Dear employees, teachers and applicants to higher education! The current report of the rector to Igor Sikorsky Kyiv Polytechnic Institute labor collective is organized remotely due to the need to avert any threats to the health and life of its members.
During the year after the 2019 Workforce Conference, Ukraine hosted a series of important social events related to the change in political elites and the reformatting of power. Changes have also occurred in the education and science management system, which have affected the functioning of higher education institutions. Universities are given more clearly worded requirements for demand by the economy and society for their graduates, given the rapid changes in the nature and structure of labor.
Since 2020, formula funding for universities has been implemented. According to the new financing system, 80% of budget funds are guaranteed to be received by institutions of higher education for basic needs, the rest depending on their position in international ratings (QS, Times, Academic Ranking, UniRank), graduate employment, university scale, amount of funds raised from alternative sources, etc. Despite the fact that in 2020, Igor Sikorsky Kyiv Polytechnic Institute received the largest funding among domestic universities, the formula-based approach was implemented and did not take into account the factor of increasing wages.
Despite these changes, the departments of the University need to strengthen significantly interaction with employers for our graduates today. The task is to enrich the analytical, forecasting work regarding the development prospects of each of the industrial sectors in the new "digital" economy. The reply to the present challenges in the university should be quick changes in the structure, volume, content and quality of training of specialists in all specialties and educational programs. This should be done by all faculties and departments of the university to coordinate the system of internal quality assurance of higher education of Igor Sikorsky Kyiv Polytechnic Institute.
During the reference period, the state regulator began to work – the National Agency for Higher Education Quality Assurance (NAQA). Its main task is to bring the structure and number of university-educated specialists in the country to its real needs. Even today, 10 educational programs of our university are vetted for accreditation under the new rules of NAQA. Next year, several dozens of educational programs will be vetted for the accreditation procedure and first, programs for training doctors of philosophy.
Such processes and prospects require us to establish effective educational management at all levels of Igor Sikorsky Kyiv Polytechnic Institute management from each department to the entire university generally. Taking into account the requirements of the time, from the beginning of the school year, we have made changes in the management structure of our university, reformatted the administrative units, substantially rejuvenated the senior management staff of the university, and continued decentralization of management. At the same time, optimization takes into account the need to maintain the powerful academic potential of the university and ensure the functioning and development of its leading scientific schools.
First, the functions of the rector and the Head of the Academic Council were delimited. We managed to build the interaction of the administration and the Academic Council on the model of the interaction of the executive and legislative branches of government in the state. By the decision of the Scientific Council, commissions were created in key areas of the functioning of Igor Sikorsky Kyiv Polytechnic Institute, which are gaining important expert knowledge and recommendations for improving the activities of the university.
An important step was the development and approval of a number of regulatory documents on the formation of a system of internal quality assurance of higher education in Igor Sikorsky Kyiv Polytechnic Institute. Such system has objective to improve all areas of the university's activities and aims to ensure high quality of all components of the academic process, compliance with international standards, and increase the competitiveness of our university. It originates from the introduction in 2005 of a system of integrated monitoring of specialists training quality and research of employers' needs.
Another important step in improving the educational process was the creation of a system for the formation of an individual educational trajectory of students, which covers the free choice of disciplines, as well as enrollment of the results of non-formal and informal education.
Last year, the third stage of the internal introspection of the departments on educational programs was carried out, the results of which allowed the necessary structural and organizational changes to be made at the university. In autumn 2020, it is planned to conduct the next stage of accreditation introspection, according to the results of which the list of educational programs should be updated for their subsequent submission for accreditation to NAQA.
Deeply aware of the modern challenges facing the higher education system, a new Development Strategy was exploited and proposed to the colleagues at the university. It takes into account the groundbreaking changes in the spheres of the economy and production associated with the development of Industry 4.0. Despite the scientifically based scenarios for the development of the professional training system for specialists in Ukraine, the university was oriented toward the beginning of new educational programs, the formation of new sets of competencies that a specialist should have in the future. At the same time, the university continued to uphold the need for a deep fundamental component in the system of training modern specialists.
During the reporting period in Igor Sikorsky Kyiv Polytechnic Institute, the foundations of virtue and social responsibility of all members of the university community affirmed systematically and consistently. Despite significant indignation in Ukrainian society, the university community was able to maintain stability and coherence of work, to demonstrate cohesion and integrity in carrying out its statutory objectives.
Dear conference delegates! Before analyzing the implementation of the Collective Agreement for 2019, I note that all of its paragraphs and the Labor Protection Agreement have been generally implemented.
The first section, which deals with the improvement of the university management system, has been completed. Administration of Igor Sikorsky Kyiv Polytechnic Institute, together with the trade union committee of workers and students, carried out systematic monitoring of the timely observance of the terms of the Collective Agreement with the labor collective and with applicants to higher education.
So, the heads of faculties and institutes reported to their labor collectives (the heads of two departments did it online due to the growing pandemic of coronavirus), and the vice-rectors to the Academic Council of the university.
Improvement of the management system caused changes in the university management structure itself, embodied in its optimization taking into account the nature of new tasks. In particular, the functions were redistributed between vice-rectors and heads of administrative units, rejuvenated senior management.
In the consolidated budget of Igor Sikorsky Kyiv Polytechnic Institute and the estimates of structural units the costs of the development of social facilities, hostels, recreation centers were provided and financed; for the maintenance and updating of the classroom fund, the development of the material and technical base, for social payments – in the amount of up to 2% of the planned wage fund and the like.
All orders for the revision and changes in the standards of remuneration of labor, labor protection and working conditions, working hours, rest, official salaries, conditions of introduction and size of allowances, surcharges, bonuses, remuneration, rating standards for teaching staff, material, medical services for university employees administration agreed with the trade union committee.
Following the traditions of clarity of financial activities, the proceeds and application of budgetary and extra-budgetary funds of the university were discussed at meetings of the Administrative and Academic Councils, financial reporting data were regularly published in the Kyiv Polytechnic newspaper and posted on the university's website.
The standards for scoring the activity of academic workers have been updated and agreed with the trade union committee.
The systematic implementation of the University's Anti-Corruption Program continued. All leader personnel of Igor Sikorsky Kyiv Polytechnic Institute, who are the subject of declaration, both during emplacement and during the annual campaign for declaring, lodged and published income declarations on time.
All paragraphs of the second section on the conclusion of an employment contract, payment and regulation of labor, social protection of workers to the university are completed.
All contracts with employees were concluded on the basis of the current legislation, and in case of expiration of a contract with an academic employee, his or her contract was carried out on a competitive basis or through the extension of the contract within the period of competitive election, taking into account the results of the report of the academic worker and recommendations of the department.
The university administration took all possible measures for the timely payment of salaries and scholarships to employees and students of the university within the time limits established by law and the Collective Agreement. The professional work of the Department of Economics and Finance made it possible to avoid delays in the payment of salaries and scholarships in February this year, which unfortunately happened in many other universities in Ukraine.
According to the current legislation, the current regulations at the university and the Collective Agreement in 2019, the following was paid:
- monthly and quarterly bonuses and bonuses to anniversaries – UAH 18,9 Mio;
- annual pecuniary aid to teachers – UAH 1,1 Mio;
- pecuniary aid for recovery – UAH 40,1 Mio.
The procedure for granting vacations to university employees was in accordance with applicable law and the relevant regulations of the collective agreement.
During the year, the university administration implemented a set of measures to ensure public order in the university. In particular, the work of the staff of public organizations for the protection of public order was encouraged, and interaction with the police was supported. To ensure safe working conditions, preservation of property of the university, workers and students, we continued to improve the access control system in educational buildings. During 2019, 23 video surveillance cameras were installed on the territory of the university. In total, 117 cameras are successfully operating today.
The paragraphs of the third section, which refers to labor protection and health, are generally implemented. In particular, comprehensive measures for labor protection were taken in all departments of the university.
Timely training on labor protection was held for those responsible for labor protection conditions in units in accordance with regulatory documents.
A knowledge assessment of existing laws and regulations was conducted among university employees employed in jobs with increased risk. In addition, 1867 introductory briefings were conducted with employees hired by the university. As a result of the measures taken last year, there were not reported any cases of injuries associated with production, and injuries in the non-production sphere were significantly reduced.
During the reference period, the university buildings and dormitories were provided with primary fire-fighting equipment and fire-fighting devices that meet technical requirements. 482 thousand UAH were doled out for fire-fighting events during 2019.
During the cold season, the normative thermal regime was provided in educational buildings and dormitories. To do this, heat energy consumption was increased by 18.6% compared to last year. At the same time, appropriate measures were taken, the fundraising from structural units for energy conservation, heat conservation and timely payment for energy consumed.
The obligations of the fourth section, devoted to social insurance, medical care, the organization of health resort treatment and recreation, are fully implemented. In particular, the Mayak, Polytechnic, and Sosnovy recreation centers were kept in good condition. Employees and members of their families had equal opportunities to purchase trip vouchers on preferential terms and without restrictions. Therefore, in 2019, 1,629 workers and members of their families, as well as 325 students, rested at the university's health centers. Revenues for all recreation centers increased by 26% and amounted to UAH 8,2 Mio. At the same time, more than UAH 1 Mio of funds earned by the health units last year were allocated for the development of the bases. At the same time, the price of the voucher remained at the level of one of the lowest health-improving units of higher education institutions of Ukraine.
In accordance with the agreement between the trade union committee and the university administration and with the aim of creating a healthy lifestyle and recreation of physical efficiency of employees and their children, members of national teams of workers of Igor Sikorsky Kyiv Polytechnic Institute were provided with preferential and free services of the Center for Physical Education and Sport. The material and technical base of the Center was maintained through the provision of paid services to persons and corporate entities, from which in 2019 the amount of UAH 5,3 Mio was received.
The fifth section, which refers to the working and living conditions of women, helping them to raise children, was also fully implemented. During the year, a "flexible" working time regime was in effect for women with children of preschool and primary school age, according to their requests and with the consent of the head and head of the trade union bureau of the unit.
The paragraphs of the sixth section devoted to housing and living conditions, the organization of public catering, and the provision of the cultural needs of workers, have been fully implemented. Today, cooperation with investors continues on the construction of new residential space for employees of Igor Sikorsky Kyiv Polytechnic Institute. A register of university employees is being maintained for those in need of better housing conditions and who are registered in the state apartment register at the place of registration.
The provision of high-quality catering was controlled by the administration and the trade union committee of the university and the public nutrition commission.
Measures were taken to reconstruct the park zone of the university, the system of green spaces on the territory of the university was updated. Last fall, the socio-environmental project "Plant a Tree" was organized, in which more than 200 seedlings were planted in the park and on campus.
The seventh section of the contract about the provision of legal guarantees of the trade union committee and the trade union asset, was fully implemented. This concerns the provision of the opportunity for elected workers of the trade union to fulfill their duties during working hours, to use vehicles, communications, copying equipment and facilities for free. Representatives of the trade union are members of various councils, they were involved in the work of all commissions, in particular the budget, rental, health, tender, observance of lawfulness and others.
Any changes in the terms of the employment contract, remuneration of labor, disciplinary action against employees who are members of elected trade union bodies were carried out only with the prior consent of the elected body the members of which they are.
The eighth section, devoted to the distribution of powers between the administration, trade unions and the labor collective, has been fully implemented. Leaders of all levels reported to their teams on the implementation of the collective agreement and approved collective agreements for a new term. All agreements of the units were concluded on time and accordingly registered with the trade union committee of employees of Igor Sikorsky Kyiv Polytechnic Institute.
A collective agreement between the administration and the student union committee for 2019 has also been implemented. The university provided student organizations with the necessary facilities with equipment and communications for their work. Representatives of the trade union committee of students and student self-government bodies participated in the work of all the commissions that examined student issues.
In addition, the university administration, the heads of faculties and institutes paid special attention to improving educational, research and innovative activities, maintaining their living conditions, organizing students' leisure activities, developing the material base of cultural and sports facilities, sport activity and improving students' health.
As for fulfilling the tasks of the Labor Protection Agreement, it is also has been fully implemented. Much attention was paid to creating safe working conditions for participants in the educational process, the implementation of the constitutional right of workers to protect their health and life.
Therefore, to sum it up, we can state that the Collective Agreement between the university administration, trade union organizations of workers and students of Igor Sikorsky Kyiv Polytechnic Institute for 2019 has been completed. New tasks were formulated in the draft of Collective Agreement for 2020 and published in the university newspaper. I want to express confidence that, as in previous years, they will be implemented. The key is a coordinated creative work of the entire team, mutual understanding and mutual support of all members of the university family.
Dear colleagues, by joint coordinated actions, our team will worthily overcome new challenges and will pass the next stage of its development with new achievements. I wish you good health, inspiration and success in your work.
Thank you for your attention!