Introduction:

Jouf University recognizes that achieving students’ academic and personal success requires providing strong and comprehensive support systems throughout their academic journey. From this standpoint, the Early Support and Guidance Policy serves as a key tool to provide students with guidance and direction from the moment they join the university, focusing on identifying and proactively addressing potential challenges they may face. This policy aims to enable students to build successful educational and career pathways by offering appropriate academic and personal support.

The importance of academic advising lies in its nature as an interactive process between the student and the academic advisor to identify academic and career goals and work towards achieving them. This includes helping students understand their strengths, identify opportunities and challenges, and enhance their decision-making and future planning skills.

Through this policy, Jouf University seeks to create a supportive learning environment that enhances students’ ability to adapt to university life requirements and equips them with the tools needed to overcome academic, psychological, and social challenges. The university also strives to strengthen communication between students and academic advisors to ensure effective and tailored support for each student according to their needs.

The Early Support and Guidance Policy is based on scientific principles and international best practices aimed at enhancing students’ university experience. By implementing this policy, the university seeks to achieve continuous improvement in students’ academic performance, increase their satisfaction with the university experience, and help them set clear plans for their future careers. Commitment to providing early guidance and comprehensive support reflects the university’s vision of empowering its students to achieve their full potential and contribute to building an integrated academic community.

Policy:

Jouf University is committed to providing early support and guidance to ensure students’ academic and personal success, and to enhance their university experience from the moment they enroll. This policy aims to provide comprehensive academic guidance focusing on the early identification of academic, psychological, and social challenges that students may face, while offering proactive solutions to strengthen their ability to achieve their educational and professional goals.

The Early Support and Guidance Policy covers several main areas:

• Awareness and Early Guidance: The university organizes orientation sessions for new students and provides electronic and printed introductory booklets, along with using social media platforms for continuous communication with students and raising awareness about the importance of academic advising and the services available.
• Assessment and Early Detection: First-year students complete surveys and evaluation programs to identify the difficulties they face. The university also establishes a database containing an advisory record for each student to track their academic progress.
• Individual and Group Guidance: The university offers individual advising sessions and group workshops to develop study skills, time management, and career planning, as well as creating support groups for first-year students to exchange experiences.
• Psychological and Social Support: The university appoints psychologists and social workers within advisory units, implements mental health awareness campaigns, and provides confidential counseling services to support students facing personal challenges.
• Academic and Career Planning: The university helps students choose specializations suited to their abilities and interests and provides career guidance sessions to explore future job opportunities.
• Support Mechanisms After Identification: The university directly communicates with students to identify the obstacles they face, provides additional tutoring and academic consultations for low-performing students, and refers critical cases to specialized advisory units.

Policy Implementation Procedures:

1. Create a Comprehensive Electronic Portal:

   • Provide academic advising resources electronically.
   • Enable easy appointment booking with advisors.

2. Organize Orientation Events and Guidance Programs:

   • Hold orientation events for new students during the first week of the semester to introduce them to available services.
   • Distribute electronic and printed booklets containing detailed information about academic advising.
   • Use social media platforms and email messages to raise continuous awareness among students.

3. Monitoring and Early Evaluation:

   • Faculty members monitor students’ attendance and academic performance.
   • Conduct periodic surveys to assess students’ needs and identify support priorities.
   • Implement early evaluation programs to identify academic and psychological difficulties.

4. Early Intervention and Academic Collaboration:

   • Address observed academic deviations immediately.
   • Involve the academic advisor to resolve issues in collaboration with the department head when needed.
   • Implement collaborative strategies between faculty and academic advisors to address weaknesses.

5. Individual and Group Guidance:

   • Provide individual advising sessions for each student with a dedicated academic advisor.
   • Hold group workshops to develop study skills, time management, and career planning.
   • Establish student support groups for experience sharing and mutual assistance.

6. Psychological and Social Support:

   • Appoint psychologists and social workers within the academic advising unit to provide support when needed.
   • Implement awareness campaigns about mental health and its importance for academic success.
   • Provide confidential counseling services to students facing personal or family challenges.

7. Academic and Career Planning:

   • Assist students in choosing specializations based on their interests and abilities.
   • Provide career guidance sessions to explore future job opportunities.
   • Develop customized study plans that take into account students’ needs and abilities.

8. Preparing Reports and Documentation:

   • Maintain comprehensive records of student cases and follow up on them.
   • Submit periodic reports to department heads detailing interventions and results.

9. Training Academic Advisors:

   • Provide continuous training for advisors to enhance their competencies in addressing student needs.

10. Evaluation and Follow-Up:

• Develop Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) to measure the effectiveness of academic advising services, such as student satisfaction and academic improvement rates.
• Conduct regular surveys to collect student feedback.
• Review policies periodically based on evaluation results and received feedback.

Descriptive Data Model

Approval by Authorized Person:

Vice-Rector for Educational Affairs

Dr. Alaa bin Saleh Al-Arjan