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

the Senate meetings and by discussions held with the administrative staff representatives. Consequently, the
work of the self-evaluation group was supported by all institutional structures.
2. INSTITUTIONAL CONTEXT
2.1. A brief historical overview
The University of Agricultural Sciences and Veterinary Medicine Cluj-Napoca is the continuer of the prestigious
high school of agriculture from Cluj that was founded 143 years ago, based on a long tradition dating back to
the fifteenth century with agriculture topics that were taught by Jesuit monks in the trivium that was set on
the present site of the university campus. The history of the University of Agricultural Sciences and Veterinary
Medicine Cluj Napoca began in October 1869 when on the former domain of Mănăştur, one of the oldest
European higher schools for agriculture named “The Institute of Agronomic Studies Cluj-Mănăştur” was
founded, located within the premises of a former convent. In 1906 the Institute reached the level of academy,
becoming “The Academy of Agriculture Cluj”. For almost 50 years from when it was founded and until the end
of the second decade of the last century, the Academy activity was based on one department only, of
Agriculture, whose studies lasting for three years and which awarded the title of "Agronomist diplomat"
grade. The Academy of Agriculture Cluj continued its activity until the beginning of World War I.
The creation of the Romanian United National State in 1918 marked the beginning of a new stage in the
evolution of “The Academy of Agriculture Cluj”. Starting with 1921, the studies agronomic academic education
in Romania become of four years of study, of which three were for theoretical studies and the fourth year
consisted of an internship within farms. Since 1922, the graduates received the degree of “Agronomic
engineer”. In 1929, following the reorganization and modernization of the Romanian higher agronomic
education, the Academy became the “The Academy of High Agronomic Studies Cluj”. The duration of studies
was increased at that time to five years, and was organized on two cycles: "general education" (core subjects)
lasting three and a half years, and "specialized education" extending over one and a half years. Through these
studies, the Academy formed both agronomic engineers and researchers in various branches of agricultural
sciences.
Following the Vienna Dictate, from 1940 to 1945 the Academy (faculty, students, and part of its inventory)
took refuge in Timisoara, where they carried out their activity as the “Faculty of Agronomy Cluj – Timișoara”.
In 1945 the Academy returned to Cluj and reorganized in 1948 as “Agricultural Institute”.
Initially the Institute operated only with a Faculty of Agriculture. In 1935 within the Faculty of Agriculture it
was established a department of Animal Science that was transformed, in 1968, into the Faculty of Animal
Science. In 1992 new biotechnology studies were developed so the faculty became the Faculty of Animal
Science and Biotechnology. The Faculty of Veterinary Medicine was founded in the year 1962 and the Faculty
of Horticulture in the year 1977.
Starting with 1990, the Agronomic Institute activity was organized into four faculties: Agriculture, Horticulture,
Animal Husbandry and Biotechnology and Veterinary Medicine, having a total of 1,750 students. On the 28 th of
July 1995 in accordance to the Government Decision No. 586, the institution received its present name as
"University of Agricultural Sciences and Veterinary Medicine Cluj-Napoca".
An important historical evidence on the important role of our institution both in the development of the
Romanian agricultural education and in that of our society is presented in the volume “Tradiție și Inovație în
Învățământul Agricol din Transilvania – Vol.I De la începuturi până în 1945” (Tradition and Innovation in
Agricultural Education in Transylvania – Volume I From the beginning until 1945), published at the end of the
year 2011 and being the first volume of an ample history of The University of Agricultural Sciences and
Veterinary Medicine Cluj-Napoca.
Since 1999 Romanian universities started to reform in accordance to the Bologna system, aiming to integrate
into the European Higher Education Area. Being aware about the necessity of an international evaluation to
assess the university improvement and the status of its quality assurance system, USAMV Cluj-Napoca decided
in 2003 to apply for the EUA institutional evaluation. The final Evaluation report issued by EUA in July 2003
(see: Appendix – Institutional evaluation process), underlined by its conclusion that: “USAMV can be a source
Page 2 SELF-EVALUATION REPORT, March, 2012