The Daily IIJ

Imagine yourself an undergraduate who failed in one subject and well confident you don’t deserve that failure. Of course it would be a painful reality when you can’t demonstrate your success in that subject under any circumstances. However, when suddenly someone extricates you from the sorrow you live and reestablishes the success you have deserved, you will change your perspective not only about the domain you chose, but also about the system you decided to join. 

This is what happened exactly with Mahmoud, a media school senior; who kept trying to prove his success for almost two years but in vain. One day, the two-year suffering was all solved in only two hours with the intervention of the vice present of Damascus University for Open Learning. 

Open Learning and the Potential Saviour

Open Learning has had deep problems in the last couple of years, but one woman is trying deeply hard to put an end to all these successive problems. This saviour is Fatina Yaseen Al-Shaal, the first female to occupy the position of Damascus University vice president for Open Learning Affairs after being involved in many effectual positions during her career. 

‘Open Learning witnessed a very fast release where neither the financial nor the hands and the infrastructure were ready’ Al-Shaal said. The fact of joining a massive number of students to the system in its early opening caused complexity regarding the capacity of colleges in Damascus to contain them entirely. Moreover, the succession of managers over seven years played a big role in impeding the reform process. ‘He who will run the Open Learning should be experienced and long-practiced administratively. He should know how to deal with the teaching staff, the students, and the employees; he has to have all the methods for all categories.’ Al-Shaal said.

At the beginning of its release, Open Learning was regarded as a ‘centre or a program’. Now, the word ‘center’ has been changed to ‘system’ which is something influential for the long-term effects. 

As per the resolution of the Higher Education Council and the republican decree number 383, Open Learning certificate is parallel legally to that equivalent in the public education, i.e. this academic document is to be certified by both: Ministry of Higher Education and the Foreign Ministry. According to the system’s statistics, 22.800 people applied for Open Learning, and only 5.000 had right of admission. ‘Depending on these figures, a clear vision is brought to light regarding the great engagement and turning to Open Learning System which cancels the false rumors about the recognition issue’ Al-Shaal said.

Moreover, the student is able to continue his\her higher studies abroad. However, it seems to be an inevitable truth that the system’s academic degree is regarded only as professional which doesn’t entitle the holder to study MAs or PHD in the Syrian Arab Republic. ‘When Open Learning is finalized regarding all specifications and conditions, i.e. when it is finalized in terms of its curricula and having a concrete independent university that embraces all the fields, it is possible then to think of the advanced education.’ The vice president explained. 

New Progress to Minimize Pending Problems

Currently, periodic meetings are conducted during the lecture every Friday and Saturday. The vice president or a second-in-command person is to go and attend the lecture in order to be more socialized not only with the student, but also with the way of lecturing. New rules regarding the professor attendance has been established as well; the doctor should attend the meeting and never be late, and if he is 20 minutes late, the lecture is to be considered null and void. Besides, in case s/he is to be absence, s/he should inform the students and compensate for them by setting another meeting scheduled as it suits most of them. 

As for the employment, there is no constrains regarding engaging the graduates in work with the public sector as per a governmental regulation issued on 29\11\2007. Al-Shaal struggled to get that regulation as soon as possible in response to the students’ demands. 

Management corruption is not to be missed as well either during the registration mechanism or during other kind of dealing with the personnel. ‘Organizing the administrative structure is taking a great deal of my time’ Al-Shaal said. ‘I asked for increasing the number of eligible staff not the seasonal ones. I may be forced sadly to fire some staff members as well.’ she added. There are around 50 employees at the moment serving about 68.000 applications. As a comparison to the 120 employees in Faculty of Fine Arts serving 600 applications, no approximate match is to be allocated.

As a solution to diminish the crowd that seems to be on the spot during registration, a new and more instant method has been undertaken; ‘the distance registration’, i.e. via the website helped a lot regarding this issue. Other fresh facilities regarding the bank and the payments are to follow as well. Although about only 1.100 students registered via the net, no crowd happened during the registration process this year. 

Very soon there will be a building special for the Open Learning students. Of course, due to the fact that a concrete land should be located on ground, Al-Shaal has a strong solid claim about the building issue when raising it to the specialized body. Starting from this point, she is preparing a memorandum for getting the promised building by the promise of hers that she will seek and present this demand to the related authorities.

Irresponsible Students

The Open Learning students feel loose and not attached to any bond that links them with the system. But now, all that has come to an end by having the vice president as the basic bond. ‘The most thing I improved so far is my relationship with the student; I keep the door of my office open for the students in case of any inquiry or problem not to mention receiving the complaints and other issues by my email on the Open Learning special website’, she said  

‘Although I am so capable to handle almost all the difficulties I face, but I am so fed up with the Open Learning student, and I am not sure if I can keep on’, Al-Shaal said. It seems as if the primary problem from which most directors suffer is the incompliance behavior of the Open Learning students especially regarding the appointments of registration and other related applications. However, with the new rules, Al-Shaal succeeded in minimizing and organizing this issue.

A Pledge 

The vice president has been assigned for only three months, and during this short period she set a record regarding the improvements she has been achieving. ‘The word ‘ impossible’ is not included in my dictionary; there is nothing impossible in this life, but I don’t have a magic stick. Although I feel sad I came to rubbles that are not impossible to rebuild, I will seek as much as I can to turn this system to become a core twin of Damascus University under the flag of Damascus University Guidance.’