During 2022–2023, the Finnish Olympic Committee has created a Finnish audit model for top athlete-friendly higher education institutions (HEIs). Two pilot audits have been carried out to test the top athlete-friendly HEIs quality work's quality factors, evaluation model, and the appropriateness and functionality of the audit as a whole. The audit of the Aalto University School of Business was the second piloting of the audit model. The first pilot was carried out at Kajaani University of Applied Sciences.
The aim of the audit is to identify and recognise those higher education institutions that systematically promote, both structurally and attitudinally, the prerequisites of top and professional athletes studying at higher education institutions to complete their studies, in a manner that supports their athletic development. Aalto University currently has more than 150 students, who are members of the Metropolitan Sports Academy Urhea.
Implementation of the audit
Negotiations between Aalto University, Urhea and the Olympic Committee on the participation of Aalto University in the Top Athlete-Friendly Higher Education Institution pilot audit took place in early summer 2022. In the autumn of the same year, a decision was made on the implementation of the pilot audit and its limitation to the School of Business.
At the School of Business, responsible for the audit process was a team consisting of Dean Timo Korkeamäki, Development Manager Johanna Palmroos (School of Business), Senior Advisor Kirsi Eulenberger-Karvetti (Aalto University Leadership Support Services), Designer, Urhea Contact Person Elli Hämäläinen and Planning Designer Hilkka Honkanen (both from the School of Business Learning Services), and Professor Emeritus Timo Saarinen (School of Business).
The School of Business' self-evaluation was carried out at the turn of the year 2022–2023. In addition to the above-mentioned responsibility group, students, teachers, experts, alumni of the school, as well as representatives of KY (Aalto University School of Business Degree Students association), the Metropolitan Sports Academy Urhea, and UniSport participated in the self-evaluation. The audit team of the School of Business consisted of Anna Kirjavainen (Chair), Mika Korpela (Sport Academy of Turku Region), Aku Nikander (University of Jyväskylä), Hanna-Maari Päkk (Jyväskylä Sports Academy) and Laura Tast (Project Manager, Finnish Olympic Committee). The team visited the School of Business in February 2023 and submitted the audit report to the School of Business in April 2023.
Six assessment areas
Top athlete-friendly higher education institutions are assessed using a quality model consisting of six entities: study support for athletes, building flexible study paths, recognition of competence acquired from sports as part of studies, and study modules tailored to athletes, transition phase measures, communication and cooperation with the sports academy and the Olympic Committee, as well as sport support functions. The task of the audit is to assess and examine the implementation of the quality factors related to these, as part of the existing processes, operating methods and practices of education and competence development in the higher education institution. The assessment uses the levels excellent, good, and insufficient.
The steering group of the Top Athlete-Friendly Higher Education Institution of the Finnish Olympic Committee has found that the activities of the School of Business, as a top athlete-friendly higher education institution, are at a good level. Support for studies for athletes was considered excellent throughout, and several other evaluation areas were also considered excellent. According to the audit report, good level is achieved when the higher education institution demonstrates that the quality factors are implemented as part of the higher education institution's development processes, operating methods, and practices. On level excellent, the higher education institution shows impressive, long-term, and renewing development activities in dual career work.
Key strengths and development targets
The audit identified several strengths and a few development targets. One of the key strengths mentioned was the commitment of the management of the School of Business to promoting dual career activities, together with the Finnish Olympic Committee and Urhea, which enables continuous development and impact of the activities. According to the audit team, the Special Achievements selection group, for example, as one way to apply to study at the School of Business, is a great example of considering sport achievements as a factor that accumulates competence capital and promotes performance in higher education studies.
The versatile possibilities offered by the School of Business to organise studies flexibly, support the consideration of sports requirements. The School of Business also has a strong will to develop studies that support the implementation of a dual career, independent of time and place. Similarly, the self-assessment process of the top athlete-friendly higher education institution has, in a short time, increased awareness of a dual career and its objectives. Elli Hämäläinen, the contact person for Urhea at the School of Business, received praise for their active work to develop top athlete-friendly activities at the School of Business and the entire Aalto University.
