Minutes of the Coordination and Consultative Council meeting N° 176

Minutes of the Coordinating and Consultative Council meeting (RCC/n176)

On Wednesday 05th of April 2023, the meeting of the Coordinating Consultative Council No. “176” was held in Mouloud BEDDIAR auditorium, at the Faculty of the Faculty of Law and Political Sciences, at 10:00, presided by the Rector of the University, Professor Ammar BOUDALAA, and in the presence of the gentlemen whose names are listed as follows:

Secretary General of the University

 

  
Deputy Rector in charge of Pedagogy

 

  
Deputy Rector in charge of Scientific Research

 

  
Deputy Rector in charge of External Relations

 

  
Deputy Rector in charge of Planning, Development and Foresight

 

  
Dean of the Faculty of Mathematics and Computer Information

 

  
Dean of the Faculty of Science

 

  
Dean of the College of Technology

 

  
Dean of the Faculty of Economic, Commercial and Management Sciences

 

 Prof. Mohammed KHATIM was named as the new dean in replacemt of Prof. Hocine BELADJOUZ
Dean of the Faculty of Law and Political Sciences

 

  
Dean of the College of Humanities and Social Sciences

 

  
Dean of the Faculty of Letters and Languages

 

  
Director of the Institute of Science and Technology of Physical and Sports Activities

 

  
Director of the Institute of Urban Technologies Management

 

  
Chairman of the University Fields Council

 

  
Assistants  of the Deputy Rector of the University in charge Pedagogy Meftah LEKHAL
Director of the Central Library

 

  
Head of Distance Learning

 

 absent
Business incubator manager

 

  
Network Center Administrator

 

  
Head the pedagogical vigilance cell

 

 absent
Head of the Digitization Strategy Office

 

  
Head of observation and evaluation of the strategic plan

 

  
Quality Assurance Official

 

  
Sub-Manager employees and training

 

  
Sub-Director of Finance and Accounting

 

  
Sub-Director of Activities

 

 Justified absence
Official of Visibility cell and university rating

 

  
Media cell

 

  

 

The rector of the University, Professor Ammar BOUDALAA, opened the meeting, welcomed the attendees, and then tackled the following schedule:

1- Correspondances

-The correspondence number 167, dated March 20, 2023, concerning the reporting of incidents and negative phenomena that occur within university or service institutions, has been listened to by the deans of the colleges and directors of the institutes, and it has been confirmed that there are no problems or negative phenomena in the colleges and institutes. The Director gave instructions to quickly report and identify any negative phenomena in the university environment, if they exist, and to take the necessary measures accordingly.

Therefore, the Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences, together with the university’s psychological support center, came up with the idea of ​​establishing a specialized committee for this matter, consisting of experts and laboratory managers to investigate negative phenomena. The committee was formed at the college level last week, and a meeting with the university director will be held next week to map out the committee’s plan of action.

-In addition, correspondence number 203, dated March 23, 2023, regarding the number of senior positions for research professors, has been sent to the deans of the colleges and directors of the institutes, and they have been tasked with preparing accurate and precise lists of the number of positions and contacting the university’s general secretariat to prepare a central file accordingly.

-Regarding the correspondence with the National Council of Ethics and Professionalism on March 26, 2023, a meeting was held with the members of the local committee at the university level, and an agreement was reached to schedule and hold a coordination meeting next week with the deans of faculties and directors of institutes to activate the work of this committee and renew some of its members and regulate its work plan, especially regarding the problems at the level of faculties and institutes and the problems pending at the university level.

-Correspondence number 339 on March 26, 2023, regarding short-term overseas internships for research professors interested in training in the English language, and in this regard, the director gave instructions to the deans of faculties and directors of institutes to encourage professors to support the measures that will be adopted by the supervisory ministry during the academic year 2023-2024 to teach some specializations in English, similar to the first year of technology. In this regard, the professors concerned at the University of Msila were surveyed, and they were as follows:

The first category included 499 professors registered on the digital platform, only 09 of whom were actually studying.

The second category includes an estimated 325 professors who registered at the Intensive Language Learning Center.

The third category consists of those who are already proficient in the English language and are eligible to teach next year, and their number is estimated to be 202 professors at the university.

In this regard, according to the Deputy Director of Pedagogy at the university, a list of professors concerned with distance learning has been sent to the supervisory ministry, and they are awaiting a response to start the process in the coming days.

-As for the correspondence regarding the training of new doctoral students, according to the Deputy Director of Scientific Research at the university, the first-year program for doctoral students is ready. A meeting will be held with the first-year doctoral students on April 11, 2023, to provide guidance on how to access the Moodle platform, as well as to explain and clarify the program outlined for them through workshops, lectures, and other means.

Regarding the correspondence related to “Study in Algeria,” according to the deputy director of the university for external relations, a presentation related to foreign students will be made during the next RCC meeting next week, with the necessity of the attendance of university service directors.

-As for the process of renewing scholarships abroad (PNE), he added that communication has been made with all the concerned students and the process is underway.

-As for correspondence No. 10 dated March 30, 2023, related to research on social deviations, according to the deputy director of the university for scientific research, the correspondence was forwarded to the Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences and was responded to by the dean, and three research topics related to it were sent.

-Correspondence No. 355 dated March 30, 2023, related to programs for celebrating national holidays and annual celebrations on May 8, 1945, April 16, and May 19, 1945.

-Deans of faculties and institute directors were listened to, and it was confirmed that the preparations for celebrating these days are underway in coordination with the university’s sub-directorate for activities, according to each faculty and institute, with the need to integrate between the scientific organizations and clubs.

  April 16 May 8 May 19
Faculty of Letters and Languages Lecture, Literary Evening, National Literary Competition    
Faculty of Science: “Hack-phone” activity for innovation in BMC programming    
Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences * programming the Finals of the University Reader Competition.

* A scientific seminar was held on Algerian scientists and current transformations towards the social responsibility of the Algerian university, hosted by the president of the Association of Muslim Scholars “Abdelrazak Guessoum” along with “Abdelhadi Hassani”.

 A seminar was held in collaboration with the Directorate of Youth and Sports on the role of civil society in preserving national memory. “Living together in peace” will be the theme of a national symposium within the University Cinema axis to launch the first film shot, directed, and produced by the University of Msila.
GTU

 

Meeting to honor outstanding students.

   Visit to the Maadid Museum for the commemoration.
Faculty of Technology:   Historical lecture to commemorate the May 8, 1945 massacres. Photo exhibition honoring the sacrifices of Algerian students during the revolution in the college’s Hall.

Regarding the celebrations commemorating the Student Day on May 19, 1945 at the university, the Sub-Directorate of Activities will prepare a gathering at the Student Square in the university campus, in the presence of local and military authorities, in addition to honoring outstanding students in various scientific, cultural, and sports competitions.

-As for the correspondence numbered 59 dated March 29, 2023, regarding the reminder and submission of the 2022 cultural, sports, and scientific activity records, the Sub-Director of Activities, Mr. Abdelkader LEGRAA, clarified that the ministry’s correspondence has been responded to and all activities held at the university during 2022 have been included. As for the activities of the current year, work is underway to collect them to provide the competent authorities with them before April 30, 2023

Regarding the correspondence numbered 50 dated March 12, 2023, regarding the organization of the third edition of the National University Competition for Remote Reading Challenge, it has been announced and waiting for student nominations.

Regarding Correspondence No. 171 dated April 2, 2023, which concerns the submission of representative estimates of active trade unions in the sector, according to the Secretary-General of the Union, Mr. Bakhti Mahfouz, the accredited and active unions in the university have been contacted more than a month ago and all parties have responded and their files have been sent to the relevant ministry through the university’s administration, in coordination with the labor inspection and concerned authorities.

As for Correspondence No. 172 dated April 2, 2023, which includes organizing the university week for artificial intelligence, the Dean of the Faculty of Science, Professor Ben Sassi Al-Tayeb, clarified that it is currently being worked on in coordination with the three faculties of Technology, Mathematics, and Computer Science, and the Business Incubator to arrange the program accordingly. It has also been decided that a coordination meeting will be held between them to unify the program.

2-Decisions

During this session, the decisions issued by the supervisory ministry that determine the student’s pedagogical path were discussed, especially those related to:

Decision No. 171 dated February 9, 2023, which specifies the registration and re-registration procedures for obtaining a Bachelor’s, Master’s, State Engineer, and Architect degree, as well as the organization, evaluation, and progression in these programs. In this regard, the Deputy Director of Pedagogy at the University, Mr. Bissar Abdelmotaleb, provided a detailed explanation of the amendments included in the decision, especially Articles 72, 77, and 79, which are related to the submission of graduation theses, degree evaluation, and how to conduct thesis discussions as stipulated in Decision No. 1275.

Decision No. 06 dated February 12, 2023, which includes the establishment of a national committee to supervise and monitor the implementation of the training program for research professors and doctoral students in English language at the level of higher education institutions.

And in this regard, at the level of the University of M’sila, the local committee was previously established only, pending the dispatch of follow-up programs and how to form from the trustee authorities. The committee is composed of the following gentlemen:

– Deputy Rector of the University for Pedagogy, Abdelmoutaleb BISSAR,

Quality Assurance Cell Officer Youcef DJAGHLOULI

– Head of the Center for Intensive Education of the Languages Abdelkamel DJOUIBA

Two professors from the Department of Letters and English Language.

Decision number 396 dated March 21, 2023, which sets the conditions for admission, organization, and evaluation of distance learning for obtaining bachelor’s, master’s, state engineer, and architect engineer degrees. In this regard, the process of distance learning and education will be monitored in coordination with the Continuous Training University, with the addition of criteria for distance education at the university.

Decision number 107 dated March 22, 2023, which amends and complements decision number 1242 dated September 22, 2022, regarding the establishment of the sectoral committee for establishing and monitoring distance learning in higher education institutions. In this regard, a meeting will be held for the local committee responsible for distance teaching at the university to follow up on the process.

3- Pedagogical situation

Regarding the pedagogical situation, the Deputy Director of the University for Pedagogy, Professor Abdelmoutaleb BISSAR, presented a clarification presentation that included the modifications proposed for the pedagogical calendar of the even semesters of the academic year 2022-2023, which were developed after the spring break and completed in October of last year. They were approved by all members of the Consultative Coordinating Council in consultation with each college, with the need to inform the Directorate of University Pedagogy about this.

As for the timing of Ramadan, it has been set at one hour and 10 minutes per class to ensure the number of teaching hours, in coordination with the University Services Directorate.

4-Scientific research

Regarding the training projects in the PhD program, PRFU/ANONYMAT, and according to the Vice Director of the University for Scientific Research, Professor Brahim BOUDERAH, the concerned parties were contacted regarding the number of projects, which amounted to 78 PRFU projects, including PhD students, and they have been approved pending the allocated credits.

As for the preparation of a meeting for PhD students, they were invited to a coordination meeting for clarification, consisting of 136 students, with the monitoring cell, on April 11th, 2023, starting at 10:00 am in Ibn Al-Haytham Hall.

Regarding the University’s Scientific Council, it has been scheduled to be held on April 26th, 2023, starting at 10:00 am on the fifth floor under the presidency of the University, and all members have been contacted. The agenda includes:

  • Approval of the results of the 2022/2023 PhD competition.
  • Approval of the training program for first-year PhD students in 2023, related to the four horizontal standards.
  • Proposed training courses during the academic year 2024/2023 if available.
  • Future prospects for projects at the university.
  • Short-term internship programs abroad and international conferences.
  • Business incubator.
  • University visibility.

Regarding the digital platform for research laboratories, a coordination meeting was held with the engineers and the initial structure of the platform was prepared. The platform will include the laboratory director, team leaders, scientific activities, journal classification, relevant PhD students, inventory of all the equipment in the laboratory. The initial version of the platform will be presented at the upcoming consultative coordination council.

The director gave instructions to contact all research laboratories to prepare their own database for this platform and assigned the deans of faculties and institute directors to follow up on the process.

5- External Relations  

Regarding the situation of short-term scientific internships abroad, according to the Deputy Rector of the University for External Relations, Professor Hachemi BENOUADAH , the application period has been completed through the DWS digital platform. He also presented statistics on the final number of applications received by colleges and institutes, which amounted to 857 applications for scientific residencies, training for skills enhancement, and participation in a scientific event.

The Deputy Rector stated that the electronic evaluation process of applications is currently underway by the deputy deans, and the possibility of utilizing the internships will be open starting from May 2, 2023, after the scientific councils have convened. As for the financial allocations for this purpose, they have been distributed to the relevant departments.

Regarding the evaluation of administrators, the standards presented by the Deputy Rector for External Relations were approved, with priority given to employees who have not previously benefited from overseas mobility, as an incentive for them to acquire new mechanisms in their work.

Professor Hachemi BENOUADAH added that it is necessary to hold scientific councils at their designated times within the previously scheduled calendar to regulate the disbursement process and approve the results of the process in the university’s scientific council.

As for international scientific events in 2024, deans of colleges and directors of institutes have been contacted and are expected to send their projects for programming and approval during the university’s scientific council meeting to determine the list and schedule for these events.

6- Development and Foresight

Professor Abdelkader DJERAD  , the Deputy Rector of the university for finance and foresight, presented a status report on the situation of the projects at the university, especially regarding:

  • The ongoing investment process that was suspended as of December 31, 2022, with the necessity to complete the procedures for realizing all the projects and operations reported by the University of Msila, especially the projects of 2000 beds and the technological platform.
  • Monitoring and controlling the list of operators who won national tenders to purchase pedagogical, scientific, and practical laboratory equipment.
  • Corresponding with the Wali concerning the follow-up of local development programs, especially the part related to the University of M’sila, including the project of the ENS BouSaada pedagogical 2000-seat project and the establishment of a 1000-bed facility in the university campus.
  • As for the procedures for counting completed but unused public facilities, the deans were tasked with presenting proposals to the university administration so that the supervising ministry can be informed of them.
  • In so far the matter in question is concerned, it was proposed to convert the central restaurant in the university campus, adjacent to Ibn Al-Haytham Hall, into a university business incubator. Additionally, the idea of creating a “Techno Park” at the university was presented by the university director and the deputy director for external relations. The file will be presented to the Minister of Higher Education next week for consideration and decision-making.
  • As regards the 2000-bed project, the deputy rector of the University for planning, development, and foresight added that the old bidding book was canceled and a new one was prepared. Also, the 2000-seat pedagogical Faculty of Law project, an old frozen project containing 9 auditoriums and 20 teaching rooms, has been revived.

7- Digitization

Concerning digitization for this week, the situation of the following digital platforms was discussed:

“Parapheur Electronique“: A presentation was made on the electronic administrative folder platform for each department of the university. This week, a total of 84 marked correspondences were received.

“Complaints and Inquiries” platform: 11 new inquiries were received this week and they are still open.

Status of external links: A working session will be held next week, chaired by the network center manager, Engineer Abdallah LAKHDARI, with those responsible for the university’s external and internal links in order to develop a new action plan and activate the process more quickly.

“Visual and Classification” platform: A presentation was made by the responsible person for the university’s visual and classification, especially with regard to Arab and international classifications.

7-Miscellaneous

At the end of the meeting, various topics were discussed, especially concerning:

-The annex of medicine at the University of M’Sila: The ministry approved the file and the university is being supported in this new specialty. According to the University Rector, Professor Ammar BOUDALAA, a coordination meeting is scheduled with the Wali of M’Sila on Thursday, April 7th, 2023, to review the ongoing preparations and necessary procedures to launch the annex of medicine during the academic year 2023/2024. The University Rector also emphasized the need to continue working towards obtaining a medical Faculty in the future, and efforts are underway to achieve that.

Other topics discussed included: lighting in the South Pole, preparation for the board of directors meeting, and the renewal of the professional ethics council.

A presentation was also given by the head of the university’s quality assurance cell, Professor Youcef DJAGHLOULI, which focused on quality requirements, the internal system of the university, and included the following points:

-Reforms related to the direction of the higher education sector,

-Building the university project,

-Enhancing the quality of university life,

-Adopting a new charter for ethics and morals,

-Widespread use of information technology,

-Adopting the principle of social responsibility for the institution and using it as a standard for measuring the institution’s performance quality and winning the competition.

The session was adjourned on the same day and date above, at 4:00 pm.