Director of the Center for Education Quality, Licensing, and Accreditation
Eleonora DARMOFAL
Core principles of the Center’s activities:
- Transparency: openness of processes and procedures for ensuring education quality;
- Objectivity: independence and impartiality in evaluating educational activities;
- Systematic approach: continuous improvement and integration of all processes ensuring education quality;
- Student-centeredness: taking into account the interests and needs of students;
- esponsibility: ensuring compliance of educational activities with quality standards.
The Center serves as the key coordinator of activities related to education quality, licensing, and accreditation at the University. It cooperates with national and international institutions, organizations, and accreditation agencies to achieve its objectives.
The Center consists of the following units:
- Department of Education Quality, Analytics, and Educational-Methodological Support, which includes working groups on licensing and accreditation, analytics, and educational-methodological support;
- Department of Distance Educational Technologies;
- Department of Educational and Upbringing Activities;
- Department of Student and Graduate Employment Assistance;
- Department of Postgraduate Education.
Main tasks of the Center:
Ensuring compliance of educational programs with state higher education standards:
- Analysis of educational programs for compliance with current state standards and licensing requirements;
- Preparation of conclusions regarding the compliance of the structure and content of educational programs with the requirements of the Ministry of Education and Science of Ukraine (MES Ukraine);
- Facilitating the development of new educational programs considering national and global trends.
Monitoring education quality and periodic review of educational programs:
- Organization of regular monitoring of the educational process, including surveys of students, faculty, graduates, and employers;
- Analysis of collected data to identify shortcomings in educational programs and proposals for improvement;
- oordination with program guarantors for periodic updating of program content considering developments in science, specialty, labor market, and innovations;
- Conducting monitoring and analysis of education quality using modern information technologies.
Organizing preparation for licensing and accreditation of educational programs:
- Preparation of documents and organization of the licensing process for new specialties and educational programs;
- Preparation for accreditation of educational programs according to the requirements of MES Ukraine, the National Agency for Higher Education Quality Assurance (NAQA), and international standards;
- Consulting departments and faculties regarding the initiation and implementation of educational activities (licensing procedures) at the higher education level;
- onsulting departments and faculties on preparing self-assessment reports for educational programs;
- Organizing visits and cooperating with MES licensing committees, NAQA accreditation commissions, and international accreditation agencies;
- Implementing recommendations based on accreditation expertise results.
Developing recommendations to improve education quality:
- Analyzing student learning outcomes and identifying ways to enhance effectiveness;
- Developing methodological recommendations for faculty, program guarantors, and departments to improve teaching materials;
- articipating in forming University policy on education quality assurance;
- Creating, implementing, and improving the internal system for quality assurance in education.
Implementing innovative methods of educational process organization:
- Analyzing modern educational trends and innovations for integration into the learning process;
- acilitating the use of digital technologies and distance learning tools;
- upporting faculty in developing interactive teaching materials and using modern pedagogical methods;
- nsuring quality support of electronic learning materials for distance courses;
- mplementing analytical tools to collect and process data on learning outcomes.
Supporting principles of academic integrity:
- Developing and implementing policies and procedures to ensure academic integrity;
- rganizing information campaigns for students and faculty on the importance of adhering to integrity principles;
- Monitoring and analyzing cases of academic plagiarism or other violations and developing recommendations to prevent them.
Ensuring competitiveness of educational programs:
- Studying and implementing international standards for education quality assurance;
- xpanding cooperation with international partners for accreditation of educational programs at the global level;
- Supporting recognition of University diplomas abroad;
- romoting graduates’ and students’ employment rights;
- Facilitating student internships and coordinating with central and local authorities, employment services, enterprises, institutions, and organizations to align educational outcomes with labor market needs;
- Organizing scientific and methodological support for postgraduate education to ensure timely and quality completion of University educational tasks;
- Conducting outreach work among school students and students of vocational-technical institutions (levels I–II accreditation).
Developing a culture of quality assurance at the University:
- Providing educational-methodological and organizational support for preparatory programs for Ukrainian citizens entering the University;
- Conducting training and seminars for faculty and administrative staff on quality assurance fundamentals;
- Promoting an environment of continuous improvement in the educational process;
- Promoting student-centeredness as a key principle of education quality;
- Organizing and coordinating educational activities, ensuring close interaction between students and University administration through active student self-government;
- Coordinating efforts of faculty, parents, and public organizations to enhance the effectiveness of the educational process;
- Organizing and coordinating educational activities, ensuring close interaction between students, group mentors, and faculty deputies.
Functions of the Center:
- Providing consultative support to structural units on education quality issues;
- Evaluating educational programs for compliance with NAQA requirements, state standards, and labor market needs; preparing materials for licensing and accreditation;
- Analyzing student learning outcomes and preparing reports and recommendations;
- Conducting surveys of students and faculty on education quality;
- Analytical support and information provision for the educational process, including developing and maintaining the University’s information-analytical environment;
- Analyzing compliance of academic staff with licensing requirements and preparing reporting documentation;
- Implementing distance learning technologies;
- Monitoring adherence to academic integrity, developing internal regulations and instructions for quality assurance, and participating in University policy development for integration into the European Higher Education Area;
- Administering, modifying, adapting, and refactoring automated system databases;
- Facilitating employment of graduates and temporary work for students, supporting graduates’ adaptation to professional activity, establishing and maintaining contacts with potential employers, organizing activities to ensure successful employment, and providing consultation on employment and temporary work;
- Implementing new approaches, forms, and methods of education focused on student development, patriotism, supporting student self-government, and organizing cultural and educational activities;
- Planning, monitoring, and analyzing career guidance, pre-university training, marketing strategies, providing information materials, tracking applicants, and preparing reports to increase recruitment efficiency;
- Organizing and providing training, certification, retraining, and professional development of specialists to improve professional competencies in line with modern labor market requirements and educational standards.