SAFAA aims at promoting students’ academic achievements and professional development of creative mind. The artistic atmosphere in the academy promotes to reveal and develop each individual’s talent and aesthetic values. SAFAA strives to make the students’ academic experience more interesting and dynamic through organization of regular extra-curricular programmes and outdoor courses. SAFAA attaches particular attention to the involvement of students into the governance processes of the institution. Students have representatives in the Governing body, Scientific Council, Department Boards and Rectorate where crucial decisions are made. The students are also actively involved in quality assurance processes making the institution more student-centred each year. SAFAA Student Council greatly supports students through involving them in social activities, competitions and exhibitions, as well as organizing different events.
Student Council
SAFAA Student Council (SC) is an elected representative unit which unites students and protects their interests. As a self-governing student body it was established in September 1993.
The mission of the Council is:
- to promote the creation of civil society among students, preservation of national and university traditions,
- to unite SAFAA students to support and participate in university activities and educational processes.
The Council provides the participation of students in the governing process of the university (students make up 25 % of SAFAA governing bodies) and represent the issues, concerning students accordingly to the governing bodies of University.
The Governing supreme body is General Assembly that is elected for a term of 2 years by the principal of partial changing of students. The members of General Assembly, the authorised representatives are elected among students of 2 faculties-1 representative from each year.
The members of the presidency are the president of Student Council (SC), vice president, secretary, presidents of faculty student councils, the student newspaper editor and responsible of standing committees.
Student Career Support and Development
SAFAA Career Centre has been functioning since 2012-2013 ac. years aiming to support the applicants in professional orientation, to propose career paths for the students and graduates, as well as to strengthen the graduate-university relations.
The mission of Career Centre is:
- to support the applicants in professional orientation,
- to provide consultancy to students and graduates in career development,
- to strengthen the graduate-university relations.
The centre provides the following services to the students:
- Students and graduates receive information on the field news, upcoming events, vacancies in the labour market, volunteering and educational programmes, different ongoing courses through SAFAA official website (www.safa.am), Facebook page of the Academy, Facebook page of Career Centre, as well as e-mails put in the database.
- The centre offers courses that may help students in developing non-professional skills and competencies to meet the market needs and find new career opportunities. The courses include but are not limited to the following topics: “Skills on writing CV, cover and motivation letters”, “Skills on job seeking and passing interviews”, “Successful presentation (PPT) skills”, “The art of negotiations”, “Time management”, “Skills for conducting research projects”, etc.
- The centre is also responsible for the operationalization of the HEN-GEAR platform which enables students to register and create a page and, after completing the section on personal information, create a CV that is in line with European standards and can be easily updated; to have direct contact with the employers who can also register in the platform and place the announcements on new job opportunities and have a chance to choose future employees according to their requirements.
The Centre is open to all those who need consultancy on professional orientation, career planning and development.
Contacts:
SAFAA Career Centre
Phone: (+37410) 56 36 08
The Students in the Processes of Quality Assurance
Quality education assurance is among the main objectives of SAFAA. Quality Assurance Centre that has elaborated and regularly applies a number of tools and mechanisms to assess the learning environment and students and staff needs constantly follows the effective implementation of the SAFAA activities and their further improvements. The university students also have a great role in this process. Their involvement in the activities of the Centre enables to conduct needs analysis and provide feedback that is necessary for further enhancement.
Surveys conducted among the students allow us to evaluate their satisfaction on education processes, learning environment and resources ensuring further improvements.
Regular meetings, conversations and workshops with students enable to listen to their suggestions and comments.
Tempus ESPAQ grant project enables to develop tools which ensure student active participation in quality assurance processes.
Focus groups help to understand and assess the current state of affairs at the academy and ensure students involvement in the academic program development processes.
Thanks to students’ participation and feedback the academic programmes have been redeveloped, the laboratories of Applied Arts, Fashion Design, Computer Graphics and Design have been modernized and equipped as well as the student assessment system has been revised.
Contacts:
Quality Assurance Centre
Head of Centre: Nune Minasyan
Phone: (+37410) 56 36 08
Student Community
SAFAA Student Community was established within the frames of three-year national TEMPUS ESPAQ project (Enhancing Students Participation in Quality Assurance in Armenian HE). 8 higher education institutions including SAFAA, as well as 4 EU partners from Scotland, Romania, Austria, Italy and Belgium are involved in the project.
The project enables students to be engaged in the university QA processes where they can become decision-makers (student experts).
Within a short period the community was able to gather SAFAA student-volunteers creating a unique and creative working atmosphere where the students can freely express their ideas and feedback on the education processes and get involved in the Quality Assurance processes.
Since the launch of the project, the Student Community has been conducting a lot of meetings and discussions to raise the student awareness on the quality education assurance and help them to understand their role in the QA processes.
During the meetings and discussions the students freely raise the issues that need further improvement. They study and analyse best practice that helps them to feedback and comment on the current situation making suggestions on enhancement to the relevant bodies.
Thus, do you want to become a full member of Student Community and attend a range of events and meetings, as well as be involved in the organizational part of the community life?
You answered YES? Then please send a motivation letter to the following e-mail address communitysafaa@gmail.com and we will contact you.
With respect and looking forward to meeting you SAFAA Student Community.
