Quality is one of the most important elements that contribute to the success of academic institutions, including the College of Commerce and Business Administration (CCBA), as quality enters and is reflected in every aspect of the college’s work. Quality must be achieved in teaching methods, learning strategies and operational procedures. As the CCBA aspires to be outstanding, it has set out to apply quality assurance principles in all its operations.

The CCBA aims to integrate good practices and transform them into a business culture. In order to build this exemplary work culture, the CCBA has built standard work procedures and policies based on quality assurance, enabling new faculty members or employees who join the college to adapt to these procedures easily. In addition, the CCBA has begun the procedures for obtaining international accreditation from one of the most important and best international associations for academic accreditation for business schools, AACSB, and it is expected that the process will be completed soon.

The quality assurance team is led by the Dean of the CCBA along with the Assistant Dean. The Quality Assurance team is managed by Quality Assurance Coordinators who act as a bridge between the Quality Assurance Department (QAD) and the College.

The CCBA strives to verify its quality through accreditation. The CCBA is embarking on the accreditation process at the national and international levels. At the national level, the CCBA has been accredited by the Oman Academic Accreditation Authority (OAAA) and at the international level, the College of Commerce works with the International Accreditation Board (AACSB). In its endeavors at the national and international levels, the college was able to reach the following stages:

• Approval of the pilot program by the Oman Academic Accreditation Authority (OAAA) in the academic year 2014-2015.
• Institutional accreditation from the Oman Academic Accreditation Authority (OAAA) in 2018
• Eligibility to apply to the international accreditation body (AACSB) in the academic year 2017-2018.
• Completing and submitting the self-assessment and having it accepted by AACSB in the 2019-2020 academic year.

Currently, the college is in the final stage of the procedures for obtaining international accreditation (AACSB), and it is expected that the process will be completed by the end of 2022.

As a higher education institution in Oman, Dhofar University mandatorily needs to obtain Oman Academic Accreditation Authority (OAAA) accreditation at two levels:

• Institutional accreditation
• Program approval

The CCBA was selected by the Omani Academic Accreditation Authority for its pilot study on program accreditation in the 2014-2015 academic year, and is therefore a testament to the college’s commitment to striving to ensure quality in all its operations. The Omani Academic Accreditation Authority expressed its appreciation for the college’s active participation in the pilot study to accredit the program. The Omani Academic Accreditation Authority supported the fact that the proactive role of the CCBA in accrediting the pilot program helped the Omani Academic Accreditation Authority to reconsider and review the program accreditation standards, and that the inputs coming from the college helped the Omani Academic Accreditation Authority to understand the challenges and issues related to the proposed project from Before the Omani Academic Accreditation Authority to accredit programs. The Omani Academic Accreditation Authority reviewed the program accreditation guide after the pilot study with the college. On the other hand, the college helped in developing standard procedures and policies to be adopted and adopting the innovative approach in management to enhance the college’s performance in its daily work.

Dhofar University is a higher education institution in the Sultanate of Oman that has undergone the Institutional Standards Assessment (ISA) by the Oman Academic Accreditation Authority (OAAA). The CCBA, as a component of Dhofar University, supported this evaluation process. The college also played an active role in providing the logistical support the committee needed during the team’s visit. The college provided all the supporting materials needed by the Quality Assurance Department (QAD) to successfully complete the aforementioned evaluation process. The Evaluation Committee highly praised the college’s procedures and practices in many sections of the final report. The college is proud of this praise from the Omani Academic Accreditation Authority because it is an endorsement of the quality principles adopted by the college. Dhofar University is the first university in Oman to obtain academic accreditation from the Omani Academic Accreditation Authority. The CCBA played an important role in the successful journey of achieving this achievement by Dhofar University.

The CCBA’ commitment to quality assurance has led to the following:

• Develop new procedures and policies.
• Ensure that procedures and policies are implemented.
• Forming various supporting entities such as permanent and special committees to activate the work of the college.
• Keeping records and updating information electronically and traditionally.
• Follow the operational plan of the CCBA to ensure the achievement of the strategic plan at the university level.
• Develop a work plan for all entities to link them with the completion of the college’s operational plan.
• Organizing various workshops and seminars to enhance the quality of teaching.
• Academic improvement in various dimensions such as assessments, auditing, review of courses and programs, and use of technology.
• Embed academic ethics in every aspect of college performance.
• Apply a 360-degree assessment and collect various points of view from all stakeholders.
• Complete transparency and team building

The Quality Assurance Unit at the CCBA is tasked with ensuring compliance and facilitating all aspects of quality assurance.

• Dr. Sayed Ihsan Jameel – Dean of the College
• Dr. Mohamed Wamiq Hossam – Head of the Quality Assurance Unit
• Dr. Mansour Al Raja – Head of International Accreditation Section (AACSB)

The CCBA at Dhofar University aspires to obtain international accreditation for itself and its academic programs. Therefore, the college applied to one of the best international accreditation associations, which is the International Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business (AACSB). See the following link: (www.aacsb.edu)

The main goal of the college is to provide students with knowledge and teach them business administration with high quality and useful for building future leaders. The college succeeded in obtaining membership in this association, which is the first step towards obtaining accreditation.

As a member of this academic body (AACSB), the College of Business and Management Sciences is introduced and profiled to a large number of business schools globally as part of the world’s largest network of business schools, all focused on advancing business education. The college will benefit greatly from this membership, leading to building collaborative relationships and pursuing international accreditation. In addition to direct connection to leading business schools in over 90 countries, the College will have access to educational and benchmarking resources specifically designed for business programs and faculty. Through content-driven events, valuable publications, comprehensive data tools, and industry research, AACSB through membership connects colleges to the information, people, and trends shaping the future of management education.