Strategy, objectives and priorities for its Erasmus activities (mobility, multilateral projects and thematic networks, etc.) and other actions in the context of the Lifelong Learning Programme (2007-2013).

What specific actions are planned to give visibility to Erasmus activities and what type of publicity will be given to the Erasmus University Charter and the EPS? What kind of arrangements, if any, does the Institution ensure to comply with non-discrimination objectives (e.g. actions related to gender equality, integration of disabled students and staff, enhancement of social and economic cohesion and combating of xenophobia and racism)?

Our Erasmus strategy is concerned with drawing international partnerships for the sake of establishing successful channels for the exchange of thoughts and experiences within the students’ mobility programme. It also aims at developing new approaches towards the teaching methods, sylabuses’ contents and their implementation, all of which can be thought of as the main objectives of staff mobility. Having gained some experience in organizing students’ practice abroad, our university is interested in preparing a packet of students’ practices and placements within the Erasmus framework. Our university also aims at organizing intensive programmes and thematic projects. Our main objective behind all international undertakings is to adhere to the requirement that the system of education be in agreement with European standards so that both students and staff can make use of the recent developments in the area of study and training. We would like for our students to have opportunities for completing some courses at universities abroad.
As far as staff mobility is concerned, we are particularly interested in the exchange of experiences concerning the assessment of students’ achievements, laying stress on learning outcomes and competences in the teaching process as well as elaborating approaches which highlight the practical aspect of study. Teachers’ experience acquired in the programme will be recognized as part of teachers’ curriculum vitae.
Regarding students’ practices and placements, we would like to grant our students opportunities for vocational training abroad and prolong the scheme whereby undergraduates of PWSH spend a period of teaching practice abroad – such period being recognized by Pomeranian School of Higher Education for purposes of the educational qualification. For that purpose we want to prolong partnership with Conwy state school – Emrys ap Iwan, as well as establish partnerships with other institutions with a view to improving students’ understanding of vocational and career possibilities within the European Union.
We plan to organize intensive programmes concerned with the Baltic Sea region; with particular interest in Scandinavian culture and Scandinavian languages. We are interested in drawing a thematic project concerning preventing sex-biased behaviour of teachers. The project aims at a thorough analysis of teachers’ behaviours on the basis of the recorded teaching material. The planned partners of the project include: Spain, Greece, Italy and UK. For the sake of the planned partnership, we have already exchanged letters of intent with the respective institutions. The issues concerning the undertaken activities will be available on our website, in prospectuses; yearly meetings will be organized with incoming and outgoing students and teachers. Information concerning work placements will be available in the university career center. Information will be delivered to the Students’ Committee.

Quality of academic mobility activities:

What kind of specific measures are implemented in the institution to ensure high quality in academic mobility activities? Details should be provided on: recognition and credit systems, the provision of information on curricula, information and counselling of outgoing students, tutoring and integration of incoming students, provision of student services (in particular accommodation), preparatory and refresher language courses, support and acknowledgement of staff mobility.

High quality of mobility activities relies on the consideration of curricula where all subjects taught are recognized in terms of ECTS, and syllabuses are described according to the standards acknowledged in the Erasmus program. Stress is laid on the learning outcomes and competences which make graduates gain requisite qualifications for the job. Subjects are taught in modules in a way which makes it possible for teachers to decide upon prerequisites, teaching methods, course objectives and contents. Great emphasis is laid on students’ autonomy – thanks to the implementation of self-study (with the provision of all the required materials in the multimedia library as well as on the website). Assessment is carried out by teachers who run the same module. This guarantees its objectivity and adherence to the course objectives. PWSH attaches importance to the practical aspect of study; students’ practice coordinator holds tutorials with students and contacts the receiving institutions on a regular basis. All students prepare protfolios of their practice. Each course begins with the presentation of its sylabus to the students. Incomig students are taken care of by the Erasmus coordinator who is responsible for organizing their stay, provision of accommodation (students’ hostel in the neighbouring university), orientation at PWSH and the city. Students’ committee takes care of the integration of incoming students by inviting them to events which are part of students’ life. Outgoing students are assisted by the Director for Didactics and the Erasmus Coordinator. Director for Didactics nominates a tutor who holds responsibility for selecting courses they are going to attend at partner university. He informs students about all opportunities available at the partner university. The Erasmus coordinator holds responsibility for organizing students’ and staff’s stay in terms of transport, accommodation and provision of information concerning partner university.

Quality of student placement activities:

What kind of specific measures are implemented to ensure high quality in student placements? Give details on how the work-programme and the placement agreement are prepared and implemented. Please describe the practical arrangements agreed between the parties. Please specify also the monitoring and evaluation of the placement period as well as its recognition in the curriculum.

Student placement has so far been planned as the initiative agreed upon by the Conwy state school – UK, Conlan Int. (UK) and PWSH, whereby undergraduates of PWSH spend a period of teaching practice in Wales. Both parties meet on a 6 monthly basis in Wales and in Poland. The main aim of the placement is to improve students’ understanding of vocational and career possibilities within the EU. The programme of the placement is presented to students at the 6 monthly meeting and available in prospectuses and leaflets. Information is available at the Rector’s office, in Students’ Committee office, and in the PWSH Career Centre. The programme includes assistance prior to departure (tutorials, induction course), airport or city transfer on arrival, full board accommodation, 20 lesson English language and orientation programme at Conlan (refresher language course, monitoring of teaching placement, certification), followed by three month qualified teaching practice at Conwy. Placement agreement sets out details concerning students’ practice, which includes preparing portfolios. It is required from the undergraduates that the portfolio contains detailed information about placement (location, duration, aims the trainee wants to achieve, special areas of trainee’s interest), collection of lesson plans and teaching materials, self-evaluation sheets, peerobservation sheets, and tutor evaluation sheets, record of pupils’ work and record of completed questionnaires and acquired certificates. Portfolio is subject to assessment by the student’s tutor at PWSH after the placement and becomes the basis for the recognition of teaching practice in the curriculum. We are planning to expand partnerships so as to cater for the needs of students of other degrees at PWSH as well as create opportunities for greater recognition of other European practices. We rest on the assumption that the elaborated placement schemes can be adjusted and implemented in other areas of vocational practice.