HOW CAN YOU HELP EMU TOWARDS INSTITUTIONAL EVALUATION BY EUA?

BY LEARNING:  What is EUA and what are its aims?  What is the membership status of EMU in EUA?  What are the benefits of EUA for our university?  What is the role of EUA in the Bologna process and how does EMU fit in?  What is an institutional evaluation and how does it benefit us?

WHAT IS EUA AND WHERE DOES IT AIM TO GO?  EUA (European University Association) is an umbrella organization trying to bring all European universities together with common objectives.  The mission of EUA is to reach the common development of European higher education and research.  EUA’s main focus is to strengthen the individual role of European universities in European Higher Education Area (EHEA), European Research Areas (ERA) and European dimension of education.

WHAT IS THE MEMBERSHIP STATUS OF EMU IN the EUA?  EMU is the full individual member of EUA.  This means that EMU has full power and capacity to open PhD programmes and award doctorates.  As such, EMU has a full access to all membership services, conferences and voting rights in the General Assembly of EUA.

 EMU is approaching the European standards education through realization of Bologna process  EMU is gaining more autonomy in deciding on its management and academic strategy and aims  EMU will be held more accountable to the public for its actions, which will make it more transparent  EUA assists its members to solve its funding gap by supporting increase in public funding WHAT ARE THE BENEFITS OF EUA FOR OUR UNIVERSITY?

WHAT THE ROLE OF EUA IN BOLOGNA PROCESS IS AND HOW EMU FITS IN  Bologna process is the result of Bologna Declaration signed by 29 European countries in  The aim of Bologna process is to create a united European Higher Education Area (EHEA).  Objectives of Bologna process are to achieve the three cycles education systems (Bachelor, Master and PhD degree), transparency between higher education systems, recognition of degrees and academic qualifications, mobility and exchanges between institutions.

 EUA’s main role it to ensure that European universities are fully involved at each step of Bologna process  In order to achieve these, EUA implements following activities: Undertaking surveys and reports on completion of Bologna process Further defining Doctoral programs as the third cycle Providing Institutional Evaluation Programme and the Quality Culture Project in order to provide constant quality improvement Managing a Joint Masters Project, in which Masters level at universities are supported Promoting a European Qualification Framework and monitoring the European Credit Transfer System (ECTS) and the Diploma Supplement Supporting inclusion of universities from South East Europe and from new members into the EHEA

 EMU is the university fully accredited to implement doctoral programs  EMU is the largest university in Cyprus with full academic capacities and infrastructure  EMU is committed to achieving the peak of quality in all aspects and EUA provides a guidance and sets aims and objectives  EMU has a potential to become a major academic player in South East Europe considering its strategic position between Europe, South Africa and the Middle East

WHAT IS INSTITUTIONAL EVALUATION AND HOW IT BENEFITS US?  Institutional evaluation includes two stages of evaluation, self-evaluation and EUA team evaluation  Self-evaluation is an ongoing process at EMU. It includes: Description and analysis of the position of the university including comments on how the university plans to remedy the identified problems Analysis of the extend to which the institution’s mission and goals are met

 The university has set a number of questions and actions to meet the set aims  External evaluation is done by the team of four EUA experts (current or former rectors and vice-rectors, one secretary) that will use self-evaluation report as the basis for the two site visits  The team will visit EMU in December 2006 and re-visit in May-July 2007, which means that evaluation process needs to be completed by then.

 The team will examine: EMU’s specific situation, goals and issues in order to recommend actions to achieve them. EMU as a whole and its strategic management which is central to developing dynamic institutions. Capacity of change. How does the university know that the system is working. External evaluation by the EUA peer team is based on mutual learning.

 If EMU is able to develop its capacities to the European standards level, its degrees, academic achievements and strategic management will be recognized on European and world levels.  It will benefit from inclusion and exchange at academic level.

THANK YOU FOR YOUR ATTENTION!