Organizational regulations

Based on the objectives of the Cooperation Council, which are included in Article Four of the Council’s statute, which aims to achieve coordination, integration and interconnection among member states in all cases, and to establish similar systems in various fields in line with the provisions of the Council’s Economic Agreement, and in implementation of the decision of the Committee of Presidents and Directors of Universities and Higher Education Institutions, the following: 

Article one
Definitions: In applying these regulations, the following words and phrases will have the meanings indicated next to each of them: Cooperation Council
The Cooperation Council for the Arab States of the Gulf: The member states of the Council
Cooperation General Secretariat: The General Secretariat of the Cooperation Council
Higher education institutions: Universities, colleges, institutes and educational institutions that provide education beyond the secondary level

Distance education: that type of education that is offered to sites or places where the student or learner is geographically far from the professor, and communication takes place
Through techniques for transmitting audio or visual information (live or stylized), or through computer and Internet technologies, including synchronous and asynchronous teaching.
The Committee: The Committee of Distance Education Officials in Higher Education Institutions in the Gulf Cooperation Council countries
Committee Secretariat: The Secretariat of the Committee of Distance Education Officials in Educational Institutions in the Gulf Cooperation Council Countries

Article Two 
Composition of the committee:
- A committee called the Distance Education Officials Committee will be formed in higher education institutions in the Gulf 

-Cooperation Council countries
The committee consists of those responsible for distance education in higher education institutions in the GCC countries, or those who represent higher education institutions for this purpose

Article Three

Objectives and Tasks of the Committee: The Committee shall carry out its work within the framework of the policies and objectives of the GCC and the policies in force in the higher education institutions in the GCC countries in order to achieve the objectives of the Council and enhance its process and on the basis of achieving the following objectives and tasks:

1. Proposing plans, policies, programs and projects aimed at supporting the process of joint action in the field of distance education, in order to achieve integration, coordination, cooperation, exchange of experiences and identify areas of better investment of human and material resources and energies.

2. Working to build and develop the systems, networks, academic and technical procedures followed in the field of applying distance education in order to make higher education institutions more responsive and meet the needs of development and scientific and global developments in this field.

3. Researching issues, obstacles and issues of common interest in the field of distance education, exchanging experiences and proposing solutions to overcome them.

4. Work to find appropriate channels to activate joint work, ensure its continuity and renewal, and remove obstacles that may stand in the way.

5. Developing plans and strategies aimed at formulating and developing joint programs and projects in the field of distance education and cooperating in their implementation.
6. Work on building and developing information bases and appropriate systems for exchanging information in the field of distance education.
7. Proposing plans, policies and programs aimed at expanding the base of distance education in order to improve the quality of higher education on the one hand and to meet the expansion of demand and increase the absorptive capacity of higher education institutions on the other hand.
8. Holding conferences, seminars, workshops and training seminars in the field of distance education with the aim of developing it and utilizing its potential.
9. Developing appropriate administrative and organizational systems and regulations in the field of distance education.
10. Work to strengthen relations and communication with international educational institutions, organizations and bodies working in the field of distance education, and develop cooperation programs with them to benefit from their expertise and capabilities.
11. Activating the exchange of experience between higher education institutions in the field of distance education and working on implementing visits to achieve more cooperation and integration.

Article Four

Secretariat of the Committee: A secretariat of the committee shall be established to organize its work according to the organization of the secretariats of the joint educational work committees approved by the presidents and directors of universities and higher education institutions (Imam Muhammad bin Saud University, December 1997), and the secretariat of the committee shall follow up the work, coordinate, hold meetings and prepare progress reports according to the procedures approved at the first meeting of the secretaries of the joint work committees (General Secretariat, March 2001), which are attached to this minutes, and in particular the committee secretariat shall have the following tasks and competencies:

1. Facilitating and facilitating the work of the Committee and providing the necessary means to follow up its work and activate its recommendations and activities.

2. Propose programs and projects to enhance the work of the committee and achieve its objectives, and coordinate with higher education institutions to identify their needs for these programs and projects.

3. Develop the appropriate mechanism to follow up the programs and projects adopted by the committee and propose measures to ensure their implementation.

4. Establishing and developing databases related to the work of the committee in the field of distance education, and facilitating the procedures for accessing and using them.

5. Creating appropriate channels to facilitate the exchange of information and knowledge between higher education institutions and strengthening ties and communication between committee members.

6. Issuing bulletins, publications and reports that promote cooperation and coordination between higher education institutions.

7. Coordinating between higher education institutions in the field of holding seminars, conferences, workshops and training seminars in order to integrate efforts and capabilities and maximize mutual benefit.

Article Five

Headquarters of the Committee Secretariat

- Kuwait University shall be the secretariat of the Committee.

- Kuwait University, the headquarters of the Committee's secretariat, shall provide the capabilities and needs required by the Committee in accordance with the decision of the Committee of Ministers of Higher Education and Scientific Research (Manama, March 1999) and the decision of the Committee of Presidents of Universities and Higher Education Institutions (Doha, November 1998) regarding the organizational mechanism of the joint work committees.

Article six

Duties and terms of reference of the committee members: The members of the committee shall perform the following tasks and functions:

- Coordination and follow-up within their educational institutions in the field of implementing the committee's recommendations and the programs it adopts to implement them.

- Providing the necessary information and data for the work of the committee about their educational institutions in order to enhance the work of the committee and its secretariat.

- Providing suggestions and ideas aimed at developing the work of the committee and helping it achieve its goals.

- Documenting communication between the committee's secretariat and higher education institutions. The formula contained in the first meeting of the Secretaries of the Joint Action Committees in the field of higher education (Riyadh, General Secretariat, 25-26 March 2001) regarding the procedures undertaken by the Secretariat of the Committee and the organization of the Committee's work first.

Procedures undertaken by the Committee's secretariat:

The meeting discussed the procedures undertaken by the committee's secretariat to follow up on the progress of work, and emphasizing their importance in following up and developing the work, they recommend the following:

1. The Committee shall determine the place and date of its next meeting during its meeting.

2. The committee secretary shall coordinate with the committee member representing the university to determine and confirm the date of the next meeting.

3. The Committee Secretariat shall inform the General Secretariat of the exact date and venue of the next meeting.

4. The General Secretariat shall circulate the invitation to participate in the meeting to universities and higher education institutions.

5. The Committee Secretariat shall prepare the draft agenda and documents of the meeting in coordination with the Committee members and provide it to the participants and the General Secretariat at least two months before the meeting.

6. The secretary of the committee shall prepare the minutes of the meeting, taking into account the following:

- Note the summary of each item discussed in the form of a recommendation proposal.

- The recommendations are collected in order and drafted in the form of a meeting minutes that includes an explanatory preamble and the main items under which the recommendations are included according to the draft agenda.

- After printing, the minutes shall be read in a final session to the meeting, amended in light of suggestions, and then reprinted in its final form.

- The Secretary of the Committee shall provide the General Secretariat and Committee members with copies of the minutes of the meeting

Organization of the Committee's work

1- Administrative Organization:

Based on the decision of the Committee of Ministers of Higher Education and Scientific Research at its fourth meeting (Manama, March 1999) and the Committee of Presidents and Directors of Universities and Higher Education Institutions at its eighth meeting (Doha, November 1998), the secretariat of the Committee will contact the administration of the university where it is located to provide the material requirements such as a telephone line, office equipment and others to facilitate its work, including the need for an administrative staff to follow up administrative and office work on an ongoing basis.

2- The committee's work plan: Based on the mechanism for organizing joint work between universities and higher education institutions approved by the fourth meeting of the Committee of Ministers of Higher Education and Scientific Research (Manama, March 1999), the meeting recommends the following:

- The Secretariat of the Committee shall select a number of projects and programs that can be implemented to achieve the objectives of the Committee's work, and prepare a plan for these projects and programs.

- Each committee discusses and agrees on its plan in its meetings and determines the resources and capabilities to be provided and the activities, programs and events that will be included in the plan.

- The plan is programmed according to a timetable that specifies the time period for the implementation of each of its items.

- A copy of the plan shall be submitted to the secretariat of the General Committee after its decision by the committee, and the secretariat shall present what needs to be presented to the Committee of University Presidents and Directors.

- The committee shall proceed with the implementation of the agreed plan, and each university shall bear the cost of its participation in the implementation.

3- Reports

- The secretary of the committee prepares a report to be presented to its periodic meetings, which includes the following

- What has been done regarding each recommendation contained in the minutes of the previous committee meeting and the efforts made by the committee to follow up on its implementation.

- What has been done regarding the implementation of the programs included in the committee's work plan, indicating the achievements and difficulties encountered.