SELF-EVALUATION REPORT FOR INSTITUTIONAL ACCREDITATION University of Tartu Submitted to the Estonian Higher Education Quality Agency: 20 January 2015 Tartu 2014 CONTENT ABBREVIATIONS ...................................................................................................................................................4 1. OrganisatiOnal management and perfOrmance .........................................................................5 1.1. general management ...........................................................................................................................7 1.1.1. role of the university in the estonian society ......................................................................... 7 1.1.2. setting the university’s objectives ........................................................................................... 7 1.1.3. performance indicators of the university ................................................................................ 8 1.1.4. development and implementation of the university’s strategic plan and action plan ........ 10 1.1.5. University governance ..........................................................................................................12 1.1.6. management of internal and external communication ........................................................14 1.2. personnel management ......................................................................................................................15 1.2.1. recruitment of staff and academic sustainability .................................................................15 1.2.2. staff development ..................................................................................................................17 1.2.3. remuneration of work and motivation of staff .....................................................................19 1.2.4. staff satisfaction ....................................................................................................................20 1.2.5. participation of staff in international cooperation projects and mobility programmes ....... 21 1.2.6. principles of academic ethics .................................................................................................22 1.3. management of financial resources and infrastructure .....................................................................22 1.3.1. University’s financial management principles and system ...................................................23 1.3.2. developing and administering information systems .............................................................25 1.3.3. study and work conditions ....................................................................................................26 2. teaching and learning .........................................................................................................................28 2.1. effectiveness of teaching and learning, and formation of the student body .................................... 28 2.1.1. Objectives of teaching and learning ......................................................................................28 2.1.2. ensuring the competitiveness of graduates ..........................................................................29 2.1.3. planning student places .........................................................................................................30 2.1.4. admission rules ......................................................................................................................31 2.1.5. study opportunities that take into account special needs ....................................................32 2.2. curriculum development ....................................................................................................................32 2.2.1. Opening of curricula ..............................................................................................................32 2.2.2. development of curricula ......................................................................................................33 2.2.3. feedback from graduates ......................................................................................................34 2.3. student academic progress and student assessment ........................................................................35 2.3.1. monitoring and supporting students’ academic progress ...................................................35 2.3.2. student assessment ...............................................................................................................36 2.3.3. recognition of prior learning and professional experience .................................................36 2.4. support processes for learning support .............................................................................................37 2.4.1. academic and career counselling support system for students ........................................... 37 2.4.2. supporting international mobility of students ......................................................................38 2.4.3. Use of educational technology in teaching and learning ......................................................39 2.4.4. student feedback ...................................................................................................................40 3. research and develOpment ................................................................................................................41 3.1. r&d objectives and effectiveness .......................................................................................................41 3.2. r&d resources and support processes ...............................................................................................43 3.2.1. r&d support system ..............................................................................................................43 3.2.2. financial resources for r&d development ............................................................................44 3.2.3. r&d networks and infrastructure ..........................................................................................46 3.3. doctoral studies ...................................................................................................................................47 3.3.1. development of doctoral studies ..........................................................................................47 3.3.2. international dimension of doctoral studies .........................................................................49 3.3.3. recognising and avoiding plagiarism .....................................................................................50 4. service to sOciety, inclUding edUcatiOnal activities fOr general pUblic .........................51 4.1. promotion of core activities and involvement in social development ............................................... 51 4.1.1. promotion of core activities ...................................................................................................51 4.1.2. staff activities oriented to society .........................................................................................53 4.2. continuing education ..........................................................................................................................53 4.2.1. Objectives of continuing education .......................................................................................53 4.2.2. continuing education target groups ......................................................................................54 4.2.3. ensuring quality of continuing education and satisfaction of participants ........................... 55 4.3. Other public-oriented activities ..........................................................................................................56 5. sUmmary .....................................................................................................................................................58 5.1. strengths .............................................................................................................................................58 5.2. areas for improvement .......................................................................................................................59 the text contains links to legal acts, documents and other relevant online resources. The words containing links to additional materials have been underlined, whereas blue links lead to materials in English and grey links lead to materials in Estonian. ABBreviations Universities EAA Estonian Academy of Arts EAMT Estonian Academy of Music and Theatre EULS Estonian University of Life Sciences TU Tallinn University TUT Tallinn University of Technology UT University of Tartu Other abbreviations A2008 University of Tartu Strategic Plan 2008 A2015 University of Tartu Strategic Plan 2009–2015 A2020 Strategic Plan of the University of Tartu for 2015–2020 BA bachelor’s studies DAAD Deutscher Akademischer Austauschdienst DOAB directory of Open access books ECTS credit point (european credit transfer and accumulation system) EDEN european distance and e-learning network EFQM european foundation of Quality management EHIS estonian education information system (eesti hariduse infosüsteem) ETIS estonian research information system (eesti teaduse infosüsteem) ETV eesti televisioon (tv channel of estonian public broadcasting) EU European Union EUCEN european Universities continuing