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Aalto Handbook
Management of education
The learning path at Aalto University covers the needs of life-wide learning. Key actors in education are university's professors, lecturers and programme directors. University's management and services support and enabler their duties.
The future-led development of teaching and learning is one of the corner stones of the university's strategy. Aalto University promotes the development of positive and inspiring learning culture, in which a special focus is on enhancing the aligned curricula design and the development of fluent study paths. The Leap for learning project aims at user-driven development and implementation of services and digital tools for improved learning experience.
Organisation of education
The Vice President for Education is responsible for education at Aalto University. The Learning Steering Group (LESG) prepares and coordinates the implementation of the university's strategy and joint development projects and prepares issues related to education for the university's deciding bodies. The University Academic Affairs Committee (AAC) decides on the University's curricula, degree requirements, admissions criteria as well other general rules related to teaching, research, art and creative practices, and appoints the bodies necessary to carry out research and teaching.
The management, development and monitoring of learning and teaching as well as the related Learning Services (LES) unit are based on the university strategy in accordance with legislation in the field of education, MEC instructions and other guidelines. These are available on aalto.fi and student website Into. The Aalto University General Rules on Teaching and Studying are supplemented by the degree regulations of the schools and further instructions by the President, the Provost and the Vice President for Education.
Schools are responsible for the quality of qualifications they award, the results they achieve and the specific allocation and prioritisation of resources. At the schools, the Deans are responsible for education, but may transfer decision-making power in teaching matters to the Vice Dean in charge of Teaching. Each school is responsible for the appropriate allocation and prioritisation of resources needed for teaching, and for achieving the annually agreed performance targets related to teaching.
Life-wide learning at Aalto University covers the competence development needs with degree education as well as with the offerings of Aalto University Junior, Open University, Aalto Summer School, FITech Network University and AaltoEE(Aalto Executive Education Ltd).
The Learning services (LES) is responsible for ensuring fluent studies by providing the necessary services and processes supporting learning and studying throughout the study path. Co-operation groups for coordination and development ensure the efficient preparation and management of operative and long-term matters related to teaching between the university and the school levels.
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Roles and responsibilities |
Communication |
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University Academic Affairs Committee (ACC) |
Makes decisions about the university's curricula, degree requirements, admissions criteria and other general regulations pertaining to education Sets up the official bodies for education, appoints their chairpersons, members and deputy members, decides on the rules and regulations governing those bodies May delegate the above tasks to the schools' academic committees (Aalto University Bylaws, Section 13) |
Minutes on aalto.fi |
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President |
Decides on the introduction and termination of degree programmes and their areas of specialisation and annual student intake numbers Decides about any written reprimand requested by the Dean to be given to a student Approves regulations concerning the Student Financial Aid Committee |
President's decisions on aalto.fi |
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Provost |
Oversees all processes related to the university's education. |
Provost's decisions on aalto.fi |
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Vice President for Education |
Manages bachelor's and master's-level education and doctor's education at the university and the university's development of teaching and LES Monitors and evaluates the effectiveness and multidisciplinary nature of teaching Decides on university-level matters relating to the practical arrangement of studies, such as schedules for periods of the academic year |
Vice President's decisions on aalto.fi |
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Academic Appeals Board |
Processes petitions for correction of study attainments Processes appeals directed against the decisions taken on the basis of the correction petitions made under the provisions of Section 82 of the Universities Act |
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Student Financial Aid Committee |
The tasks of the Student Financial Aid Committee have been defined in the Student Financial Aid Decree |
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School-level actor |
Roles and responsibilities |
Communication |
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Dean |
Manages the education activities of the school Appoints the directors of the degree programmes Admits students to the school, handles rectification matters related to student admission and rights to study, makes decisions related to extension to the maximum time of the right to study and to reinstatement of the right to study Grants degrees Acts as the chairman of the school's academic committee |
Dean's decisions on aalto.fi |
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Vice Dean in charge of Teaching |
Handles the Dean's education-related matters as delegated by the Dean |
Reports to the Dean |
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School Academic Affairs Committees |
Approve the curricula and degree requirements (delegated by the university-level AAC) Submit proposals on school-specific degree requirements and admissions criteria and on other matters related to academic activities Perform other tasks assigned by the Dean and the AAC |
Committee minutes on aalto.fi |
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Degree Programme Director |
Plans, implements, evaluates and develops the programme; coordinates and develops the curriculum process; monitors student progress, time to degree, and course and programme feedback; negotiates financial and other resources for the programme with the heads of departments; and collaborates in education within the school, with other Aalto schools and with important interest groups in the education |
Vice Dean |
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Head of Department |
Provides the resources for teaching activities, responsible for the planning of teaching and for monitoring and developing the effectiveness and quality of teaching at the department |
Reports to the Dean |
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Roles and responsibilities |
Communication |
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Learning Steering Group (LeSG) |
Prepares and coordinates implementation of the university strategy and joint education-related affairs Prepares all education-related affairs to the university AAC and PMT Conducts the strategic management of learning-related affairs Coordinates all joint education-related development efforts Provides a platform for the sharing of best practices across schools Enhances the harmonisation of learning-related processes and actions Coordinates quality management in learning areas Conducts the performance management of learning and LES (including KPI development) Conducts the management of permanent and temporary task forces related to learning and teaching |
aalto.fi |
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Learning Services Advisory Board |
Leads the operative management of LES at the university |
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School Teaching Competence Assessment Committees |
Evaluates the teaching competence of employees applying to or advancing in the tenure-track and lecturer-track career systems |
The strategic plans for teaching and learning are prepared for the period of 2022-2025. According to the principles of the living strategy, there is a regular process, University Dialogue, for evaluating and revising the strategic focus areas.
The programme director's handbook provides a holistic set of guidelines and good practices for programme management purposes at Aalto University. The teacher's handbook seeks to provide practical information on teaching practices, digital platforms for teaching and learning, and physical learning spaces for teaching.
Programme director's handbook
The programme director's handbook is a collection of guidelines, templates, and good practices. The handbook gathers together information about processes, schedules and tools and the aim is to support degree programme directors, heads of majors and others involved to succeed in implementing, evaluating and developing the degree programmes.
Teacher’s Handbook
This handbook contains practical information for a teacher on teaching at Aalto University.
The quality of teaching and learning is monitored and evaluated utilising student feedback and peer reviews. Peer reviews are conducted as regular teaching and education evaluations in which an international panel is assessing the quality and impact of education.
Teaching and learning evaluation exercise – TEE
The target of TEE 2020 is to identify needs for future development in education at Aalto, and make visible and evaluate the achievements during the 10 Aalto years.
The principles of feedback in education and student feedback in Aalto University
In Aalto, feedback is collected from students during different phases of their studies. Hearing the voice of students is vital for the development of teaching and training as well as for quality assurance and for improving study-related services. Feedback is used on multiple levels in many ways and its utilisation is a special area of focus in Aalto. Student guilds and organisations are also interested in and benefit from feedback and surveys.
Leap for Learning – enabling success
Leap for learning - a change project supports future-oriented learning and the smoothness of daily work.
Learning steering group (LESG) coordinates the planning, implementation and evaluation processes in education. The Learning services provide details on how the strategic objectives guide the curricula preparation. In addition the implementation of the education major development activities are described.
Learning Services
Aalto University Learning Services (LES) is responsible for all services which facilitate the smooth progression of studies at the university.
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