Implementation of the VU SR 2024-2025 Strategic Guidelines
1. The University has an effective career formating and mentoring system focused on targeted individualised study choices
Impact indicator: By 1st of July, 15% of students from each ACU of Vilnius University participate in the individualised study career formating and mentoring system and 75% of them would recommend the programme.
Task 1: implemented
10 proc. pirmo kurso bakalauro ir vientisųjų studijų studentų (-čių) iš kiekvieno VU KAP yra išsikėlę studijų ar karjeros tikslus
Task 2: under implementation
Bent 100 I pakopos bakalauro ir vientisųjų studijų studentų (-čių) pasinaudoja dalykinių konsultantų paslaugomis.
Task 3: under implementation
80 proc. VU KAP akademinių konsultantų konsultacijų vertinamos teigiamai.
☑️ What has been accomplished?
- A study and career goals memo was created and presented to the students and their first-year mentors. It can be found here.
- 5 workshops on raising study and career goals implemented in 3 cities.
- Study and career goal-raising activities included in the Study Success Map.
- Individualised study consultants were regularly publicised to students and were available to assist them in choosing individualised study subjects/modules.
- A meeting with individualised study consultants was implemented in March to discuss the needs of students in choosing individualised studies and how consultants can contribute to their success. These consultants are regularly invited to be joined by lecturers, PhD students and alumni.
- A secret shopper test was implemented in February to analyse the quality of advice given to students in units on individualised studies and related issues. More than 15 consultations were done.
- A feedback questionnaire has been prepared and shared in the VU units, which allows students to evaluate how the consultation with the academic advisor/administrator/coordinator in the unit went. This feedback survey is available here. As of 11 May 2025, 46 students had completed the survey.
- VU SR provided its suggestions and comments to the Student Services and Careers Unit during the development of the Vilnius University Academic Counselling Standard.
- 13 out of 15 units implemented focus groups to understand better the general culture of student counselling and the quality of counselling provided in the unit.
- A memo on student academic counselling has been prepared based on the Vilnius University Academic Counselling Standard.
2. VU students participate in self-expression promotion system of VU SR
Impact indicator: By 1st of July, 2025 3000 students of Vilnius University have participated in student iniciatives through self-expression promotion system of VU SR.
Task 1: under implementation
200 Vilnius University students are involved in short-term initiatives.
Task 2: under implementation
At least 5 scientific initiatives are involved in the network of scientific activities.
Task 3: under implementation
The average involvement of VU SR members in the activities of the Organisation is at least 75%.
☑️ What has been accomplished?
- Regular mentoring for the leaders of VU SR initiatives was implemented and supervised by the coordinators of the VU SR Student Initiatives Centre (SIC). During the whole reporting period, SIC mentored 28 initiative leaders.
- A description of the funding of student(s) initiatives has been prepared and approved.
- The description of the activities of the VU SR Student Initiatives Centre has been prepared.
- During the reporting period, VU SR Student Initiatives Centre implemented 3 short-term initiatives in different VU SR units: student initiative day, "Hack VU", and initiative days at Šiauliai Academy and Kaunas Faculty. During these initiatives, 106 students had the opportunity to try their hand at implementing projects and learning about self-expression initiatives in VU SR.
- A network of scientific activities was set up, which included student scientific initiative groups and other projects in VU departments. So far, 3 student scientific societies are actively involved in this network.
- The content of the VU SR membership website has been developed.
- The Institutional Strengthening Fund implemented the VU SR membership pathway system has been created, including updating the reflection methodology. HR Coordinators have been introduced to the principles of reflection.
- The material for the VU SR benefits package for students was developed and will be used later for the VU SR website subpage..
- A VU SR Competency Grid has been developed, which defines the competencies each VU SR member needs to acquire according to the specific areas and the level of expertise to be achieved.
- A working group of the VU SR Council has been set up to develop a framework for recognising generic competencies in VU SR.
3. Vilnius University ensures that studies, services, information and infrastructure are accessible to students with disabilities
Impact indicator: 80% of students with disabilities who responded to the Study Individualisation Survey have a positive view of the accessibility of studies, services, information and infrastructure.
Task 1: implemented
Students with disabilities rate the individualisation of their studies positively in the feedback form.
Task 2: under implementation
Information on accessibility of studies updated on the VU, VU ACU and VU SR websites.
Task 3: implemented
At least 3 changes according to the map are implemented to make the environment more accessible for students with disabilities.
☑️ What has been accomplished?
- To renew the description of Vilnius University's procedure for personalisation according to individual needs arising from disability, VU SR social affairs coordinators collected suggestions and comments on the renewal of this description. The document is being updated in consultation with the Vilnius University Community Well-being Division and other experts.
- To evaluate how students with disabilities feel and assess the accessibility of information at Vilnius University, VU SR prepared a survey to consider the following aspects: how students with disabilities evaluate the University's preparedness to help, the quality of the information they receive, and the indicators of the accessibility of studies. 38 people with disabilities completed the survey. The overall accessibility rating of VU's Studies, Services, Information and Infrastructure is 77%.
- VU SR collected information on good practices of other higher education institutions in publicising information for persons with disabilities.
- VU SR reached an agreement in cooperation with the VU Community Well-being Division (CWD) that a course of educational material will be developed in the VU Virtual Learning Environment (VLE) by 31 August to introduce the different types of disabilities and the specifics of communication and support for persons with varying types of disabilities.
- Two subpages on the Vilnius University website have been removed. Information on study opportunities for students with disabilities is provided on one main information subpage, which has been updated according to the suggestions made.
- The VU SR website about disabilities has been updated.
- 14 out of 15 VU SR units completed the Vilnius University Accessibility and Product Suitability Checklists to measure the percentage of each VU CAU accessible to persons with disabilities. The survey assessed the overall accessibility of the VU at 54.5%.
- To ensure that the correct information on the subpages of the VU CAU websites was provided, the information on the 6 VU CAU websites was updated.
- 13 out of 15 VU CAUs held meetings with the responsible persons and made agreements to increase the indicator on the accessibility of the VU CAU environment for students with disabilities. 3 VU CAU meetings are scheduled. As part of the agreements, a disability-themed subpage on the VU FGG website has been created, and temporary ramps have been installed in the VU LSC to facilitate the movement of persons with mobility disabilities.