European standards of ensuring internal quality of the higher education State Engineering University of Armenia (Polytechnic) Vanadzor branch

Quality enduring policy and procedure State Engineering University of Armenia undergoes the process of general educational amendments and joining the European educational area of Bologna. Thus, Vanadzor branch has a problem of matching its educational qualities with European standards in accord with labour market requirements and needs, as well as from the prospective of the necessity of educating the citizens having an active standpoint of a democratic society, forming a leading and wide basis for knowledge. The tasks and goals put forward within generating quality ensuring system are the following:

Strive for raising the students quality and efficiency according to the university criteria of quality estimation and ensuring
The quality of education is the main guarantee of the branch compatibility and its

graduates serving capacity. From this viewpoint formation of an interuniversity system estimating and ensuring education quality and development of quality culture, in general, within the branch is especially important, because the key direction of SEUA development is approaching to the principles of the higher education of the European area. On the other hand the formulated goal presupposes matching the educational system of the branch with the requirements of Bologna processes within the framework of SEUA strategic plan, which requires passing to European crediting system of education organization and a parallel program reform for modular reconstruction of educational plans and meeting the requirements of the present-day labour market. From the prospective of Bachelors education program ensuring an effective education and conditions equivalent to the academic scores becomes an important issue for growing student structure the quality of which is not homogeneous. Teaching efficiency must be estimated from this viewpoint. Teaching methods and verification principles of educational conditions acquire great significance.

Innovate internal quality estimation and improvement procedures within the framework of university system ensuring the quality. a) Taking into account the strategic plan of SEUA make strict distribution of

responsibilities and functions of the administrative structures of the branch. b) Use the mechanisms and criteria created by SEUA for self-analysis of the content of educational programs, personnel-resource provision and results of education, internal estimation and future monitoring. c) Prepare and realize the analysis of education programs formulated by the branch and the activities of the main education subdivisions putting them into action, as well as phased process that comes out of quality ensuring interuniversity system. d) Plan and realize education quality improvement measures based on the results of internal estimation of quality. e) Improve current and summarized attestation systems and processes of the students having the aim to raise the quality and truthfulness of estimating the efficiency of education results and training. f) Ensure the transparency of quality estimation criteria and processes, and publicity of current results. g) Strive to match unified criteria of the quality of education with the corresponding criteria of SEUA. From the perspective of the points included in the worked-out policy it must be mentioned that for the last three years apparent processes are seen directed to improve connections between research works and education within the institute. Particularly the dynamics of research themes presented by the students participating in scientific conferences for the past three years is raising, the increase of the level of their usage within education process, as well as in graduation papers, is noticed. Vanadzor branch strategic plan for 2007-2011 has been created similar to 2006-2010 strategic plan of SEUA development. It will be summarized at the end of 2011, the executive of its indexes will undergo monitoring, on the basis of which strategic development plan for the next 5 years will be worked out. Self-analysis of the activities of the branch has been done for 2003-2008. The branch has been involved in various processes practiced by the fund National Quality Assurance Center of RA since 2009. Presently quality-ensuring policy (package) is being worked out based on the mentioned components, at the same time the processes connected with it are being checked and regulated. Within the circumference of the branch quality provision system creation various processes are realized, among which are: 2

Within the framework of on-line accreditation process of the specialized educational institutes held by National center of quality the branch has actively participated in the organized meetings, seminars, as well as in the international meeting The present problems and development prospective of ensuring specialized education quality in the RA lately organized in Yerevan (22-23 September, 2010), and according to the determined schedule has made on-line phased entrance of data at the website (www.anqa.am) placed by the fund National center of ensuring specialized education quality.

To work out quality ensuring system and to organize the works a workgroup has been formed that can serve as basis for the creation of internal subdivision ensuring the quality in future. A package of complex measures is worked out towards formation of the staff of the

branch and the institute of organization units and individual responsibility. The task of working out and implementation of the policy investment, monitoring and analysis methods are put on this workgroup. The branch has been for the first time included in the European educational and higher education institute cooperation programs of Tempus as a participant: Development and integration of the universitys self-assessment system (DIUSAS), Provision of the quality of the higher education compilation and internalization support (PICQA). A contest is held within the branch to involve the students in this process having a purpose to make them participate in quality ensuring system and in the held processes as a result of which 5 students are to be chosen. 1.1. Approval of programs and education degrees, monitoring and periodic review

Education program and degree approval processes are brought in the list of questions of National Quality Assurance Center website, their periodic review duration is 12-14 months. Particularly, in accord to the mechanisms determined by external expert examination, education programs are discussed and estimated by partner enterprises, which are the leading enterprises of the region (Lori region trade-production house, northern branch of High-voltage electric stations CJSC, B. Darbinyan Stelissa Ltd. sewing factory, Slatsk CJSC, Instigate design CJSC, Vanpolymed Ltd., 5th officer company of the 2nd officer battalion of Road patrol service, Depet CJSC, A. Hakobyan Ltd., Valex-Mining Ltd., Qimprom CJSC, MVK Ltd., Business development and assistance center NGO, High thermal heater factory CJSC, Vanadzor Atlant health3

care center, etc.) with whom periodically corresponding cooperation contracts are concluded. This process has been systematized by Practical career and student career support center functioning within the branch since 1999.

Expected education results are published in Crediting system education guide-book and reference book of courses intended for students studying under bachelors education program (2007).

Having the present resources (educational-methodic basis, laboratory basis, literature, etc.) of education there are certain problems connected with the refreshment of laboratory basis, acquisition of modern equipment, refreshment of specialized literature.

Student progress and achievement monitoring is realized according to the practiced normative package, particularly it is systematized by corresponding deans offices, chambers, by the joint efforts of curators.

The fact that representatives of the employers, labour market periodically participate in and head state exams and graduation paper defense works, where they present their remarks and suggestions, as well as propose certain job for the graduates, improves the contact among them.

1.2. Student education estimation Students education is estimated according to the corresponding system estimating the students education worked out, approved and invested on the basis of ECTS: the above mentioned Crediting system education guide-book and reference book of courses, besides the added and worked out procedural regulation Rating system auditing and estimating the students knowledge 2011 is used. Within the student education procedure in accord with the above mentioned:

The measurements for expected education results are preconditioned; particularly for each specialty the requirements and qualities that the graduate should meet are described, Usually the examination process is organized by the principle of a committee to diminish the subjective factor of estimation, during state exams testing principles are used as well, and during semester examination period there is an intension to pass to the modern method of testing, on-line estimation.

For the absence, illness of students or other circumstances a corresponding procedure is operating within the branch.

1.3. Ensuring professorial staff quality

Professorial staff is the most important factor preconditioning the quality of education and it has traditionally been one of the strongest sides of the branch. It is the duty of the branch to hold up the existing dangerous tendency of professorial and administrative staff aging, to create preconditions for its static and high quality replenishment and professional qualification. Administrative staff rejuvenation and qualified reserve formation, by which management efficiency and development potential of the branch are preconditioned, are not of less importance. Vanadzor branch staff potential enrichment and improvement opportunities mainly depend upon the working environment and conditions created within the branch. The branch should strive for collegial environment and cooperative culture formation, bring to the realization of each persons belonging to the community of the university, collective responsibility and development of distributed management traditions. On the other side if the proper level of social satisfaction is not provided, the social basis of the branch is not developed and work efficiency stimulating salary system is not formed, the progress of the branch would be impossible, and the goals unreachable. From the viewpoint of branch entrance and education programs affordability the problem of providing social assistance to the students acquires special importance. Ensuring educational opportunities for socially unprotected students with high academic scores studying at paying education system becomes an important problem. Every year transfers are exercised on the basis of academic scores: students with high academic scores are transferred from paying education system to free education system. Besides, flexible discount system is worked out for socially unprotected students with high academic scores. The mentioned problem is slightly diminished by 150 US dollar equivalent scholarship provided by the unity of Los Angles postgraduates and friends. Two scholarships are provided by the fund Loru dprots (Lori school). The following problems are present within the system of ensuring the quality of the professorial staff. PROBLEM 1. Form and put into action the program of professorial staff replenishment and rejuvenation taking into account changes in the list of specialties. a) Make an estimation of present professorial potential from the viewpoint of correspondence of educational program quality provision with development plans. b) Create and carry out prospective program of professorial staff replenishment and rejuvenation and directing timetable according to educational subdivisions and directions of specialization by ensuring stable tendencies of improvement of the quality and decrease of the average age of the professorial staff. 5

c) Plan the entrance of the young professors of the branch into Post-graduate studentships aiming at prior needs of professorial staff replenishment. Create favourable conditions for the pedagogical practice and further work of the aspirants. d) As a budget priority of the branch, strive to ensure stable levels of salary for all the categories of the professorial staff that are no less than the average intended for the system of the higher educational institutes of the RA, and to create privileged salary and encouraging conditions for young professors recruitment. e) Stimulate the increase of teaching efficiency within the branch, establish awards for the acknowledgement and encouragement of the best pedagogical methodic experience. f) Work out and implement a system of indexes estimating the efficiency of the scientific-pedagogical activities of the professors and an estimation procedure using estimation results for re-contracting, progress within different categories and raise of salary. g) Ensure participation of the main professorial staff, without exception, in the present university programs of improving the qualification of professors. PROBLEM 2. Improve the position (post) planning of the branch intending to increase student/professor correlation. a) Improve position planning and increase the efficiency of their usage. Reach the optimal quantitative correlations between the quantity of the students, professors and education assisting staff. b) Achieve improvement of educational process planning through unification and enlargement of student currents. Determine norms for planning the positions of the administrative staff and other workers. c) Apply the policy of phased innovation and rejuvenation of the administrative staff, create a stable reserve and a competitive environment for high-quality replenishment of the directorate of management structures and subdivisions. d) Create a mechanism differentiating the salaries of professors and other workers according to the results of their activities aiming to stimulate the efficiency of work and professional improvement. e) Organize administrative staff qualification improvement courses based on the basis of Professor qualification center directed at the new methods of management, assimilation and implementation of information management systems. Import a process periodically estimating the efficiency of the administrative staff activities.

Professorial staff replenishment is realized by a corresponding procedure, i.e. election or employment contract, and for the specialties where the problem of demand exists, external invitations, including from the State University, are made. Annual report principle of the professors has been innovated and will be implemented this year for estimating the work of the professors; particularly it will be discussed and estimated within the chamber. In accord with that the work efficiency (inefficiency) of the professors is estimated by the corresponding mechanisms: encouragements - awards, diplomas, and penalties remarks, firing, etc. 1.4. Education resources and student support The students are informed about object programs through specialty chambers and as a result the lists of questions of all the subjects are placed up to the classes of the group. Some chambers actively works towards the periodic refreshment and enrichment of object programs and other resources. The students use other resources: libraries, computer classes and equipment (about 5 computers for 716 students), laboratories. In addition to that each student group has its consultant (curator). New computer classes have been organized and created, including free Internet-room with Wi-Fi opportunities within one building section, English-speakers club aiming to raise foreign language mastering among the students and the employees. Construction of open-air sport grounds has been projected which to some extent compensates the absence of sport complex or closed training-ground within the branch. New guidelines of the branch presuppose innovation and urgency of the material and technical basis of the branch and first of all its correspondence to the requirements of state education criteria. From this viewpoint extension of the present audience fund and technical equipment intending to use new educational technologies. Simultaneously with central education complex five-year infrastructure development programs must be formed and put into action within the branch ensuring the unified university requirements towards material-technical basis of the educational process. Innovation and modernization of the educational-scientific laboratory basis of the branch is also in need of development. Here the planned utilization of private resources of the branch must be combined with the cooperation opportunities of contemporary and scientific organizations, including private sector. The present problems towards the mentioned directions are stated, which are:

PROBLEM 1. Summarize the rehabilitation and reconstruction process of the educational building sections of the branch ensuring the normative requirements of educational process. a) Estimate the present state of audience fund, plan and carry out its phased reconstruction, modernization and further enlargement, in accord with educational programs and sphere development problems. b) Ensure the most effective usage of educational and supplementary areas redistributing the areas according to the development of new priorities. PROBLEM 2. Develop and modernize the educational-laboratorial basis of the branch meeting the quality requirements and development needs of educational and investigative programs. a) Estimate the present state of the educational-scientific laboratory basis of the branch according to quality ensuring criteria and work out prospective plan aimed at modernization of the educational and scientific laboratory basis. b) Ensure realization of the plans of laboratory basis development and modernization according to years by providing necessary financial means. c) Enlarge cooperation with practical partner organizations towards creation of joint educational-scientific laboratory basis within the branch and the enterprise. 1.5. Informative systems Aiming to increase the efficiency of the activities of the branch, its educational programs and management of other activities the Department of Informatics and Marketing has been operating since 2007, which gathers, analyses and, in general, systemizes the mentioned directions. The new problems and programs of the university demand reconstruction of the present management system of the branch, as well as improvement of management efficiency and the quality of administrative service. The changing system must ensure harmony and active interaction of the management processes of the main spheres of branch activities, optimal distribution of authorities and responsibilities between various levels, structural changes intended by the strategic plan, decision making transparency and collegiality, student sovereignty development. Comprehensive information provision of the activities of the branch is one of the main guidelines of the new 5-year period. Here one of the primary needs of the branch is providing the educational and investigative programs with informative resources. Own electronic resource formation, as well as accessibility of internal and external informative resources for students and professors is of great importance. Effective usage of informational technologies and their 8

integration into all educational, scientific, management processes and formation of the necessary infrastructure for it depending upon the process of building section rehabilitation are urgent problems. The other target of information provision process is the effective management of constantly growing flows of information and creation of unified informative system for that purpose. The informative activities of the branch cant be blocked, the resources created by it, equivalent resource components of SEUA as well, should be open for the external world. Presently, the problems are the following: PROBLEM 1. Create a local computer network for the branch; ensure its accessibility and Internet access for students and employees. a) Develop and modernize the internal computer network of the branch in accord with the new requirements towards reliability, scales, protection and productivity necessary for the creation of the unified informative system. b) Form a unified informative basis for branch management based on the creation and integration of informational basis of the data of separate spheres. c) Ensure the presence of the necessary program package for automatic workout and management of information. d) Enlarge information resource accessibility of the branch and increase the efficiency of their usage, create electronic reading-hall of the library for the branch. Establish library council of the branch for coordinating contact and interaction between the library and the main educational and scientific subdivisions of the branch. PROBLEM 2. Reconstruct and modernize the website of the branch, develop educational and scientific electronic resources. a) Study the state of informational resources (printed and electronic) of the branch and determine the primary directions of further development (acquisition, workout). b) Form and carry out a phased program (faculties, chambers) for informational resource development. c) Create informational resource electronic card catalog. d) Periodically refresh the informative resources of the branch website. PROBLEM 3. Initiate comprehensive utilization of informational technologies within the educational process. a) Form a class with technological capacities and distant education, connect it to university network. 9

b) Stimulate further development of virtual laboratories within the branch. c) Create encouraging factors and favourable conditions for implementing informational technologies within teaching process, ensure integration of professors aiming to work out and carry out On-Line education courses. d) Form the necessary personnel, technological and methodic resources to work out and invest On-Line education courses. e) Manage to provide specialty courses with up to 25% On-Line education educationalmethodical materials (lecture texts, object programs, testing packages, slides, references, etc.). f) Enlarge implementation of informational technologies within the research programs of the branch. g) Undertake qualification of the technical staff and all the users for working within the unified informational system of the University. PROBLEM 4. Make the branch regional center of information services. a) Create favourable conditions within the branch and provide necessary resources for establishing regional center of informational services. b) Expand and deepen cooperation with state, public and non-governmental structures and funds for making the services provided to the public, especially to school communities broader and more diverse. 1.6. Publicity The branch during its annual entrance processes, open door days, career days and other events and PR-actions presents to the public summarized quantitative and qualitative data on its activities, suggested educational programs, specialties. In the strategic plan of the branch they are especially reflected in its missions. Besides, various inquires have been made (studentprofessor, opinions of graduates and employers), and marketing events which help the branch to make the corresponding amendments in its activities. Within the context of this standard the improvement of marketing of the suggested educational programs and external attractiveness, strengthening the connections with public schools, colleges and improvement of entrance advertisement are the key issues.

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