King Saud University The Strategic Transformation of King Saud University by 2030

24 King Saud University The Strategic Transformation of King Saud University by 2030 Abdulrahman Al-Aali, Salem S. Alqahtani, Sunila Lobo, and Ahmed Al-Motawa College of Business Administration, King Saud University, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia Background: Drivers for Change www.ksu.edu.sa King Saud University (KSU) is the oldest, and considered one of the most prestigious, universities in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. In order to achieve its ambitious vision, KSU has embarked on a transformation program. This program is a turning point in the history of the university and is made possible by two vital forces. Professor Abdullah Al Othman, appointed as a new rector in 2007, has, in a short period, articulated a vision for the university and demonstrated leadership in challenging the status quo. The second driver is the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques, King Abdullah, who provides unlimited support to profoundly change the educational system to build the foundation for sound economic growth and social development while enhancing the Kingdom s position in the world. KSU Today International Recognition KSD is the oldest university in Saudi Arabia and has a strong belief in scientific and technological advancement, as well as making entrepreneurial efforts toward achieving these goals. It has achieved the highest ranking among universities in the Middle East in the 2010 Academic Ranking of World Universities, known as Shanghai Ranking; it was the sole Arabian university ranked, listed among the 400 worldwide. 1 U.S. News and World Report magazine, one of America s most prominent weekly publications, listed KSU 221st in its annual worldwide rankings of college and universities (World s Best Universities: Top 400, 2010). The magazine also ranked universities in five major categories, with KSU listed 58th worldwide in life sciences and biomedicines. 2 According to the 2010 Webometrics ranking of world universities, KSU has maintained its position as the top-ranking university in the Arab world. KSU is ranked 164th globally, an improvement of 35 places since the 2009 rankings. In particular, KSU surpassed 10 Asian institutions of higher learning, placing it eighth in that region, and solidifying KSU s place as one of the world s rising universities 3. KSU s arts and humanities program has been ranked first in the Arab and Islamic world in 2010 by QS World University Rankings, an annual list of the world s top 500 universities. 4 Yet, it is recognized that much needs to be done to facilitate the achievement of the ambitions of youth in Saudi Arabia and to raise the standard of KSU graduates overall, not only in terms of academic performance but also in terms of personal development and skill training, in order to produce valuable members of the workforce as well as valuable members of society. This will ultimately result in the university gaining further accolades and recognition in the Gulf and worldwide for the quality of its graduates and the accreditation of its programs. M36_DAVI5674_01_SE_CS24.indd 265

266 ABDULRAHMAN AL-AALI, SALEM S. ALQAHTANI, SUNILA LOBO, AND AHMED AL-MOTAWA Facts KSU has a total of 65,000 students and 5,000 full-time faculty. In addition, KSU has the highest concentration of western-trained faculty in Saudi Arabia. In planning this transformation program, KSU built upon its strengths as a pioneer university in the Kingdom since 1957. In addition: It has a large number of influential alumni (numbering 180,000) in both the government and the private sector. There is significant government and public support, as shown by the establishment of SR14 billion endowment in 2010, for several strategic projects and the recent visit by King Abdullah to KSU to launch these projects. It has a comprehensive academic offering, and a large Saudi faculty making up about 65 percent of the staff. This represents the highest proportion of local faculty members among Saudi Arabian universities. A local and global network: KSU has built significant partnerships and relationships with local leading industrial players and global higher education institutions. In 2009, KSU signed a memorandum of understanding with SABIC for the establishment of a plastics application development center within the Riyadh Techno Valley (RTV) project worth US$100 million. Through its International Scientific Twinning Program, KSU has begun to create alliances with leading international universities, signing agreements with institutions such as the University of Illinois, the Harvard School of Public Health, the Indian Institute of Technology, and the National University of Singapore, to name a few. Vision: To be a world-class university and a leader in developing Saudi Arabia s knowledge economy. Mission: To provide students with a quality education, conduct valuable research, serve the national and international societies and contribute to Saudi Arabia s knowledge economy through learning, creativity, the use of current and developing technologies and effective international partnership. Scene There are certain problems, however, that the University should address. For example, a survey conducted in 2008, showed that 61 percent of current students surveyed were unhappy with teaching effectiveness in transmitting skills or knowledge. Some 59 percent of alumni surveyed were dissatisfied with the quality of overall education received. The KSU leadership pondered different possibilities for minimizing the problems. Part of the solution may lie in recruiting more experienced international faculty. Other possibilities include implementing internationally accepted best practices for recruiting and adopting temporary measures to attract visiting faculty to support current Saudi faculty, particularly the junior ones. These measures should be augmented with internationally competitive compensation. 5 In addition, several external trends and forces have played a part in the call for a major transformation of KSU. These include: Saudi school outcomes which do not lead to a globally competitive workforce Saudi demographics and job market needs Changes in Saudi s higher-education sector The entry of international branded universities in the region A desired shift in Saudi Arabia towards the knowledge economy. EXHIBIT 1 King Saud University Budget Budget Section Item 1428/1429 (2008) 1430/1431 (2009) 1431/1432 (2010) (in SR, 000s) 1st Salaries, Wages, Allowances 1.663.866 2.000.000 2.229.344 2nd Operational Expenses 1.265.802 1.394.254 1.348.559 3rd Maintenance, Operations, Cleaning Contracts, and Programs 207.948 379.802 403.652 4th Projects 560.620 1.649.726 3.357.054 Total 3.698.236 5.423.782 7.338.609 Note : KSU budget for the year 2010 represents about 1.33 percent of total Saudi government budget. Source : Finance Department, King Saud University, 2010. M36_DAVI5674_01_SE_CS24.indd 266

CASE 24 KING SAUD UNIVERSITY THE STRATEGIC TRANSFORMATION OF KING SAUD UNIVERSITY BY 2030 267 Understanding these trends and their impact was the critical context against which KSU s Strategic Plan was shaped. However, the need for a sound and coherent strategic plan at KSU is marked by profound challenges and trade-offs, including: Upholding [the university s] public mission to educate the youth of the Kingdom, while also ensuring an outstanding education for each student. Ensuring graduates are sufficiently grounded in academic theory, while also mastering the application skills demanded by the Saudi, regional, and global job market. Maintaining the richness and variety of [the] academic offering, while also attaining global recognition in select disciplines. Achieving excellence in teaching, while also building distinctive research capabilities. Advancing undergraduate education, while also bolstering graduate education to the benefit of the Saudi society. Pursuing the global trends of interdisciplinary research, while also attaining excellence within disciplines. Enabling an inclusive environment based on meritocracy and equality irrespective of gender, while also respecting Saudi social traditions and norms. Serving the social and economic needs of the Kingdom, while also being recognized as a global contributor to the knowledge economy. Current State, Future Desired State, and Gap Analysis It was clear that KSU had first to understand what a great university is like. Then, it would have to determine its current status and bridge the gap to attain the goal of being a worldclass university. The purpose of the Twenty-Year Strategic Plan is to fill the gap between its current state and the desired state. The next section briefly explains the overall KSU Strategic Plan and then focuses more in detail on the strategic plan for the College of Business Administration, within KSU. What it Takes to be a Great University KSU is one of 23 public and private universities in Saudi Arabia (not including private colleges). KSU s aspiration is to become a national and global model of teaching and research excellence. It wants to continue to be the pioneer of higher education in the Kingdom and become the first research-based university to play a pivotal role in Saudi s knowledge economy. A strategic plan is the first step towards achieving this ambition. KSU has many levels to undertake as part of the strategic plan, including commissioning McKinsey & Company, the global management consulting firm, in 2008 to shape the initial strategy to adopt towards this goal. Furthermore, Rector Abdullah Al Othman appointed a Strategic Planning Committee under a Strategic Plan Office, to prepare, by April 2009, a twenty-year strategic plan for KSU. In total, the committee heard the input of more than 4,000 KSU stakeholders, including alumni. Surveys, focus groups, SWOT analysis, and one-to-one interviews and feedback were gathered from the KSU community and conveyed to Strategic Planning Committee members through e-mails, phone calls and one-to-one meetings. After sifting through KSU s rich history and the analysis of the facts from the strategic planning diagnostic exercise, KSU found eight facts that expressed particularly well the challenges that KSU faces, outlined below: KSU has 65,000 total students today while the top 80 universities in the world have a maximum of only about 45,000 students. Of KSU s students, 90 percent are undergraduates and 10 percent are graduates in comparison with a 50/50 ratio at benchmarked institutions. KSU s faculty spends 16 percent of its time on research while faculty at benchmarked universities spends as much as 30 35 percent of their time on research. KSU s funding per student is US$15,000 (of which 97 percent are public funds), while benchmarked universities spend between US$30,000 and US$45,000 (of which 30 50 percent are public funds). M36_DAVI5674_01_SE_CS24.indd 267

268 ABDULRAHMAN AL-AALI, SALEM S. ALQAHTANI, SUNILA LOBO, AND AHMED AL-MOTAWA EXHIBIT 2 KSU Stakeholders Consultation In designing the Strategic Plan, we heard the input of more than 4000 KSU stakeholders and reviewed KSU s Key data * Number of people providing input KSU Leadership 280 Faculty Students Staff 1,370 1,340 825 Alumni 295 External stakeholders 140 Surveys SWOT workshops * KSU s Strategic Planning Committee 891 faculty (60% male, 40% female) 866 students (61% male, 39% female) 492 staff 282 female and 98 male students through 3 SWOT workshops 130 female and 203 male staff members through 2 SWOT workshops 61 female and 109 male leadership through 2 SWOT workshops 182 female and 192 male faculty members through 2 SWOT workshops 110 female and 85 male KSU alumni through 2 SWOT workshops Focus group 86+ faculty member (63 female, 23 male) in a focus groups 104+ students (60 female, 44 male) in 9 focus groups focus groups 1-on-1 Interviews 110+ deans, vice-rectors, vice-deans, assistant deans interviewed (in 35+ deanships) 10 1-on-1 interviews with top 5% students 13 1-on-1 interviews with bottom 5% students 139 employers and Government leaders through SPC* interviews 100+ alumni interviews by phone And feedback from the whole KSU community conveyed to SPC* members through e-mails, phone and 1-on-1 meetings Source : KSU Strategic Planning Committee team analysis. Some 15 20 percent of first- and second-year KSU students have a failing Grade Point Average (below 2.0 on a scale up to 5.0). By contrast, at benchmarked universities, only 2 5 percent do. Critical academic and administrative decision rights lie outside of KSU, with other government bodies, whereas leading public universities around the world hold these decision rights within the institution to enable greater flexibility of operation. Seventy percent of KSU alumni have observed that they lacked practical experience and skills when they entered the job market (this perception is shared by employers). Over 60 percent of the different stakeholder groups surveyed (students, faculty, alumni, staff) felt that KSU s reputation was weakening in the Kingdom. Despite the significant challenges implied by these eight facts, there was nonetheless tremendous positive sentiment expressed by stakeholders towards KSU. The overwhelming majority want KSU to be successful in pursuing teaching and research excellence, and believe that, with the appropriate strategic direction and execution, KSU has remarkable potential to shape the future of Saudi Arabia. The following steps were pursued by KSU in devising its plan. 1. Strategy formulation 2. Strategy implementation 3. Strategy evaluation. A brief description of each phase is given below based on KSU plan documents. M36_DAVI5674_01_SE_CS24.indd 268

CASE 24 KING SAUD UNIVERSITY THE STRATEGIC TRANSFORMATION OF KING SAUD UNIVERSITY BY 2030 269 Phase I: Strategy Formulation The formulation process includes: 1. Diagnostics SWOT workshops: SWOT workshops are done to evaluate strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats. The competencies, resources, and other aspects are analyzed. External trends. External assessment: marketplace, competitors, social trends, technology, regulatory environment, etc. Internal trends: Internal assessment is done for the college and deanship assets, resources, people, culture, systems, partnerships, suppliers, etc. Benchmarking and best practices: Benchmarking is the process of comparing one s college and department processes and performance metrics from other benchmarked universities. Dimensions typically measured are quality, time, and cost. Improvements from learning mean doing things better, faster, and cheaper. Benchmarking involves management identifying the best institutions in their industry, or any other industry where similar processes exist, and comparing the results and processes of those studied (the targets ) to one s own results and processes to learn how well the targets perform and, more importantly, how they do it. 2. Components Vision: This expresses what the college and department wants to become: it should be compelling, vivid, and concise, challenge everyone to reach for something significant, inspire a compelling future, and be time-bound. A vision sets out aspirations for the future. The vision is the dream of the future, a picture painted in words, which is intended to inspire people by appealing to the heart as well as the head. Mission: The mission is basically the purpose of existence; it provides context for major decisions and capable of fulfillment. It is not time-bound. Values: Values guide every major decision making; it embodies the spirit of the university or the related college. 3. Specifics Objectives: The major actions are referred to as objectives, which should support the vision and mission. The objectives should be specific, measurable, attainable, relevant, and time-bound, and can be evaluated. Initiatives: These are the main actions which lead to the achievement of the objectives. These can be in the form of projects or programs. Key performance indicators, timelines, and deliverables: These are quantifiable methods for measuring success. These are indicators and monitors of success which include performance measurement, operations, procedures, and processes. They describe who does what, when it will be completed, and how the organization knows when steps are completed. 4. Evaluate Performance review: This is a major process of evaluating the progress and performance of the objectives and initiatives. Monitoring can be done through Balanced Scorecards, Microsoft Project, or other tools. Revision of plans: This includes managing risks and issues, and taking contingency actions. KSU Strategic Plan s Nine Strategic Objectives KSU s Strategic Plan outlines the strategic objectives and recommendations to address the challenges stated in the earlier section, and an action plan for implementation. The plan is outlined in Exhibit 3. The nine strategic objectives are supported by 49 initiatives, as detailed in Exhibit 4. Phase II: Strategy Implementation The implementation of the strategic plan will include the regular management of initiatives, evaluation and mitigation of risks, reviewing of deliverables, and communication of implementation. KSU recognized that initiative management will encompass the continued efforts Values: Based on our Islamic and traditional cultural values, we strive for: Quality and Excellence: We hold our values according to extremely high standards, honoring lofty ambitions and the pursuit of excellence through a commitment to the rigorous intellectual standards in teaching, learning and innovation. Leadership and Teamwork: We are committed to promoting individual and institutional leadership roles, which drive social development, professionalism, responsibility, and innovation, collaboration and cooperation are recognized as necessary means of attaining excellence. Freedom of Inquiry: Rigorous and honest intellectual exploration is fundamental to our academic traditions, and reflected in every facet of scholarship at King Saud University. Fairness and Integrity: We abide by the principles of social justice, equal opportunity and cultural diversity, holding members of our community to the highest standards of honesty, respect, and professional ethics. Transparency and Accountability: We are committed to openly placing our scholarly ideas and works for society and scholars to judge. In our pursuit of excellence, we hold everybody in our community accountable for respecting and upholding our values in all forms of their scholarly activities. Lifelong Learning: We are committed to lifelong learning inside and outside the KSU community, ensuring continued intellectual growth and welfare of society. M36_DAVI5674_01_SE_CS24.indd 269

270 ABDULRAHMAN AL-AALI, SALEM S. ALQAHTANI, SUNILA LOBO, AND AHMED AL-MOTAWA EXHIBIT 3 KSU s Strategic Plan Nine strategic objectives to support KSU s mission KSU s mission To provide distinctive education, produce creative research, serve society and contribute in building the Knowledge economy and community through learning, creative thinking envirionment, the optimal use of technology and effective international partnership 1 Good everywhere; great in focus areas Strengthen our comprehensive university with academic areas of research and teaching excellence 2 Distinctive 3 Less is more 4 Stronger 5 Building bridges faculty Increase student graduates Build bridges Attract and quality and reduce Enable KSU internally within develop volume by raising students to learn KSU and distinctive faculty entry criteria and hard and soft externally with funding per student, skills throughout local and international groups and increase share their academic life of grad students 6 7 8 9 Supportive learning envirionment Create an engaging environment at KSU for faculty, students, and staff Sustainable future Build KSU s endowment and diversity sources of funding Flexibility and accountability Create a performance contract with the government Organizing for purpose Establish an organization and governance model that support KSU s mission Source: KSU Strategic Planning Committee; team analysis EXHIBIT 4 The 9 Strategic Objectives and Their Supporting Initiatives Strategic Objective GOOD EVERYWHERE; GREAT IN FOCUS AREAS DISTINCTIVE FACULTY LESS IS MORE Initiatives 1.1 Develop area of excellence: Healthcare 1.2 Develop area of excellence: Education 1.3 Develop area of excellence: Finance & insurance 1.4 Develop area of excellence: Management 1.5 Develop area of excellence: Engineering/ICT 1.6 Develop area of excellence: Engineering/Petrochemicals 1.7 Develop area of excellence: Engineering/Water resources development and management 1.8 Develop area of excellence: Urban Planning 1.9 Develop future technologies 2.1 Strengthen faculty recruitment process to match international standards 2.2 Attract visiting professors in each department 2.3 Increase benefits and improve support for existing faculty members 2.4 Design and deploy new performance based faculty tracks 3.1 Transform the existing branch campuses into standalone universities 3.2 Reduce the size of the student body at the Riyadh campuses by raising entry criteria 3.3 Raise funding per student 3.4 Form advisory committee to analyze higher education capacity and advise government 3.5 Build internal capacity at the Muzahmiya campus 3.6 Expand current graduate offering in each program 3.7 Increase international intake of graduate students M36_DAVI5674_01_SE_CS24.indd 270

CASE 24 KING SAUD UNIVERSITY THE STRATEGIC TRANSFORMATION OF KING SAUD UNIVERSITY BY 2030 271 EXHIBIT 4 The 9 Strategic Objectives and Their Supporting Initiatives continued Strategic Objective STRONGER GRADUATES BUILDING BRIDGES SUPPORTIVE LEARNING ENVIRONMENT SUSTAINABLE FUTURE FLEXIBILITY & ACCOUNTABILITY ORGANIZING FOR PURPOSE Initiatives 4.1 Differentiate and strengthen preparatory year between 3 broad academic areas to increase its impact 4.2 Embed innovative teaching methods throughout KSU programs (e.g. case studies, problem-based and cooperative-collaborative learning, student presentations, classroom technology) 4.3 Launch Teacher s Academy to support and develop faculty skills 4.4 Raise English skills requirements for graduation 4.5 Create an Honors program for KSU s top students 5.1 Create an institutional advisory board 5.2 Create advisory board for each faculty 5.3 Create external relations office and strategy 5.4 Create community relations program and strategy 5.5 Provide competitive grants to foster interdisciplinary research and programs 6.1 Launch campus infrastructure review and upgrade including an upgrade of library and IT infrastructures 6.2 Detail student, faculty, and staff code of conduct 6.3 Develop extracurricular activities portfolio 6.4 Create a student governing body 6.5 Launch annual environment and infrastructure survey 7.1 Build an endowment 7.2 Diversify sources of funding by cultivating target donor relationships 7.3 Create annual report task force to transparently publicize endowment successes and usage 7.4 Start donor recognition program 7.5 Build an organization to support all fundraising activities within KSU 8.1 Develop a performance agreement with the government 8.2 Build KSU s internal financial capabilities 8.3 Build internal HR process capabilities 8.4 Build procurement capabilities 9.1 Consolidate complementary colleges into single faculties 9.2 Reduce number of Vice-rectors and Deans 9.3 Introduce new governance model to solve male vs. female governance inefficiencies 9.4 Simplify KSU s council structure, membership and governance 9.5 Raise the quality of administrative support staff Source : To come to reach milestones, deadlines, and indicate the key performance indicators accordingly. This will also lead to regular management of risks and mitigating them according to their severity and impact. The implementation plan also envisioned a comprehensive communication plan to disseminate information to all stakeholders. Phase III: Strategy Evaluation KSU, for the purpose of evaluation and performance measurement, is installing Strategy Architect software, a balanced scorecard automation system. Through this software, alignment of objectives, strategy mapping, and cascading can be achieved. The automated software will be used to implement visual dashboards to monitor and assess performance, leading to optimal execution of the KSU Strategic Plan as well as the college-level strategic plans. Strategy reviews of individual college and departments will lead to regular performance analysis, corrective actions, and analysis and updating of measures. The performance results, changes and action plans will be communicated to all stakeholders of the university. Future plans and outcomes will be analyzed so that forecasts can be made which will be in line with the university s vision and mission. An Example of a Strategic Transformation: College of Business Administration s Strategic Plan A world class university does not exist without a world class business college. This is what Professor Al Othman, KSU Rector, stated in an interview with the principal author of this case. Actually, this statement is mentioned more than once by the Rector. This is why M36_DAVI5674_01_SE_CS24.indd 271

272 ABDULRAHMAN AL-AALI, SALEM S. ALQAHTANI, SUNILA LOBO, AND AHMED AL-MOTAWA the Good everywhere; great in focus areas has targeted three colleges: the College of Medicine, the College of Engineering, and the College of Business Administration (CBA). This section gives a snapshot of the CBA plan. It details the strategic change program for CBA. It also provides recommendations to help CBA achieve excellence in education, aimed at providing graduates for the financial and insurance industries in particular. CBA Background CBA houses eight departments: Accounting, Economics, Finance, Management, Marketing, Management Information Systems (MIS), Public Administration (only graduate programs), and Quantitative Analysis (a service department). These departments offer 11 tracks with different curricula. These curricula are structured into 145 credits and cover six areas: general university requirements (12 credits), Preparatory Year Program (31 credits), CBA core courses (18 credits), Department courses (69 75 credits), Free electives (5 9 credits), and Cooperative Training (6 credits). Why Should There be Increased Efforts in Business Education? Of the nine focus areas, CBA will take charge of the development of finance and insurance, and management programs as strategic areas for which there is a real need in Saudi Arabia and in the region. The financial and insurance sectors of the economy demand all-rounded people with bachelor s degrees in business, capable of fulfilling different roles in finance, accounting, risk management, marketing, human resources, and other departments. This demand will be significant, due to: Expected above average growth of the financial and business sectors of the economy Recent historical growth well above the average of all sectors of the Saudi Arabian economy Opinions of Saudi employers in the banking sectors stating the lack of local talent and the great need for it. On the graduate business front, there are three main reasons why KSU is further developing its program offerings in order to excel in this area: The demand for managers with graduate degrees in business (Master of Business Administration, MBAs) will exceed 45,000 in Saudi Arabia and as much as 70,000 in the GCC overall per year by 2020, as a result of the rapidly growing local economies. The better business schools in the region have a limited capacity of fewer than 2,000 graduates per year, and are unable to meet this demand. Highly ranked business schools do not emphasize areas that are locally relevant like Islamic banking, or the sectors of the economy that are fuelling demand in Saudi Arabia, like insurance. Overall, in the coming years there will be a significant shortage of well-educated talent for several business sectors of the economy in Saudi Arabia unless KSU rapidly begins to both improve and expand its offerings. If successful, this could offer a clear competitive advantage for both CBA and, by association, KSU. Elements of the CBA-KSU Strategic Plan Achieving excellence in business education does not only involve having regionally relevant world-class business curricula, but also requires excellence along many dimensions that are not unique to CBA, but are also relevant for the whole university. These comprise people, teaching and learning, research, and governance and management. CBA, in its own diagnostic, named issues or weaknesses concerning some of these dimensions as detailed below: People Faculty: capacity, benefits, attracting visiting faculty, and practitioner positions Students: quality, English level, drop-out rates, and full-time commitment; Teaching and learning Practical experience, preparatory year included in the 4.5 years of the undergraduate program, innovative teaching methods, working students, and collaborative culture; M36_DAVI5674_01_SE_CS24.indd 272

CASE 24 KING SAUD UNIVERSITY THE STRATEGIC TRANSFORMATION OF KING SAUD UNIVERSITY BY 2030 273 Partnerships and collaboration: industry partnerships, and collaborative culture Research: collaborative and inter-disciplinary culture Governance and management: representation in College council, decision rights. These issues were also found to be university-wide concerns and are addressed by different initiatives of the overall Strategic Plan for KSU. Specific Areas to Address at CBA Undergraduate Programs However, some areas of concern still need to be addressed in a manner specific for CBA. These areas are admissions, curricula, and partnerships. The three aforementioned areas of concern (people, teaching and learning; curricula) to be addressed specifically by CBA have been also identified by the College s own strategic plan and pinpointed by its SWOT analysis: With respect to quality of students, the following weaknesses were identified by CBA: too many students and lack of motivation for learning among intakes. With respect to curriculum, CBA identified as strengths the fact that the curriculum is comparable to that of any top school s as well as the desire of the faculty to continuously adapt curricula. Meanwhile, the lack of coordination between departments, as well as the mismatch between education and industry demands, was seen as a weakness. In terms of partnership, CBA considered the mismatch between industry and education demands, and the inadequate application of theory, as weaknesses. The willingness of market players to cooperate was identified as an opportunity. CBA has benchmarked against world-class universities undergraduate programs and identified some key points as a result of this, along three areas: Quality of incoming students Admit classes between 250 500 students per annum Impose admission criteria to determine excellence Welcome diversity through international students (share depending on regional needs/public status); Curriculum 1 2 year foundation program Business classes on average 40 60 percent of total coursework One degree program per school with a mandatory depth area to emphasize one field (e.g. often driven by needs of the local economy) or broad choice of electives for choosing concentration areas or breadth of education; Partnerships with industry and international academic institutions: provide students with study abroad and internship opportunities. Application of Key Points to CBA-KSU 1. Quality of incoming students: A useful framework to apply the key points about quality of incoming students to the undergraduate program of the CBA is illustrated in Exhibit 5, along with best-practice examples. 2. Curriculum: The College needs to overcome two major challenges: the preparatory year taking away time from the business curriculum, and the fact that students interested in an economics degree and students aiming at a business degree are in the same program, creating departmental tensions (e.g. business students and economics students must have the same set of core courses even though they have different needs). The first challenge can be addressed by: (1) upgrading the current preparatory year, part of the general recommendation for KSU. The new proposed preparatory year will deliver content more appropriate for a Bachelor in Business that includes some of the foundational non-business courses that are now given at the College; (2) Extending the program for one semester to adopt a 1+3.5 years format, similar to the longer programs that other colleges in KSU already offer. This recommendation was adopted in 2009. The second challenge can be addressed by providing, within the College, two separate programs that split after the preparatory year: a program M36_DAVI5674_01_SE_CS24.indd 273

274 ABDULRAHMAN AL-AALI, SALEM S. ALQAHTANI, SUNILA LOBO, AND AHMED AL-MOTAWA EXHIBIT 5 CBA-KSU Undergraduate Student Body Benchmark 1 A high quality student body is sustained by a 3-step approach Attract Admit Support Actions Provide in formation of placement and careers of graduates from CBA undergraduate program Approach companies to guarantee intemships and publicize student success stories Define upper limit for incoming class Define minimum admission criteria and strictly adhere to them, e.g., Preparatory year perfomance Standardized tests English skills Offering support for qualified international students through scholarship Tailor student incentives to performance and economic need Example/best practice Wharton lists positions accepted by recent graduates and career statistics in their website Career services office contacts potential employers and makes information and applications available online Define class size according to available resources (financial, human and structural) AUB defines strict entry requirements 1200* in SAT I 230** TOEFL or IELTS 7.0 UC Berkeley has a wide array of aid available for national and foreign students based on academic achievement and financial need 8 grants 2 subsidized loans 3 scholarships Source : To come for Business majors and another for Economics students. Although somewhat nontraditional, this approach has worked very well in leading institutions like Oxford and NYU Stern. See Exhibit 6. 3. Partnerships: The third area to be addressed specifically at CBA is partnerships with industry and international academic institutions. The solution lies in identifying potential partners following well-defined criteria, and approaching them only after an internal plan has been developed to outline the desired functioning of the partnership. Specific Areas to be Addressed for CBA Graduate Program Currently, there are several graduate programs offered at CBA. The largest program is the Masters of Public Administration. Additionally, there are Master s programs in Health and Hospital Administration, Economics, Accounting, and Business Administration, and Master of Business (MBus). Lately, PhD programs in Business Administration, Public Administration, and Accounting have also been initiated. This comprehensive offering leaves few gaps in the college portfolio. One of these gaps is an MBA program of international standard not only at the curricular level, but also with full student commitment, shorter program duration, and richer campus life. Such a program would cater to individuals looking to make a significant shift and upward move in their careers. The demand for managers and the lack of regionally relevant programs indicate that there is a clear opportunity to fill this gap and this should be a priority for CBA-KSU. The current departmental diversity makes for an excellent platform to start a new international-style MBA program based on contributions from all parties within CBA. In its SWOT analysis, CBA identified a group of strengths and weaknesses around student quality, curriculum and teaching methods, and partnerships. A scan of internationally recognized MBA programs, as well as schools that have progressed through the rankings at a rapid pace, reveals seven categories necessary for success: 1. Definition of vision 2. Attracting and admitting good students 3. Curriculum and faculty M36_DAVI5674_01_SE_CS24.indd 274

CASE 24 KING SAUD UNIVERSITY THE STRATEGIC TRANSFORMATION OF KING SAUD UNIVERSITY BY 2030 275 EXHIBIT 6 CBA-KSU Suggested Undergraduate Curriculum 2 Goal Suggested curriculum structure to benefit from current program while addressing CBA s challenges and requirements for accreditation Curriculum/ Faculty Extracurricular Note: GPA = Grade Point Average Source : To come Educate a cohort of ~300 400 high-potential undergraduates a year Expectation is that 100% of all students will have secured a job by graduation After prep. year only students with high GPA and IELTS 6 (TOEFL 520) get offered admission to business program Mandatory major (4 to 6 courses) Program faculty composed of 60% KSU, 20% visiting from partner schools and 20% from industry 3rd year is spent at international partner schools Optional additional semester to complete last year with thesis Agreement with major companies in KSA guaranteeing an internship for all students in the summer from the 2nd to 3rd year Prep. year 1 st year (foundational) 2 nd year 3 rd year Last semester New prep year according to KSU strategic plan CBA students get the same prep year as engineering Specific foundational courses to complement prep. year Business fundamentals Soft-skills courses Non-business electives* Business electives** Summer internship program Spent in partner schools in accordance to their program (agreed with KSU mentor)*** Summer internship overseas Courses towards a major 25 50% of classes with practitioner participation 4. Partnership with industry and universities 5. Teaching methods to foster entrepreneurship 6. Network among students and alumni 7. Campus infrastructure and environment. In terms of best practice, to make fast progress three keys to success were identified: 1. Strong affiliation with leading business schools for exchange of visiting faculty and learning of best practices for internal processes 2. Independence from a governing university to be more flexible 3. Strong affiliation to an industry to educate along industry demand and have attractive placements. The recommendations for CBA s new plan follow the above-mentioned seven dimensions, and addressed the three key success factors. Concluding Remarks Regarding CBA Plan In short, the CBA of KSD has the opportunity to become a leader in business education in Saudi Arabia and the Arab world. Through close internal cooperation and collaboration with industry players and leading international academic institutions there is a chance to rapidly develop. This is a golden opportunity for KSD to become the leading business school and shape business practices for graduates in Saudi Arabia and around the world. Conclusion It is clear that this is a very ambitious transformation program that CBA and KSU have embarked upon. It will take time for the university to reach the standard of the top- performing universities it has benchmarked itself against, so KSU needs to prioritize certain key areas which are achievable in the short-term and other areas in the longer-term. Most importantly, KSU leadership needs to focus on change measures which are appropriate for a public university and which are contextually sensitive to the norms, values, and M36_DAVI5674_01_SE_CS24.indd 275

276 ABDULRAHMAN AL-AALI, SALEM S. ALQAHTANI, SUNILA LOBO, AND AHMED AL-MOTAWA specific needs of Saudi Arabia (i.e. tertiary education for the knowledge-intensive industries in a knowledge economy). A Western model for what it takes to be a great university will not be totally applicable in the more collectivist culture of the Middle East. Achieving excellence therefore should be measured in the context of a particular country s needs, and not according to a global contextual ranking system. Two guiding principles will be critical to the success of any effort to transform KSU: 1. Involving the entire campus community in the transformation program 2. Not necessarily looking to individualistic cultures as a model, as one size does not fit all. In addition, the Kingdom and thus KSU is strongly influenced by the norms of the family-based society in Saudi Arabia. Change which harnesses, rather than disrupts this culture of Saudi Arabia should be embarked upon within the university and with external stakeholders. This is important and should be of topmost priority if KSU s major program of strategic transformation is to succeed. Despite this caveat, the commitment, vision, and ambition shown by KSU to transform itself into a world-class university, underpinned by its society s norms and values should help it weather any obstacles or setbacks it may face in its long journey ahead. References US World & News Report ranks KSU 221st, KSU News Portal, http://enews.ksu.edu.sa/2010/10/05/us-world-news-ranking, October 5 2010. King Saud University strategic plan documents and reports, provided by university. King Saud University website, www.ksu.edu.sa. Notes 1. Academic Ranking of World Universities (ARWU), www.arwu.org/arwu2010_4. jsp, 2010. 2. World s Best Universities: Top 400, US News and World Report, www.usnews. com/education/worlds-best-universities/articles/2010/09/21/worlds-best-universitiestop-400-?pagenr=1, September 21 2010. 3. Ranking of World Universities, Webometrics, www.webometrics.info/top100_ continent.asp?cont=aw, 2010. 4. World University Rankings, QS, www.topuniversities.com/university-rankings/ world-university-rankings, 2010. 5. TBA M36_DAVI5674_01_SE_CS24.indd 276