International and local accreditation

All FLS programs are internationally and locally accredited. The programs are accredited by OUUK every 5 years, and by the local Education Ministries in the branches hosting our programs. Our programs are designed according to the international standards and benchmarks and delivered in state-of-the-art classrooms equipped with modern facilities. Students receive a dual degree, one from the branch and the other from OUUK. Both degrees are locally and internationally validated. 

 Quality Assurance life cycle

FLS works closely with OU Quality Assurance Department at different stages. Programs are designed in accordance with QA. Once programs are implemented, they are assessed by QA, and FLS consults with this department to modify and improve the programs. At the end of each semester, QA administers a survey to students and tutors. The results are collected and sent by QA to FLS. This large data is analyzed by FLS in its Annual Report to shed more light on the programs offered and suggests ways and means by which they can be improved. 

FLS coordinates with the QA Department all its plans and monitoring procedures. QA Department supervises the implementation and execution of FLS plans and monitors the performance and the satisfaction of our students and tutors thr​ough surveys and feedback from students and staff. FLS coordinates with HQ the necessary steps for the enhancements of its programs.     

Internal Moderation:

FLS was the first Deanship at AOU to pilot and then introduce the Cross-Branch Marking Scheme, which has contributed greatly to the narrowing of discrepancies in marking across branches and which has become a good practice for other Deanships at AOU to follow.

To further improve the marking process and to narrow differences in marking within and across branches, FLS has also started implementing an Internal Moderation Scheme for marking of exams, which all of the other AOU deanships have adopted. The scheme aims to ensure that once the exams (MTAs and Finals) were drafted by the GCC, after due consultation with the concerned BCCs and tutors, they are carefully inspected by a fellow tutor who is an expert in the material (before the exams are sent to the external examiners) to ensure that the questions are a) free of any errors of any sort, b) are in line with the learning outcomes, c) and that the GCCs have taken into account the initial feedback given by the tutors.

 FLS has come up with a procedure for this scheme, which is as follows:

 ​Procedure for Internal Moderation of Exams

(MTAs and FEs)

1. The GCC calls the concerned BCCs in the branches for a meeting at the appropriate time junctures in the semester to discuss and agree upon the material to be covered in the MTA and the Final Exam and to ensure how the exam questions cover the material and align with the learning outcomes.
2. Based on the above, the GCC asks the BCCs to propose questions and answer keys.
3. The BCCs prepare suggested questions and forward them to the GCC in password-protected files.
4. The GCC inspects all proposed questions and answer keys and prepares the exam guided by them, taking into account what was agreed upon in the meeting and the various AOU guidelines governing assessment.
5. The GCC alerts the Dean when the exam is ready, and the Dean in consultation with the GCC chooses an internal moderator from among the experienced faculty and those with ample knowledge and expertise in the subject matter of the concerned module.
6. The GCC forwards the exam to the Internal Moderator (IM) who, in turn, inspects the exam carefully and forwards it back along with the necessary feedback, and then fills and signs a form designed for this specific purpose. 
7. After the GCC and the IM agree the exam, the exam is sent to the relevant External Examiner (EE) in accordance with the procedure followed by the Deanship.
8. After the EE's  feedback is incorporated and his/her approval is obtained, and after the Dean's endorsement is ensured, the exam will be ready to be implemented in accordance with AOU bylaws and procedures.

All correspondence throughout the process will be done via password-protected files.

External Examiners Team and Duties:

FLS has five External Examiners:

• Prof. John Strachan
  
• Dr. Gabriel Ozon
  
• Dr. Anissa Daoudi
  
• Dr. Éadaoin Agnew
  
• Dr. C​hristina Gkonou
  
  External Examiner Responsibilities:

1. Participate in the deliberations of the Course Assessment Committee and the Faculty Council Examination Committee
2. Approve questions and marking guidelines suggested by CACs for TMAs and final examinations
3. Review and revise final examination scripts
4. Review and revise TMAs
5. Submit a report to the Chair of the Central Examination Committee in which he/she provides a summary of his/her ideas and comments on final examination papers, TMAs and assessment of both student and tutor performance.  This includes sampling all marked assessments of AOU including MTAs and final examination papers. 
   
   Upon receipt of EE reports, the FSL Deanship forwards them to the PCs and concerned GCCs for careful review and response.  The PCs and GCCs discuss the points raised by the EEs with the relevant tutors and Branch Course Coordinators (BCCs) and come up with appropriate responses to each point. Then these responses are formally sent to the Deanship. The Deanship team examines both the EEs' points and the GCCs' responses and then drafts a formal response, which is sent to the VPAA office and to the Quality Assurance Department to be forwarded to CICP and referred to the concerned councils and committees at AOU. Copies of these responses are sent back to the PCs and GCCs for the purpose of sharing them with the concerned BCCs, tutors, administrators in the branches and students. In addition, FLS discusses these reports in the Faculty Council and stresses the importance of implementing the proposals made in response to EEs' points. Moreover, these reports are presented and discussed by the VPAA in the Academic Committee.
   
   FLS pays a great deal of attention to the points raised by EEs and implements the suggestions they make as well as the proposals made by the GCCs and Deanships EEs continue to be pleased with FLS's follows up on their remarks and suggestions. During this last year, there were no major issues raised by our EEs, but rather minor ones that were discussed by the Deanship and concerned GCCs for the purpose of seeing to it that such issues are addressed.
   
   Exam Boards
   
   Course Assessment Committee (CAC) responsibilities:
   
   The CAC has eight main tasks which aim at standardizing assessments: 

1. Assessing the consistency of the examination script marking completed by each marker
2. Correcting any inconsistency by markers by scaling marks and/or remarking.
3. Assessing the consistency between examination questions intended to be of equal difficulty
4. Correcting any inconsistency between comparable questions usually by scaling
5. Assessing the overall standard of the examination in comparison with previous examinations on the module
6. Correcting any variations in standards across examinations
7. Informing the External Examiner of the conclusions and decisions of the internal CAC members at standardization
8. Selection of examination script to review prior to the award stage meeting
   
   Course Assessment Committee Members

•   A230A&B: Reading and Studying Literature

• Chair: Dr. Banan Daraiseh - (Kuwait )
• External Examiner: Prof. John Strachan​
  
• Members: Dr. Ne'am Abdel Hafiz (Egypt), Dr. HassanAl-Momani ​ (Jordan)
  

• EA300A&B: Children's Literature

• Chair: Dr. Chekra Allani – (Kuwait)
  
• External Examiner: Prof. John Strachan​
• Members: Dr. Heba Badr El-Din (Egypt), Dr. Hayat Al-Khatib (Lebanon) 
  

• A215A&B: Creative writing
• Chair: Dr. Dalia Saad – (Egypt)
• External Examiner: Prof. John Strachan​
• Members:  Dr. Hayat Al-Khatib (Lebanon) ​
  

• E302A&B: Language and Creativity

• Chair: Dr.  Nawal Shaker - (Bahrain )
  
• External Examiner: Dr. Gabriel Ozon​
• Members:  Dr. Nawal Shaker (Bahrain)
  

• E304A&B: Exploring English Grammar

• Chair: Dr. Marine Milad- (Kuwait )
• External Examiner: Dr. Gabriel Ozon​
• Members: Dr. Sami Khawaldh (Jordan), Dr.  Nagwa Younis (Egypt) Dr. Marine Milad (Kuwait)​

• U214A&B: Worlds of English

• Chair: Dr. Hayat Al Khatib – (Lebanon )
  
• External Examiner: Dr. Gabriel Ozon​​
• Members: Dr. Manar Shalaby (Egypt), Dr. Sami Khawaldh ​  (Jordan), Ms. Nay Hannawi (Kuwait). 
  

• L201&B: English in the World​
• Chair: Dr. Hayat Al Khatib – (Lebanon )
  
• External Examiner: Dr. Gabriel Ozon​​
• Members: Dr. Manar Shalaby (Egypt), Dr. Sami Khawaldh ​  (Jordan), Ms. Nay Hannawi (Kuwait). 
  

• MA in Litertaure 
  

• A801: Research in English Studies
• Chair: Dr. sherein Mazloum ​(Egypt)
• External Examiner: Dr. Éadaoin Agnew​
• Members: Dr. Amjad ALsyouf (Jordan) 

• A802: Theories in Criticism
• Chair: Dr. Dalia Saad (Egypt)
• External Examiner: Dr. Éadaoin Agnew​
• Members: Dr. Amjad ALsyouf (Jordan)  

• A803: The English Novel
• Chair: Dr. Dalia Saad (Egypt)
• External Examiner: Dr. Éadaoin Agnew​
• Members: Dr. Amjad ALsyouf (Jordan) ​ 

• A804: Cultural Studies
• Chair: Dr. Sherein Mazloum (Egypt)
• External Examiner: Dr. Éadaoin Agnew​
• Members: Dr. Amjad ALsyouf (Jordan) ​
  

• ​A805N : Dramatic Dialogues
• Chair: Dr. Dalia Saad (Egypt)
• External Examiner: Dr. Éadaoin Agnew​
• Members: Dr. Amjad ALsyouf (Jordan) ​ 
  

• A806: Studies in Poetry
• Chair: Dr. Amjad ALsyouf (Jordan) ​
• External Examiner: Dr. Éadaoin Agnew​
• Members: Dr. Dalia Saad (Egypt)
  

• A807: Comparative Literature
• Chair: Dr. Dalia Saad (Egypt)
  
• External Examiner: Dr. Éadaoin Agnew​
• Members: Dr. Amjad ALsyouf (Jordan) ​
  

• A808: Postcolonial Studies
• Chair: Dr. Amjad ALsyouf (Jordan)​
• External Examiner: Dr. Éadaoin Agnew​
• Members: Dr. Dalia Saad (Egypt)
  

• EFL501: Theories of Foreign Language Learning
• Chair: Prof. Nagwa Younes (Egypt)
• External Examiner: Dr. C​hristina Gkonou​
• Members: Dr. Nawal Shaker (Bahrain)​
  

• EFL502:  Research Methods
• Chair: Dr. Manar Shalaby ( Egypt)
• External Examiner: Dr. C​hristina Gkonou
• Members:  Dr. Nawal Shaker (Bahrain)​

• EFL 503: English Language Teaching Methods – Receptive Skills
• Chair: Dr. Manar Shalaby (Egypt)
• External Examiner: Dr. C​hristina Gkonou
• Members:  Dr. Nawal Shaker (Bahrain)​

• EFL 504: English Language Teaching Methods – Productive Skills ​
• Chair: Dr. Nawal Shaker (Bahrain)​
• External Examiner: Dr. C​hristina Gkonou
• Members:  Dr. Manar Shalaby (Egypt)

• EFL 505: Technology in the Classroom
• Chair: Dr. Meryam Fati (Bahrain)
• External Examiner: Dr. C​hristina Gkonou
• Members: Dr. Manar Shalaby (Egypt)​, Prof. Nagwa Younes (Egypt)​
  

• EFL 506: Classroom Management
• Chair: Prof. Nagwa Younes
• External Examiner: Dr. C​hristina Gkonou
• Members: Dr. Manar Shalaby
  

• EFL 507: Foreign Language Testing
• Chair: Prof. Nagwa Younes
• External Examiner: Dr. C​hristina Gkonou
• Members: Dr. Manar Shalaby
  

• EFL 508: Practicum​
• Chair: Prof. Nagwa Younes
• External Examiner: Dr. C​hristina Gkonou
• Members: Dr. Manar Shalaby
  

​