Baghdad University Council resolutions – 7th session (2017)
Seventh session
Directives of His Excellency the minister of higher education and scientific research:
1. University appointments: His Excellency the minister praised the appointment of a number of high-degree students and top students for the academic years (2014, 2015, 2016) and he called for suspension of appointments in universities with a high ratio (teaching staff to student).
2. Volunteerism: His Excellency the minister praised the universities that had taken the initiative to encourage students and members to participate in the voluntary work in various projects, especially agricultural ones, and continue to take care of the green spaces in our educational institutions and he referred to the book of the General Secretariat of the Council of Ministers, numbered 89/14/35238, in this regard.
3. Money earned from private government morning education and evening studies: His Excellency the minister agreed to take advantage of the funds obtained from the introduction of government private morning education in three axes:
-Completion of some buildings that (80%) of which is completed, especially the dormitories.
-Procurement of laboratory supplies.
-Support for lecturers’ fees in newly developed universities which do not have a sufficient number of professors, especially after 2014.
His Excellency also referred to the postponement of payment of additional lectures because of the financial crisis we face now except for outside lecturers.
4. Teaching in private universities and colleges: His Excellency the minister stressed not to allow university professors to give lectures in private universities or colleges until getting approval of the State University and absence of their specialty to others to take their opportunity in appointment since such colleges have been instructed to attract non-recruits (3 teaching staff for a department).
5. Non-classroom activities: His Excellency the minister stressed that universities should pay attention to non-classroom activities besides the scientific ones such as poetry festivals, symposia, workshops as well as sports, arts and painting exhibitions.
6. Dormitories: His Excellency the minister praised the role played by the rectors for rehabilitation of dormitories during summer and he called for a questionnaire is to be conducted by the department of supervision and scientific appraisal for students in dormitories and for the next academic year, (50%) or more of the provincial students will be admitted in their provincial universities.
7. Fees of employees of the ministry: His Excellency the minister confirmed that (200) thousand dinars as a monthly wage for employees of the ministry, as well as not to appoint new ones in replacement for those who leave work.
8. Evening study of the ministry’s members: His Excellency the minister confirmed that he was not reluctant to engage the ministry’s affiliates in the evening study in case that they work in full-time and he called for forming a committee headed by Undersecretary of the ministry for administrative affairs and the membership of:-
– Director-General of legal and administrative department.
– Director-General of research and development department.
– Director-General of finance department.
To consider the evening study, postgraduate studies in accordance with the organizational structure.
9. Teaching staff who graduated from universities outside Iraq: His Excellency the minister explained the need to invest the potential of university graduates outside Iraq to exchange knowledge in our institutions.
10. Disclosure of financial liabilities of private-grade holders: His Excellency the minister stressed the need to update the disclosure of the financial liabilities of special grade holders during January next month on a form prepared for that purpose.
11. National Conference in support of our armed forces and popular crowd at the ministry of higher education and scientific research: His Excellency the minister stated that a national conference at the ministry would be held in support of our armed forces and popular crowd where he directed the rectors to provide numbers of their martyrs (students, professors and members) and symposiums, workshops or conferences in this regard.
Resolutions of the opinion body during its 9th meeting held in 24/12/2016:
1. Evaluation of ministerial examinations of secondary students in university halls and the discussion of the Ministry of Education’s request to host the general examinations for the undergraduate level in universities for the academic year 2016/2017.
Approved of hosting (21) secondary exams in a number of universities.
-First phase exams would start from (2/7/2017 to 15/7/2017).
-Second phase exams would start on (15/8/2017) where the results of the two phases should be submitted to our ministry at the beginning of September since the results of the central admission would be in 15/7/2017.
-Fees of drinking water and fuel are provided by the ministry of education and are determined by an inter-ministerial coordination committee.
-Department of Studies, Planning and follow-up provides the ministry of Education with the names of universities that have agreed to host the secondary exams.
2. Study leaves outside Iraq:
-To address the General Secretariat of the Council of Ministers through the Mission and Cultural Relations department to study leaves outside Iraq.
-Establishment of a committee under the chairmanship of the undersecretary of the Ministry for Scientific Affairs to consider amending the study leaves instructions.
3. Budget of the ministry of education and scientific research for fiscal year 2017:
Members of the Board were briefed on the budget expected to be approved by the Ministry of Finance and the proposed ways and means to achieve the ministry’s objectives under the expected reductions.
4. Virtual Library Project:
Approval of a proposal to provide sums to the virtual library of universities and the Iraqi Council of Medical specializations in accordance with number of postgraduate students (PhD, masters, diploma) and professors annually.
Directives of president of the council:
1. Direct the deans of all university formations to continue voluntary works within competence.
2. Investment of fees of parallel and evening education studies to pay for non-staff external lecturers.
3. Transfer of provincial students from universities in Baghdad to relieve the dormitories.
4. Directing the director of media and public relations to attend the conference that would be held at the ministry to honor martyrs of the popular crowd of students and university members and to prepare the names of martyrs.
5. Directing the deans of all university formations to invest as much as possible to increase resources within the Budget Act.
6. Directing the faculties of physical education and sports sciences to participate in activities in support of the FIFA decision to lift the ban on urban Iraqi areas for football through the establishment of solidarity events.
7. Directing the deans of all university formations to take their primary role in the administrative work and their powers in college councils and to submit them to the rector.
8. Building managerial and scientific cadres through nomination of new and motivated professors.
9. Directing the deans of all university formations to follow the administrative contexts and approaching the ministry exclusively through the rector.
10. Use of special funds gained for postgraduate studies and evening studies for the development of the infrastructure of dormitories as there are no funds allocated for this purpose in the budget.
11. Study leave is granted to complete master’s study in a balanced manner so that not to affect laboratory technicians in accordance with the actual need for specialty for limited appointments.
12. Investment of large numbers of employees to arrange and organize the administrative work.
13. Direct Associate Rector for administrative affairs to the real investment of all new employees and orderly distribution of them in various university formations through the establishment of a committee headed by the director of studies and planning department.
14. Direct the deans of all university formations to send the complaints received directly to their respective formations from the ministry to the rector to take appropriate action in accordance with established administrative contexts.
15. Follow- up of discussions of postgraduate studies in scientific departments through assignment of qualified professors to attend these discussions and to record their observations.
16. Direct Associate Rector for administrative affairs to send cleaning and maintenance team in case needed in any university formation.
17. Confirm that data and information are to be updated in all university formations and branches at all configurations and assume full responsibility in case the databases are not updated properly by the staff members.
18. Directing the deans of all university formations to allocate the first five minutes of the lecture to recite the national anthem, accompanied by guidance from teaching staff on tolerance and citizenship.
19. Direct Associate Rector for scientific affairs to gather all observations on the admission plan of (2016/2017) and to submit them to the university council for discussion.
20. Directing the director of quality assurance department to clarify and facilitate the work of committees in departments and branches to document and collect their data properly.
21. Direct Associate Rector for scientific affairs to follow-up of scientific journals in all university formations and their entry in SCOPUS.
University Council’s powers:
-Award of the title of an experienced professor:
The council considered a note by the department of scientific affairs, No. 1281 on 26/12/2016 concerning award of the title of an experienced professor to those listed below:
1. Assis. Dr. Thiha Saad Saleh/Faculty of science.
2. Assis. Dr. Abbas Zaion Abyd/ Faculty of law.
3. Assis. Dr. Ibrahim Shaaban Abood/Faculty of science.
4. Assis. Dr. Ahmed Saleh Mohaimeed/Faculty of agriculture.
5. Assis. Dr. Mohammed Saleh Turki/Centre for urban and regional planning for postgraduate studies.
6. Assis. Dr. Mortaza Abood Shihab/Faculty of fine arts.
7. Assis. Dr. Mazin Yousif Hormuz/Faculty of science.
Resolution
Approval of award of the title of an experienced professor to the above-mentioned retirees, in view of the availability of the conditions under the instructions in force, No. 161 of 2010 for the need in their faculties to serve in terms of teaching and supervision in postgraduate studies.
Scientific journals
The council considered the notes by the department of scientific affairs (S/1264 and 1276) on 21 and 25/12/2016 and its annexed table containing the recommendation for scientific journals according to the criteria adopted by the book (5166) in 3/11/2016 for approval by the council and after discussion, the council adopted the following resolution:
Resolution
1. Accreditation of scientific journals listed below for publication for scientific promotions:
-International Journal of Agricultural and Food Research.
-Pakistan Veterinary Journal.
-International Journal of Science and Nature.
2. The other journals provided with the above notes shall not be accredited.
3. Direct postgraduate students in the period of scientific research and students admitted for the academic year (2016/2017) to publish their research in the scientific journals accredited by the University Council.