Veterinary Medicine at the University of Warmia and Mazury is the only veterinary medicine faculty in Poland accredited by the European Association of Establishments for Veterinary Education (EAEVE). The accreditation means the highest quality of education, in line with EU requirements.
The news have been announced by the university information and promotion office.
"The document is called approval. It certifies that education at our faculty of veterinary medicine is in line with the requirements of Directive 2005/36/EC. We are the only holder of this document in Poland, and one of several in Europe. We are extremely satisfied, because it is really not easy to obtain" - said the dean of the Faculty of Veterinary Medicine Prof. Andrzej Koncicki.
He explained that the issue of accreditation was preceded by long and tedious work, and a thorough evaluation.
"In order to obtain such certificate, continuing work at a high level at every position is required. We started 2 years before submitting the documents. At each faculty council meeting we discussed, what we had already done and what else we should do to get it" - said Prof. Koncicki.
Two months before the inspection, the faculty representatives sent a self-evaluation report to all members of the evaluation committee. It had about 140 pages, written in English. The committee was composed of 8 persons, professors of veterinary medicine from Germany, Romania, Italy, Finland and the UK. They represented fundamental, clinical and foods hygiene-related sciences. In addition to the professors, a veterinary student from Italy was also in the committee.
Experts in Olsztyn checked whether the data contained in the self-evaluation report were accurate. They were particularly interested in the level of education, to a lesser extent in research. The members of the committee looked into all the rooms of all units at the faculty. They met with representatives of all groups of employees, as well as students and graduates. They also visited the farms, which the faculty supervises, and slaughterhouses, where students practice.
They asked many questions, they were very inquisitive.
They checked, for example, whether each student performed the required number of autopsies of each animal species, and whether he or she participated in the process of diagnosis and treatment of clinical cases.
In addition, at a special each chair presented their teaching process and their scientific and organizational achievements. Throughout the inspection, the Dean and staff could contact the committee only via a liaison officer, Prof. Jarosław Całka.
Members of the positively evaluated the program and the level of education, as well as the facilities. They admitted that this was the first time they saw a virtual microscope, available at the Faculty of Veterinary Medicine for a year. They liked the university library.
UWM Faculty of Veterinary Medicine has received European accreditation for the second time. The first time was in 2005, when faculties in Warsaw, Wrocław and Lublin were also accredited. Currently, only Olsztyn has the accreditation, which is valid for 10 years.
European Association of Establishments for Veterinary Education (EAEVE), based in Vienna, was founded in 1988. Its members are about 100 veterinary medicine faculties in Europe, Israel, Turkey and Jordan. EAEVE mission is to evaluate, promote and support a high level of education in the field of veterinary medicine.
PAP - Science and Scholarship in Poland
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