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

the Strategic Plan. A specific Action Plan to correct the weak points is presented in the Action Plan designed to
undertake corrections according to the SWOT Analysis outcome (see: Appendix – Action plan).
The SWOT Analysis refers to the main aspects of the university activity, such as:
1. Teaching/training resources opened to the bachelor, MSc, PHD students
2. Research resources and performance
3. Social, cultural and sports facilities for the students
4. Management resources for quality assurance of the education, training and research processes
STRENGTHS
1. USAMV Cluj-Napoca has been accredited by the EUA, ARACIS, it is ISO-TUV certified, and the Faculty of
Veterinary Medicine has been accredited by the EAEVE;
2. Many study programmes are ranked in Class A by the MECTS classification
3. The educational programs extensions in distance learning system for Agriculture, Horticulture, Animal
Husbandry and Biotechnology, in Viterbo, Italy;
4. The University is a regional leader in the fields of studies and by its programmes and research contracts;
5. The University offers a variety of study programs included in the following branches of science: Plant and
Animal Resources Engineering, Engineering Sciences, Veterinary Medicine, various hierarchy areas:
Agronomy, Horticulture, Forestry, Biotechnology, Food Engineering, Animal Science, Environmental
Engineering, Engineering and Management, Veterinary Medicine;
6. The University provides all the three cycles of education for full-time, part time and distance learning
studies;
7. For undergraduate and master courses, the University offers lines of study in English and French;
8. Stimulating management competition and performance at department level, as a result of
decentralization and the distribution of budgets according to the hierarchy of study programmes;
9. Research in the University is at the top, with national recognition, transparent in the classification of the
University among the top universities of advanced scientific research, based on a number of research
contracts, ISI scientific publications, investment in infrastructure and involvement of young researchers,
PhD students, post-docs, large-scale collective projects;
10. Existence of nationally and internationally rated scientific journals issued within the university;
11. The initiation of internal competitions for research grants, dedicated to young teachers, funded by
university’s funds;
12. USAMVCJ develops an internal system of quality assurance for the education and research activities and
for the human resources stimulation. The general principles on the quality in higher education take into
consideration transparency, compatibility and convertibility. In the Strategic Plan of the University of
Agricultural Sciences and Veterinary Medicine Cluj-Napoca quality is central and is permanently under a
continuous improvement;
13. The University teaching staff are dedicated to education and research, well trained, and they provide the
students with course supports that meet the international standards, and are compatible with the
European programmes developed through Socrates Erasmus mobility;
14. The material base, characterized by the existence of appropriately equipped modern education and
research areas, provides the optimal conditions for teaching, as well as for the practical work for the
students in pilot units and experimental teaching stations;
15. All students have access to academic library services, databases, Internet, accommodation in university’s
own students’ dormitories, social programmes, sports facilities, and a restaurant.
WEAKNESSES
1. Some study programmes are not represented in the third cycle of University studies. Out of the ten areas
of undergraduate studies, only five fields are active at Ph.D. level.
2. Some curricula are disproportionate and deficient, lack of harmonization with European standards
3. The quality control of the educational activity is deficient (class assistance, control);
4. The graduation works and master dissertation often have a theoretical content, not focusing on research
Page 22 SELF-EVALUATION REPORT, March, 2012