Regulations on Ensuring the Right of Students to Choose Academic Disciplines
and the Procedure for Forming a Student's Individual Study Plan
at the National Aerospace University
"Kharkiv Aviation Institute"
Approved:
by the Academic Council
of the National Aerospace University
"Kharkiv Aviation Institute"
Minutes No. 8 dated March 24, 2021
Enacted by Order No. 135 dated March 25, 2021
QMS KhAI-EMD-R/003:2021
Date of Introduction: March 25, 2021
Revision No. 3
1. General Provisions
1.1 The Regulations on Ensuring the Right of Students to Choose Academic Disciplines and the Procedure for Forming a Student's Individual Study Plan (hereinafter referred to as the Regulations) at the National Aerospace University "Kharkiv Aviation Institute" (hereinafter referred to as the University) have been developed in accordance with the Laws of Ukraine "On Education", "On Higher Education", the Regulations on the Organization of the Educational Process at the National Aerospace University "Kharkiv Aviation Institute", and contain the main requirements for the exercise of students' right to choose academic disciplines and the procedure for forming a student's individual study plan.
1.2 These Regulations determine the procedure for forming the list, selection, and subsequent study of elective academic disciplines by higher education applicants of the University within the limits provided for by the relevant educational program and curriculum, the procedure for forming a student's individual study plan (hereinafter referred to as the ISP), as well as monitoring learning outcomes in the selected disciplines.
1.3 The Regulations are based on the principles of a student-centered approach and free creative learning, which guarantees students the construction of an individual learning trajectory taking into account their own potential, personal growth, and professional interests.
1.4 The educational program (hereinafter referred to as the EP) for specialist training consists of compulsory and elective parts. Disciplines chosen by students correspond to the professional, educational, and cultural demands and interests of applicants.
1.5 Applicants exercise their choice of academic disciplines in the process of forming their individual study plan within the limits provided for by the relevant EP and semester curriculum, subject to the sequence of their study according to the structural and logical scheme of specialist training. At the same time, applicants of a certain level of higher education have the right to choose academic disciplines offered for other levels of higher education, in agreement with the dean of the relevant faculty.
The selection of academic disciplines by a student creates conditions for achieving the following goals:
- deepening professional competencies within the chosen specialty (specialization, educational program) and acquiring additional special (professional, subject) competencies, including professional qualification (partial professional qualification), if provided for by the educational program or other regulatory documents;
- deepening one's knowledge and acquiring additional general and general professional competencies within related specialties and fields of knowledge;
- familiarization with the current level of scientific research in other fields of knowledge and expanding or deepening knowledge of general competencies.
1.6 The volume of elective academic disciplines must be at least 25% of the total volume of ECTS credits.
1.7 Elective academic disciplines/blocks of disciplines are added to the student's individual study plan and are compulsory for study by the applicant.
1.8 The volume of each elective discipline is at least three ECTS credits.
1.9 Heads of the respective departments offering elective disciplines ensure the preparation of work programs (syllabi) for academic disciplines, as well as methodical and organizational materials necessary for studying the elective disciplines.
2. Realization of the Right of Students to Choose Academic Disciplines
2.1 A student is invited to achieve their goals formulated in paragraph 1.5 through:
- choosing disciplines from blocks through which non-specialized competencies are acquired, which are important for career growth and the acquisition of core skills necessary for socialization (soft skills);
- choosing one of the Minor discipline blocks from the list of blocks offered for choice;
- choosing individual academic disciplines from the list of disciplines offered for choice.
2.2 Elective components of the curriculum for applicants of the first (Bachelor's) level of higher education are divided into four conventional blocks:
- humanitarian block (provides soft skills);
- physics and mathematics block;
- Minor block;
- block of individual choice disciplines.
2.2.1 Humanitarian block. Disciplines of this block provide the humanitarian component of the EP, which involves acquiring the knowledge necessary to deepen professional competencies by studying disciplines offered within this block:
- language competencies (Ukrainian studies);
- language competencies (foreign language) - the student directly chooses the language they want to study, as well as the level of language proficiency in accordance with the generally accepted classification of foreign language knowledge and preliminary testing;
- legal competencies;
- competencies aimed at forming a systematic scientific worldview;
- competencies of a general cultural horizon and the development of communications.
Disciplines offered for choice within this block are unique and differ in thematic and methodological approaches to their study. Teaching of the disciplines is provided by various teachers of the University, each of whom has their own practices of applying knowledge and skills and unique experience.
2.2.2 Physics and mathematics block. This block includes disciplines whose study is necessary to deepen knowledge in physics and mathematics, which allows acquiring certain competencies in the specialty or preparing for mastering a learning trajectory different from the main one.
2.2.3 Minor block. This is a block of logically interrelated disciplines aimed at the acquisition of knowledge, skills, and abilities by the higher education applicant, independent of the main program of study. Each Minor block consists of four disciplines with a volume of five credits each. Several Minor blocks are offered for choice, which are provided by different departments of the University. Mastering a Minor block may involve obtaining a partial professional qualification.
2.2.4 Block of individual choice disciplines. A university-wide block in which disciplines for choice are offered by University departments or other subdivisions in accordance with the fields of their activity or scientific directions/schools.
2.3 Elective components of the curriculum for applicants of the second (Master's) level of higher education are determined at meetings of the branch scientific and methodical committees of the University.
2.4 The semester in which a particular elective block/elective discipline is offered is determined by the relevant curriculum template developed by the respective scientific and methodical committee of the University. Curriculum templates are available on the University website.
2.5 It is allowed to master academic disciplines in other educational institutions under academic mobility programs. At the same time, applicants of a certain level of higher education have the right to choose academic disciplines offered for other levels of higher education.
2.6 The formation of students' individual study plans takes place in the personal account of the electronic educational process support system Pilot. Access to the personal account is possible using personal accounts and passwords, which are issued to higher education applicants upon enrollment to the University by responsible employees of the dean's office.
2.7 Applicants, exercising their right to choose academic disciplines, choose not just one discipline within a specific block, but several, while determining the priority for each discipline (in the first place - the most desirable). The formation of groups for studying elective academic disciplines/blocks of academic disciplines at the University takes place using the Gale-Shapley algorithm (deferred acceptance). If a group has not been formed for a separate discipline in accordance with the limitations established at the University regarding the minimum number of students in a group, or if the number of applicants who chose the discipline exceeds the maximum allowable number, students who chose this discipline are attached to studying the next discipline according to their priority. This happens sequentially until all groups are formed in accordance with the established requirements.
2.8 The minimum allowable number of applicants in a group is 15 persons, the maximum number of applicants who can choose a specific discipline is no more than 100 persons. In separate cases, with the consent of the discipline teacher, the number of applicants who chose this discipline may exceed 100 persons, but on the condition that they are divided into groups.
2.9 If a student within the established terms without valid reasons has not exercised their right to choose an academic discipline/block of disciplines, the relevant positions of their individual study plan are determined by the Pilot system in an automatic mode, taking into account the choice of other students.
2.10 Based on the results of the realization of the student's right to free choice of academic disciplines, all selected disciplines must be included in their individual study plan. The cumulative volume of compulsory and elective components of the individual study plan must be 60 ECTS credits per academic year, which corresponds to the compulsory annual workload for execution, and is also a condition for transfer to the next year of study or admission to the final attestation.
2.11 The cumulative volume of compulsory and elective components of the student's individual study plan, regardless of the ways of realizing the right to free choice of disciplines, must correspond to that specified in the educational program under which the student is studying.
3. Procedure for Students to Choose Academic Disciplines
3.1 The terms for conducting the procedures for students to choose academic disciplines are determined by the need for timely (for planning and organizing the educational process, its methodical and staffing support) formation of the contingent of students in groups and lecture cohorts.
3.1.1 Students exercise their right to choose academic disciplines/blocks of disciplines usually no later than at the beginning of the spring semester preceding the academic year during which their study is provided for. Students are invited to make a choice of academic disciplines for the next academic year and thus form an individual study plan.
3.1.2 For students studying under educational programs in which the free choice of students is planned in the first academic year, the choice of disciplines is organized during the first two weeks of study.
3.2 Departments ensuring the teaching of elective disciplines/blocks of disciplines submit to the educational and methodical department and branch scientific and methodical committees of the University a list of disciplines offered for choice to students, work programs (syllabi), and brief annotations of elective academic disciplines.
3.3 At meetings of the branch scientific and methodical committees of the University, blocks or the list of disciplines of free choice of students for all levels of higher education are approved.
3.4 The approved list of elective academic disciplines/blocks of disciplines and annotations to the specified disciplines are posted on the official website of the University.
3.5 The procedure for students to choose academic disciplines consists of the following stages:
3.5.1 First stage - responsible employees of the dean's offices of the faculties familiarize students with the procedure, terms, and specifics of registration and formation of groups for studying academic disciplines of free choice at the University.
3.5.2 Second stage - familiarization of students with the lists of disciplines/blocks of choice disciplines offered both under the educational program they are studying and under other educational programs (one can get acquainted with annotations of disciplines/blocks of free choice disciplines of students, as well as with portfolios of teachers who teach the specified disciplines, on the official website of the University).
3.5.3 Third stage - registration of students for studying academic disciplines/blocks of disciplines. The choice of academic disciplines is carried out by personal voting in the electronic educational process support system Pilot according to the procedure specified in paragraphs 2.6-2.7. Both individual disciplines of the curriculum and blocks of disciplines are subject to choice.
An applicant has the right to change their choice during the established period. After the deadline, the possibility of choice is blocked and automatic formation of study groups takes place in the Pilot system through sequential iterations of distributing applicants into groups in accordance with their priorities and the defined limitation regarding the minimum/maximum number of applicants in groups.
The disciplines chosen by the student are included in the ISP of the student, which is fixed in the personal account of the applicant in the Pilot system.
3.5.4 Fourth stage - processing the choice made by students, forming groups for studying elective disciplines. It is carried out by employees of the educational and analytical department, who are assigned responsibility for documentary support of the process of forming students' ISPs.
3.5.5 Fifth stage - compiling the class schedule by the dispatch service of the University.
3.6 In the case of reinstatement, transfer of a student, admission to classes after completion of academic leave, or enrollment for obtaining an educational degree with a shortened period of study, upon a written application of the student and with the consent of the graduating department of the educational program, credit transfer of elective disciplines is possible at the expense of actually studied disciplines from the cycle of free choice.
4. Calculations of the Teaching Load of Departments and its Distribution
After approving the results of registration for elective disciplines, the volumes of the total teaching load and the planned teaching load of teachers are calculated, and the staff list of departments is adjusted using the electronic educational process support system Pilot.
4.1 Employees of the educational and analytical department form groups in accordance with the choice of students and enter them into the database of the Pilot system.
4.2 Employees of the educational and analytical department calculate the volume of teaching load to ensure the organization of the educational process for each selected discipline.
4.3 On the basis of the calculation specified in paragraph 4.2, the head of the department and/or the person responsible for the department introduces relevant changes to the planned workload of teachers and to the staff list of the department.
4.4 The department submits all calculations to the educational-analytical and educational-methodical departments for adjusting the staff list of the teaching staff of the University and the class schedule.
4.5 The educational and analytical department consolidates the staff list of the teaching staff of the University and transfers the prepared documents to the planning and financial department.
5. Final Provisions
5.1 The Regulations are approved by the Academic Council of the University and are enacted by an order of the Rector of the University.
5.2 Control over the implementation of the Regulations is exercised by University officials within their powers established by job descriptions.
5.3 Changes and supplements to these Regulations are considered and approved by the Academic Council of the University and are enacted by an order of the Rector of the University.