Finnish Council of University Rectors

Working Groups

UNIFI represents the Finnish universities in several working groups, networks and organisations, among others The Finnish Research and Innovation Council.

YOPALA Working Group

In January 2012, UNIFI set up a working group to prepare a national student feedback system for universities, a k a YOPALA (short for its Finnish name Yliopistojen OpiskelijaPALAutejärjestelmä). The task of the WG is to draft a questionnaire and the principles by which the tracking system can be incorporated into the revised funding formula of the universities. The outcome should be a functioning questionnaire that all Finnish universities can approve of, as well as the mechanisms by which its results can be converted to a form which can be utilised in the funding model.

The Working Group is chaired by vice-rector Olli Silvén (University of Oulu). The other members are vice-rectors Jukka Kola (University of Helsinki), Minna Martikainen (Lappeenranta University of Technology), Jari Perkiömäki (Sibelius-Akademy), Martti Raevaara (Aalto University) and Helena Rasku-Puttonen (University of Jyväskylä), and executive director Liisa Savunen (UNIFI). The WG includes also expert members from the National Union of University Students in Finland (SYL), the Ministry of Education and Culture and the Finnish Higher Education Evaluation Council. Senior adviser Hanna Manner-Tuomi (UNIFI) and researcher Juha Sainio (University of Turku) serve as secretaries.

The work will be based on the proposal made by the working group of the Ministry of Education that drafted the revised funding formula for the universities. It is proposed that 3 % of the core funding of the universities be allocated on the basis of a national student feedback system as of 2015.

YOPALA pilot project 2011

The Working Group can make use of the experiences and results of a UNIFI pilot project that tested the feasibility of a questionnaire in the autumn of 2011. The aim of the pilot survey was to create a model for the national implementation of the questionnaire.  Seven universities participated in the pilot: the universities of Eastern Finland, Oulu, Tampere, Turku and Vaasa; Lappeenranta University of Technology and Sibelius-Academy.

The questionnaire was sent to Bachelors who had graduated 1 January – 31 August, 2011.  The data was collected by the individual universities and aggregated by the Statistics Group of the University of Tampere. They produced a summary for each participating university as well a national overview.

The core of the questionnaire were 20 common questions that universities could supplement with their own questions. The questions concentrated on the quality of teaching and the learning environment; study progress and study skills; counselling services; development of skills. The questions were given in three languages, Finnish, Swedish (other official language) and English (for international students).

The report from the pilot project was presented to UNIFI in January 2012. It includes i.a. observations and analysis of the feasibility of the questionnaire and suggestions for common rules to be respected when realising the survey.

YOPALA preliminary project 2009 - 2010

For several years, UNIFI and SYL have been preparing the creation of a national student feedback system for universities. The starting point for this mapping exercise has been the internal development and quality enhancement of universities.