PROPOSALS FOR STRUCTURAL CHANGES AND REFORMS OF ACADEMIC PROCESSES IN YSU: SESSION OF YSU COMMISSION FOR REFORMS HAS BEEN HELD

During the meeting the proposal on making structural changes was discussed. The chairman of the commission Vahe Hovhannisyan claimed that the goal of these changes is to increase the effectiveness of administrative process which will promote independence of the subdivisions arranging the academic processes.

The changes don’t pursue layoffs but optimization of the process. The changes are to be started from the upper links.

In this context it is planned to separate a Vice-Rector on Humanitarian and public sciences, a Vice-Rector on Exact and Natural Sciences, a Vice-Rector on International Cooperation and a Vice-Rector on General Issues.

The separation is based on the grounds that the education in humanitarian and public as well as exact and natural sciences can’t be the same.

It is also suggested that the functions of the Vice-Rector on General Affairs should include management of the facilities, administrative organizational issues related to purchases, legal services, work with the staff and so on.
In this context, the finances and accounting are to be separated as well.

The model of the new structure will be presented to the members of the commission, then it is to be confirmed by the Board of Trustees of YSU.

Within the scope of the structural changes some divisions are to be united. Currently, the issue of uniting the Centre for Students’ Affairs and the Alumni and Career Centre, but no layoffs are being discussed.

The Vice-Rector on Academic Affairs of YSU Menua Soghomonyan presented the commission the proposals on the structure, contents and academic process of the curriculum which need to be discussed with all faculties.

It was also suggested that the centralized teaching of foreign languages should be replaced with special lessons corresponding to the level of knowledge of students. The level of students’ knowledge should be tested and each of them will attend the classes corresponding to it.

The members of the commission expressed their opinions about all the proposals.