Faculty of Engineering and Natural Sciences - Uskudar University, Bachelor's, Degree Programs Education

D. EDUCATION 

1. Program Design and Execution

1.1. Program Design and Execution Process

The design of our faculty education program in accordance with the Bologna process in Turkey include the Higher Education Qualifications Framework. Program designs are subject to continuous improvement and updating process by regular meetings held in related units and submitted to the approval of the University Senate by the Faculty Board (See Academic Board Decisions). Designing faculty programs; opinions are received from internal and external stakeholders and the active participation of the unit's academic staff is realized.

Our priorities regarding the execution of the programs are;

Courses to be given by the related academic staff.

It is making sure lectures do not to exceed 6 hours per day for lectures.

Course schedules to be based on student productivity.

Course schedules to be announced at least one week before the start of education.

Bologna updates to be completed before the academic year starts.

Student advisors are announced at the beginning of the academic year.

E-mails from students to the Solution Center, faculty members or other units of the faculty are replied within 1 day.

All kinds of announcements concerning the students are announced on the university web page as well as university student mails and mobile applications.

Students are informed at least once a year by Erasmus Coordination Office about the possibilities of studying abroad.

Exam dates are announced two weeks before the exam.

Exam results are announced the week after the exam week.

1.2. Visibility and Availability

Our way of ensuring that the educational objectives and learning outcomes of faculty programs are achieved and made visible; is through information forms, application files and course application files. Internal and external stakeholders have access to these files on the web page of the Faculties and Departments.

1.3. Follows

Exams, homework, seminars and so on. processes can be monitored through Student Information System. In addition, our students meet with our students during the office hours announced by the faculty members and hung in their offices and they can communicate via STIX interface. While monitoring the extent to which our program designs have achieved their objectives, the process of monitoring external stakeholder feedback was done through face-to-face feedback.

1.4. Improvement Process

Improvements deemed necessary to be made in the content of the program are determined by the program faculty members, Education Commission and academic committee meetings. The implementations carried out in accordance with this plan are continuously monitored and revised when necessary with the contribution of the feedback from internal stakeholders. Measures that will enable more external stakeholders to participate in the process were taken by the quality commission and it was decided that all departments should hold at least one external stakeholder meeting within each educational period. Program outcomes that are planned in accordance with the principles determined within the scope of TQF are also evaluated by the faculty members at the end of each semester and improvements are planned in accordance with the PDCA cycle (See section minutes). In addition, the PUKS application is prepared for the demands and problems encountered and the process is followed up. (See PCAP Application Example)

2. Student Centered Learning, Teaching and Evaluation

2.1. Policies and Availability

The student-centered learning policy of our faculty is in accordance with the regulations and basic principles of Uskudar University and is compatible with the Bologna process. Active learning active learning process includes; student-centered instruction, regular communication with students, regular collection of faculty and student feedback, extracurricular reading, projects and homework strategies. All applications planned in line with the student-centered education policy are shared with the students via the Faculty and Department Web page, OBS and STIX.

2.2. Content and Methodology of Program Courses

It is expected that students will be able to acquire basic information about their fields, analyze and express their knowledge in written and verbal form under the guidance of the faculty and the contributions of the students in determining the curriculum, content and method of the courses conducted in the Faculty of Engineering and Natural Sciences. Our target; The aim of the course is to educate young people who are researchers, who know and use languages, who have original ideas and ability to develop their ideas, who learn analytically and can use what they learn. For this purpose, the laboratory applications of our students are very important, and our students contribute to the application area with their project development assignments.

2.3. competencies

In the unit, Uskudar University encourages the participation of its academic staff in both national and international trainings and meetings in order to develop the competence of the faculty members on student-centered education model and active learning. (See FENS Domestic-Abroad Congress File) All faculty members participate in national and international academic studies throughout the year and update their knowledge and follow developments. (See Academic Activity File) At the University, the Scientific Incentive Directive is also implemented to improve the competencies of faculty members. 

2.4. Work Loads

Crediting of courses in course information packages is carried out according to student work load in accordance with Bologna system. 

2.5. Student Participation

In addition to academic advisory services, students participate in the process of assessment and evaluation, student representatives and face-to-face interviews.

2.6. Elective Courses

In the programs of our faculty, there are field elective and non-field elective courses in order to enable our students to develop their competencies in different disciplines, to gain depth and to recognize different disciplines with the understanding of interdisciplinary teaching.

2.7. Graduation Requirements

In order to the graduation, the student is required to reach the learning outcomes of the program with the achievement measurement and evaluation method (BDI) and to complete the required ECTS (240). These conditions are announced through the Student Information System and the Web.

2.8. Student Rights

The regulations of our faculty covering student rights are in compliance with University Legislation and Regulations. 

2.9. Student Complaints and Suggestions

Student complaints and suggestions are delivered to through the Solution Center of the University, Student Advisory System and the Web page, as well as face-to-face interviews, and necessary measures are taken to prevent the problem from being repeated within the Faculty.

3. Student Acceptance and Development, Recognition and Certification

Our faculty accepts students according to the results of Higher Education Institutions Examination (YKS) conducted by OSYM. Student Mobility is provided by ERASMUS student exchange programs. Horizontal transfer, vertical transfer, foreign student, double major and minor student admissions are in compliance with Uskudar University Regulations and Directives.

4. Teaching Staff

Table 8. Faculty Members

5. Learning Resources, Accessibility and Supports

The University has a Central Library. In the library there are resources and a computer laboratory where students can keep up-to-date and electronic resources. Various activities, conferences and symposiums are organized in our faculty in annual periods. Faculty seminars and departmental seminars are held. In addition, students are provided maximum participation in these activities within the scope of University Culture course. For each student, a faculty member is appointed to provide academic and social counseling, and academic and social counseling support is provided to the student during his / her education. At the beginning of each academic year, new Orientation Meetings and Introductory Meetings are organized for the adaptation and acquaintance of new students, and for the purpose of faculty members. The services and supports provided to students are developed within the framework of the planning studies of the Senate, Faculty and Department boards.

Within the scope of supports, career planning of our students is carried out by Career Planning Center. Another unit that provides student support is the academic advisory system. For each student, a faculty member is appointed to provide academic and social counseling, and academic and social counseling support is provided to the student during his / her education. Students' extracurricular professional, scientific, social, cultural and so on. Student Clubs carry out activities to support the learning process with different resources. However, at the beginning of each academic year, new Orientation Meetings and Introductory Meetings are organized for the adaptation and acquaintance of new students, and for the purpose of faculty members.

Table 9. Student Clubs Operating within the Faculty

6. Continuous Monitoring and Updating of Programs

6.1. Update and Method

The examinations and updates related to the programs are carried out in the meetings of the Department Board, Education and Quality Commissions, Faculty Administrative Board and Academic Committee which meet regularly. These data are discussed and reported by the Faculty Academic Board, and the reports and the Senate decisions are taken into consideration. (See Academic Board Decisions)

6.2. Stakeholder Engagement

Stakeholder participation in program updates activities; questionnaires, face-to-face interviews and official correspondence. (See Stakeholder File)

6.3. Assurances

The method of securing the achievement of the educational objectives and learning outcomes of the faculty are; information forms, application files and course application files. Course Information Packages can be accessed from the faculty and department web pages.

6.4. Follows

The program outcomes are monitored through Assessment and Evaluation, Student Counseling System and face-to-face interviews.

6.5. Improvement and Information

Assessment and evaluation of students and academic staff communicating through interfaces such as Measurement and Evaluation, consultancy system, STIX, requests from the solution center and face-to-face meetings are answered through the system by the relevant interlocutors. In addition, in the meetings where the rector and all faculty members come together with the rector meetings, students' demands are listened to and the related regulations are monitored separately.

6.6 Accreditation

Our university has achieved the accreditation qualifications in FEDEK, PEARSON, ISO 17025 audits. The units of our university work with the accreditation institutions such as İLEDAK, HEPDAK, MÜDEK, SABAK and comply with ORPHEUS standards. Within the organization, units / units responsible for quality management organize liaison meetings with quality commissions and accreditation bodies. Participation in information workshops with FEDEK commission is provided. Document sharing is provided by quality software within the organization. As of April 14, 2018, the Molecular Biology and Genetics (Turkish) and Molecular Biology and Genetics (English) programs of our Faculty have been granted FEDEK Accreditation for a period of 2 years in the accreditation decision regarding the undergraduate programs which were evaluated by FEDEK for the first time. (See FEDEK Accreditation Decision)