Kuwait College for Science and Technology
Background
His Highness the Amir of Kuwait, Shaikh Sabah Al-Ahmad, a visionary leader with a sense of excellence
envisions Kuwait as a center for science and technology. Kuwait College of Science and Technology
(KCST) aims to produce highly-qualified personnel who are capable and ready to execute on that vision
and help turn it into reality. Unlike many other universities, KCST strives to help converge the skills
of its students in both business and technology. KCST believes that techies who have a business
acumen are the best ones to implement the vision of Kuwait becoming a center for science and
technology.
The private university college functions as a fully-fledged university, offering internationally
recognized undergraduate bachelor degree programs in the fields of computer science, electronics,
and communications technology that are taught under the supervision of internationally renowned
experts.
In addition to the short-term plans, KCST has aggressive plans to offer postgraduate programs like
Master of Business Administration in Finance, Marketing, Oil & Gas and Digital Business. Furthermore,
KCST managed to build a network with other institutions like the Indian Institute of Technology (IIT)
and Tokyo Institute of Technology (TIT). KCST is in the process of establishing new relationships
with British, Australian and US Institutes.
By establishing a solid foundation for its offerings, KCST aims to become a cultural center where all
technology and business resources can meet, expand their network and help generate qualified, skillful
resources.
Business Needs & Challenges - Student Attendance
Student Attendance
Attending classes at KCST is mandatory in order for students to qualify for the completion of any
course. As such, instructors are given the task of making sure that students are attending their
classes. This derails instructors from focusing on delivering the course material. Many instructors
simply pass a blank sheet of paper and request attendees to sign with their name, student number, etc.
This process is error-prone and time-consuming.
Completing Admissions
Later in the process, when applicants have completed the necessary paperwork and Placement Tests,
the Admissions Office would invite the applicants to complete their Admissions. Upon arrival, the
Admissions Officer would need to find the applicant's record in Microsoft Dynamics CRM and based
on data contained within this system, needs to instruct the applicant to either retake placement
tests, submit further documentation, or declare their acceptance into the University Program.
This decision is made according to clear business rules that may change over time. The University
realized that this process was also time-consuming and error-prone.
Characteristics of a viable solution
Being an advocate of using technology to improve human lives, KCST needs a solution to the problem
of registering students attendance to a class. The solution should have the following
characteristics:
-
When an instructor logs into the computer available in any given classroom, her/his sections
should appear. The instructor shall select the section s/he is about to deliver.
-
Once the section is selected, the list of students who are registered for the section
is displayed.
-
Students are asked to punch their Smart Civil ID into a reader that is available in each
classroom. This would capture the Student's demographics.
-
If the student who punched the Smart Civil ID is registered, her/his record is marked as
"Present". If the student is not registered, her/his record is marked as "Unregistered
Listener". In case all students in the classroom have punched their cards and there are
still registered students who have not punched their Smart Civil ID, those records are
marked as "Absent".
-
Reports would be generated from the solution, showing the level of attendance.
- Save students and instructors time and effort in managing student attendance.
- Reflect a positive image about the KCST's internal processes and systems.
Solution
The Kuwait College for Science and Technology decided to team-up with Sharper Software to
develop a solution that could address the aforementioned challenges.
Solution to Student Attendance
Using Smart Civil ID Integration,
instead of a blank sheet of paper, instructors save their time and effort by asking students to
insert their Smart Civil ID into a reader device. The student's demographics, including but not
limited to: Name in both Arabic and English, Sex, Date of Birth, Nationality, etc. are automatically
captured and the state of a student's attendance is automatically marked within 1-2 seconds.
Student affairs can later generate automated, accurate reports about the attendance of one or
more students.
Business Needs & Challenges - Mobile ID Integration
Automated Admissions
During the COVID-19 pandemic, KCST needed to allow students to apply for admissions while they are
away, under self-quarantine and maintaining safe social-distancing. This presented a few challenges.
Completing Admissions
Later in the process, when applicants have completed the necessary paperwork and Placement Tests,
the Admissions Office would invite the applicants to complete their Admissions. Upon arrival, the
Admissions Officer would need to find the applicant's record in Microsoft Dynamics CRM and based
on data contained within this system, needs to instruct the applicant to either retake placement
tests, submit further documentation, or declare their acceptance into the University Program.
This decision is made according to clear business rules that may change over time. The University
realized that this process was also time-consuming and error-prone.
Characteristics of a viable solution
Being an advocate of using technology to improve human lives, KCST needs a solution to the problem
of registering students attendance to a class. The solution should have the following
characteristics:
-
When an instructor logs into the computer available in any given classroom, her/his sections
should appear. The instructor shall select the section s/he is about to deliver.
-
Once the section is selected, the list of students who are registered for the section
is displayed.
-
Students are asked to punch their Smart Civil ID into a reader that is available in each
classroom. This would capture the Student's demographics.
-
If the student who punched the Smart Civil ID is registered, her/his record is marked as
"Present". If the student is not registered, her/his record is marked as "Unregistered
Listener". In case all students in the classroom have punched their cards and there are
still registered students who have not punched their Smart Civil ID, those records are
marked as "Absent".
-
Reports would be generated from the solution, showing the level of attendance.
- Save students and instructors time and effort in managing student attendance.
- Reflect a positive image about the KCDT's internal processes and systems.
Solution
The Kuwait College for Science and Technology decided to team-up with Sharper Software to
develop a solution that could address the abovementioned challenges.
Solution to Student Attendance
Using Smart Civil ID Integration,
instead of a blank sheet of paper, instructors save their time and effort by asking students to
insert their Smart Civil ID into a reader device. The student's demographics, including but not
limited to: Name in both Arabic and English, Sex, Date of Birth, Nationality, etc. are automatically
captured and the state of a student's attendance is automatically marked within 1-2 seconds.
Student affairs can later generate automated, accurate reports about the attendance of one or
more students.
