The Internal Charter of the Arab Open Academy

The Arab Open Academy in Denmark

The Internal Charter of the Arab Open Academy

Article One:

The Arab Open Academy is an Iraqi Academy abroad

Article Two:

  1. The Academy enjoys an autonomous status characterized by financial and administrative independence. It performs all its legal obligations including signing contracts and loans and receiving donations, funds and grants that are consistent with the Academy objectives.
  2. The Academy is an independent academic institution which endeavors to:
    1. Prepare qualified cadres that are equipped with academic knowledge, specialized in its vocational application and capable of occupying leading positions in the society development processes
    2. Make scientific knowledge a tool for development through establishing academic research centers for scientific consultations and participating in developing civil societies
    3. Develop scientific knowledge through activating scientific research: participating in conferences and seminars, conducting field studies and publishing research papers
    4. Utilize the most recent means of communication in order to develop the students` scientific and technical competencies and skills
    5. Contribute to tackling the work and production problems and problems confronting the societies and their cultural and educational establishments
    6. Develop the systems that organize relations between the society and the academy and ensure the optimal efficiency of the academic and educational relations between the academy and the Iraqi community abroad
    7. Endeavor to promote the academic, educational and pedagogic relations between the Iraqi academies inside Iraq and the European academies to secure upgrading the educational process in Iraq
    8. Awarding the academic degrees and honor certificates

Article Three: 

  1. The leading body of the Academy is the Academy Board which consists of:
    1. The President of the Academy
    2. The Vice President for the Academic Affairs
    3. The Vice President for the Administrative Affairs
    4. The Deans of the Colleges
    5. A staff member
    6. The academic consultants who are entitled to present consultations but not to cast their votes
  2. The Deans of the Colleges and the Heads of the Departments: the deans of the colleges and the heads of departments hold a meeting at least once a year to discuss the academic and administrative affairs for their colleges and departments and to present detailed repots on their departments to the Academy Board
  3. The Academy Board is in charge of:
    1. Drawing the general Academy policy
    2. Coordinating the academic activities performed by the departments of the Academy
    3. Establishing criteria for monitoring quality teaching
    4. Fostering academic research within the departments and within the academy research centers
    5. Specifying tuition and other fees
    6. Receiving grants, donations and funds
    7. Approving the final Academy budget and the annual accounts which will first be revised by the legal editors

Article Four: The Academy President

  1. The Academy President should be a Professor. He administers the Academy affairs and enjoys the following capacities:
    1. He represents the Academy before all the associations and bodies and signs contracts on behalf of the Academy that are consistent with the Academy policy
    2. He manages the academic, financial and administrative affairs in compliance with the Open Academy regulations
    3. He prepares the annual Academy budget and present it before the Academy Board for discussion and then approval
    4. He prepares an annual report on the performance of the Academy at the end of the Academic year and presents it before the Academy Council for discussion
    5. He suggests opening new departments in the Academy after meeting the required conditions and presents the proposals before the Academy Board for discussing and then adopting the appropriate decisions

Article Five: The College
1- The College Board is the academic and administrative leading authority in the college. It consists of:
A-The Dean of the College
b- The Dean Assistants
c- The Heads of the Departments
d- A Staff Member
2- The Dean shoulders the following responsibilities:
A- Assuming the presidency of the College Board, managing the academic and administrative affairs and overseeing scientific research
B- Executing the Academy Board resolutions
C- Implementing the College Board resolutions
D- Preparing the annual report at the end of the Academic year and presenting it to the Academy Board

Article Six: The Departments

  1. Each department has a board consisting of the head of the department and the staff members
  2. The Head of the department is in charge of:
    1. Managing the academic and administrative affairs and overseeing the scientific research
    2. Implementing the College Board resolutions
    3. Assessing the staff members performance, their academic activities and teaching methodologies
    4. Nominating new staff members and seeking the approval of the College Board
    5. Preparing an annual report on the performance of the Department at the end of the Academic year and presenting it to the College Board

Article Seven:
Academic Titles and Academic Promotions

  1. An Assistant Lecturer should be a holder of a Master Degree
  2. A Lecturer should hold
    1. An acknowledged PhD or its equivalent or should hold an academic, technical or vocational certificate in the areas where PhD is not granted provided that the minimum period of study should not be less than seven years after the high school certificate.
    2. A Master Degree with the academic title of Assistant Lecturer and should have experienced teaching not less than three years and published two research papers in refereed journals.
  3. An Assistant Professor should be a Lecturer in one of the academies for at least four years and he should have published three research papers judged to be “Good” in refereed journals.
  4. A Professor should be an Assistant Professor for at least six years and should have published three “Original” research papers in refereed journals.

Article Eight: Admission

  1. For the B.A. study, the applicant should have obtained a high school certificate or its equivalent regardless of the average, age, graduation year, or the country s/he has got it from.
  2. For the M.A. study, the applicant
    1. Should have obtained a B.A. or its equivalent regardless of the average, age, graduation year, or the country s/he has got it from.
    2. Could apply for a study that is closely related to her/his major provided that a special program which qualifies her/him for such study is prepared.
    3. For the PhD study, the applicant should have obtained a M. Sc. in the same major or in a major that is closely related to it regardless of the average, age, graduation year, or the country he s/has got it from.

Article Nine: The Study System

  1. The Academy adopts the semester system: the fall semester starts on Sep. 1st and ends on Jan. 31st. The Spring Semester starts on Feb. 1st and ends on June 30th.
  2. B. A. study:
    1. To obtain a B.A., a student should accomplish 120- 130 credit hours (A credit hour is an hour multiplied by the number of the weeks for a semester).
    2. The minimum period for the B.A. is eight semesters of study
  3. M. A. study:
    1. To obtain a M. A., a student should accomplish 36 credit hours, out of which 24 are for the course work and 12 for the thesis
    2. The minimum period for the M.A. is three semesters
  4. PhD study:
    1. To obtain a PhD, a student should accomplish 72 credit hours, 36 of which are dedicated for course work and 36 are for the dissertation
    2. The minimum period for the PhD is six semesters

Article 10: Examinations

  1. The B.A. study adopts the following assessment methods: written and oral examinations and research projects
  2. The M.A. and PhD studies adopt the following assessment methods:
    1. Written and oral examinations and
    2. Assessing the M.A. and PhD thesis by a special committee
  3. The Assessment Criteria:
    1. The assessment grade is between 0-100
    2. The minimum passing grade for the B.A. is 50
    3. The minimum passing grade for the M.A. and PhD is 60

Article eleven

The Academy is entitled to establish centers for special studies, centers for going on learning and rehabilitation as sell as consultation centers in majors that are consistent with the Academy educational and pedagogic activities. The objective is to upgrade relations between the Academy and the local community especially the Iraqi one