College of Shari'ah

The attached document, titled “Academic Supervisor's Guidebook” and issued by the Deanship of Graduate Studies at Qassim University, a comprehensive regulatory and academic reference aimed at organizing the relationship between the academic supervisor and graduate students (Master's and PhD)..

Summary of the document and its purpose

This guide comes in response to the urgent need to clarify the systematic procedures, rights, and duties related to scientific supervision.. It primarily aims to:

• Assisting the academic supervisor in performing their duties effectively and to the fullest.
• To be a documented reference for colleges and academic departments to regulate academic procedures related to theses and scientific projects.
• Ensuring the research process complies with the regulations and bylaws in effect at Qassim University and the Unified Regulations for Postgraduate Studies in Saudi Universities.

The most important themes addressed in the document

The guide is divided into main axes that cover all stages of supervision, the most prominent of which are:

1. Academic procedures: This explains the detailed steps for requesting a student plan approval, appointing or changing a supervisor, modifying the thesis title, as well as the mechanism for submitting periodic study reports.
2. Scientific supervisor rights: Focuses on ensuring the supervisor's rights, such as considering their teaching load, preserving their moral rights in supervised research, and obtaining prescribed financial rewards.
3. Supervisor Duties and Responsibilities: It addresses the responsibility for the academic and methodological follow-up of the student, and ensuring their commitment to the ethics of scientific research and academic integrity.
4. The educational relationship: The guide emphasizes the importance of building an educational parental bond aimed at developing the student's scientific character and enhancing their self-confidence.
5. Discussion Phase and Beyond Explains the supervisor's role as a “rapporteur” in managing the discussion session, preparing the student for it, and monitoring the implementation of final revisions to the thesis.

Target group

The guide directly targets:

• Faculty members Qassim University, those assigned to scientific supervision tasks.
• Heads of Scientific Departments and Deans of Colleges As a reference for administrative and academic decisions related to graduate studies.
• Graduate students To review their rights and obligations towards their supervisors and the research process.

The guide also provides precise definitions for core terms such as (scientific project, supervisor, assistant supervisor, and supervisory committee), making it an integrated legal and guiding document for academic quality control at the university..