Erasmus Policy Statement

ERASMUS POLICY STATEMENT

Academy of Physical Education in Katowice , as a higher education institution founded in 1970 is constantly developing itself in the field of sport, physical education and health sciences and aims to provide the highest worldwide standards in knowledge, projects and academic output, developing resources, realizing collaborations and training highly qualified graduates.

Academy of Physical Education in Katowice by adapting a multidisciplinary approach is successfully achieved by linking sport, health and management sciences. The academic units at all levels in Academy of Physical Education in Katowice are involved in Erasmus actions as stated in the internationalization strategy. The internationalization strategy of our University accepts the important contributions of staff and student mobilities and their participation in European and international collaboration projects to gain the quality of higher education programs . Depending on the general internationalization and modernization strategy, Academy of Physical Education in Katowice is regularly evaluated by government organizations within the framework of a qualified, transparent and reliable education and scientific targets.

These studies are very important in order to contribute to the improvement of universities and the quality of education. Within the framework of the studies carried out by the relevant units of Academy of Physical Education in Katowice , accreditation studies are carried out through independent international organizations.

Our university has the necessary infrastructure for conducting research at the world level, thanks to two scientific institutes: Institute of Sport Science and Institute of Physiotherapy and Health Sciences.

All evaluated faculties at Academy of Physical Education in Katowice had been graded level "A" during last national evaluation procedure, which is an outstanding result.

We are planning to implement Erasmus after the award of the ECHE.

I. Strategy, priorities and activities of international cooperation cells of Physical Education in Katowice, in the context of the activities of the educational program Erasmus +

In order to meet the essential requirements of the Bologna Declaration on the European Higher Education of Academy of Physical  Education in Katowice, actively participating in the current activities of the ERASMUS+, wants to continue to share in the new component of the ERASMUS.

During the period 2021-2027 is provided for further dynamic development of the exchange of students and academic staff. In order to improve the quality and attractiveness of multilateral cooperation between Physical Education in Katowice and other higher education institutions in Europe, the university intends to further expand and share offer teaching in English.

The university wants to build a new ERASMUS can send to students, as a proven way to verify, while the practical implementation and consolidation of knowledge and skills acquired by students during classes. It is also important that the practices are admittedly indirect, but substantial in its weight, confirmation of compliance training content to the needs of the labor market. It is also an effective way to expand the scope of cooperation between universities and enterprises and other institutions. The university will make reasonable efforts to ensure adequate supervision and support for this action.

Academy of Physical Education in the past year did not report problems related to gender, xenophobia or racism.

Students are educated in the spirit of respect for human rights and democratic principles.

II. Providing high-quality academic exchange
In order to ensure and improve the quality of education for several years, is developed internal quality assurance system. Its operating items include: USOS (University System of Study), the full, updated information about the college, entry conditions, studying principles, schedule of classes, etc. With a view to ensuring an adequate level of academic exchange program ERASMUS+, shall annually appropriate
measures at both the skills of students and teaching staff of the program, and then - in the immediate preparation for the tour, and when you return.

ECTS was introduced into the study programs realized in the University in the academic year 2007/2008. This led to facilitate the qualification process and the subsequent settlement of the results of students enrolled in the transcript of records (called Transcript of Records). ECTS was developed containing all the information about studying in the Academy. Students every year are informed about the formalities to be accomplished in order to become a participant in the ERASMUS+ program.

After approval of the final list of students to go in a given academic year, the Academy provides comprehensive assistance traveling - organizational and substantive: facilitates contact with the university partner, mediates the exchange of the necessary documents, advise on matters of transport and insurance and, above all, support in building a set of typed objects an agreement on the program of study (called Learning Agreement). For foreign students constantly enriches the educational offer. Students at the time of study are staying in a college dorm on the same terms as Polish students. The school does not charge tuition or use of resources.

Outgoing teachers are given information about the host institution and travel assistance related to insurance, organization of transport and accommodation. Check Teacher Academy for a grant under the ERASMUS+ program is an important element to be taken into account when assessing the achievements of unions and employee activity.

The task of improving the quality of education at the Academy of Physical Education in Katowice manifests itself through the implementation of the following provisions:

1. for students arriving / departing

full availability of the curriculum for all courses and subjects (university website, current information about the offer
of study for a given semester and the European Credit Transfer System - ECTS);
each incoming student is Polish "guardian" - a student who helps him;
meetings with the coordinators of the program and the direction of explaining the rights and responsibilities of
students of Physical Education and determining the final versions of the Learning Agreement (Learning Agreement);
accommodation in a student AWF to facilitate the integration of Polish students;
providing full professional administrative assistance with application procedures;
staff visits to assess the quality of study at partner institutions;
financial assistance provided by the AWF for various activities related to the exchange students;
recognition of periods of study abroad, including assessments of foreign university diploma at graduation;
after returning home, students fill in the questionnaire and evaluate their studies abroad.

2. for incoming / outgoing teachers;

ensuring adequate recruitment academics;
organizing the stay of visiting teachers both at school and in their spare time;
arranging travel and stay abroad for teachers leaving;
extra points for the teachers involved in the exchange during the evaluation of teachers;
reports from teachers after returning from the exchange to provide feedback and opinion on their experience of
teaching at the partner universities.

III. Ensuring high quality of student
The practice should be consistent with the program practices that the student is under study and the basis for
their credit as a mandatory student placement. The period of practice is usually from a few to several weeks,
depending on the requirements outlined by the University in the curriculum.
An important role in the organization and conduct practices have tutors
called for each specialty. Their duties include: develop programs
practices, setting of practice, to oversee the organization of practice, working with carers
practices in the workplace.

Acquisition of the institutions in which they will carry out the placements will be through establishing direct contacts with foreign institutions active in the thematic studies at the Academy of Physical Education. The agreement between the university and the institution organizing the placement will provide information on the practice, its scope, number of students in training, practice time, appoint a guardian practices on behalf of the institution to provide adequate jobs internship program in line with the practice of programming, monitoring the correct application of practice, to ensure the social conditions of students staying at the place of practice.
During the practical training the students are supervised in the field of substance and form both the tutors on behalf
of the university and the workplace.

Student Internships are an integral part of the curriculum for all courses of Physical Education. They provide high quality detail:
verification of the target institutions - institutions are only accepted from the highest qualified staff and modern equipment;
verification of academic staff who supervise practice, accept their place and program, monitor the progress of students (including visits to the site) and make a formal pass all the requirements; mentoring in the institution in which the placement, which takes care of the student and help him in his work; mandatory daily practice, the student writes and analyzes every day, and each entry signed by the mentor;
Final completion practices is based on daily practice, the opinion of the institution where the placement, and the
opinion of the promoter.

Institutions target practice vary due to the course of study.
Internationalization projects implemented allow for a smooth continuation of this process of the Academy of Physical Education in Katowice (PL KATOWIC05), constituting the foundation for high quality development of the entire university, in particular international cooperation.
Erasmus + is the foundation of international cooperation and after many years of operation has become an extremely recognizable brand, permanently included in the canon of transnational activities. The highest class academic internationalization is the main goal of the University of Physical Education in Katowice from the beginning of participation in this process.
All projects that were and are implemented for this purpose are aimed at high quality and, ultimately, success - both at the stage of recruitment of students and academic staff for the program, as well as at later stages - during preparation for trips, during their implementation, as well as after returning, in the process of recognizing the results. A well-planned and transparent qualification system facilitates further procedures and finally the settlement of results with due liquidity.
Constant monitoring of internationalization needs results in periodic analysis and refinement of the Information Catalog, containing structured information about studies at the Academy, as well as an information package for employees going on an exchange.
The projects are aimed at the following goals:
1) permanent cooperation with partner universities as well as managing institutions to increase the level of internationalization of both our university and partner universities,
2) refining the procedures to constantly improve the quality of international cooperation,
3) propagating the idea of internationalization, giving a sense of belonging to the European and supra-European community and broadening the horizons of beneficiaries,
4) working with people who have already benefited from the Erasmus + program, creating a group of "ambassadors" of projects.
Internationalization projects on behalf of the University of Physical Education in Katowice involve students and employees as part of study offers, apprenticeships, trips for training purposes and for conducting classes. A group of students are representatives of all fields of study. This is related to the broad nature of our cooperation, which is based on all the courses offered by the University of Physical Education.
We provide information in advance to incoming students about the possibility of participating in Polish language classes at the University of Physical Education in Katowice, which results in nearly 100% participation by students, which is approved by partner institutions.
The Academy provides comprehensive assistance - organizational and substantive: it facilitates the exchange of necessary documents, advises on transport and insurance matters, and, above all, supports the creation of a set of subjects entered into the agreement on the study program. We also provide accommodation for all project participants in our university facilities, which significantly affects the
comfort of project implementation by all parties.

We regularly assess the progress of individual project participants during monitoring meetings, we verify the original assumptions regarding the implementation of programs, which allows us to dynamically respond to any doubts that arise. Participants knowing that someone is always there supervises the proper conduct of the whole process, they feel cared for and grateful, which they have repeatedly emphasized in conversations with the coordinators of individual tasks. The implementation of international projects is an essential element for the development of our university, as well as a contribution to the internationalization of the entire country.
By expanding the horizon of our current international mobility development program, we also contribute to the involvement of the entire academic community in projects. The authorities of the University of Physical Education in Katowice constantly support the development of internationalization by matching system solutions that facilitate studying within exchanges, as well as promoting the international activity of employees.

The strategies for development and making internationalization more attractive developed by the Department of Science and International Cooperation prove to be right, gaining the support of a wide audience. Annually in the reports, program participants describe a significant expansion of their knowledge, including the acquisition of numerous experiences through participation in the trip - this applies to both elements of professional work or the education process, as well as results in a significant increase in cultural awareness. Teachers and administrative employees using the exchange have introduced or declare their willingness to introduce educational and organizational solutions that they had the opportunity to encounter during the trip. Many of the contacts result in
modernizing the programs of individual subjects and developing cooperation in the scientific field. Report Form Representatives of the Academy at every step (meetings with representatives of other universities or the business environment, journalists, candidates for studies or school youth) promote internationalization programs, emphasizing their unique character.

We plan to use the effects of the projects long after each of them is finished, intensively promoting the beautiful idea of internationalization of the Academy of Physical Education in Katowice.