INTRODUCTION. I. Assessment of Teaching Staff II. Assessment of Degrees III. Assessment of Research IV. Further Initiatives for Enhancing Quality

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1 ACTION PLAN 2014

2 INTRODUCTION Law 12/2010, dated 28 October, sets out that ACSUCYL is the external assessment body for the higher education system in Castilla y León, as a result of which it focuses its activities on developing programmes to assess the quality of universities in the region and on promoting procedures which lead to their improvement. The 2014 Action Plan has been drawn up taking account of the objectives described in ACSUCYL's Strategic Plan as well as the need to fulfil the functions which current legislation assigns to the Agency. Taking into consideration the budgetary restrictions imposed resulting from the present economic climate, the activities in which the Agency will engage will be based around the following areas of action: I. Assessment of Teaching Staff II. Assessment of Degrees III. Assessment of Research IV. Further Initiatives for Enhancing Quality ACSUCYL is a full member of the European Association for Quality Assurance in Higher Education (ENQA) as well as the European Quality Assurance Register (EQAR), and in 2014 will undergo an external review to accredit that, when undertaking assessment, accreditation, and certification processes, it maintains the standards established for quality assurance agencies in the European Higher Education Area (EHEA). In addition, ACSUCYL will continue to carry out the necessary action so as to ensure compliance with the requirements set out in its Quality Policy, in particular with regard to: Maintaining and improving internal quality management and information security systems. Respecting and ensuring compliance with the principles laid down in the Code of Ethics, governing the conduct of those who work for or on behalf of ACSUCYL. Fostering ACSUCYL's cooperation and coordination with other agencies and stakeholders involved in higher education, with a view to carrying out joint projects leading to improvements in universities and in the Agency itself. Ensuring transparency and implementing the appropriate mechanisms to bring about suitable diffusion of the Agency's activities and the subsequent outcomes thereof, guaranteeing they are visible and facilitating feedback with all the stakeholders involved. Submitting the Agency s financial information to external review, as a means of ensuring accountability. In addition to any other tasks which may be assigned to it by the Board of Directors, throughout the year ACSUCYL will be carrying out the following activities.

3 ACTION PLAN 2014

4 1. ASSESSMENT OF TEACHING STAFF 1.1. ACCREDITATION OF TEACHING STAFF ACSUCYL will continue to assess the merits of those requesting accreditation with a view to applying for the following teaching positions: Assistant Lecturer holding PhD. Contracted Lecturer holding PhD. Private University Lecturer. In order to conduct this programme, ACSUCYL publishes an annual assessment call, usually in the final quarter of the year ASSESSMENT OF EMERITUS PROFESSORS ACSUCYL will be carrying out assessment of applications submitted by public universities in Castilla y León for issuance of preliminary reports prior to the appointment of Professors Emeriti, in accordance with the assessment procedure published on the Agency's website DOCENTIA PROGRAMME The DOCENTIA Programme aims to help universities design and apply their own procedures to ensure university teaching staff quality and foster the professional development and recognition of said teaching staff. ACSUCYL will continue to conduct periodic follow-up of the implementation and evaluation prior to certification of teaching assessment procedures for those universities who request it PRELIMINARY ASSESSMENT OF PERMANENT LECTURERS HOLDING A PHD Within the framework of this process, and applying the procedures and assessment criteria published on the Agency website, ACSUCYL will evaluate those files submitted by universities which meet any necessary internal requirements established by each institution in the corresponding public call for admission to the posts advertised ASSESSMENT OF CHANGE OF ALLOCATION OF KNOWLEDGE AREAS At the request of universities, ACSUCYL will evaluate applications for changes of allocation of knowledge areas for those wishing to adapt their administrative position to developments in their curriculum, and will issue a report regarding the academic, teaching or research suitability of any applications received. 2. ASSESSMENT OF DEGREES 2.1 ASSESSMENT PRIOR TO VERIFICATION In compliance with the requirements set out in Royal Decree 1393/2007, amended by Royal Decree 861/2010, ACSUCYL will carry out preliminary evaluation prior to verification of

5 proposals for bachelor s, master's, and doctorate degrees, submitted by universities in Castilla y León prior to the introduction of said degrees. Likewise, and in application of Royal Decree 1614/2009, which sets out the organisation of higher arts teaching, ACSUCYL will conduct preliminary evaluation prior to verification of any master's degrees which might be received in this field. 2.2 FOLLOW-UP OF OFFICIAL DEGREES ACSUCYL will continue to conduct external follow-up of official degrees with a view to verifying their proper implementation and analysing the main results to arise from their introduction. The follow-up process enables universities to gauge the present situation of their degrees and to pinpoint areas for improvement which will allow any possible discrepancies observed between the initial design and subsequent progress of the degrees to be corrected. 2.3 MODIFICATION OF REGISTERED DEGREES Current legislation sets out that when universities in Castilla y León put forward any proposals for changes to curricula which might affect the content of the records concerning official degrees deposited at the Register of Universities, Centres, and Degrees (RUCT- Spanish acronym), notification shall be given to the University Council, who shall forward said proposals to ACSUCYL for issuance of a subsequent report. 2.4 RENEWAL OF ACCREDITATION OF OFFICIAL DEGREES As set out under Royal Decree 1393/2007, amended by Royal Decree 861/2010, degrees which have been verified must seek periodic renewal of accreditation (each six years in the case of bachelor s degrees and doctorate degrees, and each four years in the case of master's degrees.) Within the framework of current legislation, in 2014 ACSUCYL will be conducting said assessment process, the goal of which is to ensure to society the quality of the available training and to guarantee that teaching performance is in line with the commitments made at the time of verification as well as any subsequent changes to the degree. 3. ASSESSMENT OF RESEARCH 3.1 UNIVERSITY RESEARCH INSTITUTES (IUI) The Castilla y León University Act sets out the need for a report to be issued by ACSUCYL prior to the creation or affiliation of University Research Institutes as well as their periodic evaluation by the Agency each five years. In application of said rule, assessment will be carried out of new proposals received and periodic evaluation will be conducted of any corresponding IUIs in 2014.

6 3.2 ASSESSMENT OF EXCELLENCE RESEARCH GROUPS ACSUCYL will be evaluating the research and scientific capacity of applications received to obtain recognition as a Castilla y León Excellence Research Group, within the framework of the official procedure set out by the Regional Ministry of Education. 3.3 ASSESSMENT OF RESEARCH PROJECTS Within the framework of the Regional Strategy for Scientific Research, Technological Development and Innovation, the Regional Ministry of Education publishes calls for funding aimed at supporting research projects carried out in centres, institutions, departments, institutes or other research units located in Castilla y León. ACSUCYL will issue assessment reports on any applications which, within the framework of said calls, are submitted by the Regional Ministry of Education. 3.4 EX POST EVALUATION OF RESEARCH PROJECTS Since 2009, ACSUCYL has been carrying out ex post evaluation of research projects that have been funded through public calls for support issued by the Regional Ministry of Education. Based on the reports submitted by the researchers once the projects have concluded, ACSUCYL evaluates the extent to which the initial goals have been met, and gauges the scientific relevance and socioeconomic impact of the outcomes to emerge. 3.5 ASSESSMENT FOR PREDOCTORAL HIRING OF RESEARCH STAFF ACSUCYL will be assessing applications received under the call published by the Regional Ministry of Education, co-funded by the European Social Fund, offering financial support aimed at funding predoctoral hiring of research staff within the framework of the Regional Strategy for Scientific Research, Technological Development and Innovation. 3.6 EVALUATION OF RESEARCH RESULTS At the request of (public and private) universities, centres and bodies which engage in research, ACSUCYL will be assessing the research results of their teaching staff and/or researchers. Assessment will involve evaluating the quality of the most relevant contributions made by teaching staff/researchers over one or more six-year periods. 4. OTHER INITIATIVES FOR IMPROVING QUALITY 4.1. QUALITY OF DISTANCE EDUCATION ACSUCYL conducts a number of foresight activities and promotes the setting up of projects which make an effective contribution towards enhancing the quality of higher education. In this vein, in 2014 the Agency will work to define and pinpoint guidelines and good

7 practices to design, implement and develop distance education at universities in Castilla y León STUDENT PARTICIPATION ACSUCYL's Student Committees help the Agency maintain constant contact with students of the regional universities in Castilla y León, enabling dissemination of the Agency's activities. This increases the Agency's visibility and affords it the opportunity to gauge students opinions as well as gather their suggestions vis-à-vis improving higher education and fostering student involvement in the assessment activities and processes aimed at enhancing university quality INTERNATIONAL ACTIVITY Throughout the coming year, ACSUCYL will continue to participate actively in the projects promoted by ENQA, furthering its involvement in international networks with a view to sharing good practices that will enable the Agency to improve the quality of its work STUDIES AND REPORTS One of ACSUCYL's priorities is to ensure transparency and the proper dissemination of the activities it is engaged in as well as the ensuing outcomes. To this end, respecting current legislation in the matter of personal data protection, the Agency will continue to publish the assessment reports issued together with any descriptive reports that analyse the results of the reviews undertaken, as well as the outcomes of the satisfaction surveys distributed to all applicants at the conclusion of each assessment process.