Declaración de política Erasmus
Section I: Institution’s Strategy, Goals and Priorities for Erasmus activities
ESAPA (Escuela Superior de Arte del Principado de Asturias) opened in 2002 with the aim of providing higher education in the fields of Design (Graphic and Product Design) as well as in Conservation and Restoration of Cultural Heritage (specializations in Graphic Documents, Paintings and Sculptures).
ESAPA joined the LLP-Erasmus programme in 2008. Since then, several bilateral agreements have been signed with different institutions around Europe. ESAPA also organizes exchange activities overseas, with some academic institutions in USA.
ESAPA considers a priority to establish international relationships with other institutions in the European Union aiming to promote:
- The European spirit and the awareness of common values and culture.
- The dialogue and cooperation with other institutions from the Union with the goal of reaching a methodological convergence.
- The exchange of experiences and pedagogical proposals with other institutions from the Union by means of teaching staff mobility.
- The exchange of students with other institutions from the European Union so that they can widen their training and well-rounded education for a common labour market.
The key objectives to be reached through the participation in the Erasmus programme are:
- To raise the institution’s international profile
- To internationalize the curriculum
- To engage actively with the Bologna process and the creation of a European Space for Higher Education
Student mobilities started during the academic year 2009-2010. Since then, the institution has applied for EU funds to support these activities.
ESAPA aimed to enhance the exchange opportunities that were organized as a holder of a Standard Erasmus University Charter by extending the type of mobility actions to placement activities. An Extended Erasmus University Charter was awarded to the institution in 2010. Our goals regarding placement activities are:
- To provide students with experiences which complement their education at the institution.
- To promote lifelong learning and language development to support employability.
The Lifelong Learning Programme (LLP) has been assigned a prominent space all along the structure of ESAPA’s website. The Erasmus Policy Statement (EPS) is being publicized in a special section devoted to the Erasmus programme. This section includes information for incoming and outgoing students and staff on how to participate in the Erasmus programme. The Erasmus programme has been also officially incorporated to the institution mission statement and syllabus.
ESAPA will watch over the integration of disabled people and will always guarantee the right to equality of opportunity, no matter sex, race, religion or socioeconomic status. Our educational project stands for openness, freedom of thought, pluralism and non-discrimination. The diversity policy creates conditions to treat everyone on the basis of merits, abilities and potential regardless of gender, origin or other distinction.
Section II: Quality of academic mobility activities
ESAPA will guarantee the quality of the Erasmus activities aimed at the students and teaching staff exchange with other institutions from the European Union, through the following measures:
- The ESAPA website gives access to the syllabus of the Design, Conservation and Restoration of Cultural Heritage Higher Studies, taught at our college. In the same way, it offers information about the academic and cultural activities carried out at our institution.
- The academic activities of the foreign students that study at the ESAPA will be certified in written by calculating the equivalence to ECTS credits.
- So as to guarantee the support to the students that take part in the mobility activities, a system of information and consulting will be set up, based on group and personalized tutoring.
- ESAPA will favour the visiting students’ incorporation and integration by means of courses of Spanish as a foreign language, as well as helping out with their accommodation through several systems of accommodation. The foreign students will have the help of a tutor-student so that their integration in the institution’s academic life and in the socio-cultural background of Avilés becomes easier.
- ESAPA will favour their teachers’ mobility for the development of educational activities at other institutions from the European Union and will certify their participation in them.
Section III. Quality of student placement activities
Work placements can act as a real differentiator element for students in their professional career search. These placements enable students to demonstrate their abilities to work independently and as members of a team and offer the chance to put into practice the knowledge acquired at the academic period.
Concerning placement activities, ESAPA will be responsible for development of the tailor-made mobility programme in collaboration with the student and the host organization to ensure that the placement objectives are met.
Partner organizations will be selected on the basis that they can provide a placement of sufficient quality to ensure that the required learning outcomes will be achieved by the student. A placement contract, which details the responsibilities of each partner and the student, will be signed prior to departure. Students will also be issued with a job description or learning agreement which covers their individual responsibilities and objectives.
A tutor will be assigned to every student, who will be responsible of monitoring that the performance criteria are attained during the placement activity.
Students are expected to follow a continuous assessment program and provide feedback on their activities, so that necessary adjustments to improve performance levels during the course of the project can be made. At the end of the placement period they will be asked to write a final report and to share their working experiences with the rest of students at the institution.
ESAPA will acknowledge credits obtained during a work placement and, if applicable, provide students with a EUROPASS Mobility certification.
The allocation of placements will be conducted in a transparent and fair manner.
