Актуальное интервью

Union is the challenge of time

The most important up-to-date subject discussed in Sholokhov Moscow State University for the Humanities is the union of faculties. SMSUH chancellor Vladimir Dmitrievich Nechaev told us about the goals of university reforms.

Economic stability

Vladimir Dmitrievich, what are the reasons of university reforms?

The first reason of university departments enlargement is the competitive ability on the market. Struggle for students, for financial resources devoted to make university facilities, for increase in professors wages and for the best professors represents difficult task. The experience has shown that if you want to compete on the modern market, you should be large and strong. This is one of the reasons why large multifunctional institutes and schools are created in universities structures. The financial stability of university increases if it has multitude of educational programs. One year could become remarkable for great demand on philological educational program, another for the demand on journalistic or historic program, etc. But if this department is specialized on the concrete subject, the viability of the whole faculty will be at risk in «unlucky year».

Wide range of possibilities

The key idea of large institutes is the idea of wide range of possibilities, when, along with courses obligatory for attending, everyone can make his own choice of subjects for his professional and life paths. In view of economical reasons it is almost impossible within one faculty. If small groups are divided into subgroups it will become economically impractical. Within one institute with related specialties we can provide the possibility of real choice of courses and practice. For example, journalist can chose the course of foreign language (if his future job demands it) and it will be included in his educational program. As a consequence, we make educational scheme according to students interests. We also take into an account the location of departments: it is clear that you will not go from the university building of one part of Moscow to another in order to attend elective course and after return to the first one. Institutes locations in concrete buildings will provide the possibility for realization of these reforms.

Personal development of professors

You told us about advantages for students, Vladimir Dmitrievich. What are the changes for professors?

We do not plan any great changes in the instruction order or in the wage system. In view of possibilities, I think many things depend on the professor. We create enough wide structures for the development of professors. By the help of constructive communication and exchange within institute you could make courses which would be interesting not only for concrete educational program, but for wider specialization. And, of course, it is important to develop in professional way for it.
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The new structure
Faculties will be displaced by institutes and divisions. Division is a new branch of an institute, which unites all the students and professors referred to one or similar specialties.
The institute has a united structure headed by a director with 3 deputies, on educational work, on economics, publicity and PR and on sciences — and international activities. One united deanery will also be under the director’s guidance. There will be no difficulties with the work and communication with it for the students.
The divisions will be headed by academic advisers. They will work out all the kinks with multiple sub-departments working on one direction on group preparing. An A.A. Is an honorable but non-administrative post with a role of a coordinator. A preoccupation of an organization of a senate of a research and methodology division may probably occur. The next level is a creation of sub-departments and a parallel work of research centers and students senates.

How did they hold the elections of the administrative staff of the university?

In accordance with the established procedure. The elections of the institute directors are analogous to the elections of the faculty dean and they’re held by the scientific senate of the university on the base of candidatures from the principal.

The diploma

Vladimir Dmitrievich, for the majority of the students the alarming question is on the line in theirs diplomas with the information of for example their specialty. The thing is that the faculties cease to exist as structural units, don’t they?

The case is that the diploma application has not the name of the structure you got through on it. I mean the name of the faculty or the institute. The diploma has only a record about the university and the professional specialty. There will be no changes concerning this point.

The most important thing

V.D., what should we do to improve the quality of our educational process, taking into consideration all the changes and transformations?

The most important thing is to create for each student larger possibilities of the informational space of the university to make him see the whole variety of possibilities of his further development, because some people can find a perspective for themselves in new attempts. We should create the possibilities for such permanent attempts, researches of students’ personal features through the educational process that will allow them to be competitive in the labor market and in life, to be successful and to realize themselves.

You can read more in IMPULS M, Nov. 2015.

Translated by Parkhomenko Olga and Abramova Alexandra