Brief description of main components of educational services in Yerevan State Medical University after M.

Heratsi The university has well-defined mission implying objectives and issues, which are reflected in the 5-year strategy plan. Internal stakeholders are involved in the process of program design and confirmation. It is discussed and confirmed by the University council. Each year, the scope and implementation process of activities driven from the strategy plan is being reported by the university administration to the university and scientific councils where the work is being assessed. The university carries out implementation of short-term, as well as mid- and long-term activity programs, but the mission of higher education institution, the objective implementation and achievement assessment, the mission review expression, as well as officially approved policy of the assessment and revision of the aforementioned programs has not been developed (except the afore-mentioned form of assessment) . According to the RA law on education and postgraduate professional education (2004) and the follow-up government resolution the university is implementing three-stage educational system since 2006. During the last four years thorough systematic and substantial changes have been made: The deadlines for three educational programs implementation has been set All the educational programs have been reviewed and reformed New educational programs have been developed New academic departments have been formed, some have been united Wide-scope of academic-methodical work has been carried out ( new manuals, textbooks have been published, testing system of knowledge assessment has been developed A clearly defined list of improving practical skills and abilities has been taken as principle in the designed educational program for

masters degree and theoretical knowledge for bachelors degree program accordingly. But there are a number of problems connected with the threestage system implementation Public awareness (applicants, students, academic staff, employers) on higher education newly-made degrees and

corresponding qualification is not sufficient Bachelors degree nowadays is perceived as only a threshold for entering magistracy Its necessary to implement fundamental programming reforms guided by the needs and requirements of practical healthcare together with the labor-market Baccalaureates independent entry to the labor-market is not supported Labor-market and education relationship is not functioning yet To raise the service importance of graduates with bachelors degree we need interaction between interested governmental institutions and society There arent any officially confirmed mechanisms for regular review and assessment of educational programs In our higher educational institution the academic process is organized according to the state educational standards relating to professional higher education quality approved by Ministry of Education and Science,RA. The university has the academic environment providing the implementation of educational programs(corresponding human, financial, territorial, laboratory and tool resources ) and relevant to the requirements of the above mentioned standards. Every year this academic environment is being reformed, refreshed and updated. The university has designed policy for academic staff collection and regular assessment. The university has developed professional quality assessment standards(academic-methodological, clinical, public activities) involving the staff from all the academic departments with their opinions,

remarks and proposals. But the policy of academic staff professional development and encouragement needs to be reviewed Student collection and admission is carried out universitys but joint exams according to centralized rules. Students are enrolled in the universitys governing process: their involvement in the university and faculty councils, methodological and central methodological committees comes to 25%, but effectiveness of that process is not analyzed. Our students are taking part both in thematic and fundamental research in the scope of their scientific interests, but the percentage of these students is not high. Students rights are protected by independent Students council, but the effectiveness of that process is not being analyzed. Regular surveys about professional teaching quality are conducted with the students. There are no special services promoting students career growth. We have not developed regulations stating the students role in the quality assurance process. The university has developed students knowledge assessment standards and guidelines.The required quality assurance of academic process is carried out through examination of students residual knowledge. Twice a year public survey is conducted among the students. Relating to the joint programs between higher educational institutions certain system has been developed and agreements have been signed with higher educational institutions of different countries (Russia, US, Germany, The Ukraine, Italy, France, Egypt, etc.,) with the purpose of educational program assessment and practical discussions. But no benchmarking quality assurance policy and guidelines has been carried out. of not throgh the

The assessment mechanisms of information gathering, analysis and application are not clearly defined. The stable mechanisms of feedback are in the development process. The culture of educational quality is not fully developed yet. 3

The internal quality control is carried out regularly and has both perpendicular (academic department- deans office-cyclic methodological committee-faculty scientific councils) and horizontal nature (supplementary professional academic departments) These processes are regularly reviewed on the basis of decisions resulting from the discussions, round tables and meetings with internal stakeholders. Serious changes have been made and are being made in the direction of internal quality assurance, but both the involvement of human resources and the availability of material resources need to be reformed. There is much to be done in the direction of internal quality assurance policy and guideline mechanism and instrument development