Briefly describe the institution’s strategy, objectives and priorities for its Erasmus activities (mobility, multilateral projects and thematic networks, etc.) and any other actions in the context of the Lifelong Learning programme 2007-2013.
Like other Romanian HEIs, UAIC anticipated by 10 years Romania’s accession to the EU, when Socrates-Erasmus programme actually started in the University. Ever since, UAIC has had more than 2000 outgoing students, a weaker but steadily increasing flow of incoming students (over 350), over 500 outgoing TS and about the same flow of incoming TS, over 200 partners from EU, Switzerland and Norway; some IPs, thematic networks, curriculum development projects, 37 Leonardo projects with some 200 beneficiaries. UAIC pioneered the Bologna Process in Romania, the introduction and set of procedures and regulations for ECTS, Diploma Supplement. UAIC signs agreements only with partners which meet the requirements of compatible academic excellence and full academic recognition based on ECTS. Strategic objectives: Through LLLP, UAIC aims at promoting the academic excellence, institutional improvement (former Erasmus students becoming young TS, mobile TS bringing and developing new teaching and evaluation methods, introducing new degrees, curricula and syllabi); reducing the mobility obstacles by full academic recognition procedures, curricula compatibility, use of learning outcomes for curricula design, growing the number of mobile students, efficient administration of institutional grant, accuracy and transparency of the selection process, increasing placement quality by using previous Leonardo experience, managing paperwork in due time; making non-mobile students benefit from Erasmus mobility through lectures held by incoming TS included in curricula, supporting the integration of incoming students through: social-cultural activities initiated by student associations, accommodation for all incoming students, with local students.
What specific actions are planned to give visibility to Erasmus activities and what type of publicity will be given to the Erasmus University Charter and the EPS? What kind of arrangements, if any, does the Institution ensure to comply with non-discrimination objectives (e.g. actions related to gender equality, integration of disabled students and staff, enhancement of social and economic cohesion and combating of xenophobia and racism)?
Erasmus activities will be widely promoted through: local and student media; events for incoming and former/future outgoing students at central level, including award ceremonies for “Erasmus” contests; brochures, website. UAIC provides equal chances to all students by keeping the living standard of the students’ family out of the (explicit or implicit) list of selection criteria; positive discrimination for the physically de-favoured; special access facilities, elevators, toilets, extra-room in many amphitheatres, audio-video equipment in lecture rooms, and medical assistance on campus. For the socio-economically de-favoured students, UAIC provides money in advance, supplementary community and UAIC funding support for extending mobility periods, social scholarships, previously earned scholarships kept during the Erasmus mobility period and sponsorship encouragement. Admission of students to UAIC and access to the learning process are free of any discrimination concerning nationality, sex, religion, political allegiance. All available infrastructural, financial, academic means are used for improving the participation rate of geographically, socio-economically, physically de-favoured people in the learning process.
What kind of specific measures are implemented to ensure high quality in student placements? Give details on how the work-programme and the placement agreements are prepared and implemented. Please describe the practical arrangements agreed between the parties. Please specify also the monitoring and evaluation of the placement(s) period as well as its recognition in the curriculum.
The principles of outgoing SM activities in UAIC are: transparency and equal opportunity, maximisation of the number of mobility beneficiaries; full academic recognition based on ECTS. The list of planned available mobilities, the selection criteria and procedures are made public at least two weeks before the selection. The actual selection process takes place at faculties based on rules set at central level, supervised by the European Programmes Office (EPO). Candidates and the selected students benefit from: meetings with the University and Faculty Councils, Erasmus coordinators, EPO; guides explaining the steps/documents necessary for the selection/mobility preparation. Bilateral agreements are not signed until academic compatibility and complementarities are identified, ensuring a smooth way to academic recognition. Academic recognition procedures ensure an equal treatment for all outgoing students irrespective of partner/field of study. For outgoing students, besides the benefit of continuous counselling from the EPO, monitoring visits are carried out for identifying and solving any occurrent problems and better shaping future exchanges. We continue to provide Romanian language courses for incoming students and other facilities (free Internet/library access, low-rate domestic transport, accommodation and board on campus). As for academic facilities, incoming students benefit from tutoring and examination in their best-known languages. UAIC cooperates with local student organisations to support the incoming students’ social integration. As for staff mobility, teaching assignments in partner institutions is increasingly taken into account for internal quality evaluation. Professors whose intensive courses are included in the local curriculum are preferred in the selection process. One of the goals of TS incoming and outgoing mobility is for the non-mobile students to take benefit from the Erasmus Programme as well.
What kind of specific measures are implemented to ensure high quality in student placements? Give details on how the work-programme and the placement agreements are prepared and implemented. Please describe the practical arrangements agreed between the parties. Please specify also the monitoring and evaluation of the placement(s) period as well as its recognition in the curriculum.
UAIC will act in accordance with the following principles and regulations: coordination of the activities of preparation/implementation of the work-programme through the European Programmes Office (EPO) at central level and faculty international offices; organization of student placements based on previous bilateral and multiple partnerships (as a member of Utrecht Network, Balkan Universities Network, founding member of RUFAC, affiliated to EUA, EAIE, AUF), privileged cooperation with some HEIs (Konstanz, Freiburg, Lille, Poitiers, Groningen, Thessaloniki, Bari etc.), as well as UAIC’s relationship with the public and private enterprise world; special attention will be given to beneficiaries’ cultural and linguistic preparation before and during the placement period. For outgoing students, UAIC provides: a tutor’s counseling and supervision, facilities and documentation in its libraries and the Documentation Centre of the EPO. For the incoming students, UAIC offers free-of-charge Romanian language courses, cultural integration through the student associations. The work-programme will be set according to the beneficiary’s professional and cultural competences, the requirements of the host enterprise and the university curricula for the recognition of the placement period. The placement monitoring and evaluation will be permanently achieved individually by the tutor from the partner institutions, by the EPO at central level and the faculty international relations offices. A Europass Mobility will be supported for each student placed, as well as a final questionnaire for evaluation. Based on the work-programme, the linguistic certificates and the professional/placement certificates, UAIC will offer full academic recognition based on ECTS if the practical work is included in the curricula or will include the placement outcomes as evaluated elements in curriculum modules (projects, case studies) or the bachelor’s or master’s theses.