self evaluation report - Universitatea de Ştiinţe Agricole şi Medicină ...

cannot say that it is entirely efficient. USAMV Cluj-Napoca acknowledges it as a weak point and aims to
identify ways to improve the situation.
Human Resources. The USAMV Cluj-Napoca specific processes and activities are carried out by 572 employees
– 366 academic staff and 206 non-academic staff (didactic auxiliary and administrative staff), quite balanced in
terms of gender and age (see: Appendix – Academic staff). Although the number of students increased
constantly over the past five years (see: Appendix – Students), the number of academic staff has been
preserved in certain limits, allowing a balance between the quality assurance of the academic processes and
the financial efficiency.
For about 15 years the university has implemented a policy of opening towards the European academic
experience, supporting exchange programs for teaching staff in European universities (see: Appendix –
Mobility under ERASMUS Programme), with significant benefits on the quality of education, harmonization of
the curricula of study programs and the syllabus at European level, implementation of modern teaching and
evaluation methods, etc. Lately, this process was extended at the administrative staff level too.
The recruitment and the promotion of teaching staff is done within the framework of the new national
legislation and according to the internal Regulation and Procedure for teaching staff appointment. USAMV
Cluj-Napoca annually estimates the current and future need of human resources. It is the responsibility of the
vice-rector for Human resources to foresight, in agreement with the faculties’ management, the need for
teachers in accordance to the quality criteria imposed for obtaining an academic position. Thus, during the
past years, the major emphasis lied on attracting the young and valuable graduates towards the academic
career, together with defining standards for staff promotion in the academic hierarchy, exclusively based on
professional performance criteria. A sensitive point is represented by the national regulations regarding
personnel hiring/promoting that are applied in the last years to all the public institutions and providing a
drastic hiring limitation (one hire for 7 departures).
The research staff currently consists mainly of members of the academic staff involved in RTD projects
financed by international/ national grants and contracts, and 59 research staff out of which: 9 researchers and
50 research assistants. USAMV Cluj-Napoca human resource policy encourages the development of highly
qualified professionals, by doctoral and post-doctoral programs, as future full time researchers or academics.
The right to organize the 3rd cycle of studies - Doctoral School - in new domains in USAMV Cluj-Napoca,
besides the traditional ones, supports this objective.
The USAMV Cluj-Napoca goals in consolidating its position as an advanced research and higher education
institution at national level implies the development of the 3rd cycle in all the fields of competence/excellence
of the first two cycles, and this is an ongoing process. However, the number of the professors entitled to PhD
coordination is decreasing as a result of retirements and also because of the new criteria stipulated by the
new national regulations “Excellence in Doctoral Schools”. This aspect was identified as a weak point several
years ago, consequently the university implements a policy of stimulating the PhD coordinators with
competitive results by incentives and special rewards. This is of particular importance since a significant
percentage of the current PhD coordinators will retire within the next five years.
Inter-institutional Cooperation. According to its vision and strategy, USAMV is an important stakeholder in
the local/regional/national community. USAMV Cluj-Napoca played an active role in formulating the local and
regional sustainable development strategies – and is involved in the general effort for local and regional
economic growth (including the RTD and education co-working projects with major international industrial
partners that choose Cluj-Napoca for opening new branches), and in supporting emergent companies (USAMV
Cluj-Napoca is part of the “Technology and Competence Pole”, a project that is developed in collaboration
with the Regional Development Agency, SMEs, and Romanian companies interested in the technology
transfer). USAMV Cluj-Napoca is also part of the community life, developing continuous collaborations with
the Chamber of Commerce, the Agriculture Department of the region, the Schools Regional Inspectorate, as
well with many other local entities (Agrifood companies, banks, etc.), enabling a fast response to the
community needs. For some years, in collaboration with the French Cultural Centre, the university was coorganizer
for the Traditional/Ecologic Food Exhibition, AGRARIA International Fair, Wine and gastronomy fairs,
Page 12 SELF-EVALUATION REPORT, March, 2012