades are registered on-line as per Clauses 5.1.5, 5.1.6 and Clause 5.1.7 of this procedure.

Breaches of Examination Regulations

a. The invigilators shall ensure proper conduct of the examination. Any breaches of examination regulations are recorded using Examination Discipline Report (PGQMS 6/5).

b. Answer books and question papers are attached with the Examination Discipline Report (PGQMS 6/5) and submitted to the MPI Dean for approval and actions are taken as appropriate.

Student Appeals

a. Students may raise an appeal on a degree awarded during the semester or for the final exam degree, not after the first week of the following semester.

b. Appeals are subject to grades of only one behind semester.

c. Students complete the student appeal form (PGQMS 6/6) at the office of the MPI Assistant Dean for Educational Affairs who shall review and submit to the relevant lecturer for investigation.

d. The involved lecturer/course coordinator  (in case of part time lecturers) shall  verify the appeal and take the following actions:

• If the student appeal is not accepted the lecturer/course coordinator shall acknowledge by refusing the student appeal and submit to the MPI Assistant Dean  for Educational Affairs.

• If the student appeal is accepted where investigations are done, the lecturer/course coordinator shall consider the reasons of result modification and mention the current grade of the student before modification and after modification attached with all required subjective evidence and submit to MPI Assistant Dean  for Education Affairs for review.

e. All related evidence for any changes shall be kept by the MPI Assistant Dean  for Education Affairs for verification and approval by the MPI Dean.

f. After review and approval the MPI Dean shall submit to the Vice President for Postgraduate Affairs for final review and approval.

g. The Vice President for Postgraduate Affairs shall verify the modifications and in case of acceptance shall submit the results back to the MPI Assistant Dean for Educational Affairs to take the necessary actions and re-enter the modified student grade on-line.

h. The MPI Assistant Dean for Educational Affairs shall review the student appeals every semester and will look for trends and repeated problems and necessary corrective actions are taken.

a. The MPI Assistant Dean for Educational Affairs at the end of each semester and before the final exam shall distribute the student''s Evaluation Form (PGQMS7/1) to students to fill it in.

b. The evaluation form is analyzed at the end of each semester by the MPI head of Administration unit and results submitted to MPI Assistant Dean  for Educational Affairs.

c. MPI Assistant Dean for Educational Affairs shall review the analysis and complete a corrective action report (PGQMS7/2).

d. At the end of each semester the MPI Assistant Dean for Educational Affairs shall complete a satisfaction report and submit to the MPI Dean for approval and to be discussed in the High Council for Postgraduate Affairs.

Student Complaint.

a. The Student shall initiate the Student Complaint form (PGQMS7/3) in case of any complaints regarding the educational process and forward it to the MPI Assistant Dean  for Students Affairs for acknowledgment.

b. The MPI Assistant Dean for Student Affairs shall review the complaint, and in some cases shall assign it to a competent person to resolve.

c. The responsible person shall investigate the complaint and complete the Student Complaint form, then return it to the MPI Assistant Dean  for Student Affairs for acknowledgement and approval.

d. The result of investigation and recommendations are communicated to the student by the MPI Assistant Dean for Student Affaires.

e. Periodic review of student complaints is done by MPI Assistant Dean for Student Affairs every six months looking for trends or repeated problems and results are discussed in MPI Council meetings.

Student Mobility

Students will acquire equivalent credits for courses that they have been successfully completed at external recognized institution under the following conditions:

a) Courses must be acceptable in the program to which transfer is being equivalent either as core courses or as electives.

b) Grades must be equal to the required passing grades to equivalents in MPI.

c) The weight of the equivalent courses should be as the same weight of the courses in MPI.

d) If students'' qualifications are not equivalent to MPI levels, they can take an access course to meet the academic requirements of his/her course.

e) If students'' English ability is not at the required standard, they can choose to apply for Pre-sessional English courses. The courses offers intensive preparation for academic study in English language and study skills. They will practice:

·     writing academic essays, reports and examinations

·     reading academic books and journals

·     listening to lectures

·     note-taking and other research skills

·     participating in seminars and oral presentations

·     Word processing and other computing skills, including the use of E-mail and the Internet in academic study.

f) Proof/ attested copy of Certificate of Accreditation of the concerned University.

g) University'' profile.

h) Explanation of abbreviation of the subjects and codes, which are used in the student’s transcript.

i) Attested Copy of Passport with valid visa portion.

j) Grades must be at least 60% or, where the passing grade for the equivalent course is different than the above mentioned grades, at least that passing grade will be fulfilled. However, students must obtain a grade of at least C- (60%) in any courses used to fulfill prerequisite requirements. Similarly, students may receive credit for courses completed at universities outside of MPI. Requests will be considered on a case-by-case basis.