Qura University in Makkah is considered the oldest higher education institution in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. It started in 1969 with the establishment of the College of Shariah (Islamic Law). In 1980 it became an independent university with five colleges. Today, Umm Al-Qura has 18 colleges with a population of around 80,000 students. The history of Umm Al-Qura University witnessed various successes and great achievements. However, this year Umm Al-Qura University has been through difficult times that affected its progress. Many UQU professors complained recently about being unable to participate in conferences held outside Saudi Arabia. Even though most of these professors applied early enough and had the nod of the Minister of Higher Education, they were astonished by the response that the UQU is unable to provide them with tickets due to a shortage of funds. What does that mean? What should these professors do with their papers that they planned to present in the conferences? This setback will certainly have its negative consequences. I know a case of a professor who, in addition to presenting his own paper, was nominated a moderator of a session in a conference in Italy. He was about to burst into tears when his efforts to get a ticket came to a dead-end. Another aspect of frustration is that Umm Al-Qura University is still lagging behind with regard to supporting research projects. Even though the institute for scientific research is trying its best to push forward different research projects, many obstacles are hindering its progress. The institute for scientific research remained this year with no dean for about four months. No one knows the reason. Researchers who submit proposals for funded projects complain that the procedures to approve or reject proposals take a long time without justification. Reviewers who referred research projects complain that their rewards take a long time to be sent to them. Many now don't accept reviewing papers from Umm Al-Qura. There is a widespread feeling that the university's construction projects are not good enough. The new campus that King Fahd inaugurated in 1985 has not been finished yet. Many new buildings in the new campus are exasperating and represent a source of trouble for professors, students, and administrators who teach, study, and work in these buildings. For example, the building of the college of Social Sciences is the newest in the campus. Yet, this building is very miserable. It's poor design has caused multiple problems to professors, students, and administrators of that college. The ventilation/air conditioning system doesn't work properly. The computer labs are not equipped. The classrooms are small and take no more than 20 students. The hallways are narrow and become overcrowded in between classes. UQU staff has its own problems as well. In general, most of the staff that do clerical work are not productive. College deans and department chairpersons complain that in a lot of cases they find themselves doing the clerical work that their staff should do. It is really a complex problem. A huge number of those workers are under-qualified and have no clerical skills. Some other workers are qualified but they are unmotivated because of the absence of incentives that might encourage them to develop their skills in order to work more professionally. Consequently, this small number of good staff gets frustrated and starts getting as unproductive as their lazy coworkers. Umm A-Qura community has a lot of great expectations in the new university president, Dr. Bakry Assas. Before he became the president, he was the vice president for creative works. That means he knows the situation of the university very well. His tolerant and sympathetic character have raised hopes among us. His positive attitude toward development and his comprehensive plan to overcome all the current shortcomings are encouraging. A genuine approach will bring Umm A-Qura's faculty and administrators together to build the name that Umm A-Qura university really deserves. – SG Dr. Fahad Al-Qurashi is a professor of Linguistics at Umm Al
