MUSCAT : The Academic Council at the University of Technology and Applied Sciences (UTAS) held its fifth meeting for the 2025/2026 academic year today, chaired by His Excellency Dr. Said Hamad Al Rubaii, Vice Chancellor of the University and Chairman of the Academic Council, in the presence of council members at the university headquarters in Muscat Governorate.

During the meeting, the council discussed a number of topics related to the development of the academic system and the enhancement of the quality of teaching and learning at the university. Among the topics discussed was updating the formulation of program learning outcomes at the College of Education in Al Rustaq to align with the requirements of the National Qualifications Framework and the university’s graduate attributes, while also strengthening the alignment of academic programs with labour market needs and the rapid developments in the education sector.

The council reviewed the efforts carried out by the college during the 2024/2025 and 2025/2026 academic years. These efforts included the formation of a specialized academic committee to review learning outcomes, conducting benchmarking studies with a number of local, regional, and international universities, as well as implementing training programs and workshops to support faculty members in designing learning-outcome-based academic programs.

The council also discussed the university’s Teaching and Learning Framework, which is considered one of the main pillars of systems related to academic affairs. The framework aims to regulate and guide teaching and learning methods and activities, while enhancing consistency and clarity in educational practices across the university’s branches.

In addition, the council approved an Arabic language skills course for non-native speakers intended for international students studying at the university. This comes as part of efforts to support educational programs directed at international students and enhance their language skills in ways that contribute to their academic and cultural integration.

The council also reviewed the Academic Staff Workload Guide, which aims to regulate the distribution of teaching loads among faculty members according to their academic ranks, supervisory roles, and assigned responsibilities. The guide seeks to ensure the optimal use of human resources, contribute to attracting and retaining academic talent, and enhance the quality of academic work at the university.

At the conclusion of the meeting, the Academic Council emphasized the importance of strengthening integration between academic and practical aspects and adopting the best modern educational practices to advance the educational process across the university’s branches. The council also stressed the need to continue developing academic programs and educational systems in ways that enhance the quality of learning outcomes and supply the labour market with qualified national competencies, in line with the objectives of Oman Vision 2040 in the higher education and innovation sector.