University of Nova Gorica

The evaluation of the University of Nova Gorica (UNG) for the extension of the accreditation of a higher education institution was carried out by a group of experts in accordance with the recommendations, criteria and criteria set by the National Agency of the Republic of Slovenia for Quality in Higher Education. The UNG audit was performed in four areas: Operation of the higher education institution, Staff, Students and Material conditions. The visit was intended to evaluate the institution as a whole and its members / faculties. The second visit to the university in the autumn of 2021 will also focus on individual study programs, when we will also assess the area of Internal Quality Assurance and Improvement, Modification, Update and Implementation of Study Programs. The four areas assessed include 17 standards. In 11 quality standards, UNG meets quality standards without non-compliance, in four quality standards we found partial compliance, and in two non-compliance with quality standards. We found non-compliance with quality standards in the field of operation of the higher education institution, mainly related to the internal way of organizing UNG and the involvement of all necessary stakeholders in the management and development of the activities of the higher education institution. It is a way of organizing and operating student councils, academic councils and the UNG Senate. We also identified shortcomings in ensuring the quality loop, as certain inconsistencies in the evaluation of the institute seven years ago have still not been eliminated. We have also identified some partial inconsistencies, for which we recommend that UNG also pay close attention to them. These are mainly UNG's habilitation criteria, the realization of UNG's mission and vision, the workload on certain professional associates, who must also provide support to the study process, and the absence of a formal system for submitting student complaints. In identifying the benefits, we focused on the most evident strengths of UNG, listing a total of 20, but there are certainly more. UNG is an excellent and reputable research and educational university both in Slovenia and internationally. Especially in the field of research, they achieve excellent results in terms of their size, and their structure of financial resources also shows excellence in obtaining funds for research work. UNG is an above-average faculty in Slovenian higher education area in terms of the number of foreign students and staff. They have a unique internal organization that enables good communication between members and greater flexibility in making and implementing decisions and carrying out activities. The ratio between the number of students and staff is favourable. Students are above average satisfied with the study process, the quality and responsiveness of the teaching staff and the system of practical training. The same applies to the library's infrastructure and services, with an open and freely accessible repository in particular. Regardless of the many advantages of UNG, we have highlighted over 40 opportunities for improvement, which UNG can use for further development and quality of the institution. These opportunities apply to virtually all assessment standards, highlighting a more systematic definition and pursuit of strategic and short-term goals, strengthening cooperation with the economy along with providing the necessary knowledge transfer mechanisms, strengthening the Career Center and Alumni, introducing annual interviews 44 with employees to monitor their careers. providing more training for employees, especially non-pedagogical, more effective promotion of study programs, etc. At this point, the members of the group would like to thank all those who made sure that the five-day visit to UNG took place at a very high level: Nataša Kramar, Gregor Rebernik and Klemen Šubic - Nakvis experts, UNG management led by Rector prof. dr. Danilo Zavrtanik and all other stakeholders for constructive cooperation in interviews.