“chemical engineering”

Strategic plan for development of Faculty of Material Science and Applied Chemistry

foreseen for years 2000-2006

N#	Measure / activities	Term	Responsible
Realization of studies programs; development of curriculum
	Assessment of content and volume of curriculum according demands of employers, corrections taking into consideration recommendations following from self-evaluation report, internal-audit and external evaluation, suggestions of Convention of Counselors	Regularly, Once per year	Dean; Vice deans
	Consciousness of the demand for specialists within 6 years perspective for national economy of Latvia; establishing of new study programs for teaching of demanded specialists beforehand	February, Annually	Chiefs of specialties
	Creation and opening of new professional study program “Chemical conformity of environment and products”	Studies year 2000/2001	V.Kampars
	Assessment of content and volume of study programs and individual subjects by Council of Study Programs; elimination of defects and improvement of studies programs	Regular meetings, once per month	Directors of study programs
	In cooperation with Convention of Counselors taking into account strategic plan for development of country to forecast potential job market; according obtained results to correct existing and to open new specialties	regularly; once per year	Directors of study programs
	Enhancement of efficiency of practice for professional study programs, involving Convention of Counselors in provision of students with practical placement at the largest industrial enterprises and research institutes. Establishing of wide enough list of enterprises for practice	Till 2001	Chiefs of specialties
	Organization of correspondence and partial time (life-long learning, post diploma education) studies	Till 2002	J.Millers
	Participation in realization of manpower retraining programs	2000-2006	J.Millers
	Participation in fulfillment of integrated study programs at RTU and other universities, providing courses of chemistry, chemical and environmental engineering	2000-2006	Vice dean for education
	Taking into account small number of students at Faculty, to continue unification of study programs, gradually giving up narrow specializations. Create a structure of new study program “Chemical engineering”, which should include most important elements of existing programs “Chemistry” and “Chemical engineering” and would be a result of their further development	Till 2005	Dean
	Formation of structural units consisting from several groups of professors in order to ensure study programs. Involvement of Institute of technical physics in realization of study programs	2000-2006	Dean
Qualification of academic staff
	Encouragement and support of further education and fieldwork of academic staff (at other universities, research institutes and companies using high technologies)	2000-2006	Heads of structural units
	Correction of number and specialties of state professors’ positions at Faculty according changes in study programs. Taking decision on necessity of state professors’ positions in branches “General chemical engineering”, “Technology of wood chemistry” and “Analytical chemistry”	Till 2001	Dean
	Establishing of program for renewal of academic staff	Till October, 2000	Heads of structural units
	Awarding of special extra payment from Faculty Council budget to academic staff younger than 35 years	Starting from 2001 once per semester	Dean
	To organize conferences, workshops and meetings for enhancement of qualification of academic staff	Once per year	Vice dean for education
	To extend state budget granted doctoral studies in order to prepare new teachers, ensuring their distribution within specialties, vital for the development of Faculty and industry. To cancel studies’ fee for those external postgraduates which are employed as academic staff	2000-2006	Dean, heads of structural units
Research work
	To extend investigations by joining to international programs. To intensify work in state priority investigations (organic synthesis, pharmaceutical chemistry, material science), applied investigations and innovation field, carrying necessary research for development of industry in country (market oriented investigations, utilization of local raw materials, generic syntheses, transfer of technologies etc.)	2000-2006	Vice dean for research
	To develop collaboration of structural units and scientists from different branches, including cooperation between chemists and physicists, for realization of large projects or separate parts of them. To continue active participation in system of quality assurance of products and environment.	2000-2006	Dean
	To establish department “Utilization of Latvian mineral wealth” of state importance research center “Material science” at Faculty and to strengthen work in program “Material science”	2001	U.Cielēns
	Provision of regular scientific conferences of students as well as financial support of the best students for participation in international student conferences held abroad. Awarding (gratuities) and public acknowledgement of the most successful students	2000-2006	Vice dean for research
	Publishing of “Scientific proceedings of RTU”, issue “Material science and applied chemistry” starting from 2000	Annually	E.Gudriniece
Material and technical provision of studies and research work
	Consulting of scientific library of RTU concerning acquisition of textbooks and ordering of scientific literature	2000-2006 Regularly	I.Dreijers, M.Drille
	Encouragement of preparation of methodological materials, textbooks, (in Latvian); financial support for publication of best materials. Increase of responsibility of structural units for methodological provision of subjects, acquisition and publication of textbooks and preparation of lecture notes	2000-2006 Regularly	Deans, heads of structural units
	Preparation of electronic lecture notes and handouts for all subjects	Till 2006	Responsible professor of subject
	Modernization of studies by means of PCs for data acquisition and processing in several subjects, such as physical and analytical chemistry, methods of physico-chemical investigation	Till December, 2003	Responsible professor of subject
	Fulfillment of network and computer class of Faculty, optimizing their use for studies and research work	2000-2006	Dean, Network manager
	Replacement of old and out-of-date equipment of laboratories with new	According granted budget	Heads of structural units
	Acquisition and use of budget grants and earnings for provision of infrastructure necessary for studies and research work. To attain updating of largest classrooms with modern technical appliances	2001-2006	Dean, supply manager
Questions of safety and environmental protection
	Preparation of new updated safety regulations for laboratories and regular inspection (once per year – in August)	Till December, 2000	Ē.Pālītis
Assurance of reflexive link: teacher-student-employer
	Organizing of regular questionnaires and debating of results, review at Council of Faculty; correction of actions according results of questionnaires and discussions	Once per year, May	Vice dean for research
	General questionnaires of students concerning studies and study programs	Once per year, May	S.Reihmane
	Questionnaires concerning individual subjects	At the middle and end of the course	Responsible professor of subject
	Questionnaires of academic staff	Once per year, May	M.Dzenis
	Questionnaires of employers and graduates (one year after graduation)	Once per year, May	R.Švinka
	Formation of data bases concerning specialists’ demand, forecast of demand, graduates further career (by specialties; data on graduates of last 6 years)	Updating once per year, May	Chiefs of specialties
Assurance of study process’ quality
	Annual internal audit and summarizing of materials for self-assessment report; review and debating of results at meeting of Faculty Council; establishing of plan for adjusting activities	Once per year, September	Vice deans
	Preparation of next self-evaluation report and other necessary materials for accreditation and presentation to office of Ministry of education and science	June, 2006	Person, responsible for accreditation
Protection of students’ interests
	Strengthening of students’ self-government at Faculty and stimulation of it’s activities; help to solve problems concerning studies’ granting, social credits, studies’ fees for indigents, dormitories, services, compensations of fares, etc.	2000-2006	Dean, students' self-government
	Ensuring of participation of students in collegiate administrative bodies and active opinion exchange concerning organization of studies; improvement of efficiency of collaboration between students and academic staff	2000-2006	Dean; Vice deans
	Support of students’ activities	2000-2006	Dean
	Participation in international projects promoting students exchange (ECTS)	2000-2006	Vice deans
Strengthening of Faculty relations with public, employers, schools
	Organization of interviews (career’s days) for students and employers	Once per year, May	Vice dean for education
	Preparation of advertisements and informative materials of Faculty	2000-2006, Regularly	Vice deans
	Maintenance of home pages of Faculty and structural units in Latvian and English, updating of information once per semester	2000-2006, Regularly	Vice dean for education, Network manager
	Intensive advertisement of study programs “Chemistry” and “Chemical engineering”, successive industrial enterprises and institutions of chemistry branch in media, exhibitions and schools. Support of academic staff, employed as chemistry teachers in secondary schools; organizing of chemistry Olympiads (state and international level). Encouragement of social activities of academic staff; stimulation of participation in popularization of the importance of education.	2000-2006	Dean; Vice deans; Heads of structural units
	Revise of conformity of subject “Chemistry” to real possibilities of secondary educational establishments (together with Latvian association of chemistry teachers and Convention of Counselors) and it’s correction, decrease of factual material and strengthening of links between subject and everyday life.	2000-2006, Report once per 3 years	Work group
	Involvement of students in establishing cooperation between Faculty and secondary schools	2000-2006	Vice dean for education
	Organization of Alumni	Till December, 2001	R.Švinka