The University of Cambodia (UC) hosted a professional development training for instructional staff members on October 16, 2010, to provide a review of UC policies, regulations, and expectations. Over forty staff members attended the training.
Opening with a brief discussion of important points, H.E. Dr. Kao Kim Hourn, President of UC and Adviser to Samdech Techo Prime Minister, informed staff members that the Accreditation Committee of Cambodia (ACC) will assess universities based on minimum standards it has defined for accrediting higher education institutions starting next year. Accordingly, all staff members will be expected to work together to ensure that UC meets these standards and maintains its reputation for academic excellence.
Next, he spoke about the scheduled move to UC’s new campus in Sangkat Tuok Thla, and said that the new larger campus will provide students, faculty members, and the UC community with better facilities. UC will also implement a structure for promotion of faculty members and the nine minimum standards by the start of next year. Faculty members are expected to relate academic theory with the real world in their courses and to enforce high academic standards, specifically in regard to the cheating and plagiarism rules at UC.
Dr. Kao offered words of wisdom to the instructors at the end of his remarks and said, “The more you teach, the more you learn.” He encouraged staff members to “inspire students to learn beyond textbooks” and to reflect on how to improve classroom teaching and learning for the benefit of UC students.
Afterward, Mr. Peter Tan Keo, Vice President for Strategy, Development, and International Cooperation, briefly addressed faculty members to say that research will be a key priority at UC, and Dr. Angus Munro, Vice President for Academic Affairs, delivered an in-depth presentation to staff members The presentation included an overview of UC undergraduate and graduate programs, grading policies, methods of assessment, and student attendance. Dr. Munro also discussed professional expectations and specific requirements of UC instructors. For example, instructors are expected to teach in English and to treat students fairly. They must also submit their course syllabus, handouts, exam questions, and final grades by the required deadline dates, as specified by UC.
Toward the end of his presentation, Dr. Munro reviewed the three measures that will be used to assess the performance of instructors: 1) student evaluations, 2) peer evaluations, and 3) self-evaluation. Instructors were encouraged to review the feedback and use the data to reflect upon their
“Inspire students to learn beyond textbooks.”
H.E. Dr. Kao Kim Hourn,
President of UC
and Adviser to
Samdech Techo Prime Minister
strengths and weaknesses so they can improve their instruction in future terms. Dr. Y Ratana, Director of Academic Foundation Department and Dean for Undergraduate Studies, closed the training session with an overview of the university’s expectations for course syllabi and textbook selections.
