THE QUALITY ASSURANCE OF CONSTRUCTION ENGINEERING STUDIES AT VILNIUS GEDIMINAS TECHNICAL UNIVERSITY

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1 Civil Engineering Education in Changing Europe 221 Summary THE QUALITY ASSURANCE OF CONSTRUCTION ENGINEERING STUDIES AT VILNIUS GEDIMINAS TECHNICAL UNIVERSITY Alfonsas Daniūnas 1, Algirdas Juozapaitis 2, Povilas Vainiūnas 3 1, 2 Assoc. Prof. Dr. Sc., 3 Prof. Dr. Sc., Vilnius Gediminas Technical University, Vilnius, Lithuania 1 alfonsas.daniunas@adm.vgtu.lt; 2 alg@st.vgtu.lt; 3 povva@t.vgtu.lt After the restoration of independence in 1990 Vilnius Gediminas technical university was one of the first universities in Lithuania, which implement a three-stage study system. In other Lithuanian university higher education institutions implemented the most important part of the study reform, i.e. they redesign the study programmes into a three-stage BSc-MSc-DS system (4-2-4 year). The autonomy higher education institutions in Lithuania and the limits of its regulation are determined by the Constitution of the Republic of Lithuania, by laws and the statutes of higher education schools. The studies in the first study stage of the Civil engineering faculty are organised according to 6 Bachelor s degree programs and in the second study stage are organised according to 8 Master s degree programmes. The Civil engineering faculty on the basis of the State and university Regulations and Guidelines and international experience redesign all Construction Engineering Study Programme. 1. Introduction Lithuanian higher schools act in the global, European and Lithuanian context of science, culture and economics. With regard to this context the studies content, activity forms, relations with the state change. Constant renewal proceeds on the basis of competition, free initiative, and moderate state regulation. Higher education is the highest link of consistent educational system of Lithuania. Study, science or other creative activity principle is implemented in the system of higher education; pedagogical work is purposefully coordinated with the preparation of scientists, scientific research or art field. After the restoration of independence in 1990 our university was one of the first universities in Lithuania, which implement a three-stage study system (Fig 1). In the same year the first students were accepted for four-year bachelor s degree studies of construction engineering. The master s degree studies in construction engineering were started in During five years the threestages study model with four-year bachelor s degree studies; as well as twoyear master s degree studies and four-year doctoral studies were completely applied. In other Lithuanian university higher education institutions implemented the most important part of the study reform, i.e. they rearranged the study programmes into a three-stage BSc-MSc-DS system (4-2-4 year).

2 222 6 th AECEF Symposium in Vilnius, Lithuania, May, 2008 This system neither change after signing of The Bologna Declaration [1] (1999), nor when Lithuania joined the European Union (2004), because according to its structural frame it coincided with all the Bologna recommendations and the on-going reform in the EU countries. In 2004 was introduced new college sector of higher education which provides the professional bachelor degree. The main priority of the study system adopted in our university is the completed each stage of the studies, i.e. after each study stage a graduate not only receives a Bachelor s, Master s or Doctor s Degree, but is ready for a practical activity of certain level. Fig 1. Study system of Vilnius Gediminas Technical University 2. Autonomy and accountability of Universities Lithuanian higher education, researches, scope of autonomy stage of higher schools is determined by the Law on Higher Education of the Republic of Lithuania [2]. It states that Lithuanian higher educational institutions have autonomy, which covers the activity of academic, administrational, economy and financial management, which is based on the self-government principle, academic freedom, it is determined by the Constitution of the Republic of Lithuania, by laws and the statutes of higher schools. Universities have the following rights to: choose the forms and fields of studies, scientific research, and professional arts activities; determine the order of studies; prepare and approve the study programmes; award qualification, scientific degrees and pedagogical titles; publish studies, scientific and other literature;

3 Civil Engineering Education in Changing Europe 223 determine their own structure, internal work order, particular number of academic and research staff, administration and other personnel, as well as determine their rights and duties, conditions of payment, which do not contradict the laws in force; elect self-government institutions regarding to the order established by the statute; enrol and dismiss students; determine the forms of the cooperation with Lithuanian and foreign companies, institutions and organizations; manage its property, use it and dispose it regarding the order established by law. 3. Studies and science assessment system in Lithuania 3.1. General principles The Law on Higher Education regulates the main requirements for the higher educational institution and defines aspects of quality assurance in higher education. The Ministry of Education and Science and the Centre for Quality Assessment in Higher Education (CQAHE) are the main external institutions which assessing the quality of higher education. The Ministry of Education and Science pursuant to the Law on Higher Education prepared the regulations for all study areas. The main aims of the regulations are as follows: to assist higher educational institutions in preparing and assessing study programmes; to inform students and employers about the quality level in the higher education institutions; to orient professional associations providing professional qualifications. The studies of the Construction Engineering type are regulated by the Regulation of the study area of general technology (engineering) studies [4]. The Regulation obliges higher educational institutions to ensure that the content of their prepared study programmes, as well as their realisation methods, shall ensure that the graduates shall have enough knowledge and skills, abilities to find out the phenomena related to engineering, as well as the ability for he/she to apply engineering knowledge in practical and professional activity, and ability to act in activities related not only to engineering. The University, in order to start enrol students according to a new study programme, has to register it in the Ministry of Education and Science. Before the registration of the study programme in the Ministry, external evaluation of the study programme shall be performed by CQAHE.

4 224 6 th AECEF Symposium in Vilnius, Lithuania, May, Assessment of studies quality Since 1995 the CQAHE performs external assessment of the preparation for studies and the studies quality. At present external assessment of the quality of higher education in universities is performed by evaluating the studies quality and the science quality separately. General external institutional evaluation shall be started in several years. All study programmes are externally evaluated not less than once in 8 years. The study programmes are evaluated by the groups of experts (in some cases experts are invited from foreign counties), which include specialists of particular study area, representatives of the ministries or other state institutions, and professional associations. The experts are provided with the summary on self-analysis, prepared by the institutions, which covers the following information: The aim of study programme; learning outcomes; The list of the studied subjects in the study programme and its scope in credits; Qualification of the academic staff, which implements the programme; Learning and other resources; Description of final theses; Drop out numbers; Students feedback on studies; Estimation of graduates by employers ; Information about the external relations of the programme implementers with employers and social partners; International mobility of academic staff and students. After the group of experts is acquainted with the self-analysis report of institutions and visits these institutions, it prepares conclusions on the primary assessment. The conclusions are introduced to the assessed institutions. The group of experts analyses the comments provided by the assesed institution and additional materials, and prepares conclusions of final assessment. These conclusions are discussed in the Council of Experts on the assessment of institutional activity. With regard to final assessment conclusions and the decision of the Council of Experts, the Ministry of Education and Science approves the decision regarding the accreditation of the assessed studies programmes. From 2000 the assessment of science and research results started. Scientific activities of institutions are evaluated with regard to the Database of Science and Study Institutions of the Republic of Lithuania (it includes scientific publications and other research activities) and Formal Evaluation Methodology of Scientific Production.

5 Civil Engineering Education in Changing Europe Organization of studies in the faculty of civil engineering University Council is an institution of public supervision body. It evaluates, how the higher educational institution implements its tasks, and how it adds to economic, social, and cultural development of the state. The main academic selfgovernment institution body of the university is the Senate. One of the main functions of the Senate is to control the quality of studies and the preparation of scientists. On the basis of Senate decisions were established new versions of Guidelines for curriculum development at Vilnius Gediminas technical university (Guidelines) [5,6]. Integration into the EU, globalization of higher education, market needs force constant reviews of the current study programmes and establish new programmes. At present all university, as well as Civil Engineering Faculty study programmes are rearranged according to the requirements of new documents on study programmes. During the improvement of the study content a lot of attention is paid to the development of abilities and skills of graduates, as well as suggestions of employers and social partners are evaluated, and their experience shall be applied. The studies in the first study stage of the Civil engineering faculty are organized according to 6 Bachelor s degree programs: Construction engineering - specializations: Structures and Design Management, Geotechnics, Engineering architecture; Building Materials and products; Civil Engineering Management; Energy and Transport Structural Engineering; Real Estate Management; Fire Protection. The studies in the second study stage are organized according to 8 Master s degree programs: Construction Engineering - specializations: Renovation of buildings, Structural Quality Control, Fire protection of structures and equipments, Engineering architecture; Structural engineering - specializations: Building Structures, Bridges and Viaducts, Special Structures, Analysis and Optimizations of structures; Geotechnics; Building Materials and products; Civil Engineering Management; Real Estate Management; Ergonomics in Production; Safety Engineering. All study programmes are registered and accredited in the state register of study programmes. Studies are organized according to three study forms: daytime (full-time), evening (part-time) and extra-mural. Some of extra-mural programmes are performed as distance learning studies. Figs 2 and 3 present the scopes of the first stage (bachelor degree) Construction Engineering Programme according to the subject groups. Fig 2 presents minimum requirements by credits and percents according to the Regulations of the study area of general technical (engineering) studies [4], and Fig 3 presents the distribution of subject groups of a new Construction Engineering Study Programme into contact hours and percents. The Study Subject groups are accepted as they have been accepted in the report of EUCEET project [7], Table 1. In

6 226 6 th AECEF Symposium in Vilnius, Lithuania, May, 2008 comparing these pictures it may be obvious that according to the Guidelines, a group of free choice subjects in the new Construction Engineering programme is assigned to special studies subjects. For clarity, one study credit in Lithuania equals 1.5 ECTS credit. VGTU CONSTRUCTION ENGINEERING K; 24; 15% A; 24; 14% H; 12; 8% B; 20; 13% G; 8; 5% F; 12; 8% E; 8; 5% D; 28; 17% C; 24; 15% A B C D E F G H K Fig 2. Scope of Subject Groups A-H (explanations in Table 1) by credits and percents according to the Regulation [4]: where K means a group of free choice subjects VGTU CONSTRUCTION ENGINEERING H; 480; 13% A; 483; 13% G; 320; 9% B; 371; 10% F; 258; 7% E; 172; 5% C; 572; 16% D; 962; 27% A B C D E F G H Fig 3. The Scope of Subject Groups A-H (explanations in Table 1) by contact hours and percents in the Construction engineering study programme

7 Civil Engineering Education in Changing Europe 227 The Civil Engineering Faculty from 1999 participates in SOCRATES thematic network project EUCEET. During the participation in this project we had an opportunity to evaluate the experience of other EU countries, which participated in the project in the preparation of students of construction engineering [7]. It is clear from Fig 4 that the number of hours of basic engineering preparation and special study part is similar in many universities, as well as our newly prepared study programmes. Table 1. Study Programme Subject Groups according to [7] Category Name of category Examples of subjects A Basic Sciences Mathematics, Physics, Chemistry B Engineering Sciences Mechanics, Strength of Materials, FEM, Computer Science, Drawing-Graphics C Core Civil Engineering Subjects Static, Dynamics, Hydraulics, Soil Mechanics, Fluid Mechanics, Elasticity & Plasticity, Building Materials, Surveying, Reinforced Concrete, Hydrology D Engineering Specialisation Steel Structures, Reinforced Concrete Structures, Foundation Engineering, Earthquake Engineering, Non-linear Design of Structures, Hydraulic Systems in Transitory Regime, Hydraulic Structures E F G H Economics and Management Subjects Humanities, Social Sciences, Languages, and Physical Education Field Work Final Project 5. Preparation of the faculty for changes In order to create better conditions for future specialist of construction engineering to obtain more knowledge and skills and improve their position in the labour market, the faculty plans the improvement of the following areas with regard to market needs and student expectations: study programmes; subject modules; content and preparation of final theses;

8 228 6 th AECEF Symposium in Vilnius, Lithuania, May, 2008 praxis organisation; implementation Quality management system of study process; wider application of e-learning in all forms of studies; enrolment to the university feedback measures VGTU CEF Cambrige U London U Riga TU Tallin TU Berlin TU Prague TU A B C D E F H Fig 4. Comparison of the scope of subject groups A-H (explanations in Table 1) by contact hours with the groups in Construction engineering study programme at VGTU and some universities of the EU countries It is planned to develop joint international study programmes of all three stages in the field of internationalization strategy; the priority shall be double or joint diplomas; as well as increasing mobility of students, who would like to study and perform their practice abroad. During the implementation of the strategy of life-long learning, the faculty consistently proposes new urgent programmes and courses of continuous learning for the persons employed in industry, business or other fields; improvement of their qualification or obtaining qualification degree of higher education. In the field of science and research it is suggested to use the possibilities of the European Union science area by increasing the scope of technology transfer, application of innovations, developing participation in international projects. In order to reach the main aims with business structures, it is planned that the directions of studies and scientific researches shall meet the aims of increasing competition of the EU. It is planned to be an active participant of national and EU technological platforms.

9 Civil Engineering Education in Changing Europe Conclusions 1. After the restoration of independence in 1990 Vilnius Gediminas technical university was one of the first universities, which started to apply three-stage studies system in Lithuania (Fig 1). In on the universities initiative the most important part of the Lithuanian higher education studies reform was implemented, i.e. study programmes rearranged into the three-stage BSc-MSc- DS system (4-2-4 year). 2. At present higher education in Lithuania is regulated by legal acts and externally evaluated by the state. In our opinion, such regulation is too strict. 3. The Civil Engineering Faculty, on the basis of the State and university Regulations and Guidelines [4-6] and international experience redesign all Construction Engineering Study Programme. The analysis of specialization Structures and Design Management of one, as the main study programme of Construction engineering shows that the redesign and improved study programme in its structure and quality meets the level of university programmes of other EU countries. 4. The faculty is ready to create better conditions for future specialists of Construction engineering to obtain more knowledge and skills with regard to market needs and student expectations. References [1] The Bologna Declaration of 19 June Joint Declaration of the European Ministers of Education. 6 p. [2] DANIUNAS, A. Two tier Engineering Education System: Ten Years of Experience//Proceedings of SEFI Curriculum Development Group International Seminar Bologna Spirit in Two Tier Engineering Education Curricula Development. Held at Vilnius Technical University May 2002, Vilnius, Lithuania, SEFI Document, Brussels, 2002, p. [3] Law of the Republic of Lithuania on Higher Education//Valstybės žinios, 2000, Nr (in Lithuanian). [4] Order of the Minister of the Education and Science of the Republic of Lithuania confirming the Regulations of the study area of general technical (engineering) studies. 2005, Vilnius. 12 p. (in Lithuanian) [5] Guidelines for curriculum development within the first cycle study programmes at Vilnius Gediminas Technical University. 2007, Vilnius, VGTU 23 p. (in Lithuanian). [6] Guidelines for curriculum development within the second cycle (Master s degree) study programmes at Vilnius Gediminas Technical University. 2007, Vilnius, VGTU. (in Lithuanian). [7] MANOLIU, I., BUGNARIU, T. Inquiries into European Higher Education in Civil Engineering, First EUCEET vol. 2001, Bucharest. 311 p.

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