Universidad Mayor aims to educate capable persons who develop their own particular potentialities, nurturing their singular qualities and aptitudes; people who have not lost their capacity of being amazed and who hold fair and constructive criticism; who embrace the virtue of being amazed by the incredible symmetry of nature; people that increase their interest to research, imagine and create; people feeling invited to contribute in the establishment of better and more appropriate forms of social interaction.
The institution expects that such a personal development of its students and professionals who graduate from its classrooms are able to face their lives and responsibilities in a balanced manner and with a positive attitude; and, in this way, they may reach the genuine, although limited, satisfactions that life can give them.
In summary, Universidad Mayor expects to educate people who have well rounded lives, nurturing friendship and having the capacity of enjoying; but who also dedicate great part of their time to seek a well-balanced education and broaden the intellectual aspect. Hence, the educational task goes beyond a simple instructional process: as part of the daily function an effective interaction among the higher executive officers, faculty and students is enhanced, since developing a sincere and constructive relation between professors, staff and students is considered to be eminently positive and enriching
This interrelation is framed within the objectives of conveying information and knowledge, facilitating student encounter and involvement in activities which promote the exchanging of ideas and experiences within a responsible and agreeable environment.
In this frame of a balanced education, the development of sport activities is also very important, acknowledging the impact they have in the development of youngsters, developing routines which are beneficial for the spiritual and physical health.
The main objective of a well-balanced education is to allow and guide the students to carry out the activities they need to undertake in all areas of their lives, performing them with genuineness, respect, without fault-finding and adhering to personal, family, social and ethical values. This also implies the search for academic excellence. It is expected that students practice an active learning, in which they are the main protagonist of their own development. Because of this, faculty promote time investment in the task of learning and in a collaborative learning, where students organize themselves for studying and growing together, solving problems and searching for information.
Another aspect of a well-balanced education, not less important, is developing the ability to take on new challenges.
It is important for Universidad Mayor that its graduates have a pioneering mentality in contrast with one of followers, where imagination, proactive thinking and flexibility have an essential role.
Accomplishing a well-balanced education compels establishing goals as transversal objectives of the study plans. The interest for research, experiencing the processes and principles of science; learning to value the importance of technology; the professional education focused on contemporary concerns, and being an entrepreneurial are life attitudes. This is not achieved from only studying a series of courses; it requires the acquirement of habits, skills, values and strategies in time.
For this, the study plans are structured in lines or areas which cross and are transversal to the education of students; allowing that learning, contemplation and maturing of our students increase while advancing in their coursework.
The most challenging aspect of the current development is the progress in knowledge. It seems unnecessary to maintain traditional curriculum structures where fragmented, encyclopaedic, and frontal teaching has been given priority. Hence it seems very important that along with curricular revision and updating, students as well as instructors make a significant effort to promote Autonomous Learning.
Therefore it is necessary to provide students with strategies which help them to develop this capacity, by introducing course segments or even complete courses where students are able to work with technological resources or to use self-learning texts, developing projects, addressing case studies and problem solving and research, and requiring the search for bibliography and its analysis, among other modalities.
These methodologies favour self-learning but overall active learning.
Universidad Mayor has already ventured in this with e-learning courses and plans to continue providing professional growth instances through virtual education. For this, the institution has made progress since it is provided with a proper computer infrastructure, providing free Internet access and the possibility of having email communication with authorities, instructors and students. Students are able to find many possibilities of interaction at their web page web institucional.
The permanent interaction between students, faculty, staff and executive officers constitutes one of the cornerstones of the institution; this is not only carried out in the classroom, laboratories, workshops and on-site practicum, but also in the non formal permanent interaction outside the classroom and through e-mail. Students are able not only to make enquiries, but also to talk about professional subjects and others of personal interest.
An important aspect of instruction effectiveness is a timely feedback for students. The practice of a timely and continuous response from the instructor to his/her students regarding their learning process definitely contributes to an effective learning.
The institution also maintains a permanent revision process of its study plans and professional or graduate profiles. Along this line, the institution looks for:
- Making available to the students the study plans which respond to the current challenges.
- Conveying in the study plans the “balanced education” it is looking for, giving them a dynamic seal, preserving their validity and relevance.
- Establishing competitive professional or graduate profiles.
- Reaching high national and international standards so as to facilitate the transference of graduates to pursue professional work or postgraduate studies in Chile or abroad, having the necessary professional or academic competence.
In this area of instruction effectiveness the General Academics Office maintains a Faculty training program that promotes new and more appropriate teaching methodologies. Additionally, through the College of Education, a new Master’s Program in College Teaching is offered in which outstanding experts take part, and it is facilitated for UM instructors although also open to faculty from other institutions.
Universidad Mayor is aware of the fact that diligence in university management, especially when it states that the search for quality constitutes one of its institutional foundations, the quality control of input, processes and results constitute an inevitable need. For this, quality monitoring mechanisms which operate on an ongoing basis have been introduced. Some of which are already being implemented and others are found in the devising stage.
Some of the aspects of quality monitoring are:
The assessment of instruction work is carried out annually and it seeks to collect information from the original sources, students themselves, regarding their viewpoint in relation to the instruction process. The main objective of this assessment is to identify deficiencies or weaknesses, allowing designing remedial mechanisms, by training professors in teaching, facilitating training activities in the discipline and the proper assignment of tasks.
The references for institutional quality control is comprised by the institutional mission and vision, and by a set of standards now adopted from the Middle States Commission on Higher Education (MSCHE).
Universidad Mayor carries out self-assessment processes focused on degree programs and schools implying a critical revision of input, processes and outcomes. For this, Faculty, students, administrative personnel, alumni and employers among other users of the academic offer are involved. The outcomes obtained comprise feedback for policy design, institutional planning, management IT system, and resource allocation and in general decision making to overcome weaknesses, consolidate strengths and take advantage of opportunities.
In this quality assurance process, Universidad Mayor has pursued accreditation, preferably international, with agencies which are acknowledged experts in the respective speciality. This is directly beneficial for its graduates, who, in time, will be able to show acknowledged academic and professional credentials in the international setting.
The Office of Institutional Research and Quality Assurance is a pioneer unit in the university setting of the country; its primary purpose is to consolidate a quality assurance system, in light of the established standards.
The characteristics of the Educational Project of Universidad Mayor assures its users as well as the national academic community, a thorough, dynamic, modern educational process, focused on the student and their interests, and framed by high demanding standards.
In this way, Universidad Mayor takes on its full autonomy with responsibility, accounting for its declared objectives before the community.
