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Vice President Office for Gaza Strip Affairs
Gaza Strip has been living under peculiar and strange circumstances because the Israeli Army has cut off its ties with the rest of Palestine, and so educational regions in Gaza Strip have been cut off from the Presidency of QOU in Ramallah and Jerusalem. This situation has led to great difficulties in communication between the Presidency of the university and the educational regions in Gaza Strip, which led to the hindrance of work and inability to make important decisions with the required speed, particularly in states of emergency. Because of these circumstances, and besides the great numbers of students (about one third of the university students) and employees, an idea emerged to establish an office, which represents the Presidency of QOU for the management of the educational regions and study centers affairs in Gaza Strip. Therefore, the Vice President Office in Gaza Educational Region has been established and started to do its job by the following employees: A Director of the Office, a Finance Officer for Gaza Strip, an Officer for Employees Affairs, a Supervisor of Libraries, and a Coordinator of the Students Affairs. Because of the presence of this office in Gaza Educational Region, it started to be involved with cases and problems of this particular educational region and to give all its time to it at the expense of other educational regions. Therefore, the Presidency has found that the best policy was to take out this office from Gaza Educational region. Thus, a building, faraway from Gaza Educational Region has been hired for the Vice President Office, which consisted of two floors, in addition to a ground floor, in Ansar Region (Supporters Region), Damascus Street, beside President Abu Ammar’s Forum. The Vice President Office in Gaza city has expanded to include several offices and administrations; now it is formed from Vice President for Gaza Strip Affairs, Director of the Office, Executive Secretary, Finance Manager, Public Relations Manager for Gaza Strip, Coordinators of the Academic Programs, Manager of Engineering and Maintenance Department, Manager of Employees Affairs, and Manager of Information Technology.
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The Vice President Office for Gaza Strip Affairs is now an independent office with complete authorities, and several employees who are working in this office have been appointment to administer QOU work in Gaza Strip.
There are 25 employees in the Vice President Office: 13 administrators, 4 academics (2 Doctorates and 2 Masters), and 8 employees of services. The aims of this office are:
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To ease the operation of contact and communication and to accelerate it between the Presidency of QOU and the Educational Regions and Study Centers in Gaza Strip.
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Solving all problems and cases quickly and without delay.
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This office represents QOU and its Presidency in Gaza Strip because the President of QOU could not visit Gaza Strip as a result of the Israeli policy of continual closures.
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The establishment of cooperation with the civil society institutions.
The initial plans to construct a building on a piece of land for the Vice President Office have been completed. The Palestinian Authority of Lands has donated 1777 square meters to the university, and the construction will start when financial funding is available.
Achievements of Vice President Office for Gaza Strip Affairs
- The transference of the Study Centers in Gaza Strip to Educational Regions.
Because of the rapid increase in the number of the students at QOU, Study Centers in Gaza Strip fulfilled the requirements to be transferred to Educational Regions. There are five Educational Regions in Gaza city, the north, the middle, Khan Younis and Rafah.
QOU has a “Presidential Noble Deed”, which grants the university pieces of land to construct permanent, QOU owned buildings in Gaza Strip. 4000 square meters have been granted in Beit Lahiya, 4000 square meters in Middle Gaza Strip, 2000 square meters have been given to expand Gaza Educational Region and to be now 7000 square meters. Another piece of land has been granted in Gaza City to construct a permanent building to the Vice President Office for Gaza Strip Affairs.
- The improvement of the spatial circumstance to the university students and the preparation of a suitable academic atmosphere. Thus, the university has finished paving the outside squares of the Educational Regions and established big canopies over these squares. All Educational Regions have been provided with drinking water refrigerators and electricity generators for emergency purposes. Computer laboratories have been provided with central air conditioners for the convenience of the students.
- The organization of exhibitions and study days.
Holding and/or participating in many conferences, seminars and workshops inside and outside the country.
- Developing the academic system
A Central Examination Board has been established in Gaza Strip to control examinations, and the previous Special Committees that administer examinations were cancelled. This new Board controls the supplementary (alternative) examinations, and the acceptance of students’ excuses when they are absent from examinations.
- The appointment of academic coordinators
Academic coordinators have been appointed for all the Academic Programs to control the process of developing the academic curricula, choosing suitable academic supervisors, distributing courses among them and evaluating their performance.
- The expansion of Gaza Educational Region Library
The university has expanded Gaza Educational Region Library, which is now 500 square meters, and has started to establish libraries in all educational regions. An agreement of cooperation has been signed between Al-Quds Open University libraries, and the libraries in Al-Aqsa University and the Islamic University. Another agreement has been signed with Gaza Mental Health Foundation Inc.
- The establishment of the Continuing Education Center and asking several coordinators to work in the regions and hold training courses for the employees and students at the university in the fields of administration, information technology and languages.
- Administration Program has been developed, and now it includes four specializations: Accounting, Economics, Marketing, and Finance.
- The organization of meetings with QOU academic supervisors to clarify to them distance education tactics and ways to implement them.
- Instructional meetings have been held with the students, particularly those who are registering in “Practical Education” and “Graduation Project”, and the discussion of ways to pursue plans. Moreover, assessment models have been prepared to evaluate the students of the previous two courses.
- The following work papers have been prepared to develop the performance of QOU employees:
- Directing academic supervisors of how to deal with "Practical Education" and "Graduation Project".
- The Concept of "Practical Education" and its targets and stages.
- Developing a new plan to teach "Practical Education".
- The development of a new plan to pursue and evaluate "Graduation Project".
- Preparing an initial plan for new programs of Special Education.
- Adopting criteria to update and develop university textbooks.
- The preparation of educational media to be used in the educational process.
Contact:
Vice President Office for Gaza Strip Affairs
Tel: 08-2828997, 08-2849199, 08-2828336, 08-2826344
Fax: 08-2827644
E-mail: vpo_gaza@qou.edu
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