Article 1

Establishment of Scientific Council that oversees academic affairs of faculty, research, studies and publications through:

1. Deciding on the scientific promotions for faculty within the sector body in accordance with the rules approved by the Scientific Council.
2. Promote scientific research and authoring, translation and publishing through:
• Rules to encourage the preparation of the scientific research.
• Proposal for the establishment of scientific research centers.
• Coordination between scientific research centers and the development of a general working plan.
• Organizing the cooperation/ communication with external research centers outside of Colleges and Institutes.
• Determining bonuses and acknowledgement of academic activities and arbitrations and its disbursement.
• Publication of academic research and scientific literature and thesis/ letters if approved by the academic council.
• Recommendation to issue academic periodicals/ journals.
• Recommending the establishment of academic societies, museums and coordination among them.
• Adoption of referred textbooks and theses that need to be reviewed.
• Evaluation of academic certificates submitted by Saudi faculty members.
• Endorsement  of submittals referred by the Colleges and Institutes Councils. 

Article 2

Scientific Council is composed of:

1. President.
2. One member of the faculty from each College or Institute with a status of  Assistant Professor Al least who are appointed by a decision of the Supreme Council for Colleges and Institutes  based on the nomination of the College  and Institute Councils and the recommendation of the College Managing Director and the general director of Colleges and Institutes sector.

It may on the recommendation of the College Council and the general director of Colleges and Institutes sector and the approval of the President of the Scientific Council to include additional members who are engaged in research and scientific activities provided their number does not exceed half of the total number of members. The appointment of all members is for a period of two years, renewable once.

Article 3

The Scientific Council shall meet at the invitation of its President once every six months at least, The President may call for a meeting if the need arises, or if a third of the members presented him with a written request to that effect, or upon the request of the President of the Supreme Council, who may request the inclusion of any matter in the agenda and his presidency will chair the meeting of the Scientific Council if he wishes to attended meetings. The Scientific Council meetings shall be valid only if two-thirds of its members attended At least.

Article 4

The Scientific Council decisions issued are based on absolute majority of the vote of those present and if the votes are equal, the chairman vote is considered as a decider and the decision is considered final unless objected by the CEO or the general director of Colleges and Institutes within fifteen days from the date of delivery to him, and if he objected, the decision is returned with his views  to the Scientific Council for restudy. If the decision of the Scientific Council did not change, the contested decisions are referred to the Supreme Council of Colleges and Institutes for consideration in ordinary or extraordinary session of the Supreme Council for the ratification, modification, or cancelation of contested decisions. The decision of the Supreme Council on contested decisions is considered as final.

Article 5

The committee shall verify that the applicants for promotion have the minimum points required for upgrade and check the scientific journals and other publishing outlets used by the applicant. Additionally, the committee calculates the teaching load of applicants for promotion. Also, the committee may recommend the adoption or rejection of the adoption of promotions earned by faculty members affiliated with universities in their country and wish to adjust job position.

Article 6

Promotion of faculty is made according to the following criteria:

1. Scientific achievement.
2. Teaching.
3. University and Community Service.
   
    

Article 7

Promotion procedures

Faculty submits his application for promotion to the concerned department Council and should include the following:

1. A statement of scientific qualifications and position and career progression.
2. A statement of teaching activities.
3. A statement of university and community services.
4. Five copies of at least of the scientific achievement for the applicant for promotion.
5. Any additional information in support of the application.
6. Any additional information or documents requested by the department council, College Council or the Scientific Council.
7. The department council considers the request to promotion and verifies the fulfillment of related conditions and procedures, recommends the promotion request to the College council and propose the names of at least eight specialized referees.
8. The College Council consider the request based on the recommendation of the department council , and nominates at least eight specialized referees nominated by the department council.
9. The Scientific Council study the promotion request based on the recommendation of the department and the College Councils, and after study, the council:
• Select five referees to evaluate the research, chosen from the College council recommendations or others, three of them are primary referees and fourth is a first substitute and fifth is a second substitute. At least two of the three referees must be from outside the university.
• Send the research achievement and supporting details of the promotion to the referees in a confidential manner for evaluation using a form prepared by the Scientific Council.
10. The decision to promote a faculty is based on the reports of the referees, reports on the scientific activities of the applicant including teaching, university and community services.
11. If the Council decided not to approve the promotion due to weakness in scientific achievement as seen by the referees, the council may decide on the outcome of the research presented and may excludes some and recommend the validity of the remaining for future submittal. In the event of a request made for a promotion again, the candidate should submit two additional new research units for a promotion to associate professor position and three additional new research units for a promotion to a professor position.

Article 8

The scientific achievement of an applicant for a promotion is evaluated on a scale of a

100 points divided as follows:

60 points for the scientific achievement.

25 points for teaching.

15 points for university and community services.

Article 9

Promoted faculty must score at least 60 points with a minimum of 35 points in scientific achievement for a promotion to the assistant professor position and a minimum of 40 points in scientific  achievement for a promotion to the professor position. Promotion to the position of associate professor requires a majority opinion of the three referees while the promotion to the position of professor requires a unanimous opinion of the three referees. In the case of two of the referees agree to the promotion and not to the approval of the third, the scientific achievement of the applicant shall be referred to an a fourth referees and his opinion is final.

Article 10

The minimum requirement of scientific achievement for promotion of faculty includes:

1. Research published or accepted for publication in refereed scientific journals, and the Scientific Council set the acceptance criteria for the  refereed scientific journals.
2. Research submitted to refereed specialized conferences and scientific symposia if published in full or accepted for publication. Only one unit of this type is accepted.
3. Research published or accepted for publication in refereed specialized university research centers.
4. Refereed university textbooks or scientific references. Only one unit of this type is accepted.
5. Refereed rare books investigation.  Only one unit of this type is accepted.
6. Refereed translation of specialized scientific books. Only one unit of this type is accepted.
7. Books and research printed by refereed scientific bodies which are accredited by the Scientific Council.  Only one unit of this type is accepted.
8. Inventions and innovations which have been issued a patent from a the patent office, which is accredited by the Scientific Council.
9. Outstanding creative activity in accordance with the rules adopted by the College Council which are based on the recommendation of the Scientific Council. Only one unit of this type is accepted.

Article 11

The minimum number of publications or articles accepted for publication in refereed scientific

Journals is one article for the promotion to the associated professor position and two articles for the promotion to the professor position.

Article 12

Submitted publications or articles accepted for publication for the promotion of faculty must be published in more than one publication body and the publication bodies related to the applicant submittals must not be affiliated to one university or one scientific institution .

Article 13

The minimum number of publications or articles accepted for the promotion to the assistant professor position is six and at least three of which are authored only by the applicant. The College Council and based on the recommendation of the Scientific Council may make exception for some specializations provide at least one publication is made.

Article 14

The minimum number of publications or articles accepted for the promotion to the professor position is six and at least three of which are authored only by the applicant. The supreme council for Colleges and Institutes based on the recommendation of the Scientific Council may make exception for some specializations provide at least three publications are made.

Article 15

Scientific work counts as one unit if the work is solo authored, and half a unit if the work is authored by two authors. If the work is authored by more than two authors, the main author receives half unit and the remaining authors receive quarter units.

Article 16

Scientific work submitted to for promotion of faculty must not be related to the master's or doctoral theses or from previous works of the applicant. In the case of the Scientific Council proving that the submitted work is related to the master's or doctoral theses or from previous works of the applicant, the applicant is forbidden from promotion for one year effective from the date of issuance of the Scientific Council decision.

Article 17

Referees for promotion must be professors. One referee may be an associate professor if the promotion is to the associate professor position.

Article 18

The promotion of faculty is effective academically from the date of issuance of the Scientific Council's decision. However the date of the administrative promotion is effective from the date of issuance of executive decision if there is an available vacancy position.