Academy 360 - integrated quality improvement system
Project title
ACADEMY 360 - INTEGRATED QUALITY IMPROVEMENT SYSTEM AT THE KOZMINSKI UNIVERSITY
Name of Beneficiary/Beneficiaries
Kozminski University
Name of programme
Operational Programme Knowledge Education Development
Competition
Integrated Curriculums of Higher Education Institution
Project value
PLN 11 851 315.29
Funding value
PLN 11 494 590.66
Project delivery period
from 02/04/2018 until 30/09/2022
Get to know our team
The Project Office at the Kozminski University is a team that directly supervised the entire project life cycle - from the submission of the application to the final settlement. Together with other units of the Higher Education Institution, we were involved in comprehensive implementation, including coordination, reporting and monitoring. Our experience to date allowed us to develop internal rules of cooperation that produce results and enable us to achieve synergies between the activities of various organisational units of the University. This would not have been possible without the many people involved in the implementation of the various project modules.
See the outcome of our work
The idea behind the project was to improve the quality of education and management at the Kozminski University. It was both a response to the needs of the social and economic environment and the implementation of changes in several areas of operation: didactic, development of academic and administrative personnel, development of student careers and IT infrastructure. Such a comprehensive and long-lasting project, although associated with numerous challenges and risks (including COVID19), undoubtedly represents a value which, after more than four years of implementation, can be evident in the following areas:
- We developed and launched three innovative study areas:
- BIG DATA ANALYSIS
- MANAGEMENT & ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE in DIGITAL SOCIETY
- MANAGING THE DEVELOPMENT OF THE ENTERPRISE,
A total of 137 people - now graduates of the University - have completed the studies. All curriculums were implemented with the participation of institutional partners - leading IT or finance companies.
- We implemented a comprehensive curriculum for the development of didactic (154 people) and administrative personnel (190 people)
The curriculum, which was preceded by a survey of needs and the planning of development activities over a period of several years, included online training - both domestic and foreign, visits to leading research and didactic centres, and specialised training. This was supplemented by the preparation of a total of 80 hours of e-learning courses for personnel. Furthermore, we initiated annual competitions for didactic and administrative micro-innovations, the objective of which were to identify the best ideas for organisational and work improvement and didactic changes at the Higher Education Institution, with innovation as the basic criterion for evaluating the submitted posters.
3. We implemented a new model of career advisory (individual and group)
The KARIERA+ career advisory model was built on a methodical, comprehensive approach to the process of supporting the student in choosing a career path. Over the course of the project, 811 male and female students benefited from it. We employed two career advisors, thanks to whom we additionally implemented webinars and meetings with experts on a much larger scale than before. Among other things, we prepared a series of integration workshops for first-year management students. We extended the portfolio of diagnostic tools supporting the career development - in addition to the FRIS and MPA tools, we also added the Gallup and SHL verbal and analytical tests.
4. We enabled 290 people to complete paid internships
The internships were completed by male and female students of management, finance, accounting and law. Approximately 30 per cent of them were offered the proposal to become bound to a company and work at the internship site. The internships also resulted in the creation or expansion of cooperation between the Kozmiski University and business - e.g. partnerships for mandatory internships or the involvement of employers in the didactic process.
5. We implemented a CRM system built on the Salesforce platform as a central point of service for female and male students of the Kozminski University
The solution made it possible for us to increase the effectiveness of communication with the student community and to automate processes, contributing to the quality of education. We have also built a Graduate Platform based on the LinkedIn, which now brings together around 3,000 people.
What problem does our project solve?
The project enabled a comprehensive response to the needs and expectations of our students, didactic and administrative personnel and the Higher Education Institution itself.
Thanks to their participation, STUDENTS improved the competences desired by employers in the areas of big data, artificial intelligence and management of enterprise development. They had the opportunity - in cooperation with practitioners and experts - to plan and implement real projects and business processes. Moreover, they gained work experience and improved their competences in companies allowing them to use the knowledge and learning outcomes for their course of study through paid internships. A comprehensive and innovative model of career advisory allowed the students to improve their competences related to teamwork, group communication, conflict resolution, negotiation using modern working methods - e.g. team coaching, psychometric tests.
DIDACTIC PERSONNEL OF THE KOZMINSKI UNIVERSITY, In connection with the changing way in which young people learn - flexible, incidental, allowing them to succeed quickly and acquire knowledge anytime and anywhere - the didactic personnel improved her didactic competences. They exchanged international experiences in modern teaching methods and used them to teach their own classes.
In the case of ADMINISTRATIVE PERSONNEL, we focused on the development of competencies in age management, recruitment and adaptation of employees, effective communication, organisation of own work, conducting effective meetings, project management and language skills.
The project activities constituted a comprehensive offer that synergistically supported the development of the didactic and managerial competences of the personnel of THE KOZMINSKI UNIVERSITY. It was the knowledge and skills gained in the project that, inter alia, made it possible to effectively manage the risks and unpredictability caused by the COVID-19 pandemic.
In terms of benefits for the HIGHER EDUCATION INSTITUTION itself, the project enabled activities in the area of automation of management processes - from the stage of enrolment of a candidate, through the time of study, to obtaining the status of a graduate of the University, in order to improve the quality of education as a result. This was achieved, among other things, through the implementation of an integrated central IT system – CRM.
Who will benefit from the outcomes of the project?
The project benefited both participants, who have increased their skills and are prepared for the challenges of today's labour market, and employers, who will have the opportunity to work with qualified and competent personnel. Certainly, the beneficiary of the project activities is also the Higher Education Institution itself, which, by implementing the Integrated Quality Improvement System at the Kozminski University, completed a programme of comprehensive activities, investing in the development of employees, students and modern management tools.
Alongside the direct benefits resulting from the implementation of the project, there is an area of added value, where the most important are a cooperation between the various units of the Higher Education Institution, synergy of activities and practical project management, including the exchange of knowledge and experience and joint search for solutions.
What was the most challenging aspect of the implementation of the project for us?
We implemented the project in a challenging and dynamically changing reality. The COVID-19 pandemic forced a complete change in the management of the project and affected the conditions for its implementation. This challenged the management team, the contractors of the various services and the participants themselves. In addition to the risks, the consequences of the pandemic also brought with them an opportunity to build capacity and develop competences that we had not originally planned for in the project, but which can now become a competitive advantage. It is worth mentioning here the development of digital competences, the effective use of IT tools on a daily basis, or the ability to adapt flexibly to deal with Talebian 'black swans'.
Our advice to other Applicants
The advice we want to share, but also in line with which we want to continue to act, is the idea that we should remember that project implementation is a common objective and concern - for both beneficiaries and intermediate institutions. Proper and accountable communication based on trust is essential. The joint search for solutions, the ongoing reporting of problems and ways of mitigating them are - in our opinion - one of the elements determining the success of a project. All this is possible thanks to a professional and committed team and the full support of authorities of the higher education institution.