Yerevan State Academy of Fine Arts

Self-Assessment Report on ESG 7: Public Information

Yerevan, 2012
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Introduction

In the frames of the TEMPUS DIUSAS project Yerevan State Academy of Fine Arts /YSAFA/ has got an opportunity to participate in trainings and workshops on quality assurance /QA/and institutional self-assessment of universities. Before the participation in this project YSAFA had its own traditions of management of the institution. But thanks to the workshops and trainings organized by DIUSAS and ANQA the Academy got acquainted with ESG and QA in general. In the frames of DIUSAS the Academy attended the QA process and in cooperation with TEMPUS, ANQA and partner universities worked out QA tools for ESG7 and in the result of joint efforts we have worked out and revised tools 3 questionnaires. In the frames of this program the Academy reviewed its Public Information /PI/ policy and keeping old traditions of the Academy we are developing new PI policy, which is in the process of development yet. Weve worked out feedback mechanisms for revising the satisfaction of the stakeholder by information they get from information sources of the Academy, but the PI policy and procedures concerning the qualitative data sources and the statistics are in the stage of development. So the significant achievement of Academys participation in this program is the 3 worked out questionnaires which were already implemented and analyzed, and the results you can see below.

European Standards and Guidelines: 7th standard. Public Information /PI/

Institutions should regularly publish up to date, impartial and objective information, both quantitative and qualitative, about the programmes and awards they are offering. To satisfy this requirement YSAFA, in the frames of DIUSAS program, has done detailed mapping of Public Information process, which you can see in the Appendix 4, page 2. According to the mapping of this process two sub processes would be realized: Development and implementation of PI policy and procedures; Monitoring and review of PI policy.

According to PI policy YSAFA would insert the following information in its official information sources: o General Information about YSAFA History Mission (teaching and learning; research, service to society) Strategic plan o Academic programs; Specializations Qualifications o Statistics, including the employment rate; /in the stage of development/ o Students assessment policy and assessment scale; /in the stage of development/ o Academy's self-assessment /will be inserted in future, as if it is in process yet/. According to the mapping 3 questionnaires have been worked out and implemented as QA tools for this process: 1. Questionnaire for students /see Appendix 1/; 2. Questionnaire for applicants/applicants students /see Appendix 2/; 3. Questionnaire for employers /see Appendix 3/. The questionnaires and the data analysis are attached to the report as appendixes/1-4/. All 3 questionnaires have the same purpose: to explore the effectiveness of the means of getting information as well as to find out the most popular/common ways of getting information among
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the stakeholders. They aim to find out how the information provided by YSAFA works, whether the stakeholders get sufficient information about YSAFAs activities. Thus, these surveys will help us to find out what missing information the stakeholders are interested in and by which means they would like to get regular information.

Students survey
In the result of analysis of the data got from the applied student questionnaires (126 surveyed students, 14% of all the students of the Academy) the following was found out: the students get information from Academys official web-site, from deans offices, from oral communications, from the advertisement stands of the Academy. There is no paragraph in Academys PI policy about mass media yet. Conclusion: The Academy needs to clarify mass media venues and the dissemination channels for advertising the Academys activities which will also conduce/promote applicants stream to the Academy. The students had no chance to use the Academys guide as well. The guide has been distributed only among the heads of the departments and the chairs, which is bad practice. Conclusion: The Academy has to increase the circulation of the guides edition and distribute it among the students. More than 40% of the surveyed students are satisfied with the provided information; there was a request by the students: to insert the financial report in the official web-site of the Academy. This will make holistic the transparency of the Academys activity. There were no other comments on the missing information. Conclusion: the Academy has to insert its financial report in its official information sources to ensure its activitys transparency. .Applicants

survey

The number of the surveyed applicants is 37, which is 26% of the applicants. The survey was conducted during the period, when the applicants were presenting their documentations to the admission committee. In the result of the data analysis we found out that most of the surveyed applicants used the Guide of Ministry of Education and Science, Academys official web-site. Some of them were
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informed about the Academy from communications with friends, relatives, and teachers and from other institutions, such as Art School after P. Terlemezyan. The major finding of the conducted survey was that the applicants await more detailed

information about the entrance exams demands and assessment. Conclusion: Academy has to provide more detailed information about the entrance exams demands and assessment. No comments and offers were left in the questionnaires. To the question which is the preferable mean of getting information for them, more than 50% mentioned: messages on the cellular phones. In the frames of DIUSAS program we have decided to create an information booklet for the potential applicants, which will be accessible for the pupils of the high schools. The draft of the booklet is ready. It is designed also to organize meetings with the pupils and to present Academys activities, specialties and the qualifications. Conclusion: Academy has to create mechanisms for attracting pupils of higher school to come and study in Academy. To have already informed student of the first grade, Academy has to send Academys whole information package to the admitted applicants through e-mail.

Employers survey
We ran into a problem with the potential employers: most of them, who have no employees graduates from the Academy or have no connection to the Academy /who do not teach in Academy or had not graduated from it/, have no idea about the Academy, its qualifications and specialties. One of the reasons of the above mentioned is that the labor market is not developed yet properly and, perhaps, the employers themselves are not entirely competent in labor market. The QA department staff members tried to conduct survey in 50 offices, but only 17 employers replied. Only 5 employers of 17 have employers graduates from the Academy. Conclusion: Academy has to review the list of the potential employers and to present

Academys activity to them. Those employers, who are informed about the Academy, use the official web-site to get information. As a source of information they mentioned also the oral communications.
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We shall take into account the Academys specificity: it produces free artists, who do not bind their career with the employers. Anyway, most of the surveyed employers expressed their willing to cooperate with the Academy in different ways: to hold practice in their offices, to conduct diploma works of the students, etc. Conclusion: Academy has to invite them to the shows of the students creative works /exams/, to sign contracts with the employers, to provide with information about Academys graduates skills and qualifications.