The “Academic Compass: A Comprehensive Monitoring and Support Program at UJW” Project
A press conference was held today regarding the “Academic Compass: A Comprehensive Monitoring and Support Program at UJW” project, attended by Rector Dr. Dariusz Zając, Assoc. Prof., Wiesław Wabik, Mayor of Polkowice; Dean Dr hab. Rafał Czachor, Assoc. Prof.; and Administrative and Financial Director Edyta Zarecka, BEng, MSc
The project is being implemented under Measure 01.05, “Skills in Higher Education,” of the “European Funds for Social Development 2021–2027” program and is co-financed by the European Social Fund Plus. Project implementation period: October 1, 2025 – December 31, 2028. Project objective: To increase the effectiveness of university management in the years 2025–2028 in order to minimize the phenomenon of early dropout, the causes of which the applicant identified based on its own analyses, in connection with the need to adapt the educational offerings to the needs of economic development and the green and digital transformation. The implementation of the project will yield long-term benefits. The tools and measures developed within the project will enable adjustments to the educational process and provide appropriate support to students at Jan Wyżykowski University, thereby reducing the dropout rate. The project includes activities aimed at reducing early dropout rates: 1) Improving the effectiveness of the admissions process: The “UJW – Your Informed Choice” campaign 2) Development of the Academic Careers Office 3) Implementation of remedial classes in mathematics and physics for first-year students in technical programs 4) Establishment of the Academic Psychological Counselling Centre 5) Making educational formats more flexible, supporting students in hybrid learning, and counteracting transportation-related exclusion by providing transportation for students to UJW on the following routes: – Chocianów–Lubin–Polkowice, – Przemków–Głogów–Polkowice. Project Indicators 1) Number of students participating in remedial classes – 300 2) Number of faculty members who will participate in training sessions – 24 3) Number of faculty members who have improved their competencies/qualifications – 20 4) Number of students who have improved their knowledge and skills – 255 5) Number of higher education and research institutions that have adapted their programs to the needs of economic development and the green and digital transformation – 1 The implementation of planned and comprehensive measures will increase the effectiveness of the recruitment, education, and student support processes in a coherent and logical manner. The Project will establish a system for monitoring student dropout rates, managed by staff of the Academic Careers Office. Since this issue affects all degree programs, the planned tasks will be implemented across the entire university, with a particular focus on technical programs at the beginning of students’ studies. An analysis conducted at UJW indicates that between 2020 and 2024, an average of 24.33% of students enrolled did not complete their studies, of whom an average of 20.02% were first-year students. Target group:
- University
- Students
- Faculty and Administrative Staff
Project value: 2,701,458.10 PLN Amount of European Union funding: 2,620,144.22 PLN Amount of own funds: 81,313.88 PLN Implementing these activities will enable students to participate in the admissions process with greater awareness, which will influence their choice of educational and career paths based on current labor market trends and their aptitudes, and will improve the efficiency of the admissions process. Students’ adjustment and psychological difficulties will be mitigated through the Academic Psychological Counselling Centre via comprehensive measures, including, among others, early identification of psychological difficulties among students, providing prompt and accessible psychological and therapeutic support, strengthening students’ mental resilience, and developing coping skills. At UJW, a space will be created for meetings between students, career counselors, and employers with UJW specialists, which will positively influence informed study program choices and strengthen cooperation with schools and employers. Additional support in the form of remedial classes will help students get through their first exam session, and the changes implemented in how the educational process is delivered (including distance or hybrid learning systems) will improve students’ learning and time-management skills.
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