Polls in Saudi Universities, Expats to be Admitted Soon

Wednesday, 23 January 2008
By: Amal Al-Zahrani and

Kholood F. Al-Rhamah

Jeddah-Saudi universities will soon have free elections to form students union and select deans and heads of departments.

Additionally, Saudi universities will soon accept non-Saudi male and female students.
The development are contained in draft regulation for a new system for universities that was approved by the Shoura Council on Sunday.

Final touches are to be put on the draft next week before it is submitted to the Council of ministries and the King.

" Finally we agreed on all points of the new universities system" Said Dr. Mohammed Al-Zolfa, a Shoura member.

"Formation of student union is a bold new step".

For expatriates, the opportunity for their children to study in Saudi government universities is a boon. Over the years, several expatriates have left the country for want of higher education opportunities for their children.

Under the new system, expatriate students will have to pay intuition fees. The university can also grant scholarships for talented non-Saudi students.

According to the draft, the dean of a faculty of a college or institute will be chosen by secret ballot to serve a term of three years, renewable once. Heads of departments will have two-year term, renewable once.

The decision to hold elections in universities is the latest step to introduce the concept of democracy in Saudi Arabia. Elections to 178 municipal councils across the country were held in 2005. It was Saudi Arabia's first experiment with countrywide elections.

" Our country is moving on democracy and the way of elections" Said Dr. Al-Zolfa. " We should teach our youth how to vote and how to respect their choice.

Many students don't know their rights and how to get them. Now they will know when they have their own unions."

Professors and academics welcomed the developments and were optimistic.
Dr. Ameera Khashgari, English professor in Girls College of Education in Jeddah was clearly pleased by the news. "Many girls can't get their rights or solve their problems as there is no official union to work under," she said. "Now they have a great chance to go through the election experience."

According to the new system, the elected head of a student union will be a member of the university council.

At the English department of King Abdul Aziz University (KAAU), professors cheered the decision.

"I believe that a university without a student union lacks many of its essential resources," said Dr. Abdullah Al-Shehri. "When the student comes to the university, he should be exposed to all sorts of life experiences and not only to academic life. It might not be a requirement in our society but, in my opinion as a university professor, it is a necessity."

Prof. Al-Korashi added, "It is the suitable time to ‘live' democracy and election process instead of teaching it to students. The university council will have the head of the student union in it, and that ensures that their voice is going to be heard and their demands are going to be achieved."

According to Dr. Al-Zolfa, universities will keep an eye on the student unions so that they don't stray away from their real purpose into any political movement or suspicious activities.

"Universities are responsible for all its student unions and to be sure they don't get affected by political movements or develop bad ideas, they should guide them to the right path," said Dr. Al-Zolfa.

The decision on elections was made after demands from students.

"From my personal experience with my students I found them eager to have their own student unions, although they now have it merely in the scientific societies," said Dr. Mohammed Al-Hizan, a member in one of the scientific societies at KAAU. "However, due to the differences in interest between the students and the people responsible for these societies, they tend to leave it or disregard it."

Students, long waiting for such a development, were thrilled by the Shoura's decision. "I'll be graduating this year, but my dream was to have a student union to raise our voices about the problems we face in the university," said Ibtisam Al-Hazazi, an undergraduate student in the English department in KAAU.

"Nobody listens to us when we complain and it was the best thing to happen.

"I envy those who will have the chance to join these unions," Al-Hazazi added. Another student said she would contest the elections.

"I love to lead," said Nora Mohammed, a second year student at the English department in KAAU. "It is my life's dream to have a student union like any other country where they respect and listen to the students' opinions and voices.

"I'll definitely contest and I really hope I win."