Teaching activity

Doc. RNDr. Josef Janás, Csc. - Vice-Rector

Once more in 1997, the faculties of Masaryk University increased the level of attention they gave to innovation and efficiency in education. With regard to the great variety of study subjects and the specific nature of their studies, we have succeeded in creating a comparative-quantitative model of educational achievement at individual MU faculties, and this serves as an aid to faculties as they strive to improve their educational performance. We are gradually introducing a credit-based system of study and extending non-traditional forms of distance studies.

We have achieved a certain level of success in the language education of non-philologists at the Faculties of Arts, Social Studies and Education.

Statistical data on numbers of MU students are clearly given in the tables and diagrams below. Tables 1a, 1b and 1c show that at all seven faculties of MU, the total number of students in 1997 reached 16,438, i.e. up 6.73% on the previous year. In 1997, the main emphasis was laid on master's and doctoral (postgraduate) studies, although also bachelor's studies are offered at all faculties with the exception of the Faculty of Informatics.

Numbers of students on bachelor's and postgraduate courses over the last five years are given in table 2 and presented visually in the bar chart. The increasing number of students typical for the last three academic years - without a significant increase in the number of university teachers - was caused by the gradual opening of higher years of study at the Faculty of Informatics and at the newly opened Faculty of Social Studies and by regulations issued by the Ministry of Education, in accordance with which the Ministry awarded funding to institutes of higher education in direct proportion to the number of students.

The number of students per teacher is also of great importance for the quality of teachers' work. It is clear from Table 3 that this number has grown at the majority of MU faculties over the last few years. The fact that the quality of the performance of university teachers has not declined is a testimony to the high standard of their work.

With regard to the greatest number of applicants for study at Masaryk University to date (33,492 applications), the organization of entrance proceedings was even more difficult than before. This concerned in particular faculties with a heterogeneous spectrum of subjects (the Faculties of Arts, Science and Education). The number of applications exceeded many times the number of places available: Faculty of Medicine - 5x; Faculty of Arts - 12x; Faculty of Law - 11x; Faculty of Science - 8x; Faculty of Informatics - 3x; Faculty of Education - 8x; Faculty of Economics and Administration - 7x. In overall terms, MU received eight times as many applications as it had places. An overview of admissions and appeal proceedings at MU is given in Table 4 (in which self-financing students, foreign students on grants and graduates accepted for postgraduate studies are not included).

The number of enrolments is of decisive importance for faculties. Compared with the previous year, enrolments in 1997 increased by almost 26.9 %. The difference in the figures for those admitted and those who enrolled and actually started courses (41%) can be attributed to the fact that a number of students were admitted to more than one faculty or university. The number of enrolments (including postgraduate) at MU faculties is illustrated clearly in the accompanying chart.

Masaryk University acted in accordance with increased student interest by offering new subjects of study and opening a new (its 8th) faculty - the Faculty of Social Studies. At this faculty, students were accepted together with those interested in studying at the Faculty of Arts. As for new subjects, the Faculty of Medicine opened a full-time bachelor's course in Nursing, the Faculty of Arts a full-time master's course in Serbian language, the Faculty of Science a distance-study bachelor's course in Legal Relations for Real Estate, and the Faculty of Social Studies a full-time master's course in Environment Studies for the Humanities.

The number of foreign students is a measure of every university's prestige. Masaryk University now has 436 full-time foreign students, i.e. 3% of all regular students. In the present academic year 1997/8, there is about the same number of foreigners as last year. Slovak students who started their studies before January 1st 1993 are not included in this number - they study under the same conditions as Czech students. In bachelor's and master's studies, the highest number of full-time students is from Slovakia (202), followed by Greece (116), Yemen (13), Israel (9), Sweden (7) and Poland (6). The other foreign students (83) come from a further 62 countries. Each of the faculties is making great efforts to increase its number of foreign students.

The number of Masaryk University students gaining bachelor's and master's degrees has grown since 1992, both in terms of Czech nationals and foreigners who study under the same conditions as Czechs. Figures are given in Table 5 (the increase amounts to almost 11% over the previous year). The number of foreign graduates is given in Table 6.

In the field of lifelong education for adults, the Basic Programme of the University of the Third Age and the course in Practical Gerontology continued in 1997 with 238 participants. More than half of the participants were in the 61-70 age-group.

The Education Unit of the Rector's Office of Masaryk University in collaboration with the Study Departments of the MU faculties prepared and held two events important for higher education: GAUDEAMUS '97 in Brno and the "Universities and Vocational Secondary Schools of Moravia Exchange" in Zlín. For these events, a brochure with the title "Information on Studies at Masaryk University for the school-year 1997/98" and information materials from all eight faculties were issued.

Table 1a - Number of students at MU on October 31 1997

U3V... University of Third Age

Note: not including students whose studies were suspended

Table 1b - Number of students at MU - citizens of the Czech Republic on October 31 1997

Table 1b - Number of students at MU - citizens of the Czech Republic on October 31 1997

Table 2 - Students of MU ¹⁾

Table 3 - Number of students per MU teacher

Table 4 - Entry proceedings at MU in academic year 1997/8 ¹⁾

Table 5 - Graduates of MU - citizen of Czech Republic¹⁾

Table 6 - Graduates of MU - foreigners