QUALITY ASSURANCE POLICY

The Quality Assurance Policy of the Department of Geology and Geoenvironment is fully harmonized with the quality policy of the National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, making the Department committed to providing high quality Greek and foreign language higher education to the students who choose it, organizing and implementing Postgraduate Studies Programs of high academic standards and significant added value, both in Greek and English, in the most important areas and fields of the Department’s science. In addition, the Department of Geology and Geoenvironment seeks to develop a creative environment of research, free scientific expression and work for all staff and members of the academic community. The Department of Geology and Geoenvironment is committed to the implementation of this quality policy in all postgraduate programs that it offers and will offer in the future, implementing the quality procedures provided for by the NQF of the Institution, with the ultimate aim of continuous improvement.

Through this Quality Policy, the academic character and orientation of the Postgraduate Studies Programs is strengthened, their purpose and object are promoted, as well as the implementation of specific goals set for each year, while the means and methods of achieving the above are defined and the participation of stakeholders in the evaluation and redesign processes is ensured.

In particular, for the implementation of this policy and in the MSc “Structural Geology and Tectonics, Hydrogeology and Engineering Geology”, the Department of Geology and Geoenvironment is committed to implement the quality processes/procedures foreseen and analysed in the Quality Manual of the NQF of the Institution, and implemented at the level of the Department’s Programs of Studies with the required specialization in the MSc Program, and in close cooperation with the University’s Quality Assurance Unit (MO.DI.P). All quality assurance procedures of the MSc courses of the Department of Geology and Geoenvironment are subject to inspection, review and revision, which are carried out annually by the OMEA, in collaboration with the Institution’s MO.DI.P. The processes – procedures implemented for the monitoring and continuous improvement of the quality of the Postgraduate Programs of Study are as follows:

1. The implementation of a Quality Assurance Policy for the Master’s Degree Programs, which includes specific quality assurance actions, with the aim of creating a framework within which the Postgraduate Studies Programs must operate.
2. The allocation and management of the resources of the MSc Programs of the Department of Geology and Geoenvironment through procedures that contribute to the best choices in order to create an appropriate environment for the achievement of the objectives of the Institution in terms of ensuring the provision of the necessary resources in terms of necessary staff, funding, infrastructure and equipment, so that the MSc Programs operate and continuously improve their effectiveness in terms of the degree of achievement of the quality objectives they set.
3. The setting of Quality Assurance Objectives on an annual basis by all the Postgraduate Programs of the Department of Geology and Geoenvironment that are operating, or are about to operate, within the academic year. Specific, measurable and directly observable annual quantitative and qualitative objectives are selected for each MSc, after consultation and agreement of the Departmental and MSc administration, which are assessed by specific indicators. The achievement of these objectives is considered crucial for improving the efficiency of the internal functions (administrative, educational, research) of the Postgraduate Programs.
4. The Periodic Internal Evaluation and Monitoring of all the MSc Programs of the Department of Geology and Geoenvironment takes place on an annual basis, in collaboration and with the support of the MO.DI.P. of the Institution. An internal evaluation and assessment of all the processes implemented in all the MSc’s is carried out, so that through the identification of elements and issues for correction with the implementation of improvements agreed jointly with the MO.DI.P., the objectives set are achieved, with the final result being the improvement of the MSc’s of the Department.
5. Quality data collection: measurement, analysis and improvement of the MSc Programs of the Department of Geology and Geoenvironment in which effective procedures are implemented for the collection and analysis of information on the postgraduate Programs (student data, teaching staff, course structure and organization, teaching and student services, etc.) and data are fed into the information system of the Hellenic Geological Survey of the Department of Geology and Geoenvironment and the internal information systems of the Departments and the IHU.
6. The Publication of Information on the MSc courses of the Department of Geology and Geoenvironment. Through this process, all the information concerning the MSc courses is made directly accessible, up-to-date and formulated objectively and clearly. The existence of a specialised area on the Department’s website for the promotion of the MSc courses, the existence of a special bilingual page for these courses and the procedures for checking and updating their content are checked.
7. The external evaluation of the MSc Programs of the Department of Geology and Geoenvironment. All the MSc courses of the Department of Geology and Geoenvironment are subject to a periodic accreditation procedure by the National Institute of Geology and Geoenvironment, which is carried out by external evaluation by committees of independent experts.

The implementation of the above procedures in the MSc program "Tectonics, Hydrogeology and Engineering Geology" will ensure:

a) the appropriateness of the Program structure and the organization of its Curriculum, b) that the learning outcomes and the resulting qualifications of the MSc graduates aim to corresponding to the maximum possible extent with the European and National Qualifications Framework for Higher Education at level 7, c) the promotion of the quality and effectiveness of the educational work of the MSc program through its monitoring by the Coordinating Committee, the Internal Evaluation Unit, the Department's administration, and the Quality Assurance Unit (MODIP) of the National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, d) that the qualifications of the teaching staff, and especially those of external collaborators, are appropriate for the education of postgraduate students, e) the definition, implementation and review of specific annual quality objectives for the improvement of the MSc program "Tectonics, Hydrogeology and Engineering Geology," f) the demand for the acquired qualifications of graduates in the labor market, through regular examination of labor market needs and the monitoring of the career paths of the MSc program graduates, g) that the support services provided to postgraduate students – including those for students with disabilities – are of high quality and meet their needs for effective participation, e.g., easily accessible and available administrative services and libraries, online services, scholarships, and student welfare services suitable for the MSc program, h) the efficient utilization of the MSc program's financial resources from tuition fees in order to provide the necessary services to postgraduate students and to facilitate the operation of the program both within the Department's facilities as well as in other areas, e.g., field visits to locations outside the Department for their comprehensive education, i) the conduct of the annual internal evaluation and review of the quality assurance system for the MSc program "Tectonics, Hydrogeology and Engineering Geology" in collaboration with the Internal Evaluation Unit and the MODIP of the Institution.

The Quality objectives on which the Department of Geology and Geoenvironment will focus its efforts for the MSc program "Tectonics, Hydrogeology and Engineering Geology" will be the following:

1. Improvement of the Graduation Rate of Postgraduate Students
2. Active Participation of Students and Graduates in Internal Evaluation procedures
3. Improvement of production and recognition of research work
4. Participation of students of the MSc program "Tectonics, Hydrogeology and Engineering Geology" in Research projects
5. Strengthening of International outreach – Increase of Student/Teaching Staff Mobility
6. Implementation of actions connecting the MSc program "Tectonics, Hydrogeology and Engineering Geology" with the labor market and the local communities
7. Improvement of the educational infrastructure
8. Rational management of the MSc program’s  human resources in order to face the modern challenges of science and society.

The Quality Assurance Policy of the MSc “Structural Geology ang Tectonics, Hydrogeology and Engineering Geology” is posted on the MSc website at the following hyperlink: struct-hydro-engin-en.geol.uoa.gr/el/quality_assurance_policy.

The Quality Policy of the MSc is communicated electronically (by e-mail) at the beginning of each academic year to the members of the teaching, administrative and technical staff employed in the MSc, and at the beginning of each cycle of the MSc to the new students. In addition, it is presented at the reception event of the new students of the MSc, and information is also provided to the stakeholders and Program Associates.