Last September, the HELHa U.A.S. decided to redefine its management by splitting the administrative tasks (that would be more managed on a central basis) from the pedagogical, teaching and learning goals. They created 16 Directions aux Enseignements (Teaching Heads) for their 11.000 students, an innovation in Wallonia, Belgium. Their two main fields of actions aim to the pedagogical leadership of our teaching staff and the student experience.
As pedagogical leaders, their tasks entail:
- Accompany the professional development of each of their teachers
- Ensure an environment leading to cooperation and professional development between teachers but also the administrative team on their sites
- Favor team developments of transversal projects among different fields of study
- Integrate the results from our research programs in our curricula
- Ensure teachers knowledge update
- Promote innovation (both digital and non-digital) and recognize the time invested
- Optimise the use of labs and cooperative rooms
- Review the curriculum to adjust to the evolution of the professional field, the societal evolution such as IA and Sustainable Development issues
With this model HELHa strives to better manage the compliance of curricula to the expectations, both of students and employers but also to create a context where innovation is promoted, acknowledged and fully integrated in the teaching practice.
The DAE’s other big central mission will be to work on the student and learning experience. In to this end, they will act on the following criteria:
- Make it easier for the students to take part in external (possibly international) projects;
- Involve the last-year students in our research programs;
- Work and collaborate with the transversal services to increase motivation and student participation in the classroom;
- Establish a student feedback policy towards a quality vision but also as a short-term solution finder.
To help them focus solely on the pedagogy, the DAE will be surrounded by an administrative staff of business partners with their areas of expertise such as financial and human resources.
