The Role of the Alzaiem Alazhari University in Local Community Service in Light of Quality Assurance Standards in the Sudanese High Educational Institutes

This study aimed to explore the perspectives of senior management and the heads of departments at Alzaiem Alazhari University in Sudan of the role of the university in developing the local community in light of quality assurance standards in the Sudanese High Educational Institutes. The study sought to answer this main question: What is the role of the university in developing the local community in light of quality assurance standards in the Sudanese High Educational Institutes from the perspective of senior management and the heads of departments? Out of this question, four sub questions were developed. To answer these questions, the descriptive analytical method was used. A questionnaire was designed and checked for validity and reliability. It consisted of three dimensions, each of which included a group of statements related to quality assurance, particularly, the eighth standard of quality assurance related to community service. The study sample (52) was purposive and covered all the population – senior management and all the heads of departments in the university colleges. The study revealed these major findings: all the participants agreed on the importance of implementing developing local community service in light of institutional quality assurance standards. Another finding is that there were no statistically significant differences (0.01) in the importance of the community service that is attributed to gender variable. However, there were statistically significant differences (0.01) between trained and untrained teachers in favor of trained teachers. The study recommended that budgets should be allocated for local community service programs at the university; more focus be made on training; and a department of community service that has the status of college deanship be established.