Dzīves un darba gājums

6.6. Financing

The DU budget consists of:

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  the basic budget (subsidy from general revenues, services and other revenues earned by the university);
  
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  the state budget transfers (grants);
  
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  financing of scientific research from international programmes;
  
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  other revenues (participation in scientific projects, state commissioned projects, market oriented projects etc).
  

The DU basic budget revenues consist of general revenues and revenues earned from services. The structure of the revenues earned form commercial services is the following: from tuition fees – 83%, from basing premises and university hotel services – 14%, from other commercial services and self-earned revenues – 3%. When planning the basic budget of the financial year the calculations of the contingent are done and the number of students is prognosticated. Income which DU receives for commercial services is paid into the account opened in the public treasury and are used for financing expenditures in line with the financing plan adopted by the Ministry of Education and Science.

The share of expenditures from the basic budget is made up from: current expenditures which include wages and other current expenditures, subsidies and grants, which includes stipends and compensation of travelling costs, capital expenditures.

A rational distribution and use of financial resources is necessary so that the university could successfully carry out scientific, study and economic activities.

Subsidies from the state budget do not cover DU expenditures. Therefore faculties and chairs try to find additional financing. In the total DU budget these revenues make up 83% from self-earned revenues and 28.2% from total allocations of 2002. The self-earned revenues from tuition fees are included in the DU budget and are used according to the estimates drawn up by faculties.

On comparing the DU total financing by years (1998-2002), it is obvious that it has gone up 1.3 times, but the share of state financing has gone up only for 11%. In 4 years’ time revenues from tuition fees have grown 2.3 times. In 2002 Ls19747 were attracted additionally as LCS grants and Ls26550 through international projects and contracts.

The DU long-term financial plan for 2004-2009 and the results of the DU financial activity are shown in Appendix DU-20.

6.7. Summary

Strong points:

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  new technologies are used to improve the DU library work;
  
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  two free-access reading-rooms have been opened;
  
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  in several fields the exchange projects of scientific literature are successfully being carried out;
  
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  study premises, students’ hostels and the sport complex are being repaired and renovated;
  
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  the number of computer technologies and audio-visual equipment and the intensity of their employment in the study process have considerably increased;
  
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  in 4 years’ time the revenues from tuition fees have gone up 2.3 times.
  

Weak points:

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  several structural units are not efficient enough in attracting finance from Latvia and EU funds, industrial enterprises and local municipalities;
  
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  a structural unit which would be engaged in working out macro projects has not yet been established at the university.
  

Solutions:

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  wider cooperation with local authorities and enterprises in drawing up joint projects for EU structural funds;
  
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  establishing of the project and economic development department;
  
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  modernization of infrastructure.
  

7. Quality Assurance

7.1. Development Plan

Daugavpils University development possibilities and prospects are determined in the DU long-term development plan (Appendix 2) which has been worked out for the period of 2001-2010. The principal priorities of a long-term development in studies and scientific work are:

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  development of academic and professional study programmes taking into account regional interests and Latvia’s development towards EU;
  
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  rapid development of DU scientific potential and its scientific assurance which will ensure integration of the university into European Higher Education Area and European Science Area.
  

A short-term development plan has been worked out in compliance with the established development trends and priorities and is aimed at ensuring the implementation of tasks determined by the DU long-term plan. At present the main short-term development trends in study and scientific work are:

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  quality assurance in three-level (bachelor, master, doctoral) study programmes;
  
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  development of the scientific potential in natural, humanitarian, education and social sciences;
  
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  preparing projects for EU structural funds;
  
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  development of infrastructure in DU scientific institutes.
  

7.2. Quality Assessment

Quality control and management is a continuous process and is realized:

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  by enrolling students;
  
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  by taking on the academic and general staff;
  
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  during examination sessions – for students;
  
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  by evaluating and improving study programmes;
  
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  by evaluating structural units and their management according to the results of the research and study activities;
  
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  by evaluating work efficiency and implementation of quality perfection tasks of DU managers of various levels.
  

The two main quality assessment forms are:

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  external assessment – licensing, accreditation and independent expert evaluation;
  
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  self-assessment – a system of assuring internal quality.
  

The Republic of Latvia Ministry of Education and Science and the Quality Assessment Centre for Higher Education in cooperation with the higher education establishment are responsible for external quality control (licensing, accreditation).

Chairs and faculties are responsible for internal quality control of study work, and their work is coordinated and administered by the Study Quality Assessment Centre (SQAC) and the Study Council confirmed by the Senate (point 2.4.)

At present, DU is developing a complex approach to quality assessment in structural units. The issues relating to DU development and quality management are not being analysed thoroughly enough. It involves certain difficulties to conduct surveys among graduates because in this state there is no unified data base of the employment of graduates. Therefore development and quality assurance issues should take an important place in the DU development conception.