eua self-evaluation report 16feb final...
TRANSCRIPT
EUROPEAN UNIVERSITY ASSOCIATION
INSTITUTIONAL EVALUATION
SELF-EVALUATION REPORT
February 14th, 2007
2 / 36
TABLE OF CONTENTS
Table of contents ....................................................................................................................................................................2 List of Acronyms.....................................................................................................................................................................3 1 Introduction.....................................................................................................................................................................6
1.1 The self-evaluation steering committee .............................................................................................................6 1.2 The self-evaluation process .................................................................................................................................6
2 Institutional context ....................................................................................................................................................... 6 2.1 Brief historical overview ...................................................................................................................................... 6 2.2 Geographic location .............................................................................................................................................7 2.3 Departments and research centres .....................................................................................................................7 2.4 Students ..................................................................................................................................................................7 2.5 Finance ...................................................................................................................................................................8
3 Norms and values ...........................................................................................................................................................8 3.1 Mission and goals..................................................................................................................................................8 3.2 Constraints and opportunities...........................................................................................................................11
4 Organisation and activities ..........................................................................................................................................15 4.1 Management ........................................................................................................................................................15 4.2 Analysis of research and educational approaches ..........................................................................................20 4.3 Academically related activities...........................................................................................................................23 4.4 Funding ................................................................................................................................................................27
5 Quality practices: How does the institution know it works?..................................................................................29 5.1 How are responsibilities for internal quality shared across the institution? ...............................................29 5.2 Are internal quality processes based on explicit quality standards? Are these quality standards widely known and accepted in the institution? Have they been widely discussed in the institution: is there a shared culture of quality?....................................................................................................................................30 5.3 How adequate are the resources available to support internal quality processes? ....................................30 5.4 What are the available internal quality processes?..........................................................................................30 5.5 To what extent are the outcomes of internal quality processes used in decision-making and strategic planning? ............................................................................................................................................................32
6 Strategic management and capacity for change........................................................................................................32 7 Conclusions ...................................................................................................................................................................33
7.1 SWOT...................................................................................................................................................................33 7.2 Action Plan ..........................................................................................................................................................35 7.3 Final Remarks......................................................................................................................................................36
3 / 36
LIST OF ACRONYMS
DEPARTMENTS
BIO – Department of Biology (Departamento de Biologia) CA – Department of Communication and Art (Departamento de Comunicação e Arte) CIVIL – Department of Civil Engineering (Departamento de Engenharia Cicil) CV – Department of Glass and Ceramics Engineering (Departamento de Engenharia Cerâmica e do Vidro) DAO – Department of Environment and Planning (Departamento de Ambiente e Ordenamento) DCE – Department of Educational Sciences (Departamento de Ciências da Educação) DEGEI – Department of Economics, Industrial Management and Engineering (Departamento de Economia, Gestão e Engenharia Industrial) DETI – Department of Electronics, Telecommunications and Informatics (Departamento de Electrónica, Telecomunicações e Informática) DLC – Department of Languages and Cultures (Departamento de Línguas e Culturas) DQ – Department of Chemistry (Departamento de Química) DTE – Department of Didactics and Educational Technology (Departamento de Didáctica e Tecnologia Educativa) FIS – Department of Physics (Departamento de Física) GEO – Department of Geosciences (Departamento de Geociências) MAT – Department of Mathematics (Departamento de Matemática) MEC – Department of Mechanical Engineering (Departamento de Engenharia Mecânica)
AUTONOMOUS SECTIONS
CS – Autonomous Section of Health Sciences (Secção Autónoma das Ciências da Saúde) CSJP - Autonomous Section of Social, Juridical and Political Sciences (Secção Autónoma de Ciências Sociais, Jurídicas e Políticas)
POLYTECHNIC SCHOOLS
ESAN – The Aveiro – North School of Design, Management and Production Technologies (Escola Superior de Design, Gestão e Tecnologia da Produção Aveiro - Norte) ESSUA – The Aveiro Health School (Escola Superior de Saúde da Universidade de Aveiro) ESTGA – The Águeda School of Technology and Management (Escola Superior de Tecnologia e Gestão de Águeda) ISCA – The Aveiro Institute of Accountancy and Administration of Aveiro (Instituto de Contabilidade e Administração da Universidade de Aveiro)
RESEARCH UNITS
CBC – Centre for Cell Biology (Centro de Biologia Celular) CCPSF – Development of Pedagogic Knowledge in Education and Training Systems (Construção do Conhecimento Pedagógico nos Sistemas de Formação) CDTTF – Research Unit for Didactics and Technology in Teacher Education (Centro de Investigação em Didáctica e Tecnologia na Formação de Formadores) CECE – Centre for the Study of Entrepreneurial Competitivity (Centro de Estudos de Competitividade Empresarial) CEGOPP – Centre for Research in Governance and Public Policy (Centro de Estudos em Governança e Políticas Públicas) CEOC – Centre for Research in Optimisation and Control (Centro de Estudos em Optimização e Controlo) CLC – Centre for Languages and Cultures (Centro de Línguas e Culturas) ELMAS – Lithospheric and Surficial Environment Evolution Research Unit (Evolução Litosférica e do Meio Ambientel de Superfície) FSCOSD – Physics of Layered Semiconductors, Opto-Electronics and Disordered Systems Research Unit (Física de Semicondutores em Camadas, Optoelectrónica e Sistemas Desordenados) IEETA – Institute of Electronic Engineering and Telematics of Aveiro (Instituto de Engenharia Electrónica e Telemática de Aveiro) MA – Mathematics and Applications Research Unit (Matemática e Aplicações) MIA – Industrial Minerals and Clays Research Unit (Minerais Industriais e Argilas) QOPNA – Organic Chemistry, Natural and Agro-Food Products Research Unit (Química Orgânica e de Produtos Naturais e Agroalimentares) TEMA – Centre for Mechanical Technology and Automation (Centro de Tecnologia Mecânica e Automação) UNICA – Research Unit on Communication and Art (Unidade de Investigação em Comunicação e Arte)
4 / 36
ASSOCIATED LABORATORIES
CESAM – Centre of Environmental and Marine Studies (Centro de Estudos do Ambiente e Mar) CICECO – Centre for Research in Ceramics and Composite Materials (Centro de Investigação em Materiais Cerâmicos e Compósitos) I3N – Institute for Nano-Structures, Nano-Modelling and Nano-Manufacture (Instituto para as Nano-estruturas, Nano-modelação e Nano-manufactura) IT – Telecommunications Institute (Instituto de Telecomunicações)
OTHER
AAAUA – Alumni Association (Associação de Antigos Alunos da Universidade de Aveiro) AAUAv – Students’ Union (Associação Académica da Universidade de Aveiro) ACD – Cultural and Sporting Activities (Actividades Culturais e Desportivas) APL – Accreditation of Prior Learning AURN - Association of Universities of the Northern Region (Associação das Universidades da Região Norte) CEIDET – Centre for Studies in Innovation and Entrepreneurial and Territorial Dynamics (Centro de Estudos em Inovação e Dinâmicas Territoriais) CEMED – Multimedia and Distance Learning Centre (Centro Multimédia e de Ensino a Distância) CET – Technical Specialisation Programme (Curso de Especialização Tecnológica) CIAQ – Kindergarten (Centro de Infância Arte e Qualidade) CICUA – Informatics and Communication Centre (Centro de Informática e Comunicações) CIFOP – Integrated Teacher Education Centre (Centro Integrado de Formação de Professores) CRE –Association of European Universities (former) DETI – Full-Time Equivalent Teacher ECDU – University Teacher Career Statutes (Estatuto da Carreira Docente Universitária) ECDESP – Polytechnic Teacher Career Statutes (Estatuto da Carreira Docente do Ensino Superior Politécnico) ECIU – European Consortium of Innovative Universities ECTS – European Credit Transfer System EIT – European Institute of Technology ETI – Full-Time Equivalent EU – European Union EUCEN – European University Continuing Education Network FCT – Science and Technology Foundation (Fundação para a Ciência e Tecnologia) FJJM – João Jacinto Magalhães Foundation (Fundação João Jacinto Magalhães) GAGI – Information Management Office (Gabinete de Gestão de Informação) GAPI – Industrial Property Office (Gabinete de Apoio à Propriedade Industrial) GAQAP –Quality, Evaluation and Procedures Office (Gabinete de Qualidade, Avaliação e Procedimentos) GESP – Internships and Professional Opportunities Office (Gabinete de Estágios e Saídas Profissionais) GRETUA – Experimental Theatre Group (Grupo Experimental de Teatro da Universidade de Aveiro) GRUPUNAVE – UA Holding HE – Higher Education ICT – Information and Communication Technologies IDAD – Institute for Environment and Development (Instituto de Ambiente e Desenvolvimento) IEETA – Institute of Electronic Engineering and Telematics of Aveiro (Instituto de Engenharia Electrónica e Telemática de Aveiro) IFIU – University Undergraduate Education Institute (Instituto de Formação Inicial Universitária) IFP – Polytechnic Education Institute (Instituto de Formação Politécnica) IFPG – University Postgraduate Education Institute (Instituto de Formação Pós-Graduada) IFs – Education Institutes (IFIU, IPF and IFPG) II – Research Institute (Instituto de Investigação) IMHE – Institute for the Management of Higher Education INE – National Institute of Statistics (Instituto Nacional de Estatística) KPI – Key Performance Indicator LEGUA – Legislation, Regulations and Procedures Knowledge Base LLL – Lifelong Learning MCTES – Ministry of Science, Technology and Higher Education (Ministério da Ciência, Tecnologia e Ensino Superior) OECD – Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development PACO – Academic Portal (Portal Académico On-Line) PIDDAC – Central Government Investment and Development Expenditure Programme (Plano de Investimento e Despesas de Desenvolvimento da Administração Central) SASUA – Student Welfare Services (Serviços de Acção Social)
5 / 36
SDUA – University Library Services (Serviços de Documentação) SIADAP – Integrated System for Evaluation of Public Administration (Sistema Integrado de Avaliação da Administração Pública) SIGEF – Integrated Financial Management System (Sistema Integrado de Gestão Financeira) SINBAD – Digital Library and Archive (Sistemas de Informação de Biblioteca e Arquivo Digital) UA – University of Aveiro (Universidade de Aveiro) UATEC – Unit for Technology Transfer (Unidade de Transferência de Tecnologia) UNAVE – Association for Professional Training and Research (Associação para a Formação Profissional e Investigação)
6 / 36
1 INTRODUCTION
1.1 THE SELF-EVALUATION STEERING COMMITTEE
The composition of the self-evaluation steering committee was decided by the Rector and first announced to the planning and management committee of the University Senate on 21st June 2006. The individual members were officially appointed on 20th December 2006. The committee includes seven faculty members, three staff and one student. The faculty members are from four different university departments and one polytechnic school.
President José Alberto Rafael Vice-Rector, Associate Professor, Engineering
Secretariat & Technical Support
Daniela Costa Miguel Conceição
Rectory Staff, Social Sciences Rectory Staff, Engineering
António Sousa Pereira Head of Research Unit, Full Professor, Engineering
Fátima Duarte University Administrator, Economics
Gillian Moreira Assistant Professor, Arts and Humanities
Gonçalo Paiva Dias Assistant Professor (Polytechnic), Engineering
João Pedro Sousa Rosa Undergraduate Student, Exact Sciences
José Fernando Mendes Head of Department, Full Professor, Exact Sciences
Manuel Assunção Vice-Rector, Full Professor, Exact Sciences
Members
Maria Luís Pinto Head of Department, Assistant Professor, Social Sciences
1.2 THE SELF-EVALUATION PROCESS
The self-evaluation committee met on a weekly basis. Whenever necessary, subcommittees were appointed to perform specific tasks and other actors were invited to participate in the meetings. The first meeting took place on 2nd October 2006. The academic community was initially involved through a questionnaire designed to identify perceptions regarding the main issues of the evaluation process (see Appendix K). The questionnaire was sent to all Senate members, both the members who recently ended their term and those who are currently members, and other leading members of the university, such as Heads of Research Units and Heads of Departmental Scientific Committees. Later, not only were the results of the questionnaire sent to all the respondents, but a draft of this report was sent to them as well for comments. A specific group of senior members of the academic community (former rectors, for example) was formed and these individuals were asked to read and comment critically on the report. Their comments were fed back into the report whenever considered appropriate.
2 INSTITUTIONAL CONTEXT
2.1 BRIEF HISTORICAL OVERVIEW
The University of Aveiro (UA) is one of Portugal’s 14 public universities. It was founded in 1973, one of the third generation of Portuguese Universities1, and has grown into a successful, dynamic and competitive institution. Integrated in the community and region, it has a strong research dimension and offers a range of 36 university undergraduate programmes (some of which follow a Major / Minor structure), 16 polytechnic undergraduate programmes, 20 new 2nd cycle masters programmes (including 5 integrated Masters programmes), 31 doctoral programmes and 21 post-secondary vocational programmes (see Appendix E). Committed from the start to innovation, quality and the attainment of national and international recognition in the three pillars of Education, Research and Cooperation with society, the UA has built a profile based on sciences and technology and on pioneering areas. Its initial study programmes were launched in Electronics, Ceramics and Teacher Education. Subsequent programmes in Enviromental
1 Before 1973, there were only four universities in Portugal – Coimbra, Lisbon, Porto and the Technical University of Lisbon.
7 / 36
Engineering, New Technologies of Communication, Industrial Management and Engineering, Regional and Urban Studies, Music, and Design were all new areas at national level. Today, Electronics and Telecommunications, Materials & Nano-sciences, Environment and Marine Studies and Teacher Education are recognised as four areas of excellence, confirming the initial strategic choices of the university.
2.2 GEOGRAPHIC LOCATION
The UA is located mainly in Aveiro, a medium-sized city in Portugal’s central region, in the heart of a well-developed industrial region and a prosperous centre for commerce and services. It is positioned between the two large, prestigious universities of Coimbra and Porto. This geographic location has been both a challenge and a stimulus for the UA since its foundation. The University Departments, the School of Health Sciences and the Institute of Accounting and Administration are located on the university’s central campus (Campus Santiago), on the southern side of the city of Aveiro. The School of Technology and Management is located in the city of Águeda, 20 kms eastwards, and the Aveiro-North School of Design, Management and ProductionTechnology is situated in Oliveira de Azeméis, 40 kms north of Aveiro. Campus Santiago, overlooking the Aveiro lagoon, is a prize-winning Campus, renowned for its many buildings designed by famous Portuguese architects, and admired for its size and spaciousness and the unique conditions it offers to the university community. Its more than 40 buildings are purpose-built, for teaching and research, administrative and technical support, student and staff residences, library, bookshop, canteens, bars and restaurants, sports facilities, laundry, post-office, bank, kindergarten.
2.3 DEPARTMENTS AND RESEARCH CENTRES
The UA does not follow the traditional Faculty structure, but is organised in polytechnic schools and university departments. This matrix structure (see Appendix B) allows it to better accomplish its mission. The UA can be characterised as an Integrated Higher Education Network, encompassing a range of educational possibilities, university, polytechnic and post-secondary. It comprises 17 departments/autonomous sections, 4 polytechnic schools, 15 research units and 4 associated laboratories (see Appendix B).
2.4 STUDENTS
Evolution of Registered Students
0
2000
4000
6000
8000
10000
12000
14000
73
/74
74
/75
75
/76
76
/77
77
/78
78
/79
79
/80
80
/81
81
/82
82
/83
83
/84
84
/85
85
/86
86
/87
87
/88
88
/89
89
/90
90
/91
91
/92
92
/93
93
/94
94
/95
95
/96
96
/97
97
/98
98
/99
99
/00
00
/01
01
/02
02
/03
03
/04
04
/05
05
/06
*'0
6/0
7
Undergraduate Postgraduate
Figure 1 – Evolution of Registered Students (1973 - 2006) Note: Student numbers in Figure 1 are recorded on July 31st, except in 2006/2007, when the figures were recorded on December 31st.
In the academic year 2006/2007, over 10,000 undergraduate and nearly 2,000 postgraduate students were registered at the university. As can be observed in Figure 1, the total number of students rose steadily over the first decade and a half of the university’s existence, increased rapidly through the 1990s and has stabilised at around 12,500 students over the last five years. This growth pattern reflects the general situation in Portugal where a period of rapid expansion in higher education has been followed by a slowing
8 / 36
down of undergraduate intake owing to demographic factors and an imbalance between offer and demand (between 2003 and 2005, public offer exceeded demand). In view of this situation, the UA adopted two strategies, one to adapt its undergraduate offer to demand, the other to expand and vary its postgraduate programmes. The UA’s target of 12,500 students, set in 1998, has therefore been reached and its strategy for managing offer/demand successful, given that its admission rate reached 101% in 2006/2007. Of this total, a goal of at least 20% was set for postgraduate students. However, the reorganisation of higher education in accordance with the Bologna process has altered the relationship between under and postgraduate levels, making a target of over 50% more appropriate in the near future. The breakdown of students by graduation level and area of study can be found in Appendix F.
2.5 FINANCE
By far the largest part of university funding comes from public institutions (72% in 2005), and the largest part of this funding (around 60% of the total in 2005) comes from direct government funding from the national budget. This sum is calculated by means of a formula for the distribution of a fixed amount made available by central government for all higher education institutions. This amount has been falling steadily over the last 5 years. The number of students and the costs of the subject area are taken into account when calculating the government’s contribution. The quality of the academic staff and the pedagogical efficiency are also taken into account. Students pay annual fees of 920 euros, for 1st and 2nd Cycle tuition, and between 1500 and 2500 at the doctoral level. In 2005, these tuition fees amounted to approximately 14% of the budget. European Union funding contributes mainly to research and development (7% in 2005). Funding for research is obtained through national (mainly through the FCT2) and international competition. Another funding source is through development contracts with companies, and local and national administration, in response to their specific needs.
Basic State Funding
60%
FCT Funding
12%
Contract Services
5%
Private Subsidies
2%
EU Financing
7%
Student fees
14%
Figure 2 – Funding Distribution 2005.
3 NORMS AND VALUES
3.1 MISSION AND GOALS
The mission of the University of Aveiro (UA) is to create knowledge and expand access to knowledge through research, education and cooperation for the benefit of people and society; to undertake the project of global development of the individual; to be active in the construction of a European research and education community; and to promote a model of regional development based on innovation and scientific and technological knowledge.
2 The FCT (Science and Technology Foundation) is an agency of the Portuguese Ministry of Science, Technology and Higher Education. It manages the public research funds and coordinates the evaluation of the research units.
9 / 36
The UA aims to stay among the three best universities in Portugal. This is to be accomplished by maintaining clear goals and priorities in terms of research, education and cooperation with society, by monitoring and assessing quality, and by improving management practices. The goals we describe below will be better understood bearing in mind the content of Section 4 of this report.
3.1.1 What balance is the institution aiming to achieve in terms of its local, regional, national, and international position?
Since its creation, the UA has aimed at a strong national and international positioning while paying special attention to its local environment. Regional industries and a local-based competence centre, for instance, were the inspiration for two of the very first graduation programmes: telecommunications and ceramics. Today, the UA reaffirms its local and regional commitment by being important in its own region in all the relevant areas while keeping its goal of being competitive in national and international terms in at least three of those areas.
3.1.2 What are the institution’s policies and aims regarding international relations at European and international levels? International cooperation in research and postgraduate education is considered extremely relevant. In effect, participation in European networks and partnerships with foreign universities are regarded as opportunities and tools to further develop research and postgraduate studies, attract international publics, strengthen student mobility, and consolidate quality practices. Increasing the number of joint national and international doctoral programmes of recognised quality standard is one of the institution’s main priorities. Building on an established international position, the UA also aims to have a major role in cooperation with the Portuguese speaking nations around the world. A particular policy in this area consists of using our expertise in ICT to develop competences for dealing with distributed learning communities in Portuguese speaking countries in Africa.
3.1.3 What is the degree of centralisation and decentralisation that the institution aims for? Portuguese universities are traditionally organised in autonomous faculties. This is not the case of the UA. Instead, it is organised in departments that, being responsible for the management of human resources in a given area of knowledge, cooperate with each other in order to offer different programmes, do research and interact with society. Functional coordination takes place within the scope of the Undergraduate University Education Institute (IFIU), the Postgraduate University Education Institute (IFPG) and the Research Institute (II), each of which is presided over by a Vice Rector. This type of organisation, unique at national level and a decision of the institution from the very beginning, is essentially designed to ensure flexibility and the capacity to react to threats and opportunities. It does so by facilitating and speeding up the establishment of interdisciplinary programmes beyond the scope of particular departments. It should be maintained and perfected where necessary. Also in contrast to the traditional Portuguese model, the UA offers both university and polytechnic studies. Unlike university departments, however, polytechnic schools have, by law, scientific and pedagogical autonomy and can include different areas of knowledge. Coordination of the Polytechnic Schools is incumbent on the Polytechnic Education Institute (IFP), which is presided over by the Rector. From the management perspective, both university departments and polytechnic schools are considered to be organic units and thus report directly to the Rector and to the Senate. This organisational structure should also be maintained and perfected where necessary.
3.1.4 What balance is the institution aiming to achieve among its teaching, research and other services? The creation of knowledge through research has always been and continues to be a central priority of the UA. The balance sought between teaching, research and other services varies according to the area of knowledge, taking into account existing capacities and identified priorities and opportunities. It is our understanding that all programmes taught should benefit from a research environment. It is for this reason that organised research is present in all knowledge areas of the university. Cooperation with society is also envisaged for all areas; however, it may have a different emphasis according to either demand or impact.
3.1.5 What are the institution’s academic priorities, i.e. which teaching programmes and areas of research are emphasised?
Although the academic profile of the UA has evolved since its creation, it remains an institution mainly oriented towards the exact sciences and engineering. In research, the UA aims to become the leading university in Portugal, as measured by international standards, in at least three of four areas: telecommunications, materials and nano-sciences, teacher education and environmental studies. For the
10 / 36
other areas of knowledge which exist in the UA, the objectives are to maintain the FCT classification of the Excellent and Very Good research units, and to ensure FCT recognition and a classification of at least Good for the remaining ones. The UA is also attentive to the development of the Iberian International Laboratory of Nanotechnology and of the EIT (European Institute of Technology). Aveiro University is more than a node in the Portuguese higher education network: it is a network in itself. It embodies university departments, research units, interface units, polytechnic schools and a relevant vocational education network. This enables the construction of individual education paths, from post-secondary vocational education to doctoral programmes, including vocational training, 1st and 2nd cycle degrees, and different kinds of postgraduate specialisations. This offer is segmented between university departments, polytechnic schools and specialised interface units, in accordance with the Portuguese legislation and national and international practices. The entire higher education offer is being reorganised according to the three cycles of Bologna. This process should be completed by the end of 2007. The UA has established a first cycle of 180 ECTS (European Credit transfer System) and a second cycle of 120 ECTS. For the university, the 1st cycle degrees are broad-based and remain the shared responsibility of the different departments that contribute to them. In the polytechnic schools, the 1st cycle will have a narrower base in order to prepare students for specific professions. Regarding the 2nd and 3nd cycles, we aim at a substantial increase in the number of postgraduates, foreign students and joint national and international programmes. The lifelong learning offer and organisation are also being rethought as a priority in the context of the Bologna process.
3.1.6 Does the institution have a policy or preferences regarding certain didactic approaches?
The UA is committed to the Bologna process as an opportunity to promote a culture of academic success and learning outcomes-based curricula. Students must become the centre of the teaching and learning process. To support this, the UA aims to take more effective advantage of the already widely used new technologies for education, including campus-wide e-learning applications. In this respect, it should be mentioned that a support office, CEMED (Multimedia and Distance Learning Centre), was created in the mid 90s, which has been the basis for the sustained development of the use of those technologies. The UA is also investing in a programme for professional development of teaching staff to promote new attitudes regarding the teacher-learner relationship, namely concerning tutoring and the development of more autonomous learning processes. Various studies conducted internally and cooperation with other institutions (e.g. Aalborg University) have helped the UA build institutional knowledge in this matter.
3.1.7 Does the institution have a policy in terms of foreign language requirements for its students and/or staff? The UA aims to continue to promote the mobility of its students and academic staff and is active in international networks and partnerships, but it does not have a policy in terms of foreign language requirements, either for students or for staff. However, foreign language courses are available within the university for the academic community, and Portuguese language courses for foreign students are provided. Furthermore, we aim to increase the number of postgraduate programmes taught in English. As such, at postgraduate level, both staff and students will be increasingly involved in the use of English as a scientific and teaching language.
3.1.8 What is the institution’s relationship to society (external partners, local and regional government) and its involvement in public debate and what are its goals in these matters?
Regarding cooperation with society, the UA is assisted by several interface and internal units, and associations which were created at different moments of its history (see Appendix H and section 4.3). These structures have constituted valuable assets for the university in becoming a national reference in this area. It is the intention of the UA to strengthen its already close partnership with industry and business and to reinforce its policies to promote innovation. These goals should be achieved by increasing the number of private research and development labs on the campus, promoting doctoral work in companies and by further developing the professional and organisational support for technology transfer, opportunity detection, patent registration, seed money attribution, incubation and participation in spin off companies. Encouraging the interest of young people in science and engineering is another goal of the institution, in order both to contribute to the development of the knowledge society and to attract better students. In accordance with this objective, it is our aim to consolidate our many activities relating to the public
11 / 36
understanding of science. In addition, we will look to strengthen our level of cultural involvement with the region, in particular through an improved interaction with various cultural agents. Finally, the UA plans to increase its involvement in public debate and to reinforce its relationship with external stakeholders. To achieve this, new governance strategies are currently being considered.
3.1.9 What should be the institution’s relationship to its funding agencies (public and others such as research contractors)? The three main sources of income of UA have already been identified in 2.5. The main aim of the UA in this respect is to decrease its dependence on the basic funding of the state budget. To attain this goal, it will be necessary to increase contracts with industry and successful applications to research contracts at international level. In addition, we want to enlarge our share, already above average, of the competitive money from the national research agency (FCT). We also aim to increase the number of postgraduates taking advantage of the mobility introduced by the Bologna process. While recognising the cultural difficulties in Portugal for fundraising, we intend to define a strategy for that purpose which will take into account recommendations from a survey requested by the university from a foreign expert3. Since the amount of direct basic funding is calculated according to the number of students and the academic success rate, the UA has established as an important funding goal the continuous adjustment of its offer to student demand. This will maximise public funding and student fees.
3.1.10 Main goals and priorities (Summary)
Research Being the top Portuguese university in three research areas Sustaining the previously obtained FCT classifications of Excellent and Very Good Having all existing areas of research recognised by the FCT and classified at least as Good
Education Promoting a culture of academic success Adapting all study programmes to the three cycles of Bologna (by 2007) Reaching, in the near future, the minimum of 50% as target for the number of postgraduate
students Increasing joint national and international doctoral programmes of recognised quality
standard Developing post-secondary vocational education in close partnership with other regional
actors Establishing internal structures for welcoming and counselling new publics and recognition
of prior learning Improving the internal quality assurance processes
Cooperation Strengthening the partnership with industry and business and reinforcing mechanisms for innovation
Fomenting the interest of young people in science and engineering Promoting the qualification of the population through continuing education Being a leading university regarding cooperation with the Portuguese speaking nations
Funding Decreasing the dependence on the basic funding of the state budget Maximising funding per student
3.2 CONSTRAINTS AND OPPORTUNITIES
3.2.1 Degree of institutional autonomy (given the legal context) In Portugal, the university autonomy law establishes the basic principles for the autonomous organisation of the public universities and regulates the universities’ constitutional right to a statutory, scientific, pedagogic, administrative, financial and disciplinary autonomy. The law also establishes that the universities’ governance is based on democratic principles, elections being held periodically for the Senate and the University Assembly, as well as for the Rector. The rules that are applicable to the selection, appointment and promotion of academic staff are established by the statutes for the academic careers of university and polytechnic teaching staff (see Appendix A). These statutes introduce severe limitations to the university’s autonomy in recruiting and promoting academic staff. Furthermore, the total number of teaching positions, the distribution of positions by 3 Report by Iain More (1999)
12 / 36
professional categories, and the wages applicable to each category cannot be established autonomously by the universities. The rules for selecting, appointing and promoting administrative staff are also established by law. The majority of the academic and administrative staff are civil servants, hence the fact that they cannot be dismissed. The UA does not have research staff but it can autonomously recruit research fellows. Portuguese universities do not directly select their own undergraduate students, except for adult learners and students coming from other higher education institutions. However, they can autonomously define academic prerequisites for each graduation programme they offer. The total number of places made available every year by each university cannot be increased (except for Health and Fine Arts), although places can be reallocated from one year to the next among graduation programmes. There is a minimum threshold of 20 students per programme per year for direct public funding eligibility. There are also legal constraints regarding prerequisites to the admission of foreign students, including those from Europe and from Portuguese speaking nations. Postgraduate students are selected by the universities themselves. The autonomy law establishes that universities are autonomous in creating and closing down departments, type of degrees, study programmes, specialities within a study programme, courses, research laboratories as well as establishing didactic approaches and individual and team projects. However, in the context of the Bologna reorganisation, and until the setting up of a national accreditation agency, central government has assumed a decisive role in the approval and registration of the study programmes to be offered by universities. The university is also autonomous in the promotion of entrepreneurial activities, although, since 2003, holding shares in private societies requires the direct permission of the Ministry of Finance. The autonomy law further establishes that the universities have their own assets, are free to manage the annual sums granted to them by the State and are able to earn income which is managed annually through specific budgeting. Nevertheless, in practice, because direct public funding does not fully cover all obligatory expenses, flexibility in the management of the state budget sums is very limited. Other financial constraints include the lack of autonomy to spend accumulated surplus, in particular to finance pluri-annual investment projects. Recently, there has also been a legal impediment to managing financial assets and therefore the associated interest is low. This is especially limitative because interest was being used by the UA to finance innovative research programmes.
3.2.2 Current regional and national labour-market situation According to the OECD (Organisation for Economical and Cooperation and Development) Review of Tertiary Education in Portugal (2006), “the stock of degree qualified graduates in the Portuguese workforce has risen from 2% to 11% over 1992 to 2003, and the flow has increased from 6,000 to 30,000 per year”; nevertheless, “Portugal has, after Turkey, the lowest share (20%) of its population aged 25-64 with educational attainment at or above upper secondary level” (p.48).
0
100
200
300
400
500
600
700
800
900
1000
2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005
in t
ho
usan
ds
Active population w ith
HE
Employed population (*)
Figure 3 – Active Portuguese population with HE Degree and Employed Population in High Level Professions4. *Legislators, senior officials, managers and professionals (intellectual and scientific).
4 Sources: Statistical Yearbook 2005, INE (National Institute of Statistics).
13 / 36
In effect, there has been an overall increase over the last five years in the numbers of the active Portuguese population with a higher education degree and a corresponding expansion in employment in the higher levels where university graduates would be employed (see Figure 3). For the purposes of our analysis we have included the following professional categories: Legislators, Senior Officials and Managers, and Professionals (scientific and intellectual). It should be noted that these categories may not necessarily require a higher education diploma, although it is assumed that such qualifications would contribute to the desired increase in the level of qualification of the Portuguese workforce. Against this background, the difference between active population with higher education degree and the numbers employed in high level professions is significant and represents an opportunity for higher education in Portugal. Despite a slight fall in overall unemployment figures in 2005, the number of registered unemployed graduates continued to rise, representing a worrying tendency. Nevertheless, as stated in the OECD Review: “In 2005, there were 46,200 registered graduates (Ministry of Labour, 2006). This number includes graduates from public service positions, notably teachers, subject to cutbacks reflecting fiscal and demographic pressures. That is, the modest rise in graduate unemployment reflects problems on the demand side of the labour market rather than problems with graduate supply. The unemployment rate for graduates (6,3%) was lower than the average rate (7,6%) and lower than that of the persons with lower qualifications (8% secondary education, 7.8% basic education) (Ministry of Labour, 2006). The average duration of unemployment for graduates (8 months) is much lower than the national average period (15 months).” (pp. 50/51) Thus the situation is complex, with the reduction in demand in professions traditionally fed by universities (especially teachers) distorting the general overview. This indicates that the average duration of unemployment of 8 months for graduates masks a situation of more rapid employment in some areas than in others. So, while the decline in key areas, like teacher education, has represented a challenge for the university, the matching of graduate supply with labour market demand continues to represent an important opportunity. The current employment situation of university graduates is not sufficiently known. Two complete surveys were carried out in 1996 and 2001 which revealed a very positive situation regarding the entry into the labour market of graduates5. However, bearing in mind the scenario of rapid change outlined above, it is clear that an employment observatory has to be set up with a capacity to provide annual surveys. This constitutes an immediate priority for the university. For the purpose of promoting job opportunities for graduates (as well as internships for students), an office was created in 2005 (GESP - Internships and Professional Opportunities Office - see Appendix H and also Section 4.2.3). Through this office, a partnership with the AAAUA (Alumni Association) was established aiming at both the organisation of an adequate database and the setting up of efficient communication channels with graduates. With a view to testing the consistency of the database and at the same time obtaining a first overall picture of the present situation, we launched a questionnaire in December 2006. The answers received (approximately 40%) demonstrated the validity of the database, the quality of the communication process and a significant availability on the part of graduates to liaise with the UA. However, due to an informatics error, the collected data could not be processed in any meaningful way. A detailed survey of both alumni and employers will be put in place before the end of this academic year.
3.2.3 Infrastructures in relation to the number of students and staff The university is for the most part located on Campus Santiago, a pleasant and spacious campus, which occupies an area of 72 hectares in the city of Aveiro. The buildings which constitute the university are listed in Appendix I. With the exception of Pavilhão 1, a prefabricated structure built in 1977 from which the university has grown, the buildings are recent constructions, some having been built in the last few years and some still in a project stage (e.g. a new building for the Health School, the Library in ESTGA – Águeda School of Technology and Management), revealing the dynamic physical nature of the university.
5 Arroteia, J. C. & Martins, A.M. (1998) Inserção Profissional dos Diplomados da Universidade de Aveiro - Trajectórias Académicas e Profissionais. Aveiro: Universidade de Aveiro. Martins, A.M., Arroteia, J.C. & Gonçalves, M.M. (2002) Sistemas de (Des)emprego: trajectórias de inserção. Aveiro: Universidade de Aveiro.
14 / 36
The campus buildings are in good condition and for the most part purpose-built. Many are the work of renowned Portuguese architects, making Campus Santiago a much visited site (receiving around 800 architects / architectural students a year, of whom most are foreign). Most of the buildings house departments, a few have been built specifically for research purposes and others have been designed for general use (Central Administration Building, Main Library, Computer Centre, Students’ House - Casa do Estudante, refectories and student residences, and so on). As mentioned in Section 2 of this report, many other facilities are available on campus. The university has two other centres, one a smaller campus in Águeda housing the ESTGA and another in the North of the district, based in Oliveira de Azeméis, where the Aveiro-North School is located in provisional installations. The distribution of space across the several buildings which constitute the UA reveals that these offer good conditions for the functioning of the institution (see Appendix I, Part 2). In particular, they are well provided with laboratories and informatics infrastructures, including campus-wide access to wireless on all campuses. In relation to the use of these spaces and the number of students and staff, the university’s infrastructures can generally be considered adequate to the current and future needs of the institution (see Appendix I, Part 3), bearing in mind that the university intends to maintain its current size6. There are plans for new buildings and the reconstruction of existing ones. The most urgent of these are related to identified needs in Águeda for more residences and an extension of the library facilities, and on the main Campus, a new building for the Health School and also more residences.
3.2.4 Student/staff ratio (lowest, highest and mean ratios) Currently, our ratios range from 7.7 to 18.4 with a weighted average of 13.2. The way of defining appropriate institutional student / staff ratios has been based on a national system which takes into account the difference between scientific areas and traditional concepts of university tuition. However, the distribution of funding presupposes a significantly higher ratio (14.5 in 2007). At the same time, the need to come into line with European practices and a student-centred university education also require this system be rethought. Although the indefinition regarding this issue is a constraint, the situation represents an opportunity for the UA to establish new targets and aim at mean weighted ratios of 15 in two years and 18 in 5 years. Here, the challenge is also to attain these targets, without compromising the quality of teaching and research.
3.2.5 Any other constraints and opportunities In Portugal, in the last decade, there has been a sustained reduction in the overall number of undergraduate candidates to higher education, especially in the areas of the exact sciences and engineering. Because of the UA’s profile and the existing public funding mechanisms, this represents a serious threat and justifies, by itself, the effort to foment the interest of youngsters in the university and to compete for the better students in these areas. Another relevant constraint results from the continuous reduction, in the last five years, of the overall direct public funding assigned to the universities, combined with the variability of the rules that are applied to calculate the part of it that is granted to each university. The UA is located between Coimbra and Porto, two large and traditional public universities, and distant, not so much geographically as politically, from the decision-making centre in Lisbon. This is perceived as a constraint in the competition for attracting students, in particular high quality students, as well as in the capacity for influencing policy at national level. However, it is also seen as an asset in that it represents an opportunity for innovation and for the development of a strong relationship with the socio-economic fabric of the region, which is economically dynamic but whose workforce is not highly qualified by national standards. This situation has obliged the university to develop specific strategies both for attracting students and for implanting a strong institutional presence in the region. The existing demand for continuing education and re-qualification of the workforce are seen as relevant opportunities. The Bologna process and the consequent alterations of the Portuguese legislation in higher education are seen as relevant opportunities to promote the success and the mobility of the UA students. In addition, internationalisation is considered an opportunity to establish national and international networks for 6 It is predicted that the implementation of the Bologna Process will have an impact on the use of classrooms, especially the smaller ones, given the shift in emphasis from formal lectures to more practical classes and tutorials. However, there is sufficient space to meet the needs of this adjustment.
15 / 36
teaching and research, including the possibility to attract foreign students for the 2nd and 3rd cycles of Bologna. In this context, cooperation with the Portuguese speaking nations is seen as an important opportunity for the UA.
4 ORGANISATION AND ACTIVITIES
4.1 MANAGEMENT
4.1.1 What are the respective roles of central-level administrators, offices and faculties/institutes?
A detailed description of the management and organisational bodies of the University can be found in Appendix B. The organigrams below (Figures 4 & 5) depict the General Governance and Management bodies and the Functional Organisation and Management structure.
Figure 4: General Governance and Management
As outlined in Section 3 of this report, the governance and management of the university are based on a departmental structure. The departments are the university’s basic organisational units, created and developed around a main scientific area, distinct from other scientific areas. They contribute to the university’s educational and research programmes in ways determined by the identified requirements of the programmes. The university’s resources, especially the human resources which are essential for the accomplishment of its mission, are therefore located in the departments. So we have a centralised organisational functioning in which the central-level administration organs, most particularly the Rector and the Senate, are the principal decision-makers and the Heads of Department are their main interlocutors. To complement this, there is an intermediary level of coordinating structures in key functional areas between the central governing and management bodies and the departments (see Figure 5). The central decision-making processes are assisted by support offices and services which are physically located in the central administration building and also in the departments as an extension of the central services. The relationship of the Polytechnic Schools with the central governing and management bodies is similar to that of the Departments. However, each School, bearing in mind the difference between them, is essentially self-contained in the management of its resources for the fulfilment of its needs, although teaching staff can be shared with departments / other schools. The schools have their own scientific and pedagogic bodies to comply with the scientific and pedagogic autonomy determined by the Law. Each
16 / 36
Polytechnic School has its specific area and type of intervention and fulfils a differentiated educational role as foreseen in the binary Portuguese higher education system. In addition, there exists a single body responsible for the articulation between the central governing and management bodies and the polytechnic sub-system.
Figure 5: Functional Organisation and Management.
In relation to the selection and promotion of academic and administrative staff: The rules which determine the maximum number of permanent staff, academic and administrative, are based on the dimension of the university as measured by the number of students and the application of ratios (student/teacher; teaching/non-teaching staff). These rules are defined by Law. The number and distribution of staff by professional category is proposed by the University Senate and approved by the Ministry. In relation to academic staff categories, the distribution is determined following the proportions: 1 full professor: 2 associate professors: 3 assistant professors. Progression in the academic career is regulated at a national level. This process is subject to: - rules established in the ECDU (University Teacher Career Statutes), including requirements for progression, such as the appropriate academic degree, the necessary documentation, habilitation through public examination, the appointment of juries (requirements vary depending on the category); - the distribution of vacant positions (for associate and full professorship) within the university. This distribution is made through the Scientific Council to the scientific areas in response to their size and scientific growth. A small percentage is managed by the Rectorate, taking into account strategic needs (reinforcement of specific areas, development of new areas, ...). Juries for posts through public competition must be representative of the scientific area in which the competition is being held. They are constituted by full professors of the area in the university and a number of external full professors in a proportion favouring always the external contribution. Both internal and external candidates may apply. Academic staff in the polytechnic schools have a distinct but comparable career structure and rules. In both cases, university and polytechnic, there are possibilities for contracting academic staff outside the formal academic career for specific purposes and on a non-permanent, non full-time basis (invited teachers, specialists, ...). Postdoctoral fellows may also be employed in this way, giving them experience in collaboration in teaching, although in a limited amount of time a week, constituting a qualified pool for the potential renewal of academic staff. The administrative staff career structure is regulated according to the rules of the Public Administration. New posts are subject to public competition at a national level ranked by a jury defined according to the rules of Public Administration. Vacant positions are managed by the Rector, on the proposal of the University Administrator.
17 / 36
In relation to the selection of students: At undergraduate level, regular students are placed through a national selection process, based on a ranking using the students’ grades and their list of preferences for pairs of university/study programme. The number of places to be offered and their distribution is decided by the Rector, on the proposal of the Departments. There is a total number of places established at Ministerial level, which is kept constant (except in specific scientific areas) for each university, as already noted in Section 3.2 above. Although the selection process is national, the UA has put into effect policies for attracting more and better students, as well as students from varied publics. In this way and through its decisions regarding the distribution of places, the UA exercises some influence over the selection of its students. There is a fixed maximum percentage (20%) defined by Law for incoming students in non-regular situations (+23s, transfers from other institutions, individuals with a CET - Technical Specialisation Programme 7, - or a higher education diploma, ...). For students returning to study after leaving the system (+23’s), the University decides, through the Rector, how many places to offer (never less than 5% of numeri clausi). The internal examinations required for candidates are decided by the Rector after consultation with the IFIU (Undergraduate University Education Institute)/IFP (Departments, and the Polytechnic Education Institute)/Schools. Previously defined selection criteria exist for each type of non-regular incoming students. At postgraduate level, and up until now, places have been decided within the university through decisions taken at Rectorate level, after consultation with the IFPG/Departments. Extra places are attributed to students who have already completed modular programmes of shorter duration at postgraduate level, which responds to some extent to the lack of legislation supporting part-time study. To study at Masters level, a grade of 14/20 has usually been required; a grade of 16/20 or above has allowed direct access to doctoral study. Up until now, the selection of candidates has taken place at (inter)departmental level and been approved at central level, via the Scientific Council. Currently, the regulations (both national and internal) for the functioning of the 2nd and 3rd cycles of Bologna are still under discussion. It should be noted once more that candidates at this level can be recruited at international level, whereas at undergraduate level, this is not possible.
In relation to funding issues: Decision-making regarding the distribution of funds within the university is the responsibility of the Senate, through its Planning and Management Committee. From the total, common expenses are managed centrally; these expenses include salaries, the maintenance of common spaces and infrastructures, general running costs. The remaining funds are channelled to the departments and managed (by the Department Board) for running costs. The Departments/Research Units also manage the funds remaining after the removal of the overheads (20%-30%) from postgraduate tuition fees, research projects and services to the community. The expenses are all overseen by the Administrative Board.
In relation to academic activities: Academic activities are coordinated by the Institutes (IFIU, IFPG, IFP, II), each of which is presided over by a member of the Rectorate. Activities related to teaching and learning are coordinated and monitored through the Study Programme Directors (through their Committees) who constitute the Undergraduate and Postgraduate University Education Institutes. The Pedagogic Council has a parallel role of observing and deliberating on pedagogical matters at this level. The Pedagogic and Academic Committee of the Senate has decision-making responsibility in this area. The distribution of work among teaching staff is proposed at department level by the Department Board and approved by the Scientific Committee; this process is overseen and approved at central level by the Scientific Council. Research is coordinated at central level through the Research Institute. Each Research Unit has its own coordinator and within the research units, research groups are formed with their own leaders responsible
7 The CETs, post-secondary study programmes closely linked with the industry of the region, were launched in 2002 to meet the identified needs of entrepreneurs and, mainly, to offer additional opportunities for a particular group of learners. These programmes provide vocational qualifications in themselves and / or access to higher education for those who otherwise may not have this opportunity. Up till now, more than 1,000 students have enrolled in these programmes.
18 / 36
for organising and guiding the research. Research units may be interdepartmental, in which case they are managed following the same principles, with a coordinator elected from among the senior researchers. The Scientific Council, through its President, has a seat on the Council of the Research Institute. Additionally, the Scientific Council has a decision-making role regarding research through the discussion and approval of doctoral proposals.
In relation to the development of entrepreneurial activities: Initiatives in this area are less centralised, given their varied nature, and are managed through the Rectorate. Entrepreneurial activities are disperse amongst different units, varying in their legal status and structural organisation (see Appendix H). Generally speaking, activities may be decentralised, although the triggering of initiatives and their validation comes from the Rectorate, in accordance with the regulations in force and with the policy and mission of the university, and in articulation with the internal structures and interfaces which have been created for this purpose.
In relation to research policies: Research policies are defined by the Rectorate, with the approval of the Senate, and managed through the Research Institute.
4.1.2 How does the institution involve students in institutional governance? In accordance with the Statutes, students are represented on the university’s main organs of governance: constituting 20% of the total of the members of the University Assembly; approximately 25% of the Senate; 50% of the Pedagogic Council. Students are also represented on the University Administrative Council and on the Council of the Student Welfare Services. Study Programme Committees allow the active participation of students at the level of management of their study programme and feed into the coordination of academic activities through the Undergraduate University Education Institute, via the figure of the Study Programme Director.
4.1.3 How adequate are the university’s human resources, human resource policy and practice to current and future needs? The objective of the UA’s human resource strategy is to support the university’s mission and goals, namely with regard to the maintenance of excellence in the areas of teaching and research and the consolidation and development of its position as a top-class university. In the academic year of 2005/06, the number of full-time equivalent teachers in the UA exceeded the theoretical figure by about 3.6%, or approximately 31 full-time equivalent teachers. Further analysis of the distribution of the teaching staff among the departments reveals that resources are not evenly distributed across the university. In fact, some departments have staffing needs, while there is an excess of resources in others (see Fig D.11, Appendix D). In some cases, this is due to policy decisions (namely the development of new areas); in others, it is the result of shifting needs in demand and difficulties in adjusting resources to the current context. In the adaptation of the educational offer in the scope of the Bologna process, started this academic year, it was a concern of the university to maximise its potential in terms of human resources. It is yet to be confirmed whether this concern will permit improved staff deployment. In parallel to their teaching role, university staff are also researchers and important players in the university’s cooperative role with society - it is an underlying principle that only about 50% of academic staff time is given to teaching. For the UA, R & D is a central function and most of its research areas reveal significant indices of scientific production and a sustained increase can be noted over the last few years in many areas (see Figs D.12, D.12.1 & D12.2, Appendix D). As noted elsewhere, this has placed the university at the top of national ranking for papers per Phd holder. Depending on the area of knowledge, departments should redeploy their resources with a view to optimising their efforts in all areas of the mission. This effort will also represent additional funding in the form of postgraduate fees, research projects, service contracts, among others. The situation outlined above, and stressed by the current financial constraints, led to a decrease in the global number of full-time equivalent teachers of more than 5% (see Fig. D1, Appendix D) during 2006. Despite this, it is expected that the pressure to reduce staffing will continue, both because of the structural imbalance between departments and the tendency for theoretical student-staff ratios to rise in the near future, as stated above in Section 3.2.4.
19 / 36
Analysis of the qualifications of the university’s human resources reveals an academic staff which is well-qualified according to national and international standards. Of the 717 members of permanent teaching staff, 502 (70%) hold Phds (see Fig. D.7, Appendix D). These staff members are distributed across the 17 departments, 8 of which have more than 80% Phd holders (including 5 with over 90%), 4 have between 60% and 80% and 5 between 35% and 60% (amongst these are the newest departments and departments with less consolidated scientific areas). Taking a rate of over 80% to be a very good standard, we would aim for all of the departments to reach this level in the medium term. Age group analysis reveals a good balance between the several academic categories and also that high level qualifications are well distributed across age groups (see Fig. D.3, Appendix D). For the polytechnic sector, the university does not necessarily require the same type of qualifications, valuing relevant professional experience in combination with academic qualifications. However, our analysis reveals a considerable number of academic staff in the polytechnic sector who are engaged in obtaining doctorates and, being a relatively young population, there is a natural tendency for its qualifications to improve further. Regarding non-academic staff, the analysis shows that 46% hold HE (Higher Education) qualifications, although 24% still hold only basic schooling. Nevertheless, there is a significant upward tendency in this respect, as the younger cohorts of the Portuguese population tend to be better qualified in terms of formal education, and the UA strongly promotes the upgrading of its staff (see Figs D9 & D.10, Appendix D). Distribution by age groups seems well balanced, although a tendency for the gradual ageing of the non-academic staff can be observed, as the hiring of younger people tends to decrease (see Figs D.5 & D.6, Appendix D). Following the official academic/non-academic staff ratios, there is a deficiency of non-academic staff in the UA. However, taking into consideration the current constraints for HE in Portugal, this can be seen more as an opportunity than a weakness.
Human resource policy In terms of recruitment policy and in accordance with the national situation, the university will meet its future needs by hiring academic staff who already hold a doctorate, except in specific circumstances, namely to bring relevant contributions from the outside world. At the same time, it will continue its efforts to qualify existing staff members.
4.1.4 How do the actual management policies reflect the institution’s mission and goals, and how could discrepancies between the goals and reality be amended and strengths be reinforced?
topic institution’s strengths discrepancies with mission
& goals reinforcement
Governance
Centralised decision-making structure and clear strategic path for university as a whole
An excess of management bodies and some overlapping of competences between them
Reorganisation or rethinking of the role of some management bodies, in particular the Scientific Council and the University Council
Functional organisation
Creation of mid-level decision-making bodies (Institutes) supporting the integrated coordination of academic and research matters
Great investment of time in democratic processes but low efficiency in terms of widespread participation in decision-making.
Streamlining of mid-level structures and empowerment / responsibilisation of relevant parties; Reinforcement of the role of Study Programme Directors and Committees
Information and communication issues
Development of a single information system permitting integration between various administrative and academic dimensions
Insufficient communication mechanisms and practices hinder efficient functioning of the organisation
Improvement of communication flows and procedures to ensure greater efficiency and wider participation
20 / 36
4.2 ANALYSIS OF RESEARCH AND EDUCATIONAL APPROACHES
The UA’s approach to research has been to focus on innovative fields, taking advantage of transdisciplinarity and prioritising a small number of areas. Committed to achieving excellence, the university has followed a deliberate policy of investment in research, comprising the establishment of Contracts with the Research Units (enabling the establishment of clear objectives and structured development goals), the awarding (through internal competition) of grants for the development of research, and the financing of Specialist Researchers (Cientistas de Mérito) to support the development of particular areas of research. Research funding, external and internal (from regional, national and international sources as well as from the university itself), has not only boosted the standard of research and had a positive impact on educational approaches, but it has also resulted in significant improvements at the level of infrastructures and equipment available for both research and teaching. While external funding tends to favour quality research in all areas, internal funding has been applied for the benefit of the university’s strategically-defined research goals. The high standard of research is visible in achievement through international evaluation (75% of the Research Units evaluated being attributed a classification of Very Good or Excellent at the last FCT external assessment) (see Appendix G). Furthermore, it should be noted that there are now four Associated Laboratories8 on Campus: the Centre for Environmental and Marine Studies (CESAM), the Centre for Research in Ceramics and Composite Materials (CICECO), the Telecommunications Institute (IT) and the Institute for Nano-Structures, Nano-Modelling and Nano-Manufacture (I3N). In the educational area, the policy of the UA has been to organise its programmes in such a way as to meet the varied needs of society and extend its offer to new publics.This is facilitated by its pluricentric and multilevel organisation which enables university, polytechnic and post-secondary educational programmes to coexist within the same institution. Thus the UA offers a choice of University Licenciaturas, Polytechnic Licenciaturas and Technical Specialisation Programmes (CETs), as well as many postgraduate opportunities (see Appendix E). Over recent years, the UA has adopted specific recruitment strategies with a view to both attracting high quality students and enhancing the visibility and image of the institution. This has led to the adjustment of study programmes and the number of places offered to the needs of society. It has also led to the adoption of a policy of incentives through the attribution of awards for the best (incoming and other) students; and promotional initiatives to encourage an active relationship between youngsters (for the most part) and the university, such as contests for basic and secondary school students and other events, as described in more detail in Section 4.3.1.
4.2.1 Analysis of educational programme design The greatest challenge faced over recent years has been the adaptation of study programmes and teaching methodologies to the principles of the Bologna process. In 2006/2007, 31 of the university’s Licenciaturas (5 of which are part of 2nd cycle Masters Programmes) and 4 of its polytechnic programmes were opened in accordance with the Bologna guidelines; the rest of its study programmes will follow in 2007/2008 (Appendix E). This means that the university is well on track for meeting the national 2010 deadline for conversion to the Bologna system as far as the structure and organisation of its learning programmes is concerned. Other challenges / opportunities posed by the Bologna process are currently being faced, most notably the organisation of curricular units in accordance with learning outcomes and the adoption of learner-centred methods of tuition. It should be noted, however, that the UA has been involved in the process of restructuring its study programmes since 1999, when it initiated a process (Repensar os Curricula) designed to clarify and adequate its programmes to the changing conditions and demands of Higher Education in Portugal/Europe. This process in many ways prepared the UA for the Bologna era and as a concrete result of this, it was amongst the first European universities to be awarded the ECTS label. Taking advantage of its technological profile, the UA has invested heavily in e-learning, not only as a structure for distance learning but especially as an innovative tool for programme management and study support. As already mentioned, CEMED was created as a functional unit in 1999 for the purpose of supporting this strategic goal. The e-learning platform is widely used by students and teachers, on and off
8 Associated Laboratory is a special status awarded by the Portuguese Ministry of Science and Technology.
21 / 36
campus (see Appendix J). Professional development programmes have been offered widely to staff to encourage and support their use of these tools. The promotion of educational success has been recognised by the UA as a priority in recent years and several broad measures have been taken in order to improve performance in this area, most particularly: introducing strategies for integrating new students in academic life from the very beginning of their studies; making tuition and assessment more focused on continuous learning and less focused on final exams,(e.g. replacing theoretical lectures with more practical learning sessions, and supporting presential teaching sessions with on-line activities); and investing in infrastructures to support more student-centred learning methods, such as computer-equipped study rooms (Contract Programme between the Rectorate and IFIU was agreed and is underway). Complementary strategies have been specifically applied in discrete situations where a high failure rate has been found amongst students on particular disciplines, e.g. introduction of a ‘summer’ semester, repetition of disciplines in consecutive semesters, creation and use of self-learning programmes on-line. The UA has also supported new approaches to programme design, in particular through the adoption of student-based methods like project-based learning and problem-based learning. Following the Aalborg model, project-based learning has been used in the Águeda School of Technology and Management (ESTGA) since 2001 on its Engineering programmes, and other methods of active learning will be introduced on the remaining study programmes in this school. Problem-based learning has also been recently adopted as the organisational principle of the UA’s new programmes in Biomedical Sciences, run out of the Health Department. Characteristic of the UA’s educational offer has been the inclusion, in the majority of programmes, of curricular internships / projects with the aim of encouraging articulation between university and marketplace, developing students’ complementary competences and enhancing their capacity to gain employment later on. Such internships include teaching placements in schools, professional placements in companies, public administration and in the institution itself. They have contributed positively to the learning programmes and consolidated the relationship between university and wider community. In this context, and as an example among many others, university and polytechnic alike, it is relevant to mention the inclusion of a Professional Project on the study programmes of the Aveiro Institute of Accounting and Administration (ISCA-UA), considered an innovation and a strong point by the external evaluators of this institute’s programmes. The UA has always valued the engagement of industry and other professionals in curricular design as well as in teaching on the study programmes. In Aveiro-North, due to its specific characteristics, this is particularly true, where university lecturers, industry professionals and training experts work together on the educational project. Regarding internationalisation, this has always been a priority for the UA. It is an active member of the European Consortium of Innovative Universities (ECIU), the European Universities Continuing Education Network (EUCEN) and the Columbus Programme, as well as other European and non-European networks. There is also participation of students and staff in several international exchange programmes, although this is not as extensive as desired. Incoming participation is hindered by the Portuguese language, and outcoming participation is limited for economic reasons. At postgraduate level, the institution is currently involved in 4 Erasmus Mundus programmes (in Materials Science, Environmental Studies, Functionalised Advanced Materials and Engineering of Hybrids and Ceramics, and Higher Education Studies). Protocols have been established with some Portuguese-speaking nations for the provision of postgraduate education (e.g. 3 programmes in Cape Verde, 1 programme in Mozambique). Portuguese Language tuition is provided for foreign students, researchers and teachers. In addition, the UA offers a programme of foreign languages for university members and the community and encourages the study of English amongst staff. In some cases, when there are foreign students or teachers, tuition is provided in English. It is worth mentioning the agreements for provision of postgraduate education programmes in cooperation with Polytechnic Institutes and Regional Education Directorates in other parts of Portugal, namely: in Leiria, Setúbal, Azores and Madeira.
4.2.2 Organisation of research activities
The UA is committed to the integration of research and teaching, and all academic staff are encouraged to carry out research in their field of specialisation; as a corollary to this, all staff researchers are also teachers.
22 / 36
In the UA, research is organised through a network of Research Units within the centrally-managed Research Institute. Research activities are managed on a multi-disciplinary and inter-departmental basis in order to take advantage of the synergies and articulations possible between different areas. They may also be organised around specific programmes and projects which bring together researchers from different departments /research areas. The principles of transdisciplinarity and permeability applied in this focussed way have enabled the development of new domains, the consolidation of existing areas and the enhancement of the economic value of research. This approach, for example, supported the process of planning and launching the area of Biomedical Sciences as it had already supported the development of the areas of Materials Science and the Environment, in particular the Marine Environment. Inter-institutional and international cooperation continue to be a priority. Several doctoral programmes have been launched together with other universities. In particular, the UA is one of six universities (3 Portuguese and 3 Spanish) to participate in international doctoral programmes in Marine Biology and Nano-Medicine. It has also recently signed an agreement as one of the Portuguese institutions to participate in the programme of collaboration between Portugal and Carnegie Mellon University for the development of postgraduate programmes and research in the field of ICT (Information and Communication Technologies). At the same time, the collaboration between the Telecommunications Institute (IT) and the Physics sector with Siemens is an example of the way in which the university has encouraged both innovation and commercialisation linked to research. It has also provided resources for its research policy through funding and the provision of high quality researchers. Current challenges involve expanding these types of inter-institutional collaboration and launching research linked doctoral programmes in the near future.
4.2.3 How do the study programmes and research activities reflect the mission and goals, and how could discrepancies between the goals and reality be amended and identified strengths be reinforced?
topic institution’s strengths discrepancies with mission & goals
reinforcement
Educational Profile Provision of a range of educational paths for varied publics
Low percentage of postgraduate in relation to undergraduate students
Reinforcement of policies for attracting students, specifically at 2nd cycle and doctoral level; Further development of LLL
Bologna Process Implementation of the Bologna Process
Academic culture which values contact hours; too little tutoring; insufficient student autonomy
Implementation of principles of Bologna to all study programmes; generalised introduction of student-based methodologies
Academic performance
Efforts to improve academic performance and standards
Continuing low rate of academic efficiency (time to graduation, drop out rates, etc)
Promotion of a culture of concern for students’ success; Reinforcement of processes of evaluation of disciplines/teaching staff and further staff development
23 / 36
topic institution’s strengths discrepancies with mission & goals
reinforcement
Research Associated Laboratories and Excellent Research Units in designated priority areas
Some areas not yet integrated into Research Units; not all Research Units recognised as such by FCT; not all Research Units classified as Good or above
Reinforcement of capacity to secure external funding - special attention to the new 7th European Framework; Creation of central mechanisms for encouraging and facilitating rapid and effective response to and management of (international research) opportunities
Internationalisation Active participation in international networks
Low participation in internationalisation on part of students; low number of incoming students; low number of foreign teachers
Reinforcement of doctoral programmes on interinstitutional international basis; review of sabbatical policy; review of language policy
Outreach Outreach initiaves to reinforce recruitment
Coordination and follow -up of outcomes of initiatives
Employability
Inclusion of external placements in curricular programmes; creation of Internships & Professional Opportunities Office (GESP)
Weak links with students after graduation; insufficient number of placements
Reinforcement of links with alumni; reinforcement of observatory capacities regarding graduate employment trends
4.3 ACADEMICALLY RELATED ACTIVITIES
4.3.1 Analysis of research and technology transfer, continuing education and regional and community services.
Research and Technology Recognising the importance of the interface between university and society, the UA recently established a specific unit to promote technology transfer – the UA Unit of Technology Transfer (UATEC). However, many other structures contribute to the development of this area, for example, GrupUNAVE (University of Aveiro Holding), a company set up by the university in 1998 to establish a relationship between university and the regional entrepreneurial fabric. Other bodies foment the development of ideas and their transformation into companies or products. The Incubator (Incubadora de Empresas) promotes the creation of new businesses; Ciencinvest (a company to which the UA belongs) aims, through seed money and other support, to transform research outcomes into products of benefit to the market; the Industrial Property Office (GAPI) gives help with the registration of patents and prototypes. Inter-institutional agreements with other universities (for example, the recently signed protocol with Carnegie Mellon University mentioned above) and protocols with companies for the realisation of internships and projects also support the development of research and the transfer of technology. Several research units function in collaboration with other renowned entities in their field for the benefit of research and technology transfer, in particular: the Telecommunications Institute (IT) and the Institute of Electronics and Telematics Engineering of Aveiro (IEETA), which have juridical autonomy. A strong relationship with companies is an important facet of the UA’s identity. It participates in numerous associations, programmes and projects in collaboration with business and industry, notably with Siemens and Martifer. The Siemens Corporation research and innovation centre (employing about 150 engineers) is located within the University Campus, and a major company research and innovation unit, Martifer-Innovation, will also move onto the Campus, aiming to develop research in the domains of energy sustainable systems (biodiesel, wind, wave and solar power). A comprehensive listing of university structures and joint ventures can be found in Appendix H.
24 / 36
Continuing Education The UA provides access to its educational programmes for those who have interrupted their studies and not followed a conventional educational path. This may imply access under special conditions for students over the age of 23 (+23s) or holding a CET diploma, or it may imply enrolment in full programmes, specific modules or isolated disciplines (at the level of the 1st cycle, 2nd cycle [Masters and CEs - Specialisation Courses] or 3rd cycle [PhDs and CFAs - Advanced Courses]). Besides this, there are two entities which contribute to the provision of continuing education programmes: the Association for Professional Training and Research (UNAVE), juridically autonomous but controlled by the UA, its main shareholder, and the Integrated Teacher Education Centre (CIFOP). UNAVE offers short-term professional and vocational programmes for university staff and the general population, while CIFOP provides a range of courses and programmes for teachers (see Appendix H). This set of continuing educational opportunities is sought by working students in general, company employees who need specific knowledge and professionals of various kinds who are looking for re-qualification or to update their knowledge and skills. Continuing education is recognised through the attribution of a certificate, whether or not it leads to a formal degree. Lifelong learning is expected to grow and its organisation is at present being rethought. Mechanisms for the welcoming and guidance of candidates, as well as for the recognition of prior learning, have to be put in place, as already referred to in Section 3.1.9. The creation of learning paths between UNAVE programmes and formal degrees must also be looked into.
Regional and Community Services The University offers a broad range of services to the wider community by means of various structures and initiatives. The Students’ Union, through its several activities, involves students in the social life of the institution and enriches the community as a whole. These include, among others, the traditional students’ bands (Tuna’s), other music and dance groups, sports and outdoor activities, GRETUA - the experimental theatre group, and other cultural initiatives. The UA has recently created regular television (on Channel 2) and radio (TSF, etc.) programmes, in which different sectors of the university are given coverage and relevant issues are debated. In addition, the institution participates actively in public debate at local, regional and national level, whenever solicited or whenever it feels it has a relevant position to take on the subject under discussion. Since 2000, an annual Science and Technology Week (Semana de Ciência e Tecnologia) has been held in November to promote science and technology by bringing youngsters to the Campus to observe, experiment and participate in all kinds of programmed activities. In 2005, a Science Centre – Fábrica was set up. Both these initiatives, although directed principally at youngsters in schools, have also other target publics in mind, for example, teachers and business people. Over recent years, the relationship between university and school has been encouraged through the setting up of programmes and competitions in many areas. Particular among this type of initiative is PmatE, a Mathematics Teaching Project which has been in action since 1990, involving the development of software and Internet-based programmes for promoting the learning of Mathematics. In 2006, the Summer Campus (Academia de Verão) was held for the first time, offering 15-18 year-olds an opportunity to spend one or two weeks on campus, tasting university life from the inside. There are several entities on campus which promote and support the relationship with the local and regional community, most notably: The João Jacinto Magalhães Foundation (FJJM), which is responsible for the UA’s editorial activity as well as promoting and carrying out the university’s cultural programme. It also manages the Science Centre. Also in the cultural domain, the university is a very active member in the professional regional orchestra (Orquestra Filarmónica das Beiras). In particular, this orchestra has ties with the Music Department (CA) for the promotion of open initiatives with students and/or teachers. The UA is involved in a number of projects through which it aims to consolidate its position as a valuable player in the community and the region. Aveiro Digital is an example of the integration of the UA in projects with external partners as a means of attracting external funding and putting it to the use of the academic and regional community. Aveiro Domus, conceptualising the house of the future, is another. Entities such as the Environment and Development Institute (IDAD), UNAVE, in the area of geographical information systems, and the Centre for Studies in Innovation and Entrepreneurial and Territorial Dynamics (CEIDET) offer specific services to the community. Furthermore, the UA was responsible for the development of several municipal master plans Planos Directores Municipais.
25 / 36
The CET programme not only constitutes a delocalised educational network but, by the nature of the partnerships it involves, also provides a number of opportunities for dialogue and service sharing with the region. With another four Portuguese universities, the UA set up AURN (the Association of Universities of the Northern Region) to promote regional development. Moreover, it has been a member of the Permanent Observatory of Social Development (Observatório Permanente de Desenvolvimento Social), a regional partnership and in its crèche/kindergarten CIAQ (Centro de Infância Arte e Qualidade), 50% of the children have to come from outside the university community. Once more, a comprehensive list of initiatives in this area can be found in Appendix H.
4.3.2 Analysis of student support services
The UA student support services can be divided into three main sectors: welfare services (SASUA – Serviços de Acção Social da UA), students’ union (AAUAv – Associação Académica da UA), and centrally-managed services and infrastructures.
Welfare Services (SASUA) SASUA is responsible for providing direct support in the form of grants for students from low-income families and accommodation and indirect support for the whole academic community in the form of health services, refectories and snack bars as well as infrastructures for cultural and sports activities (see Appendix I). It has administrative and financial autonomy under the presidency of the Rector (see Appendix B). Grants are attributed according to national criteria (the basic grant is variable and indexed to the national minimum wage; supplements for accommodation and transport may be added), which depend on family per capita income. However, the amount awarded is not directly proportional to the income; rather, it functions according to a logic of scales. Since this system introduces some inequalities (for students on the borderlines between scales), not responding to the needs of all students, the university has a policy for awarding grants to specially needy students from its own funds. Until now, grants have been awarded only to undergraduate students. From now on Masters and CET students can also apply for grants. In the current academic year, about 30% of undergraduate students hold grants. In relation to indirect support, the UA has 22 residences for national and international students, 19 of which are for undergraduate students and 3 for postgraduate students. Most are on Campus. This represents a capacity of 8% of the total number of students (in the short term, this will be increased to just above 12% with the construction of new residence halls). Although this places the UA in 2nd position in the national ranking, the amount of available accommodation is low in relation to the number of students who either need (being eligible for grant support) or want to live on Campus. A policy to obtain own funds from the renting of these facilities out-of-term is in place and should be extended. For the academic community, there exist 2 main refectories on Campus, and 1 in the Águeda School of Technology and Management (ESTGA). In total, these have a capacity for 1750 people and serve an average of 2470 meals a day. The University Snack Bar (self-service) has a capacity for 330 people, serving on average 340 meals a day. There is also a restaurant open to general public. The 18 on-campus bars provide a capacity for 822 people. In the refectories, besides the basic meal, students and staff can opt to pay for alternative menus or extras, which allows the Welfare Services to provide a better quality basic menu. The Welfare Services contract an external audit to guarantee food quality, safety and nutritional value. Although existing sports facilities are of good quality, the provision of sports activities, also the responsibility of SASUA, suffers from insufficient physical infrastructures. The Sports Hall is overcrowded and there are not enough outdoor facilities for field sports, obliging SASUA to subidise training activities outside the Campus. A positive point to make is that students participate in the coordination of the sports activities. The goal of the SASUA is to reach a target of 50% of the academic community participating in some kind of sports activity by 2010. Regarding the support of both sports and cultural activities, a quality contract between the SASUA and the Students’ Union was established following a joint Rectorate/SASUA/Students’ Union initiative (ACDs) for the promotion of these activities, and in particular the increased involvement of students. The Student Welfare Services also provide medical services (receiving on average around 50 patients a day) and manages the bookshop, an auditorium, an exhibition hall, Stationery Shop and Laundry, as well as the contracts for the other existing facilities: Post Office, Bank, Photocopy Shop and Reprography Centre.
26 / 36
The SASUA aim at promoting educational experiences and consolidating equality of opportunities. This objective is hindered by the funding received. Besides the funding for grants, which is received according to the criteria outlined above, the rest of the funding has only a historical basis (i.e. it is based on what has been previously received) and does not recognise the quality and quantity of the services provided. To fully accomplish its goals, contract programmes with the government should be established.
Students’ Union: The Students’ Union manages the Students’ House (Casa do Estudante) which contains an auditorium, a multimedia hall, 2 study rooms, a bar and administrative facilities. The Students’ Union provides support for the different cultural, sporting and pedagogic activities which are mostly run out of the Students’ House. In particular, it is responsible for the co-management of the university’s sporting activities. The Students’ Union also makes available social and legal advice for students, and supports a permanent forum (Forum Discente) for the discussion of pedagogic matters and the coordination of pedagogic position-taking, namely in the Study Programme Committees and the Pedagogic Council. In addition, it manages a large study space equipped with computers (Complexo Pedagógico), especially for the use of first year students.
Centrally-managed services and infrastructures: Here is included the Pedagogic Office, which offers personalised assistance and support for students with special needs and difficulties integrating in academic life. Advice and assistance in finding professional internships is provided through the Internships and Professional Opportunities Office (GESP). This office coordinates with the Alumni Association (AAAUA) over keeping in contact with University graduates, providing information about university activities and job opportunities (through the four-monthly magazine, Linhas, and an e-mail account for life) and allowing the administration to keep track of students’ careers and employability paths. The UA is well-equipped in terms of infrastructures for the support of student’s activities (see Appendix I, and Section 3.2.3). Study rooms, equipped with computers, exist in all departments; access to the internet is available via wireless throughout the Campus (including the Student Residences); as well as services and infrastructures for Tele-work. The computer centre (CICUA) has a help-desk and technical support for the academic community and distance learning is run and supported out of the Multimedia Centre (CEMED). The University has a central library with over 300,000 books, academic journals, and other material.There is a smaller library in CIFOP, which contains an excellent selection of educational journals and resources (Mediateca) and reading rooms in many of the departments / polytechnic schools (see Appendix I).
4.3.3 How do the various academically related activities reflect the institutions mission and goals, and how could discrepancies between the goals and reality be amended and strengths be reinforced?
topic institution’s strengths discrepancies with mission & goals
reinforcement
University-society cooperation
Strong relationship between university and society; Rich and varied forms of interaction with society (technology transfer, creation of companies, promotion of public awareness of science, cultural programme, professional training,...)
Limited involvement of exterior in university affairs; difficulty in taking full advantage of such a wide range of activities
Reformulation of the University Council; creation of ties and increased coordination between different activities and programmes; exploring the contribution of the university-society relationship for further enhancement of the university’s activities and image
Brand UA High visibility; achievement of modern, graphic image
Corporate identity procedures not yet fully developed
Institution-wide dissemination / implementation of identity manual
27 / 36
topic institution’s strengths discrepancies with mission & goals
reinforcement
Campus
Good academic environment; High standard of facilities and support services
Students’ Union Building distant from centre of Campus; some lack of infrastructures
new buildings planned; sign-posting of buildings and facilities
New publics
Increasing numbers of adult candidates; offer of modular postgraduation programmes and individual disciplines; well-established postsecondary sector articulated with undergraduate study programmes
Lack of accreditation of UNAVE short training courses /programmes for the purpose of continuing studies; lack of provision of after work tuition; absence of mechanisms for welcoming and guiding adult students
Setting up of a university centre for continuing education, including recognition of prior and experiential learning, incorporating and taking advantage of existing resources of the Integrated Teacher Education Centre (CIFOP)
4.4 FUNDING
4.4.1 What is the total budget of the University, including salaries, contracts etc.?
The total budget of the University has been increasing in the last six years to slightly over 70.000.000€ in 2005. Personnel costs are the largest single expenses item and have been steadily rising, from 53% in 2000 to 60% in 2005. In an opposing trend, the expenses related to investment have been falling throughout the same period.
Year 2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005
Total Budget 56.164.203 60.892.810 62.773.651 64.842.535 69.670.002 71.385.377
Personnel Costs 53% 55% 58% 59% 57% 60%
Research Project Additional Costs 10% 8% 10% 10% 11% 12% Other current expenses 19% 19% 18% 20% 23% 20%
Investment Plan 18% 18% 15% 11% 9% 7% Total 100% 100% 100% 100% 100% 100%
4.4.2 What percentage is allotted by state or other public authorities, by student fees, by private sources (research contracts, foundations etc.)?
The income structure is clearly dominated by state current funding, which represents around 60% of total income. The percentage of state funding has fallen significantly since 2003, when it was 67%. Student tuition fees have been rising since 2002, with a marked increase between 2002 and 2004. During this period, the maximum legally defined amount for undergraduate fees was raised, and the University adjusted its fees to the maximum allowable fee for all the study programmes. Annual undergraduate fees are now 920€. The University has been able to increase the share of public research funds (through competion), which is over 10% of total income. (see Table 1, Appendix C)
4.4.3 Is the state allocation a lump sum, or, if not, what percentage of this allocation is ear-marked? The state allocation has three components: current funding and investment funding, both directly from the state budget, and other funds, provided by public institutions, mainly associated to additional costs of research. The state allocation is attributed in a lump sum (and according to an overall ceiling established for all higher education institutions) to the university before the start of the civil year and transferred on a monthly basis. The current funding from the state budget is ear-marked to pay personnel costs and finance the running of the University. But since 2003, each year it has been covering a smaller part of the total running costs of the institution and in 2005, the total amount of state budget covered only 98,3% of the personnel costs (see Table 1, Appendix C). The investment funds allocation (PIDDAC), which is attributed to the university annually in a lump sum on the same date as the current funding from the state budget, is tied to the execution of a number of
28 / 36
investment projects, previously approved by the Ministry. It is also paid on a monthly basis, on request through demonstration of the necessity of the expenses to the specific projects. The remaining funds, directly associated to competitive money from research projects, are reimbursed in accordance with a previously established contract after presentation of accounts. According to the specific contractual rules, and because of the delay between total payment by the university and reception of the co-contribution, the UA has to advance a considerable amount of funds to the projects from its own financial resources.
4.4.4 What part of budget is controlled centrally?
The integrated financial management system (SIGEF) was developed according to the matrix organisation of the University, enabling decentralised execution of the budget components with decentralised responsibility, while ensuring a centralised control, required for overall management and to comply with the external accountability requirements. All the payments concerning expenses are centrally processed, following clearance issued by the Administrative Council. In general, and referring to the direct responsibility for expenses, the balance between centrally and non-centrally decided amounts is 77% to 23%, with very small fluctuations over the years (see Table 2, Appendix C). The centrally decided expenses are for human resources, investments and infra-structure costs (energy, security, water, cleaning, gas, …). The non-centrally decided expenses are some direct costs associated with teaching (e.g. laboratorial consumables and equipment), research and the running of the Research Units. It should be noted once more that, from an operational point of view and based on the Integrated System of Financial Management (SIGEF), it is possible, at any point to assess the financial situation of each unit.
4.4.5 What are the amounts allotted to faculties and departments, and according to which criteria are they distributed? Are these amounts decided by the University?
Funds allocated to the departments are usually in the range of 2-3M€ (see Table 3, Appendix C).The amount of state funding to be allocated to the Departments is calculated on the basis of the method used by the ministry for the distribution of the central state budget contribution. It is then approved by the University’s Senate Planning Committee. There are two other main sources of non-centrally decided funds: postgraduate student fees and service and development contracts. Each department receives 70% of the fees corresponding to their postgraduate students. Furthermore, and according to the rules passed by the Senate, 80% of cooperation contracts and similar activities are allocated to the department(s) responsible for carrying out the contract.
4.4.6 What are the allocation procedures within the university? Who decides what and how?
The University of Aveiro works according to a decentralised logic, with central coordination. It is the responsibility of the heads of the different units, services and / or departments to promote and accompany the execution of an activity plan, designed in accordance with the interests of the unit. Heads of units, services and departments may authorise expenses directly up to 5.000 €. Beyond that amount and up to 49.879,79 €, the expenditure depends on the prior authorisation of the University Administration, body entitled to authorise such expenditures on behalf of the Rector. Between 49.879,79 € and 1.000.000,00 €, the capacity to authorise the expense lies with the Rector alone and above this amount, authorisation can only be conceded by the Ministry.
4.4.7 What percentage of the budget could be used by the University leadership to implement new initiatives? As can be seen from the overview of budget income and expenditure in recent years, there are no funds, at least of any substantial amount, available for the implementation of new initiatives/investments. It has become essential for the university to increase its capacity to attract funding from sources other than the state budget, by means of candidatures to specifically funded programmes, the attainment of funding on the basis of applied research and service contracts, the attraction of new publics, and so on.
4.4.8 Is the institution able to calculate the full costs of research and teaching activities? The University finds itself in a position to be able quite soon to calculate the total costs by activity, whether of teaching, research or other, since a system of analytical accounting is currently at the experimentation stage.
29 / 36
4.4.9 What does the institution perceive as strengths and weaknesses in terms of its funding, and how could weaknesses be remedied and strengths be enhanced?
Capacity for services and technology transfer and other cooperation with society
Sustained admission rate for undergraduate students and increased attraction of other students
Highly qualified human resources in several areas
Strengths
Above average (national) share of both national and European research funding
Excessive dependency on state funding which is decreasing
Lack of fundraising culture and mechanisms Poor academic success rate
Extremely rigid and complex structure of costs
Weaknesses
Excessively rigid and complex legal framework
The strengths which we have identified can be enhanced through recourse to a set of strategies related, on the one hand, to the increase in the number of contracts, programmes and/or protocols (for basic or applied research, technology transfer or service provision), which seek to take full advantage of the human resources existing in the UA. On the other hand, they are related to the widening of teaching activity to new publics, whether presential or distance, including the Portuguese speaking nations. These options complement the solutions to reduce the weaknesses. Since the rate of academic success, the qualification of staff and the performance of students after graduation are, or will become, factors in the calculation of the amount of state funding received, improvement in these areas will have a positive effect, not only on our academic achievement but also on our financial situation. As already mentioned, other forms of funding must be found and a culture of fundraising enhanced. One way to increase funding, beyond the expansion of research and service contracts, may also come from the augmented provision of tuition for the wider community. Extension of the use of physical spaces for residential summer courses and other initiatives (renting out to companies, for example) should also be considered as a way of, at least, offsetting the high costs of maintenance of the campus. In addition, Portugal must seek significant change in the legal framework in order to facilitate management and policies of redeployment of human resources.
5 QUALITY PRACTICES: HOW DOES THE INSTITUTION KNOW IT WORKS?
5.1 HOW ARE RESPONSIBILITIES FOR INTERNAL QUALITY SHARED ACROSS THE INSTITUTION?
The UA is recognised as a quality institution9. Measures have been taken over recent years towards the implantation of a culture of quality, notably the creation in 1997 of a Vice-Rectorship for quality, the development of several initiatives to create awareness of the issue (e.g. Atenção UA!, participation in the 2nd Round CRE Audits, hosting of a CRE/IMHE10 seminar where the UA was presented as the case study, Repensar os Curricula), the development of a global information system, the creation of specific bodies responsible for the development of quality, and the redefinition of the university structure to include institutes for functional coordination. Specific quality practices are defined and used within the scope of the institutes that coordinate the functional areas (see Appendix B). For this purpose, the structures are assisted by two central offices: GAQAP and GAGI. GAQAP supports the definition of quality procedures, while GAGI is responsible for the production of management indicators, and for the management of the UA’s information system.
9 The UA was ranked in first position in two independent studies published by national newspapers: the Diário de Notícias ranking of Portuguese public universities in 2000, and the Sousa Lobo ranking of the number of ISI referenced papers per Phd holder in 2005. The external perception of the UA as a quality university is also clear from the number and quality of the students that apply for the UA programmes, the attribution of the ECTS label (amongst the first 11 European Universities), the establishing of partnerships with private partners, the classification of the research units, and the results of the external evaluation of the UA programmes. 10 IMHE – Institute for the Management of Higher Education
30 / 36
This system supports data collection, while promoting standardisation and efficiency. Both GAQAP and GAGI report to the Vice-Rector for Quality.
5.2 ARE INTERNAL QUALITY PROCESSES BASED ON EXPLICIT QUALITY STANDARDS? ARE THESE
QUALITY STANDARDS WIDELY KNOWN AND ACCEPTED IN THE INSTITUTION? HAVE THEY BEEN
WIDELY DISCUSSED IN THE INSTITUTION: IS THERE A SHARED CULTURE OF QUALITY?
The UA has some well-defined quality standards, especially concerning the first degree study programmes. These standards are explicit in the rules for study programme creation, the rules for resource allocation (teaching staff and facilities), the study regulations, academic calendar, and pedagogic dossiers. These standards are in part the consequence of the Study Programme Evaluation, have been discussed and approved in the appropriate organisational structures (IFIU, IFP, Pedagogic Council, and Rectorate), and are disseminated in the university community. Corresponding norms and regulations are also applied at postgraduate level. Regarding research and in accordance with the Regulations, the Council of the Research Institute (constituted by the Vice Rector, President of the Scientific Council and the Coordinators of all the Research Units) is responsible for monitoring the functioning of the Research Units. Internal quality criteria for the Research Institute are based on external quality evaluation by the FCT. When a Research Unit is evaluated with less than Good, the Council can propose suggestions for restructuring. At the same time, research groups with significant and demonstrated potential, a well-defined research area and sufficient critical mass, according to the FCT regulations, are analysed by the Council and, if approved, are submitted for registration in the FCT as new research units. The Council of the Research Institute meets two or three times a year. In addition, several web based resources are available to help monitoring the activity. These include abc, curriculum@ua and Sinbad, which support, respectively, the registering of scientific publications, the automatic construction of curricula vitae, and the digital publication of the actual contents, including articles, reports and theses. On the administrative side, GAQAP (Quality Evaluation Procedures Office) is responsible for quality, evaluation, development and dissemination of procedures. In order to enhance communication and quality-related activity across the institution, each Department/School and Service has a quality-pivot, whose primary responsibility is the implementation of procedures defined at the central level which are contained in a Procedures Manual. Those procedures become standards after being approved by the heads of each functional unit. The network of quality-pivots, together with GAQAP, is proving to be an efficient instrument for the dissemination of best practices amongst units, a forum for the discussion of common problems and solutions and a resource pool for the testing of new instruments. GAQAP is also responsible for the internal staff development plan, organised in consultation with Heads of Units (Services and Departments/Schools), to address perceived development needs.
5.3 HOW ADEQUATE ARE THE RESOURCES AVAILABLE TO SUPPORT INTERNAL QUALITY PROCESSES?
The quality policy of the UA places a strong emphasis on the definition and development of a global information system, capable of supporting and monitoring all the university activities in an integrated way (see Appendix J). In the last three years, this effort was substantially reinforced through two programmes, Aveiro Digital and Campus Virtuais, which allowed the investment in infrastructures, improvement of the e-services and qualification of the staff. Through these programmes, the UA benefited from a budget of over 3 million euros. This process is still ongoing and the UA has still to fully exploit the new information platforms and adapt its human resources to the new needs. Simultaneously, the UA has spent about 130,000€ per year on an internal staff development plan especially designed to improve performance.
5.4 WHAT ARE THE AVAILABLE INTERNAL QUALITY PROCESSES?
Although the UA does not have an integrated quality system, it has several transversal instruments that support quality processes, most notably LEGUA - the Legislation, Regulation and Procedures Knowledge Base set up for this specific purpose, and the Quality Protocol Guide that helps the individual units implement their own quality processes in a standardised way. Specifically, the quality protocols will allow each unit to be managed by objectives, involving the establishment of annual plans of action in the different administrative sectors, the setting out of objectives and procedures for attaining them, and annual
31 / 36
evaluation of both the action plans and the administrative staff. Three units, namely ESTGA, CICUA, and SDUA, are already implementing these protocols in an experimental phase.
5.4.1 Regarding teaching activities: Internal quality processes are managed through the Institutes (IFs) which coordinate and monitor the organisation and outcomes of the teaching programmes, both centrally and through the figure of the Study Programme Directors, who are responsible for ensuring the smooth running of the study programmes (coordination of the programmes of the disciplines, assessment procedures, compilation of information relating to the study programme, trouble-shooting, dealing with students’ and teachers’ problems, ...). Additionally, rules and criteria for recruitment of students at postgraduate level are established within the scope of the Postgraduate Education Institute. The development of a transparent single information system has been an important contribution to the development of quality in teaching activities. It is used to register data about occurring teaching and learning activities11 and to make these data immediately available to students, teachers, and other relevant actors, thus reinforcing the quality mechanism. Since 1994, in accordance with the national framework of evaluation of the HE study programmes, the UA’s programmes have been evaluated on a five-year cycle. Disciplines and teachers are also the object of internal evaluation procedures, in the form of an on-line questionnaire to all students in relation to all their disciplines and teachers, coordinated by the IFs. Feedback on the results of these questionnaires is forwarded to the Heads of Departments, the Study Programme Directors and the teachers to be taken into consideration. Starting in the academic year of 2006/07, this will take place on a regular basis, according to a recent decision of the Institutes.
5.4.2 In relation to research activities:
The Research Institute coordinates the activities of the research units, and encourages quality practices through support for high quality research. At the level of some Research Units / Associated Laboratories, there exist internal mechanisms which regulate the production of research, promoting quality through internal funding regulations. Research activities are subject to external quality processes in the sense that they are only funded if they meet the requirements of the funding institution, whether this be the FCT, the EU, or any other organisation. The research units are also subject to an external evaluation programme by FCT, carried out by international panels, on a three-yearly basis. Furthermore, the academic career itself foments quality research by valuing certain types of publication over others and making promotion dependent on research rather than teaching and other activities.
5.4.3 In relation to student performance: Indicators referring to access numbers, abandonment, drop-out rates, time to graduation and student performance are produced by GAGI (Information, Management Office) on a semestral basis, using the information system. Whenever applicable, these indicators are produced by sector (university or polytechnic), scientific area, department/school, programme, and course. This information is made available to the Education Institutes (IFs) and programme directors. It is their responsibility to identify problem areas and contribute to their solution. The adequacy of study programmes and the employability of the graduates have been surveyed twice in the past and will be annually assessed, from 2007 on, through questionnaires to the alumni.
5.4.4 In relation to administrative processes:
Mechanisms which monitor and regulate administrative processes are in place, using in particular the quality network formed by the quality-pivots, and are coordinated by GAQAP. The definition and management of the quality processes are the responsibility of the appropriate Head of Service. S/He approves the procedures which are disseminated through LEGUA and, whenever possible, are incorporated into the informatics’ applications that support the actual activities. Monitoring of the processes is made by the quality-pivots either qualitatively or quantitatively depending on the actual process. Actions are being taken to partially automate this task by generalising the use of the workflow
11 It includes, for example, data relating to the course content, class summaries, student attendance, timetables, examination’ schedules, contacts of the teachers, study regulations, presentation norms and performance indicators.
32 / 36
management platform. The adjustments to be made are implemented upon approval by the Head of Service. Annually, GAQAP gives a general questionnaire to all staff, including teachers, and a specific one to Heads of Units (Services and Departments/Schools), that can be used to identify staff training needs. This information is used to produce the annual staff development plan. Recently, the UA has also implemented a new system for the evaluation of its administrative and technical staff, within the scope of the national SIADAP (Integrated System for Evaluation in Public Administration).
5.4.5 In relation to entrepreneurial activities and external relations:
Whenever entrepreneurial activities and external relations are extensions of the teaching and research activities (e.g. internships, R&D with private partners), the previously described quality processes are followed. The provision of services is regulated through norms which include the establishment of contracts and protocols. These norms were approved by the Senate and are of mandatory use. For the remaining activities, the broadness of the area and the intervention of several satellite but autonomous units make it difficult to give a comprehensive answer. In particular, the units that execute extension activities (e.g. Unave, GrupUnave, and FJJM) have their own quality processes.
5.5 TO WHAT EXTENT ARE THE OUTCOMES OF INTERNAL QUALITY PROCESSES USED IN DECISION-MAKING AND STRATEGIC PLANNING?
The UA’s self-assessment of its longstanding quality strategy is generally positive. However, the institution is aware that there is still substantial progress to be made in this regard, notably in terms of the systematisation and generalisation of the application of standards and their monitorisation, as well as the development of observatory capacities. This fact has hindered the incorporation of the outcomes of internal quality processes into strategic planning. Nevertheless, the compilation of indicators produced by GAGI is consolidating steadily and is increasingly used in decision-making, mainly within the scope of each functional area.
6 STRATEGIC MANAGEMENT AND CAPACITY FOR CHANGE
How does the institution change in order to improve? The University of Aveiro sees strategic management as the interface of strategic planning with strategic thinking. While a carefully structured analytical process may seem logically sound, it does not totally fit today’s reality. Complementing this structure must be creativity, innovation and visionary leadership. Thus, strategic planning and strategic thinking must sustain and support one another. Overlooking this interface could easily become a recipe for failure. We believe the leadership culture at the University of Aveiro has a strong and sustained record of strategic thinking and opportunism. There is a great deal of evidence pointing to progressive proactivity and responsiveness by the University of Aveiro:
The recent development of new programmes in areas such as health sciences and public policies and administration;
The (re)shaping of research units to better fit well defined priorities, namely through incorporation of more interdisciplinary competencies;
The unique initiative at the national level of promoting post-secondary vocational training as part of a broad educational network encompassing both university and polytechnic offerings as well as other partners;
The setting up of several interfaces and specific units to deal adequately with different aspects of the Mission contributing subsequently to a strong culture of cooperation;
The work done regarding organisational issues and the implementation of a single, master information system; The concern dedicated, with the anticipation of Bologna, to the improvement of academic success and
employability through redesigned curricula, new teaching approaches and tools, and other specific programmes; The national and international trans-institutional initiatives for creating common programmes, in particular at
the postgraduate level. The University had a longstanding conviction for strong external contributions to further improve and
strengthen strategic management. The presence of external personalities and other institutional representatives in the various interfaces clearly reflect this strategy; and
The already described reconstitution of the University Council matches new trends and will have a significant role in future strategic thinking at UA.
33 / 36
The University has completed an exhaustive SWOT analysis, a careful review of the Mission Statement and the development of a Vision Statement. At the same time, one should bear in mind the manifesto presented by the Rector when standing for election which established a set of priorities and therefore constituted a valid and legitimate strategic document. Coupled with that document, this self-study will serve as the culminating component of the preparatory stage of planning development. When the EUA team report is received and its findings and recommendations are factored into the evaluative evidence, a new SWOT analysis will be conducted benefiting from a greatly expanded information base, and the Mission and Vision Statements will again be revisited.
7 CONCLUSIONS
7.1 SWOT
The SWOT analysis presented below takes into account the SWOT exercise mentioned in Section 6, and integrates our own reflections gathered during the self-evaluation process. This analysis presents in a concentrated way the options of the steering committee, made in accordance with the contents of the report and taking into consideration the opinions of the academic community, namely through the answers to the questionnaire (see Appendix K).
Strengths Topic Weaknesses
Good internal and external reputation Dynamic and innovative culture Students’ feeling of belonging Successful communication of UA
image
UA brand
Funding
Excessive dependency on state current funding
Insufficient fundraising Unbalanced deployment of staff and
difficulty in redeployment Lack of capacity to impute total costs
to funding agencies
Stable enrolment Nationally recognised programmes Geographic location and good
transport system
Attractiveness Outside the two main metropolitan
areas
Effective strategic thinking and decision-making capacity
Organisational structure is flexible and promotes interdisciplinarity
Commitment to quality Commitment to balance between
research, education and cooperation with society
Manageable dimension Dynamic relationship with the
Students’ Union and other student /alumni representative bodies
Organisation and management
Far from political decision centres Fragmentation and overlapping of
bodies, duties and competences Weak follow-up of decisions Weak internal communication
processes Quality approach too fragmented and
incomplete; insufficient control instruments and methodologies
Little empowerment
34 / 36
Strengths Topic Weaknesses
Diverse and articulated educational offer
High level of interaction between teachers and students
Student involvement in research and/or job market
History of educational innovation with early commitment to ECTS and the Bologna process
Focus on hands-on approaches to learning
Wide use and availability of e-learning tools
Education
Low academic success rate leading to long time-to-graduation
Unpreparedness of students for the challenges of higher education, in particular regarding autonomy and study habits
Insufficient concern on the part of teachers for student success
Small proportion of postgraduate students
Lack of an integrated approach in lifelong learning
Early recognition of research as central pillar and well-defined priority areas
Strong interdisciplinarity and flexibility Recognised quality of research High rate of publications Existence of four associated labs Good degree of internationalisation
Research
System of KPI to be implemented Uneven contribution of departments
and researchers to the overall scientific production
Central partner in regional development, triggering social and economic innovation
Wide-range involvement in education and training, cultural initiatives, dissemination of science, services to companies, technology transfer and entrepreneurial activities
Partnerships with companies, local authorities, schools, agencies, associations, training and technological centres, and other universities
Responsiveness to demands of society and commitment with results
Active community outreach
Cooperation with society
Experienced academic and support staff
High proportion of PhD holders among academic staff
Continuous improvement of human resources through a strategic staff development programme
Good percentage of younger teaching staff
Staff Lack of incentives for the best faculty Insufficient policies regarding
exclusivity, promotion and tenure
Friendly, supportive, and attractive campus environment
Spacious buildings and grounds with growth potential
Up-to-date teaching and support facilities
Excellent central library with day/night access
Good accommodation and refectories, and other social support structures
Infrastructures
35 / 36
Opportunities Topic Threats
Funding
Reduced public funding for higher education and cuts without standing criteria
Inadequate funding and inappropriate rules, limiting investment and hindering current financial management, with significant impact on research
Legal and political
framework
Absence of long-range central government policies
Under-regulation of the higher education system
Climate of reform and restructuring of higher education system in Portugal, in the light of the OECD Review, December 2006
Organisation and Management
Need to increase the qualification of the Portuguese population
Growing need / demand for graduates Growth of new publics, including
through continuing education and the accreditation of prior learning
Bologna (academic programme adjustment, employability, extension of postgraduate and international enrolment)
Educational demand from Portuguese speaking countries
Education
Low relevance of the teaching activity to the promotion of academic staff
Shift in focus from quality achievement to quantitative achievement
Unfavourable demographic forecast
Seventh European Union Framework Programme
Cooperation with international consortia Attracting more R&D company units to
Campus National programmes for research and
doctoral grants
Research
Consolidated networks with the local/regional economy
QREN - National Strategic Reference Framework
Need for training and requalification opportunities
Societal awareness of added value of cooperation with universities
Increased demand for cultural activities and initiatives to raise scientific consciousness
Cooperation with society
Profile of expected retirement will enable reinforcement of the qualification of non-academic staff
Anticipated changes in the legal framework
Staff Risk of losing prominent faculty and
staff (because of staff reduction)
7.2 ACTION PLAN
The plan below presents key areas of intervention and specific actions for the remedy of the weaknesses identified in the SWOT. In this process, the institution’s strengths and the identified opportunities were the principal points of departure.
36 / 36
Performance indicators Complete the process of defining indicators (KPIs), and generalise the procedures for collecting the associated data as fundamental steps towards realising the quality assurance processes which encompass all university functions.
Bologna Process Continue the implementation of the Bologna Process and all the related issues, namely: learning outcomes approaches; accreditation of programmes in the scope of the planned national accreditation agency; more effective teaching/learning methodologies; development of an integrated model of LLL, making use of ECTS and APL in order to increase mobility between different educational paths.
Partnerships Continue the development of national and international partnerships with a view to: promoting the quality of research; increasing student recruitment (in particular at postgraduate level and through joint doctoral programmes); augmenting the contribution to innovation; increasing impact on the (re)qualification of the Portuguese population; creating new opportunities for funding; promoting scientific and cultural dissemination.
Funding Give particular attention to funding by: creation of mechanisms to optimise access to and take advantage of existing national and international funding frameworks; development of an accountancy system capable of imputing total costs; diversification of funding sources; putting in place fundraising initiatives and mechanisms.
Organisation and governance Keep up with the legal alterations to the higher education system in Portugal; take advantage of the recently created University Council in terms of strategic alternatives and links to decision-making centres; continue commitment to the empowerment of the various levels of decision-making; rethink communication mechanisms and procedures in order to reinforce internal involvement in institutional life.
Human resources Readjust human resources in tune with the institutionally redefined student/staff ratios; create strategies to promote redeployment; define criteria clarifying the expected roles of the academic staff.
7.3 FINAL REMARKS
Planning is not merely a process for the leadership team, nor is it only a top-down process. The results of the analysis of the questionnaire point out that internal communication mechanisms regarding strategic issues need significant rethinking. Therefore, recognising that a participatory shared governance approach is essential, some special attention will be dedicated to the issue of communication. Shared governance can only be created and inspired through open communication of the University’s Vision by the Rector, among others. As the planning model evolves, it must maintain dynamic flexibility, i.e. it must be ongoing, fluid and quick to adapt to circumstances. It is nevertheless important to create a planning model that complements and strengthens strategic thinking, namely through the due incorporation of a structured process with performance indicators and benchmarking standards wherever possible and appropriate. We believe this process of research, self-examination and merging of factors in order to create a legitimate strategic management environment is a sound goal that will serve the University of Aveiro well as it moves into the future.