ERASMUS POLICY STATEMENT (EPS) OF THE UŞAK UNIVERSITY

In order to complete this section, please refer to the instructions given below. Please note that your EPS shall be given wide visibility in your Institution and must be published on the web page of your Institution.

The EPS should set out the overall Erasmus co-operation strategy of your Institution in relation with its mission statement, underlying its Erasmus cooperation plan as well as any other activities to be proposed in the framework of the Life-long Learning Programme (LLP).

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b) Please also provide information on the following points:

What specific actions are planned to give visibility to Erasmus activities and what type of publicity will be given to the Erasmus University Charter and the EPS ?

What kind of arrangements, if any, does the Institution ensure to comply with non-discrimination objectives (e.g. actions related to gender equality, integration of disabled students and staff, enhancement of social and economic cohesion and combating of xenophobia and racism)?

Our HEI began its academic activities in 1992 and was established as a new university (University of Uşak-UU) in March 2006 after its separation from Afyon Kocatepe University (AKU).UU has five faculties (Faculties of Education,Engineering,Arts&Sciences, Economics&Administrative Sciences and Fine Arts),six vocational schools of higher education,one school of health,and two graduate schools (Institutes of Social Sciences and Natural&Applied Sciences). Before 2006, Erasmus activities were conducted in connection with AKU International Office.

As a newly established and small-sized university, we believe the importance of international and multicultural collaboration in higher education, therefore, UU plans to begin exchanging not only students and staff but also participate in multilateral projects such as CDs, IPs, and Virtual Campus openings. Since the establishment of UU in 2006, our key personnel have participated in regional meetings&conferences in relation to the Bologna Process and we have set up a focus group for determining our priorities as an institution in order to increase our capability in implementing it across the UU and in supporting our institution’s participation in the EHEA.UU aims to be an active partner in EU Education and Training Programmes and makes an effort to introduce these in its all units and in the neighbourhood.Therefore, EU&International Relations Office (EU&IRO) and EU Education, Application and Research Centre (EUEARC) were founded recently and six staff are currently working for all programmes.UU also has an Institutional Erasmus Coordinator,each faculty and department has its own Erasmus/ECTS coordinator. The EU&IRO informs both students&staff at the university about the EU programmes and represents the University in national/international meetings regarding EU. Similarly, for the past three years, there have been seminars and daily conferences about Bologna Process, Erasmus and other LLPs, FP6 and FP7 organised by bodies such as the Turkish National Agency, the Secretariat General for the EU Affairs, TÜBİTAK and the units within the university such as the EU & IRO and the EUEARC. In order to increase visibility in Erasmus activities, there have been visits to all faculties carried out by the Vice Rector responsible for international relations and the Coordinator of EU&IRO to promote especially teaching staff mobility for the coming mobility year.We set a specific target to have 20 outgoing students and 5 staff for the first year of mobility and to at least double this number every year thereafter. This was made more binding as one of the decisions taken by the University Senate. To promote further visibility of Erasmus activities, EU&IRO is determined to organise intensive information days/meetings for students, teaching&administrative staff with the continuing support of the Turkish National Agency and other universities with prior Erasmus experience.

UU is also in the process of making all the preparations required to join the EUA and other associations such as IAU and EAIE. We are fully aware that we will then be able to participate in projects such as Joint Masters and Quality Culture (IEP).

In accordance with the Turkish Constitution’s Article 10, various equality policies combating gender, language, religion, age, and ethnic origin based discrimination have been reinforced continuously and will carry on to be reinforced in our curriculum, and in our activities. Furthermore,our university is determined to cover the needs of the disabled students and staff and facilities are to be developed to make our campuses more disabled-friendly.

This EPS has been prepared by the EU & IRO,in coordination with other units, and is subject to the guidelines approved by the University Senate. This EPS will be implemented, and monitored by the University Senate within the framework of the Strategic Plan, and will be publicised at the boards of all units and at the University Web page.

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What kind of specific measures are implemented in the Institution to ensure high quality in academic mobility activities?

Details should be provided on: recognition and credit systems, the provision of information on curricula, information and counselling of outgoing students, tutoring and integration of incoming students, provision of student services (in particular accommodation), preparatory and refresher language courses, support and acknowledgement of staff mobility.

In 2005 our institution prepared ECTS catalogues in all units.Currently, we are updating these catalogues at the beginning of each semester. Preparations concerning DS were completed and they will be given to all UU students. ECTS credits are all provided in our curricula alongside the national credits. Learning agreements will contain ECTS credits and will be applied for academic recognition.

EU&IRO has been arranging and will arrange periodic information sessions for staff& students.Information on all EU Programmes will be displayed on boards and on the web.Selection process for students and staff will be done transparently.Incoming&outgoing students will be given orientation sessions organised by the EU&IRO and incoming students will be treated as UU members. Accommodation leaflets will be prepared by the EU&IRO to help the incomers to accommodate to a new environment. They will be met at the arrival point and accompanied during the orientation week. Depending on the mobility requirements, an orientation programme will be provided to incoming students/staff such as Intensive Turkish Language Courses for the required levels, and on Turkish cultural habits and way of life. UU has a strong academic team for organising Turkish Language classes and is planning to apply to the National Agency for ILCs in the coming academic years. Short trips will be arranged to cultural/historical sites for increasing cultural dialogue and meetings will be arranged by the vice-Rector to get feedback on their training, education and cultural experiences. EU&IRO will also support outgoing students/staff on mobility issues through personal counselling. Information and support on passport&visa procedures will be given and orientation packs including language and cultural issues will be provided by the EU&IRO prior to their departure. Department of Foreign Languages will also be encouraged to run language (intensive English) courses for outgoing students and staff.

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Quality of Student placement activities:

What kind of specific measures are implemented to ensure high quality in student placements? Give details on: how the work-programme and the placement agreement are prepared and implemented. Please describe the practical arrangements agreed between the parties. Please specify also the monitoring and evaluation of the placement period as well as its recognition in the curriculum.

UU is very aware that collaboration with Europe and provision of a productive environment with cooperation with enterprises are today’s priorities.UU plans to establish well-organised placement activities within the framework of Erasmus.This is because UU has a well-established Engineering Faculty and Six Vocational Schools and work placements in their curricula are already compulsory and without the fulfilment of the work placement criteria the students are not able to graduate.Having been located in the heart of the interior-Aegean Regional Industry and having a relatively big Organised Industry Zone which is famous for its textile industry,UU has easy access to cooperation with private enterprises.