Humak University of Applied Sciences passes its FINEEC audit – strengths include an operating culture that encourages experimentation and a coaching model that supports students’ learning
Humak University of Applied Sciences was praised by FINEEC’s audit team for its inclusive operating culture that encourages staff to experiment and engage in projects with partners. Humak has a clearly described RDI project process and its operations comply with agreed-upon operating procedures. Humak’s strengths also include its coaching pedagogy strategy and the coaching model based on it, which provide an effective framework for teaching and learning.
Study progress monitored and supported with the help of a coaching model
At Humak, the smooth progress of students’ studies and graduation are supported by the university of applied sciences’ education implementation methods and the instructions and forms collected in the digital Student's Guide. Humak’s coaching pedagogy strategy and the coaching model based on it provide an effective framework for teaching and learning. At the start of their studies, each student prepares a personal study plan (PSP) with their designated PSP study coach. The PSP study coaches and campus study counsellors regularly monitor the progress of students’ studies and provide support to students.
It is important for Humak to ensure that the coaching model is applied equally to all students. It is also important to consider how genuine encounters between students and staff could be integrated into studies that take place primarily online, comments the chair of the audit team, Vice President, Education Heidi Rontu from Metropolia University of Applied Sciences.
Humak's operating and quality culture is highly inclusive and encourages experimentation
Humak's operating culture encourages staff to experiment and engage in projects with partners. The university of applied sciences’ research, development and innovation (RDI) project process is clearly described, and actual operations comply with agreed-upon operating procedures. Humak is involved in several regional, national and sector-specific cooperation networks and clusters. Humak has clearly described metrics and procedures for monitoring and evaluating the effectiveness of RDI activities through quantitative targets. However, the audit team recommends that Humak should also develop qualitative metrics for evaluating the effectiveness of RDI activities.
Humak's quality culture is highly inclusive, with staff and students contributing to the development of operations through various working groups. The implementation of the university’s basic tasks is contributed to by a shared value base. Good practices are actively disseminated at staff coffee morning and digital pedagogy coffee morning events, and good practices deemed effective have been successfully implemented throughout the university of applied sciences. Examples of these include guidance and coaching wall boards aimed at students as well as ‘Pedagogiset ideat jakoon’ (‘Sharing pedagogical ideas’) Teams channel for teaching staff.
Strengthening the community cohesion of a multi-location organisation requires strong leadership
As an optional area to be evaluated in the audit, Humak chose the management of a multi-location organisation. Humak has campuses in the Helsinki metropolitan area (Helsinki and Kauniainen), Jyväskylä, Kuopio and Turku. Operating at multiple locations allows Humak to strengthen its knowledge base in its fields of operation. Despite operating based on a multi-location model, the university’s management has managed to create and maintain an operating culture that encourages staff to engage in multi-vocal discussion and idea sharing.
However, the experiences of the staff of different campuses regarding teamwork and community cohesion show that there is room for improvement in these areas. As such, the audit team recommends that Humak should clarify the objectives and rules of remote, face-to-face and hybrid work and ensure that the entire university of applied sciences community operates in accordance with them. As a builder of long-term online-assisted community cohesion, Humak has the potential to become a pioneer in this area and come up with new operating methods, says the chair of the audit team Heidi Rontu.
Humak University of Applied Sciences passed the audit conducted by the Finnish Education Evaluation Centre (FINEEC) and was awarded a quality label for six years. Passing the audit shows that the activities and the quality system of the university of applied sciences meet both the national criteria and the Standards and Guidelines for Quality Assurance in the European Higher Education Area. The audit focuses on higher education institutions’ procedures for maintaining and enhancing the quality of education, RDI activities and societal interaction. The audit criteria have been published in FINEEC's Audit manual for higher education institutions. The audits of higher education institutions’ quality systems were launched Finland in 2005.
The audit report is available on FINEEC’s audit platform.
Enquiries
Vice President, Education Heidi Rontu, Metropolia University of Applied Sciences (chair of the audit team), tel. +358 50 563 6230, heidi.rontu@metropolia.fi
FINEEC Senior Evaluation Advisor and Audit Project Manager Kirsi Mustonen, tel. +358 29 533 5515, kirsi.mustonen@karvi.fi