Interest in establishing a Faculty of Engineering at the University of Petra (UOP) started in 2013, and two undergraduate programs, namely Civil Engineering and Renewable energy Engineering were to be offered by the Faculty. Consequently, a committee made up of the undermentioned 13 members was formed on 4/9/2012:
UOP President / Chairperson.
Four members affiliated to UOP; these included the Deans of the following faculties: Information Technology, Architecture & Design and Administrative & Financial Sciences as well as the Dean of Admission & Registration.
Six non-university affiliates who are well-acquainted with the national and regional work place; these members were chosen because they have direct and indirect ties with the industry, especially those industries involved in the fields of civil and Renewable energy engineering.
Project Manager.
Director of the President’s office.
This committee was entrusted with the following duties and responsibilities, and was expected to submit a report stating its recommendation in two months:
Conduct a study to explore the possibilities of establishing a Faculty of Engineering at UOP that offers two undergraduate programs: Civil Engineering and Renewable Energy Engineering. The committee was also responsible for delineating all the requirements needed to establish such a faculty taking into account the general and specific accreditation standards set by the Higher Education Accreditation Commission in Jordan (HEAC).
Prepare the study plans for the aforementioned programs.
Conduct a field study to explore the availability of members of staff who are specialized in these two majors and ensure that their fields of specialty cover all the knowledge areas on the study plans.
Identify the kind and number of labs needed for each program.
Conduct a study on the graduates’ status in the national and regional work place and prepare a feasibility study on the aforementioned specializations.
Specify, on the basis of the feasibility study, the optimum number of students admitted in the two programs.
Consider other specializations that are worthy of teaching under the umbrella of the Faculty of Engineering.
After holding a number of meetings, the committee submitted its final report; in the report, the committee recommended that Civil Engineering be taught at UOP, but sought the deferment of the other specialization (i.e. Renewable Energy Engineering) till later. The report was submitted to the Board of Trustees, and based on the committee’s recommendation, the Board in its Meeting No. 2015-9, on 8/12/2015, issued its Decision No. 2015/17 in which it gave its approval with regards to the establishment of the Faculty of Engineering/Civil Engineering as of the academic year 2016/2017. Accordingly, the Board of Trustees submitted a tender to build the Faculty of Engineering at the end of 2017.
In light of the Board of Trustees’ decision, the University addressed the Ministry of Higher Education and Scientific Research in order to attain approval for teaching an undergraduate program in Civil Engineering at UOP. The Minister of Higher Education and Scientific Research, Chair of the Higher Education Council, after the Ministry of Higher Education Council’s second session meeting on 7/4/2016, issued a preliminary approval to teach a BSc program in Civil Engineering at UOP starting the first semester of the academic year 2016/2017. The approval stipulated that student admission in the program does not take place prior to the completion of all the accreditation standards and procedures specified by the Council.
Upon the approval obtained from the Ministry of Higher Education and Scientific Research, the University appointed a Dean, a Chairperson and a member of staff for the proposed Faculty. It also devised a scholarship work plan which culminated in interviewing and later choosing four candidates to pursue their PhD studies in Civil Engineering. The Ministry was informed of all the procedures undertaken to this effect, and hence a specialized committee from the Higher Education Accreditation Commission visited the University to confirm whether or not the latter has implemented the special accreditation standards required for the Civil Engineering program. Based on this visit, the Higher Education Accreditation Commission Council in its Meeting No. 2016/20 on 15/6/2016 issued Decision No. 2016/20/230 which stipulates that the University meet the following requirements:
Make adjustments to the Civil Engineering study plan and the course description.
Equip the Surveying Lab with the necessary apparatus.
Equip the following laboratories with the necessary apparatus starting the second year after receiving the special accreditation for the program from the Accreditation Commission:
Geotechnical Engineering Lab.
Building Materials Lab.
Highway paving Materials Lab.
Strength of Materials Lab.
Wastewater treatment Engineering Lab.
Hydraulics Lab.
4. Provide the library with five additional book titles for all the courses on the study plan (at least two copies for each book title).
5. Subscribe in scientific journals that cover all the knowledge areas in the Civil Engineering study plan.
6. Provide all the administrative requirements of the Faculty.
After meeting all of the requirements specified in the Commission’s decision, a date was agreed upon, during which a special committee would pay a visit to the University to verify the implementation of all the requirements previously indicated by the Accreditation Commission. The Committee, after verifying that all the accreditation standards had been met, sent a report to the Higher Education Accreditation Commission in which it approved in its Meeting No. 2016/25 on 27/7/2016, Decision No. 2016/25/282, “granting the University of Petra special accreditation for the BSc in Civil Engineering with a student capacity set at 86 students provided that the following requirements are met”:
Appointing two members of staff who have PhDs in Civil Engineering at the beginning of the third year after receiving, from the Accreditation Commission, the special accreditation for the program. This shall ensure that all the knowledge areas in the study plan are covered.
Completing the aforementioned labs and equipping them with the necessary apparatus at the beginning of the second year after receiving the special accreditation for the program from the Accreditation Commission.
Abiding by the student capacity set by the Accreditation Commission.
Determining the student capacity for the specialization by 15/9/2018.
The University of Petra complied with the Accreditation Commission’s decision and started student enrollment in the specialization beginning the first semester of the academic year 2016/2017 in the Faculty of Architecture and Design Building, the temporary premises assigned to the Faculty until completion of the Faculty of Engineering. Meanwhile, the University worked on fulfilling the accreditation standards that would enable it to increase the student capacity to 200 students. Upon fulfilling these standards, the Higher Accreditation Commission was addressed on 7/11/2018 regarding this issue.
The Commission formed a committee to determine whether or not the student capacity criteria had been fulfilled, and on 22/11/2018 this committee visited the Faculty of Engineering and all its facilities, giving the labs, the library, the teaching halls and the student service facilities special attention. The committee also examined the contracts signed by the members of staff and checked that their qualifications cover all the knowledge areas on the study plan. The committee then submitted its report to the Higher Education Accreditation Commission.
In light of the committee’s report, the Higher Accreditation Commission approved on 29/11/2018 the proposed student capacity set at 200, and hence new students were admitted in the program. The Faculty of Engineering at UOP plans to address the Accreditation Commission in 2019 asking for permission to increase the aforementioned student capacity.