Effat University, the first private female university in the Kingdom, is preparing for its 2012-2017 plan toward a smart strategic direction and a new theme. The orientation focuses mainly on two key points: Quality and Citizenships, the university's statement said Sunday. After acquiring university status in January 2009, Effat University has continued building upon its strategic goals. The end of July 2012 will see many of its objectives met. “The (new) plan is divided into four main phases that must be fulfilled by 2017,” said Dr. Hafid Agourram, General Supervisor of Strategic Planning and Institutional Advancement at the University. The first phase will start by gaining the NCAAA accreditation and implementing its requirements, which will lead to the second phase when new programs that respond to market needs will be implemented. “Offering new programs with high-quality standards will pave the way towards international accreditation, which is the goal of the third phase,” Dr. Agourram said. “We have ambitions to make it to the top five in national university rankings and top two-hundreds in international rankings,” the supervisor said. “This is the goal of the fourth phase of our upcoming strategic plan,” he added. From a tactical perspective, the management of the university is using modern strategic planning techniques and principles in the development of the new plan. Internal and external analyses have been completed and the results are under process to get the feedback of different stakeholders including that of students, parents, alumni, board members and employers, Dr. Agourram said. The country's political, economical, social and technological trends have been deeply studied and the results will be incorporated in the new mission and vision statements, he added.
