Islamic University of Minnesota Launches New Updates to Its Academic Portal
Dr. Omar Ahmed Al-Maqrami, Vice President of the Islamic University of Minnesota and Head of the Main Campus, has announced the launch of a new package of updates to the University's Academic Portal as part of its ongoing efforts to advance its digital learning environment and enhance the quality of electronic services provided to faculty members and students. The updates are designed to improve the user experience and increase the efficiency of the University's academic and administrative digital services.
Dr. Al-Maqrami explained that one of the most significant enhancements is the introduction of full English-language support across all pages and services of the Academic Portal. This addition enables users to access the system in both Arabic and English, broadening accessibility and allowing a wider range of beneficiaries to make full use of the platform. He emphasized that these updates are part of a continuous development strategy and that additional improvements and digital services will be introduced in the coming phase.
As part of highlighting previously launched features, Dr. Al-Maqrami reviewed the "Course Chat" service designed specifically for faculty members. He explained that instructors can access the feature directly through their class schedule by clicking the "Open Chat" icon associated with each course, which immediately redirects them to a dedicated communication page that includes all students enrolled in that course.
He noted that the Course Chat provides an integrated communication environment that facilitates direct interaction between instructors and students, allowing them to exchange messages, announcements, and files efficiently. The service strengthens academic communication and supports the effective management of the teaching and learning process within a unified digital environment.
Dr. Al-Maqrami also announced another new enhancement that enables users to monitor the status of lectures in real time through the Academic Portal. The feature provides live statistics showing the number of ongoing live lectures, scheduled lectures that have not yet started, completed lectures, and postponed lectures, thereby improving monitoring, organization, and providing a comprehensive overview of the progress of the educational process.
He affirmed that these updates reflect the University's commitment to continuously developing its digital infrastructure and delivering more advanced and efficient technological solutions that support the quality of online education while providing faculty members and students with a more flexible, effective, and user-friendly academic experience.
In concluding his statement, Dr. Omar Ahmed Al-Maqrami expressed his sincere appreciation to the Deanship of Information Technology for its outstanding efforts in designing and developing the Academic Portal. He also commended the supporting administrative units for their valuable contributions to implementing these enhancements, emphasizing that teamwork remains a cornerstone of the University's ongoing journey toward innovation, digital transformation, and academic excellence.
