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The regular Academic Board session was held at the Pedagogical University. Traditionally, the ASPU Rector Rouben Mirzakhanyan congratulated those who had anniversaries on that day, after which he granted the academic title of Professor to the Head of Department of Politology and History of Law, Doctor of Political Sciences Levon Shirinyan. By congratulating his colleagues on the new academic year the Rector expressed his hope that it would be noted for a new quality and success in the learning process and academic life.
New Heads of Departments were selected
On the consent of the Academic Board members and by a secret ballot new Heads of Departments were selected for several Departments of the ASPU. The Department of Geography and its Teaching Methods- Doctor, Professor Ashot Khoyetsyan The Department of Mathematics and Elementary Education Methods – Associate Member of the RA NAS Boris Nahapetyan The Department of Russian Language – Doctor, Professor Inna Sargsyan The Department of World History and its Teaching Methods- Director of the RA NAS Institute of Oriental Studies Rouben Safaryan The Head of Department of Museology, Library Studies and Bibliography- Director of the RA National Archive, Acting Head, Amatouni Virabyan In the Department of Technological Education the Acting Head of Department Artak Sahradyan was re-elected.
In addition, by the secret ballot of the Academic Board members academic titles of Associate Professors and Professors were granted to the 13 nominated candidates.
New Teaching Approaches in the New Academic Year
The Head of the Department of Education Reforms and Quality Assurance Mr. Mkrtich Avagyan presented to the members of the Academic Board the draft decision for further improvements of teaching quality clarifying that modern education has three pillars- study output results or a competency-based approach, education quality, modern learning technologies and teaching methods.
Specifically, Mr. Mkrtich Avagyan highlighted in his speech the application of such new interactive methods due to which in the process of acquiring the material, instead of writing down others’ opinions, the students will demonstrate a more active intellectual participation and practical activities.
“New methodology of organizing the cooperation between the lecturers and students, trust on the new information technologies, development of students as subjects of learning, cognition and self-development, management of communication, cooperation and co-authorship via educational technologies”, Mr. Mkrtich Avagyan listed and added that the transition from the traditional education into interactive implied development of new experiences, creative approaches and understanding of the theory through personal involvement.
In his turn, the Rector of the Pedagogical University Mr.Rouben Mirzakhanyan observed that teaching through information technologies is difficult but effective and in line with the current challenges.
“The University is in serious competitive conditions, thus, with the daily tight work we must strive to pass the path which has already been overcome by educational institutions having acquired great success”.
The members of the Academic Board approved the draft decision of new teaching methods to be introduced only in the first year of the BA courses starting from 21 September, with which they outlined also the preparatory activities, development of templates of educational and methodological packages for the courses, drafting students’ guidelines, providing information about the criteria to all Faculties, as well as implementation of the processes and evaluation of effectiveness thereof, and submitting reports to the management of the University.
Reports and Approval of the Workplan for the Academic Year 2015-2016
Among the issues on the agenda also was the submission of reports of the Standing Committees under the Academic Board; the Presidents of the Committees Ms. Srbouhi Gevorgyan, Ms. Aelita Doloukhanyan, Mr. Yuri Yuzbashyan and Mr. Mejlum Yeritsyan presented to the Board members the processes and results of activities implemented by the Committees in 2014-2015.
The Secretary of the Academic Board Ms. Hasmik Petrosyan in her turn introduced the workplan of the academic year of 2015-2016 to the Board members; the draft workplan was approved by the Board members unanimously.
Other Current Issues
The Head of the Educational and Methodological Department, Vice-Rector Mher Melick-Bakhshyan, and the Vice-Rector for Education Quality and Distant-Learning Tigran Ayvazyan referred to the final attestation and qualification results discussing various topics including the number of graduates and the appeals.
In addition to the statistic and comparative data from the previous year, the Vice Rectors emphasized in their reports the positive and negative aspects of final examinations.
In particular, the Vice-Rector Mher Melick –Bakhshyan noticed that the majority of graduate works were noted for their actuality and independence, while some of the works were sent for a review; the level of professional knowledge has increased but the knowledge of graduates on pedagogy and methodology is still on a low level.
What is more, the Vice-Rector suggested that they should be stricter and more consistent regarding the failures and omissions observed during the pre-defense of theses in the final attestation exams, as well as re-considered the questionnaires of all subjects, clarify the formulations, include practical questions in the questionnaires or into the course of Pedagogy, similarly, they should take care that the organized consultations do not have a mere formal nature.
Further on, the Vice-Rector for Academic Affairs Ms.Srbouhi Gevorgyan submitted six books secured for printing for the approval of the Academic Board members.
Additionally, the Vice –Rector spoke about the changes of fees for preparatory courses of the University.
And last but not least, during the discussion of other current issues the members of the Academic Board were also introduced with the changes to be implemented in the curricula for the MA Philology courses. Likewise, the decisions of joining the Department of Theory of Music, its Teaching Methods and Instruments and the Department of Conducting and Voice Production of the Faculty of Art Education, and the decision of granting three nominal scholarships to the students of the Faculty of Special Education and the Faculty of History and Law received unanimous approval.
