EVALUATION REPORT ABOUT THE BACHELOR'S DEGREE
PROGRAM IN SOCIOLOGY, MASTER'S DEGREE PROGRAM IN THE
SOCIAL SCIENCES (SOCIOLOGY) , AND PH.D. PROGRAM IN THE
SOCIAL SCIENCES (SOCIOLOGY) AT THE UNIVERSITY OF LATVIA
Franc Mali, Ph.D.
University of Ljubljana
Faculty of Social Sciences
Kardeljeva pl.5
1000 Ljubljana
Fax: 386-1-5805-101
e-mail: franc.mali@uni-lj.si
INTRODUCTION
The evaluation report about the three academic stages of the sociology study program
at The Faculty of Social Sciences of the University of Latvia (the main conclusions
and recommendations will be given separately for single programs ta the end) is made
on the base of different sources: the self-evaluation reports prepared by sociologists
at the Department of Sociology of The Faculty of Social Sciences, the all additional
information from the other documents concerning the assessment of higher education
institutions and their study programs in Latvia, and, above all, my practical
experiences obtained by site visit of the University of Latvia. Namely, as a member of
the evaluation commission I met in June 4-7 2001, with the reperesentatives of
different academic stratums of University of Latvia (The Faculty of Social Sciences,
Department of Sociology) and representatives of other non-academic institutions
(»Baltic Data House Company«, »Ministry of Welfare«). Last but not least, my site
visit in 1998 at the same department (at that time as the member of PHARE expert
team) has been in the big help to compare the progress made by Department of
Sociology in the last three years. Let us see the strong and weak points of the
programs, the student body, staff and managment of human resource, facilities,
quality managment.
THE PROGRAME
Regarding to the main mission and strategic goals of the Department of Sociology and
its program written in the self-evaluation reports (self-evaluation report for bachelor's
degree study and self-evaluation report for master's degree study) there was coming to
the large progress in the field of sociological study. The Department of Sociology of
the University of Latvia has been all the time (since its foundation in year 1977) the
most important institution to provide an academic education in sociology in the
country. It has strengthened its position with a different activities that are aimed at
improving the quality of the programs. The site visit at the department and the
discussion with the academic staff and students has approved this ascertainment:
1) the both study programs (bachelor and master) are flexible, balanced and
harmonized in terms of succession (e.g.: master's degree students in sociology
may choose courses from bachelor's degree which they have not taken
previously);
2) the both study programs (bachelor and master) offer balanced teaching of
theoretical, methodical and special courses;
3)
on the ground of »ideal model« presented in self-evaluation reports (the
proportions among theoretical, methodological and direction-based courses, the
proportions among mandatory, mandatory-elective and full elective courses, etc.)
there is possible to conclude that the study programs at The Department of
Sociology entirely follow to the model of ETCS.
4) a range of teaching and learning strategies is used at both study programs
(bachelor and master), from lectures to seminars, discussions and group works,
etc.
On the ground of discussions with students at bachelor and master degree, the main
conclusion is that sociology alumni is very satisfied with the structure of both
programs. What part of students at bachelor's degree program is missing, are some
courses with strong practical sociological orientation. As was also noted from the
meeting with the students at the bachelor's and master's degree program, there are
different views about the lack of textbooks.
THE STUDENT BODY
According to the self-evaluation report, there is big interest of young people to study
sociology, but the admission of a larger number of students should be impossible
while the quantity of enrolled students is determined by the University of Latvia. The
current increase of students has occured because more students who pay their own
tuition have been admitted. On the ground of the open dialogue with the students (the
head of the department made possible to meet with the different groups of students
without the presence of staff members) there was noticed the good academic
atmosphere among the students, especially by the students on the master's study level.
The most critical were the students of the Ph.D. program. They complained that they
are too much involved not only in scientific and teaching, but in administrative
activities as well, that the criteria to finish Ph.D. study (e.g. the number of
publications in SSCI) are in given condition of study too high etc.
On the ground of matriculation and the related competition, the sociological
department endeavours to recruit students of high calibre for study in all three
programs (bachelor, master, doctor) who have good rates of progression and success.
The students are very motivated to play more active role in the teaching process. The
visits at »The Baltic Data House Company« and »The Ministry of Welfare« and the
meeting with their employers have approved the conclusion given in the selfevaluation report that a wide range of jobs are available to students who have earned a
bachelor's and master's degree in sociology work. It does mean that the sociological
programs at the both academic degrees have succeed to develop the intellectual and
personal qualities of students as well a secure understanding of sociological
knowledge which can be applied in a variety of professional and organisational
contexts. Notwithstanding, the weakness of the self-evaluation report is that the
precise data about the drop-out rate among students in the program of sociology are
not given.
THE ACADEMIC STAFF
At The Department of Sociology, there was made a large progress in formation
qualificated academic staff. The department has three associate professors, four
docents and four lectors in all. As a general observation, at the department are
employed well-qualified, self-motivated and hard-working instructors (researchers)
who have intense interest in one's subject discipline. As a member of external
evaluation team I was able to enter into open dialogue with academic staff, which
demonstrate their commitment to the high quality of education and research. There
are good relationships between staff and studnets even though there are no formalised
procedures for students feedback. Namely, at the department, in the academic year
2000, two students surveys on the quality of teaching (evaluation of the work of
instructors, the evaluation of the methods of learning, evaluation of the structure of
lectures, evaluation of learning materials) were performed.As students said at the
meeting with the external evaluation team, the feedback information (the results of
their surveys, eventual actions on the ground of surveys etc.) didn't come to them until
now. There was a clear evidence both from the self-evaluation report and from the site
visit itself of overloading of acdemic staff with teaching obligations. According to the
opinion of teaching staff the lecturers suffer financial losses in regard to scientists
who work as full-time researchers. Because of their overloading with teaching they
should be handicaped in the competition for scientific grants. In spite of the lack of
time and research money is the scientific productivity of academic personnel at The
Department for Sociology admirable, especially their involvement in international
scientific cooperation. All academic personnel at the department is strongly
motivated to improve existing contacts with international partners and to establish
new onse.
FACILITIES
In the past, the process of the faster development of sociological program was
hindered very strongly for the lack of space capibilities and the lack of other material
conditions (the lack of rooms for the normal work of academic personnel, miserable
situation in library etc). The situation changed with the establishment of the new
Faculty of Social Sciences. Prior to 2000, the Department of Sociology was part of the
Faculty of History and Philosophy. Since January 2000, the Department of Sociology
has joined with the Department of Communication Studies and the Department of
Political Science to establish the Faculty of Social Sciences of the University of
Latvia. On this way there was coming to much better infrustructural and material
conditions to teach and to do other work.Let us number some basic data: the
department is housed in the nine rooms at the faculty with 180 square meters of
space, there are three computer classis with 60 computers (with internet connections)
etc, the students and academic staff may use the faculty's library with more than
10000 volumes of books and journals. The site visit of library, computer classes,
classrooms and cabintes showed the progress made in the last three years. At my first
visit, in year 1998, the material and technical conditions for modern way of teaching
and research were catastrophic (the department was housed in three small rooms in
very poor conditions, there were available three computers for all academic staff,
etc.). At the site visit in year 2001, it is shown that the progress concerning space
and technical conditions of work is tremendous.
QUALITY MANAGEMENT
On the ground of the meeting with dean and the vice-dean of the faculty, the
academic staff members of the sociological department there was noticed that the
management is representing the interests of all faculty's departments. The
management at the faculty (department) is based on the high level of professional
autonomy and high level of staff participation in management. It could be said that the
focal point of the department as institutional unit is the »collegium« of scholars
focused around its academic discipline. As was already said, the academic personnel
at The Department for Sociology make all efforts to create a good atmosphere to
teach and research. The department's head is encouraging the innovations concerning
teaching methods. Notwithstanding, the direct feedback and quality control of teacher
from the side of students as the usres of transmitted knowledge could be more
formalised.
SUGGESTIONS AND RECOMMENDATIONS
Relying on the site visit at The Department of Sociology, which allowed me to
receive the additional information about the teaching quality of academic staff, the
research orientation of department, the cooperation between students and teachers I
give the following suggestions to continue the progress of study at The Department
of Sociology:
1) bachelor's degree program:

to involve the students as much as possible in research projects

to attract as much as possible researchers from other academic institutions
(especially from abroad) into teaching program of department;

to strengthen the horizontal links with other departments of Faculty of Social
Sciences
2) master's and Ph.D. degree programs:

to include the students of the both programs in different forms of international
teaching and scientific cooperations

to refromulate (if it is at all in the hand of faculty or department) the (unrealistic)
criteraia to attain Ph.D. degree;

to create joint study programs with other excellent scientific and teaching centers
at home and in abroad.
Finally, I recommend:
1) for bachelor's degree program in sociology: the accreditation for six years;
2) for master's degreee program in the social sciences (sociology): the
accreditation for six years;
3) for Ph.D. program in the social sciences (sociology): the accreditation for two
years.
Prof. Arvydas Virgilijus Matulionis
Lithuanian Institute of Culture and Arts
Personal report of the site visit at the Latvian University, 5-6 June, 2001.
EVALUATION BACHELOR, MASTERS AND DOCTORAL PROGRAMS OF
THE SOCIOLOGY OF THE LATVIAN UNIVERSITY
Shot report of our commission was prepared immediately after visit – 6 June.
Now I present my personal approach.
I would like to add the following features to the list of
strong points:
1. I am observing process of preparing sociologist in Latvian University for the long
time. Naturally I can form well founded approach that few years ago situation was
crucial but now situation was totally different: bachelor and masters programs are
good structured and systematic. After election Dr. T.Tisenkopfs as head of
department of sociology was achieved new higher level of teaching: formed more
qualificated staff of teachers, created good psychological atmosphere, students of
masters and doctoral study was involved into preparing different projects. Very
important that on master and doctoral studies levels are good composition of
theoretical, methodological and practical courses.
2. Very successful step in preparing sociologist was creation Faculty of Social
sciences in Latvian University. Contacts with other departments of faculty –
politology and communication – are very useful for the sociologist.
3. Now material base of Faculty are totally changed: reconstructed building, formed
three computers classes, created network of computers and Email system, bought
good equipment.
Weak points are more connected with bachelor and doctoral programs:
1. If we can state point that students of masters and doctoral study are involved into
preparing different projects and getting better practical skills, different situation are
with bachelor study students. I thing that involving students into practical creative
work must be earlier – from second-third years of studies.
2. Administration could be attach more attention to doctoral program. Now doctoral
students are spending more time for preparing different courses and teaching. I
understand that process of teaching is very important in formation person of teacher
and scientific worker but I think that the most important task must be preparing good
structured and systematic doctoral work. Helping to doctoral persons could be more
concrete. For example, are problems with publishing papers in prestige publications.
It possible to solve this problems together with colleagues in other countries.
Recommendations:
1. The first, of course, should be recommendations to accredit bachelor and masters
programs for six years and doctoral program – for two years.
2. Bachelor program must be more relate with practical preparing.
3. Contacts with other countries could be more effective if could be make solutions
of changing teachers or doctoral persons to preparing new special courses. This
way is more perspective than only changing students.
4. Administration should be attach more attention to doctoral program.
Prof.
Arvydas Matulionis
15 June, 2001