Overview
The Department of Mineral Resources Engineering in collaboration with the Quality Assurance Unit (MODIP) of the University of Western Macedonia (UoWM) has drawn up and implemented the Quality Assurance Policy of the Department, fully harmonized with the University Quality Assurance Policy. An integral part of the Quality Assurance Policy is the implementation of procedures providing excellent training and research according to quality criteria. The Quality Assurance Policy of the Department of Mineral Resources Engineering of the UoWM was approved at the No. 16 / 20-11-2020 meeting of the Assembly of the Department.
The Quality Assurance Policy expresses the commitment of the Department to provide education, cater for high quality knowledge, and ensure transparency, equity and academic ethics in every activity of the Department. The quality assurance policy of the Mineral Resources Engineering Department is part of UoWM’s strategic goals, and aims, among others, at ensuring academic quality in the educational process.
Fundamental principles and goals
The Quality Assurance Policy of the Department of Mineral Resources Engineering is regulated by the following fundamental goals and principles:
- Alignment and compliance: the structure and organization of undergraduate (and postgraduate) curricula is in line with international academic standards and current technological trends and aims at adequate and clearly defined learning outcomes and qualifications in accordance with European and National Higher Education.
- Compliance with expectations: through its curricula and infrastructure, the Department offers students the sufficient knowledge and skills to meet the emerging needs and requirements of society and the economy in the field of Mineral Engineering.
- Quality of teaching: the teaching work offered is of high quality and efficiency, whereas and the department’s teaching staff is highly qualified and up to date with the latest scientific developments in the relevant subject areas. The Department aims at employing excellent teaching staff with strict academic criteria and in accordance with current legislation for the selection of permanent and adjunct faculty in order to meet the many and urgent needs of teaching and research in fields not covered by the permanent and adjunct staff.
- Linking research and teaching: research of high quality and recognition is conducted by the Department, used to enrich the objectives and contents of the courses offered.
- Quality of the Infrastructure: the undergraduate and postgraduate students, the doctoral candidates, and the Department’s alumni, are offered state of the art facilities and services, which are organized and maintained effectively. The Department also aims to provide high quality support services, i.e., administrative, libraries and student care services.
- Extroversion and Transparency: the Department strengthens its extroversion and its collaborations with local and national bodies and the transparency in its operation.
- Organization of the internal quality assurance system of the Department: through its institutions and in implementation of the Internal Quality Assurance System of UoWM, the Department monitors and improves the quality of its actions.
- Roles: the Department undertakes the internal organization of responsibilities and positions of responsibility in terms of transparency and equality.
Organization of the quality assurance system and development of quality actions
The quality assurance procedures of the Internal Quality Assurance System (IQAS) of UoWM are applied at the level of the Department with the required specialization on a case-by-case basis. The implementation of the IQAS is monitored and controlled by the Quality Assurance Unit (MODIP) of UoWM. The implementation of the IQAS and the achievement of the objectives of the Quality Assurance Policy of the Department are the responsibility of the Internal Evaluation Group( OMEA) and the Assembly of the Department.
Internal Evaluation Group
The Department Internal Evaluation Group is staffed with faculty members acquiring the necessary experience, whereas it is also assisted by qualified technical and scientific staff. Its responsibilities include, inter alia:
- supervising, inspecting and formulating proposals for improving the quality assurance policy and system,
- collecting the required data and ensuring the quality, accuracy and timeliness of the data,
- monitoring the effectiveness of feedback procedures and the processing of relevant information, such as the information coming by the students’ evaluation of the courses
- internal evaluation and support for external evaluation and certification,
- the formulation of proposals to the Assembly of the Department regarding quality improvement of the operation of the Department, in relation to the objectives of the quality policy.
Department Head
The President of the Department has, among others, the following responsibilities according to the Law, which contribute to the assurance of quality assurance procedures in education and research:
- Directs the services of the Department and supervises the smooth operation of the Department and the observance of the laws, the Organization and the Internal Regulations.
- Convenes the Assembly of the Department, prepares the agenda, appoints as a rapporteur a member of the Assembly, chairs its work, proposes issues on which no other member of the Assembly has been appointed rapporteur and ensures the implementation of its decisions.
- Ensures the implementation of the curriculum, including educational activities.
- Supervises the keeping of the registers of scientific publications of the Department.
- Forwards to the bodies provided by law the opinions, proposals or suggestions of the Department Assembly.
- Establishes committees for the study or processing of specific issues within the competence of the Department.
The Department Assembly
The Assembly of the Department is the highest governing body of the Department and has the responsibility, among others of:
- undertaking actions and corrective actions for the achievement of the objectives of the quality assurance policy of the Department and, in general, for the qualitative improvement of the operation of the Department,
- periodic review of the quality assurance policy and its review, when necessary,
- periodic review, inspection and review, where appropriate, of the quality assurance system,
- ensuring the resources required to implement the quality assurance policy.
- Finally, every member of the staff of the Department has the obligation to contribute to the implementation of the quality assurance policy and to the achievement of its objectives.
Internal Evaluation Report of the Department of Mineral Resources Engineering 2019-2020