Quality assurance policy

International accreditation

The educational programmes of the Academy have been certified by the international commission to comply with the Standards and Guidelines for Quality Assurance in the European Higher Education Area (ESG-ENQA).

The policy and procedures of quality assurance are regulated by the local act «Regulations on the internal quality assurance system», published on the official website of the Gnesin Russian Academy of Music.

The set of measures for comprehensive analysis and objective assessment of content, organization, quality and results of the educational process, as well as the work of the teaching staff is generally consistent with the strategy of the Academy, which is to continuously improve the quality of trainees at all levels and forms of training. The main tools for educational process quality evaluation comprise a periodic assessment of the educational programmes (EP), as well as an annual self-examination of the Academy, preparation and study of federal reporting documents.

The purpose of the EP assessment

The purpose of the EP assessment is to obtain objective information about the quality of education at the Academy, compliance of the EP implementation with local regulations and correspondence of learning results and conditions for their achievement with the requirements of higher education federal state standards (HEFSS), the trends and changes in the labor market requirements and professional standards, the indicators affecting the level of education. Based on this information, timely management decisions are made.

In order to ensure continuous improvement of the quality of education, EP assessment is carried out annually and includes a set of measures aimed at studying:

• the structure of EP;
• compliance with the HEFSS;
• the quality of disciplines and practical training syllabuses;
• means and tools of evaluation;
• teaching staff engaged in the implementation of EP;
• admission requirements for applicants and the results of annual enrollment;
• organization of the educational process;
• quality and efficiency of current and interim assessments;
• provision with learning materials, library resources;
• scientific research and creative achievements of EP;
• the results of the final state certification (FSC) and final qualifying works (FQW);
• the requirements of the labor market and employment possibilities for graduates;
• the external independent assessment of EP;
• opinions of employers about the quality of training at the Academy.

Methods of collecting information for EP assessment include the following:

• examination of the documents kept at Departments and Faculties, minutes of Department meetings, minutes of Faculty Council meetings, students» attendance register, teachers» individual plans, teachers» workload, records of current and interim assessments, students» FQW and other documents; 
• conducting printed and electronic surveys among students; 
• examination of data collected by the automated system of educational process management based on enrollment, expelling and transfer of students of the EP, students» academic performance and online portfolios of their achievements.

The EP assessment procedures are carried out by the Department of quality assurance in education. Results of the analysis are outlined in a report and submitted for discussion during Faculty Council and the Academic Council meetings. As a result, proposals are made to improve the quality of EP implementation. All decisions are drawn up in protocols and brought to the attention of all interested parties.

«Regulations on the internal quality assurance system» were developed in accordance with the Federal law on education in the Russian Federation and the European standards and guidelines for internal quality assurance in universities. In accordance with the Regulations, the parties involved in organizing and improving the quality assurance system of the Academy include the administration, faculties, degree-granting departments, Student Council, graduates and employers. The responsibility for development of this essentially important activity area rests upon the Department of education quality observation and informatization.

Key employers that provide job placements for graduates of the Academy take part in enhancement and implementation of quality assurance policy through participation in hallmark concerts dedicated to anniversaries and other significant dates, scientific conferences, master classes and consultations organized for students and teachers, as well as presiding over certification boards during FSC.

All concerned parties are involved in the evaluation of EPs. Regular surveys concerning student satisfaction with EPs are conducted within the framework of periodic internal EP assessments. Students evaluate the compliance of EP structure and curriculum with their expectations, teaching staff qualifications, the adequacy of equipment and learning resources provided etc. Apart from that, employers» feedbacks on EPs are also monitored.

In addition, during regular meetings of degree-granting departments the teaching staff has the opportunity to put forward their own initiatives to improve the quality of assessed EPs, which is drawn up in minutes of these meetings.

Students» answers to questions of surveys, as well as feedback and initiatives of teaching staff are included in a report of EP assessment. Reports are discussed at the meetings of the Academic Council and taken into account during planned upgrades of EPs, curricula, teaching methods and practices.