The University of the Pacific (www.pacific.edu), located in Stockton California USA, has developed a new Teaching in Higher Ed Doctoral degree and would like to offer this degree to universities in Saudi Arabia. The doctoral program is in Global Education and Leadership (GEL) for faculty and graduate students who may teach in higher education to help them improve their teaching and learning. The primary vision of the GEL program is to prepare professional educators in higher education and practitioners from various world regions through distinctive educational opportunities in order to advance best professional practices in a global society.
University of the Pacific representatives at the 24 November 2010 meeting on the Alfaisal University Campus were the Global Education and Leadership Directors Dr. Jace Hargis, Assistant Provost and Associate Professor, and Dr. Cathy Peterson, Department Chair and Associate Professor.
Alfaisal University representatives at the meeting were Dr. Khaled Al-Kattan, VP Advancement and Dean of Medicine; Dr. Abdulhamid Abduljabar, Vice President for Student Affairs; Dr. Mohammed Kafaji, Director of IT; Dr. Norman Swazo, Interim/Acting Dean of the College of Science & General Studies; Mr. Thomas Williams, Professor and University Librarian, Ms. Saphia Ikram and Ms Aljohara Al Saud from PR, Ms. Nourah Al-Sadoun and Ms. Reham Al-Onaizan from Office of Research, and Dr. Mattheus Goosen the Associate VP for Research.
One of the items that were discussed at the meeting was the possibility of establishing a shared office where Alfaisal University would act as a host campus or partner for the GEL program in the Arabian Gulf at both the Master’s and Doctoral levels. Visiting Professors from the University of the Pacific, for example, would come to teach at Alfaisal University during the break in the academic year. The proposed doctoral program is designed to have 16 doctoral students, four from the Middle East region, with the other 12 coming from other defined geographic regions.
