On 7 September 2022, the Director of SKVC signed an order to accredit the Šiaulių valstybinė kolegija (Šiauliai State College) for a 7-year term.
The experts assessed the Šiauliai State College performance positively.
The performance of the higher education institution was assessed in four areas on a five-point scale, where 1 is the lowest possible score and 5 is the highest possible score. The areas of Management, Studies and Research (Art), Activities and Impact on Regional and National Development are developed systematically and without major shortcomings. They are scored 3 points. The field of Quality Assurance is rated satisfactory (2 points): the field meets the minimum requirements, but there are some drawbacks which need to be addressed.
In the field of Quality Assurance, the experts recommend that the Quality Guide should be simplified and adjusted to reflect day-to-day operational practices. It is also recommended to introduce also an alternative complaints or appeals procedure, which would allow for anonymous reporting of a problem related to a lecturer and/or a specific individual.
The experts consider that the College has a commendable policy on individual staff competencies and professional qualifications. The support for doctoral studies given to College staff is a positive change and is clearly in line with the aim of strengthening research activities and the academic profile, which contributes to the fulfilment of the College's vision. The experts also concluded that the College's unique expertise is represented by its close, balanced partnership with other education providers in the city, Siauliai Vocational Education and Training Centre and Vilnius University Šiauliai Academy, in order to develop local talent and increase the attractiveness of the city and the region for students.
As a result, the experts note the College's exceptionally strong integration into the regional ecosystem, its structured links with different local and regional social actors in the governance structures, its commendable joint resolution of academic issues, especially those related to educational regulations, as well as its involvement in the strategic debate. This aspect of engagement and participation in important decisions and processes is visible in all areas of the evaluation.
Šiauliai State College is the only college established in the Šiauliai region in northern Lithuania. Šiauliai State College was established in 2002, after the reorganization of upper secondary technical and medical schools. 21. In the academic year 2021-2022, according to the national register, Šiauliai State College provided 23 Bachelor study programmes in 5 groups of study fields – business studies and public administration, social sciences, computing, health sciences and engineering sciences. This accommodated in 2021-2022 for 1304 students, 678 of which studied full time and 626 in a part-time mode. There were 26 foreign students. The number of students follows the general decline of student population in the college sector / higher education with the decline from 2768 students in 2012-2013. Šiauliai State College has 165 employees, of whom 99 are teachers. Of those, 26 hold a doctoral degree, 5 are currently studying for a PhD.
The full evaluation report of the Šiauliai State College can be found here.
