Assessment of the summer program at King Fahd University of Petroleum and Minerals (KFUPM) in Saudi Arabia: directions for development

Abstract

This study reports the findings of a survey of the perceptions of faculty and students regarding the effectiveness of the summer program at KFUPM. In this study the objective was to identify the concerns of faculty and students about the summer program and suggest possible policies for development. Information was collected using a questionnaire. Students were given 200 questionnaires to fill out and 160 were completed and returned (80% response rate). Faculty on the other hand, were given 70 questionnaires to fill out and 35 were completed and returned (50% response rate). From the study, it was concluded that the summer program should not offer courses that require a long time to develop skills. It should only be conducted as a supplementary semester to help those, unable to complete their course work successfully during the regular semesters, or improve their skill, which indirectly affect the overall completion of their degrees. The study revealed that there were some concerns about the summer program that need to be addressed by the university administration. It also highlighted the need for the introduction of relevant policy measures for the efficient operation and development of the summer program at the university.