MEETING WITH THE DEAN

Time: 14.03.07 at 15:00

Place: Dean’s office

Present: the dean, Mateo, Shaun, Suzan, Alexandra, Kristin.

Items on the agenda:

1. Approval of summons and agenda

Approved.

1. Complaint of lack of information of cancelled meeting. On the 05.03.07 we had scheduled a meeting at 15:00. On that very same day, we found out that the meeting was cancelled because another meeting was scheduled on the same time. Noone in EDSG had been informed of the cancellation by the Dean’s office. EDSG feels that this is an improper way of dealing with an organ which is recognized by the University as representative for the student body. We hereby request that the Dean notify us ahead of time if a situation arises in which he is forced to cancel a scheduled meeting.

1. EDSG statutes. The need for statutes to govern our work has been pressing for some time, however, we have not yet been able to assess whether PDSG’s statutes apply for us or not. Therefore are working on temporary statutes which will be valid until we have more information of the PDSG statutes.

The Dean agrees to receive minutes after each meeting and sign a printed copy which EDSG can keep.

1. Any issues the Dean wishes to discuss with us

· The Dean informed us that he has been in contact with PDSG regarding a patron/mentor project for English division students. The tandem project which was initiated last year was meant to serve this purpose. The project no longer exists.

· Socrates-erasmus exchange: Students from the EU can participate in this. The Dean said he will ask Jolanta to prepare list of countries we can do exchange in.

· Dean wishes to meet regularly once a month, and suggested the first Monday of every month. SG has no objection and this was agreed on. As the Dean is busy on first Monday of April, our next meeting will be on the Wednesday the 4^th.

1. Application for study rooms in the didactic centre. As discussed whit the Dean on our meeting of the 15.01.07, and as agreed with the Dean of 2^nd faculty on the 19,02,07, we presented a written application for study rooms in the didactic centre with the agenda to the meeting which was scheduled to be on the 05.03.07. It included a request for study rooms in other buildings where classes are being held. Has the Dean accommodated our request, or does he have any comments to it?

The Dean informed that all rooms in the didactic centre are taken this year, but he will propose to reserve one for next year. On request from SG, he agrees to make areas available with desks, chairs and reading lights. He also suggests a temporary study room in 6^th floor of Zwirki I Wigury 61.

1. Accreditation situation. An application has been sent from California to the Medical University of Warsaw, and we hope that the school will follow up without delay.

The school received the application forms from California on march 3^rd, with a letter stating that the accreditation process may take several years if they find it necessary to inspect the school. The school will submit the application by the end of this school year. It will be reviewed by professional translator to check for grammatical and spelling errors. The Dean states that the issue is NOT related to cost for the university.

1. Guidelines to the departments regarding cheating on tests and exams. We are pleased that the Dean is now working on guidelines to the departments regulating test- and exam settings. As this is a matter which we have worked on for a long time, we hereby request an opportunity to read through them make comments and suggestions before they are implemented. Can the Dean also indicate when he intends to implement these guidelines?

There will be an official meeting with the professors of the departments on May 28^th. The Dean requests that we prepare a list of rules regulating exam situations. He will present it to the participants of this meeting, so that standardized test- and exam situations will be implemented.

Regarding the Honor’s code: When it is presented to the 1^st year students on orientation day next semester, the Dean wishes to name it “code of conduct”. This is because he will then have the authority to implement it more strictly as rules, which are punishable of broken, and not simply a moral statement from the students.

1. Any other business.
1. Soap in lavatories outside dissecting halls in anatomicum. It is still not there, the Dean will call Prof. Cziczek again.

1. Supercomissions: SG asked about the practice with allowing students seemingly infinite numbers of re-takes on exams and colloquiums.

The Dean replied that he is not responsible for intermediate colloquiums, the decision to allow students to re-take these lies entirely with the departments. The Dean does not allow more than the normal, 3 attempts at final exams unless it is indicated due to disease or pregnancy.

1. Students late for classes. SG informed about an unfortunate culture of students regularly being 30 minutes late for classes. The position of the Student Government on this is that it is unfortunate, and disrespectful both to teachers and other students. SG asked the Dean to tell the Departments to be more strict in taking absence and making notes of the students who are tardy repeatedly.
2. Office hours at the Dean’s office. Opening hours are too short, this is a problem for students who have classes most of the day. SG stated that the Dean’s office should have official opening hours until 16.00.

1. Evaluation of subjects from last year. The Dean informed that the evaluation was made according to rating by the students on the following criteria:

· Attractivity of classes

· Activity of professors,

· Fairness of evaluation,

· Expectations met,

· Practical application of presented knowledge.

Child psychiatry got the best overall rating. The worst rating got: dermatology, epidemiology, physiology, biophysics, nephrology and anaesthesiology.

The Dean called meetings with the responsible professors of some of the courses which got the worst rating.

Epidemiology meeting: the conclusion of the meeting was that classes should become more interactive, with “homework” and projects

Physiology meeting: the meeting concluded that teaching should be more USMLE style, and students should be given more projects and independent work. NB – SG filed a written complaint in February addressing lack of proper summoning to the meeting, as well as timing which prevented us from being present.

Biophysics meeting has not yet been, the Dean promised to inform us at least one week in advance so that we can send representatives.

The Dean also agreed to arrange meeting with behavioural sciences, as this is a course SG has tried to focus on previously.

Next meeting: April 4^th at 15:00