About the Secretariat:
Since the issuance of Royal Decree No. M/8 dated 4/6/1414 AH approving the system of the Higher Education Council until now, the General Secretariat has gone through three time periods as follows:
The first period: In the name of the “General Secretariat of the Higher Education Council” (6/4/1414 AH – 9/4/1436 AH)
The General Secretariat continued under this title for nearly (22) years, during which (76) meetings of the Higher Education Council were held during which more than (1,550) decisions were taken, the majority of which were strategic. These decisions contributed to addressing many of the issues facing university education, the most important of which are: Admission to universities, emphasis on the quality of outputs and academic accreditation, and the restructuring of colleges and departments, where radical changes were adopted to reach a new structure for universities that is compatible with labor market trends through a group of programs and plans, in addition to the decision to establish the National Center for Measurement and Evaluation in Higher Education, and the decision to program Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques for foreign scholarships, as one of the important and influential decisions of the Higher Education Council.
The second period: In the name of the “Interim Committee Acting for the Higher Education Council pursuant to the issuance of Council of Ministers Resolution No. 414 dated 9/12/1436 AH (9/12/1436 AH – 3/2/1441 AH)
The General Secretariat continued with this title for approximately four years and six months, during which (22) meetings were held, during which the committee took more than (450) decisions and carried out the powers that were assigned to the Higher Education Council under the Higher Education Council and Universities system, related to the necessary ongoing executive matters. To conduct the work of universities, the temporary committee was also assigned by His Excellency the Minister to represent the Ministry in all meetings, whether inside or outside the Ministry, related to the university system project and to discuss all proposals and amendments to the project.
The third period: In the name of the “General Secretariat of the University Affairs Council” with the issuance of Royal Decree No. (M/27) on the date of 3/2/1441 AH until now.
This is the current period, when the General Secretariat began to undertake the work of the University Affairs Council, after the issuance of the new university system on 3/2/1441 AH. At this stage, the General Secretariat of the University Affairs Council carries out two secretariat tasks: the first relates to the (three) universities to which the new system will be applied. As a first stage, the other is related to the University Affairs Council exercising the powers of the (abolished) Higher Education Council over the universities that will continue to implement that system. In addition, there are many tasks that the secretariat will carry out in the establishment stage, the most important of which are:
The administrative and advisory structure of the secretariat, and the direct supervision of all work teams that will study the draft regulations and systems approved by the University Affairs Council, especially since, according to what Article (Seven) of the University Affairs Council’s system stipulates, there are (24) items, all of which are related to approving regulations, rules and systems. It requires prior studies, extensive meetings, and direct supervision from the Secretary-General of the Council. One of the secretariat’s tasks is to attract many qualified people and consultants to prepare the necessary regulations, regulations and rules, and also to hold seminars, meetings and workshops in coordination with officials in the ministry, or in some relevant government agencies.
