1.1 Purpose

This policy establishes comprehensive guidelines for the administration, management, and operation of the Food Industries Polytechnic's Learning Management System (LMS). The policy aims to ensure consistent, secure, and effective e-learning delivery while maintaining the highest standards of data protection and user experience.

1.2 Scope

This policy applies to all individuals and systems that interact with the institutional Learning Management System, including but not limited to:

• Personnel: LMS administrators, IT staff, faculty members, academic coordinators, and technical support staff
• Users: All enrolled students, guest users, and auditors
• Systems: Primary LMS platform, integrated applications, backup systems, and related infrastructure
• Content: All digital course materials, assessments, multimedia content, and student submissions
• Processes: Account provisioning, course management, data retention, and system maintenance

2. Document Control

Document Attribute	Details
Policy Number	IT-POL-EDU-001
Version	1.0
Effective Date	January 1, 2026
Review Cycle	Annual (or as needed)
Next Review Date	January 1, 2027
Policy Owner	Director of IT / Dean of Academic Affairs
Approved By	Executive Management / Board of Directors
Classification	Internal Use

3.1 LMS Platform Management

Designated Administration: A qualified LMS Administrator shall be appointed to oversee daily operations, user management, and first-level technical support coordination.

Availability Standards:

• Target uptime: 99.5% during academic periods (excluding scheduled maintenance)
• Maximum unplanned downtime: 4 hours per month
• Scheduled maintenance window: Fridays 10:00 PM - Saturday 6:00 AM
• Advance notification: Minimum 48 hours for planned maintenance
• Emergency maintenance: Notification within 1 hour of implementation

3.2 User Account Management

Account Provisioning

Account Security

• All account credentials must comply with institutional Password & Authentication Policy
• Multi-factor authentication (MFA) required for administrative accounts
• MFA recommended for faculty accounts handling sensitive data
• Password reset requests processed within 4 business hours during working days

Account Lifecycle Management

Account Status	Trigger Event	Action Timeline
Inactive Flag	No login for 90 consecutive days	Automatic system flag
Account Suspension	Policy violation or security concern	Immediate upon notification
Account Deactivation	Employment termination	Within 5 business days
Account Deactivation	Student withdrawal/graduation	End of current semester + 30 days
Account Deletion	Data retention period expired	Per retention schedule (minimum 3 years)

3.3 Course Creation and Management

Authorization and Creation

Only authorized faculty members and academic coordinators may create courses in the LMS. Course creation requests must be submitted through the Academic Affairs portal and approved by the Department Head.

Backup and Archival

• Automated Backups: Weekly full course backups performed every Saturday at 2:00 AM
• System Backups: Daily incremental backups at 1:00 AM
• Retention Period: Course content archived for minimum 3 academic years after course completion
• Backup Storage: Off-site secure storage with encryption at rest
• Restoration: Course restoration requests processed within 2 business days

Guest Access

3.4 Roles and Permissions

System Administrator

Access Level: Full administrative control

Responsibilities:

• Complete system configuration and management
• User account creation, modification, and deletion
• Plugin installation, testing, and updates
• Database administration and optimization
• Backup management and disaster recovery
• Security monitoring and incident response
• System performance optimization

Assigned To: IT Department Senior Staff (minimum 2 personnel)

Course Administrator / Academic Coordinator

Access Level: Department or program-level administration

Responsibilities:

• Department-level course oversight and quality assurance
• Enrollment management for assigned programs
• Report generation and learning analytics review
• Faculty training coordination and support
• Course template maintenance and updates
• Bulk operations (enrollment, course copying)

Assigned To: Academic department coordinators and program directors

Instructor / Faculty Member

Access Level: Course-level management

Responsibilities:

• Course content creation, organization, and updates
• Student enrollment management within assigned courses
• Assessment design, deployment, and grading
• Grade management and gradebook maintenance
• Student communication and announcements
• Course-level analytics and progress monitoring
• Discussion forum moderation

Restrictions: Cannot modify system settings, create users, or access other instructors' courses without explicit permission

Student

Access Level: Enrolled course access only

Permissions:

• View and download course content (as permitted by instructor)
• Submit assignments and assessments
• Participate in discussion forums and collaborative activities
• View personal grades, feedback, and progress reports
• Communicate with instructors and enrolled classmates
• Access course announcements and calendar

Restrictions: Cannot modify course content, view other students' submissions (except in peer review activities), or access courses not enrolled in

Guest / Auditor

Access Level: Limited read-only access

Permissions:

• View approved course content only
• No assessment participation
• No grade recording
• Limited forum viewing (no posting)

Requirements: Faculty sponsor approval and time-limited access (maximum one semester)

3.5 Data Management and Retention

Academic Records Retention

Data Type	Retention Period	Storage Location
Course materials & syllabi	3 academic years	LMS Archive + Backup
Student submissions	2 academic years	LMS Archive
Forum posts & discussions	Course duration + 1 year	LMS Database
User activity logs	2 years	Log Server
Assessment attempts & details	2 academic years	LMS Database + Archive
System audit trails	3 years	Secure Log Storage
Video/multimedia content	3 academic years	Media Server + Backup

Data Protection Requirements

• Compliance: All data handling must comply with Saudi Personal Data Protection Law (PDPL) and institutional privacy policies
• Encryption: Personal student data encrypted in transit (TLS 1.3) and at rest (AES-256)
• Access Control: Role-based access strictly enforced; audit logs maintained for all data access
• Data Minimization: Collect only necessary data for educational purposes
• Student Rights: Students may request access to personal data per institutional procedures

3.6 Integration Management

Third-Party Integration Approval Process

Integration Security Requirements

• API Security: All API keys and credentials stored in secure credential vault
• Authentication: OAuth 2.0 or SAML 2.0 for user authentication integrations
• Data Transfer: Encrypted channels (TLS 1.3) mandatory for all data exchange
• Monitoring: Integration health checks performed daily
• Vendor Compliance: Vendors must maintain ISO 27001 or equivalent certification

Common Approved Integrations

Integration Type	Purpose	Review Frequency
Student Information System (SIS)	Enrollment synchronization	Continuous
Video Conferencing (Zoom, Teams)	Live virtual classrooms	Annual
Plagiarism Detection (Turnitin)	Academic integrity	Annual
Library System	Resource access	Bi-annual
Single Sign-On (SSO)	Authentication	Continuous monitoring

3.7 Performance and Capacity Management

System Performance Standards

Capacity Planning

• User Capacity: System designed for 150% of current enrollment to accommodate growth
• Storage Review: Quarterly assessment of storage utilization and growth trends
• Bandwidth Planning: Assessed before each semester based on:
  • Expected enrollment numbers
  • Video content delivery requirements
  • Peak usage patterns
• Load Testing: Conducted annually and before major system upgrades

Monitoring and Alerting

Continuous monitoring with automated alerts for:

• System uptime/downtime events
• Performance degradation (response times > threshold)
• Storage capacity warnings (>80% utilization)
• Failed login attempts (potential security incident)
• Integration failures
• Database performance issues

IT Department

Service Level Commitments:

• Critical issues (system down): 1 hour response, 4 hour resolution target
• High priority (major functionality impaired): 4 hour response, 24 hour resolution target
• Medium priority (minor functionality issues): 1 business day response, 3 day resolution target
• Low priority (cosmetic, feature requests): 2 business days response, 10 day resolution target

E-Learning Unit / Academic Affairs

Training Requirements:

• New faculty orientation: LMS basics within first month of employment
• Advanced training: Available quarterly for interested faculty
• Just-in-time support: Office hours held weekly
• Online resources: Comprehensive help documentation and video tutorials

Faculty Members

Expected Standards:

• Course materials posted at least 48 hours before class session
• Gradebook updated weekly
• Student emails/messages responded to within 48 business hours
• Course announcements posted weekly during active semesters

Students

Student Support Resources:

• IT Helpdesk: Available Sunday-Thursday, 8:00 AM - 8:00 PM
• Email support: support@fip.edu.sa (24-hour response time)
• Student LMS orientation: Available during registration week
• Online help portal: help.fip.edu.sa

5.1 Compliance and Enforcement

Policy Violations

Violations of this policy may result in disciplinary action up to and including account suspension, termination of access, or employment termination, depending on the severity and nature of the violation.

Academic Violations

Academic violations (plagiarism, cheating, unauthorized assistance) are referred to Student Affairs and handled per the Student Code of Conduct. LMS evidence may be used in academic integrity investigations.

Audit and Review

• Regular Audits: Quarterly reviews conducted jointly by IT and Academic Affairs
• Access Reviews: Administrative access audited semi-annually
• Security Audits: Annual penetration testing and vulnerability assessments
• Compliance Checks: Data protection compliance verified annually

Policy Review and Updates

Annual Review: This policy undergoes formal review annually or when significant changes occur to:

• Technology platform or capabilities
• Regulatory requirements
• Institutional structure or processes
• Security threat landscape

Change Management: Policy updates require approval from:

• IT Director
• Dean of Academic Affairs
• Legal/Compliance Officer (if available)
• Executive Management

5.2 Related Policies

This policy should be read in conjunction with the following institutional policies:

Policy Name	Policy Number	Relationship
Acceptable Use Policy	IT-POL-SEC-001	Defines acceptable use of all IT resources
Data Protection & Privacy Policy	IT-POL-SEC-009	Governs student data protection requirements
Access Control Policy	IT-POL-SEC-003	Defines access management principles
Password & Authentication Policy	IT-POL-SEC-002	Sets credential requirements
Digital Content & Intellectual Property Policy	IT-POL-EDU-002	Addresses content ownership and copyright
Online Exam & Assessment Integrity Policy	IT-POL-EDU-003	Governs online assessment standards
Backup & Data Retention Policy	IT-POL-OPS-007	Defines backup and retention requirements
Incident Response Policy	IT-POL-SEC-010	Outlines security incident procedures
Disaster Recovery & Business Continuity Policy	IT-POL-SEC-011	Defines recovery procedures

5.3 Definitions

Learning Management System (LMS): The institutional software platform used to deliver, track, and manage educational content and student learning.

Course Administrator: An individual with elevated permissions to manage multiple courses within a department or program.

Guest User: A user with limited, time-bound access to specific course content without assessment participation rights.

Integration: A third-party application or service connected to the LMS via API or other technical means.

Roll: A collection of related course content, materials, or resources organized as a unit.

Appendix A: Revision History

Version	Date	Author	Changes
1.0	October 2025	IT Department	Initial policy creation

Appendix B: Support Contact Information

Appendix C: Quick Reference Guide

Faculty Quick Start

1. Access LMS at: lms.fip.edu.sa
2. Login with institutional credentials
3. Click "My Courses" to view assigned courses
4. Use course templates from E-Learning Unit
5. Contact elearning@fip.edu.sa for training

Student Quick Start

1. Access LMS at: lms.fip.edu.sa
2. Login with student ID and password
3. View enrolled courses on dashboard
4. Check calendar for upcoming assignments
5. Contact support@fip.edu.sa for help

Common Issues and Solutions

Issue	Solution
Cannot login	Reset password at lms.fip.edu.sa/forgot or contact IT Helpdesk
Course not visible	Check enrollment status with Registrar; contact LMS Admin if enrolled
Cannot upload file	Check file size (<50MB) and format; try different browser
Video not playing	Check internet connection; update browser; try different device