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INTERDISCIPLINARY JOURNAL OF CONTEMPORARY RESEARCH IN BUSINESS
JUNE 2011
VOL 3, NO 2
The Accreditation of Jeddah Community College: A Faculty perspective
Dr. Ameerchund Maharaj
Jeddah Community College (King Abdul Aziz University)
P.O.Box 80283, Jeddah, 21589, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia
Dr. Mayhoub Abdul Azim Mayhoub
Jeddah Community College (King Abdul Aziz University)
P.O.Box 80283, Jeddah, 21589, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia
Dr. Ameerchund Maharaj is South African citizen. Started teaching English (as first language) in South
Africa from 1983. Promoted to lecturer in 1997. Teaching ESL in the Gulf since 2002. Presented papers
at international conferences in South Africa, Oman, and UAE. Obtained Ph.D in 2005. Academic interests
include critical thinking and semantics.
Dr. Mayhoub Abdul Azim Mayhoub is Egyptian citizen. Started teaching English (as second language) in
Egypt from 1994. Promoted to lecturer in 2001 and then to Assistant Professor in 2005. Teaching ESL in
the Gulf since 2003. Coordinator of GRC 111 & GRC 122 at KAU. Participated in international training
courses and conferences in Egypt, Saudi Arabia, USA, and UK. Obtained Ph.D in 2005. Certified team
member at the COE (accreditation body in USA). Academic interests include methodology, adult
education, and educational policies.
Abstract
This research paper focuses on the Accreditation of Jeddah Community College. Faculty
perspective is also kept in view for Accreditation of Jeddah Community College. Study focus on
identifying strengths and weaknesses in the accreditation process of Jeddah Community College
and to recommend guidelines that will facilitate future international partnerships; and to generate
some theory inherent in the dynamics of accreditation.
Keywords: Accreditation ; Jeddah Community College; Faculty perspective
1. Introduction
Much of the literature on accreditation of higher education institutions reveals foci on in-depth
context specific processes and outcomes. There has been a general dearth of writing on the
philosophy of accreditation, the power- and group dynamics operating within this phenomenon,
strengths and weaknesses of the accreditation process itself, tensions and dilemmas within
institutions seeking accreditation, etc. Does accreditation imply some sort of equal partnership or
a top-down relationship based on compliance and unequal power relations? Is it a “paper
qualification” which has very little practical value to the ultimate client, in this case, the student?
The Council for Higher Education Accreditation (2006) states that: “Accreditation is a process of
external quality review used by higher education to scrutinize colleges, universities, and
educational programs for quality assurance and quality improvement”. The term “scrutinize”
suggests a detailed review to ensure adherence to prescribed norms and criteria. It also conjures
up images of diligent and voluminous record keeping, and includes feelings of success or failure.
This paper, as with much of the literature, will attempt a critical reflection of the accreditation of
a college in Saudi Arabia by an accrediting agency in the United States. In examining this
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