The management of Masaryk University (MU) have prepared a list of priorities and objectives for this year in discussion with the academic staff. The list takes the form of an updated strategic plan - the document drawn up in 2010 which formulates the basic strategy of MU until 2015.
According to the updates that were approved by the Academic Senate last October, the University will pay more attention to education, humanities, and the human resources policy.
"Over the last two years the University has placed great importance on research activities. The notion, borrowed from the English-speaking world, of “publish or perish” has set in. This emphasis on research, also supported by massive European financial resources, and the emphasis on publishing research results somewhat overshadowed the stress on the quality of teaching,” explains the vice-Rector for Academic Affairs, Ladislav Rabušic.
The University has set three goals in this area for the coming year. First, to begin to work on developing internal standards that will regulate the operating conditions of study programmes and fields. Secondly, to prepare a revision of the means of gathering feedback from students. The plan is also to create a system to reduce study failure to a strict minimum. The third objective is to establish mechanisms which would measure the quality of teaching activities.
Regulation providing for the operation of study fields
The Evaluation Report of the European University Association has recommended that Masaryk University examines the existing processes evaluating the quality of study fields. This is also the reason for preparation of an internal regulation, which focuses on the transparency of the conditions of study and their mutual comparability across disciplines.
" We expect that the creation of the regulation will help us to be prepared for possible changes in legislation linked to the accreditation processes. We want to do it with the good experience from the operation of the internal evaluation of existing study fields and extend its principles also to the stage where the new study programmes and fields are to be developed," explains the vice-Rector, Rabušic. The content of the regulation will be the subject of extensive discussions between the management of the University and faculties.
According to Rabušic, a stronger involvement of students in defining the content and methods of teaching in the future is to be expected. Apart from anything else, there should be programme councils at bachelor’s and master’s level with the participation of students.
Study failure and excessive length of studies
Statistics shows that 52% of students at Masaryk University terminate their Bachelor`s, 41% their Master`s, 26% their Follow-up master's studies and 54% their doctoral studies early. Although interpretations vary regarding to what extent this has a negative or positive effect, the Report of the European University Association recommended that numbers be decreased.
"We therefore prepared the study survey that found out the causes of study failure, to which we received responses from approximately 400 students. The results are being analysed now and will be used as a basis for considering what strategy to create or strengthen in order to prevent study failure, "says vice-Rector for student welfare, Jiri Němec.
The excessive duration of studies at Masaryk University is also problematic. Vice-Rector Jiri Němec points out the fact that for the students who study for longer than the standard length of study extended by one year, the University doesn’t receive any money from the State. "The question therefore is whether to tend towards higher and the same tuition fee across the University," notes Němec. Currently the students pay app. between 13,800 to 24,000 crowns per each additional semester to allow an extended length of study. At some universities the fees amount up to 30,000 crowns.
Revision of subject polls and teachers’ evaluation
Regarding the forthcoming revision of tools for gathering feedback from the students, it is considering a review of the subject polls in the MU Information System.
"The education process at a university is so complex and demanding that its students’` assessment through a number of scale items is problematic. What does the poll actually show and what is its purpose? Should it be part of a long-term teacher’s evaluation, or just feedback exclusively intended for a teacher? Rearrangement of the whole evaluation process will not be easy," the vice-Rector, Němec, considers.
The innovation of the subject poll will be a subject for professional discussions during this year.
Support of the humanities and interdisciplinarity
Financial support from the State has been aimed mainly at technical, scientific, medical and IT fields in the recent years, and therefore Masaryk University has decided to pay more attention to social sciences in the upcoming period.
"It would be shortsighted to think that an educated society can exist without the humanities, whose general aim is to cultivate our critical thinking skills. University support, however, shouldn’t only be related to money, but also to a constant search for our best in humanities at the University, and to an effort to stimulate meaningful interaction among teams and disciplines and to support the emergence of more robust research units," the vice-Rector for Research, Petr Dvořák, outlines.
The development of interdisciplinary research is another priority in science. Today, interdisciplinarity is a key factor enabling the emergence of new and fundamental ideas in science, according to Dvořák.
"The problem-oriented connection of humanities and science teams can bring all parties onto a significantly higher level. There are many good examples of such cooperation. That is why we have introduced interdisciplinary university grants for support research, "says the vice-Rector.
The concept of human resources policy
Other goals for next year include a creation of a common human resources policy concept for Masaryk University. Currently, there is no Code of Conduct which would be functionally linked to the Career Structure, Code of Ethics and performance evaluation of academic and professional staff.
"We want to provide faculties with some methodical guidance on how to grasp the nettle and evaluate the quality of the performance of academic staff and duly reward them. And this doesn’t only mean in financial regards but also includes the career ladder," says the vice-Rector, Rabušic, as he explains his motivation for creating the concept.
This should provide transparent conditions for work performance, remuneration, length of employment contracts and other areas related to employment. "This does not mean that we will interfere in the faculties` personnel matters from the University level, these are their sovereign and autonomous affairs. However, the unified and high-quality basic concept of personnel policy is a key element in the acquisition of human capital in any organization, "says the vice-Rector.
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