Higher school of psychology

9.2. Policy of the academic staff selection, recruiting, training and development.

Designing the professional master studies programme in psychology the goals and objectives of the Higher School of Psychology were taken into consideration. The major consideration for the personnel policy is building a team of skilled staff members, with the emphasis of those working full-time, to create possibilities to realize the creative potential of personalities, to facilitate their professional development.

Recruiting, development and dismissal of staff occur in the following ways:

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  Persons having filed a job application on their own initiative or following a recommendation of some of the HSP employees are hired for work;
  
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  The HSP makes contracts agreements with local and foreign higher education establishments concerning exchange of instructors, thus facilitating more and different guest lecturers coming to the HSP.
  

HSP set forth certain requirements to be met by the teaching staff working with them concerning the staff’s education, qualification, and paying special attention to the research the person is conducting, as well as to the pedagogical experience and length of service in the profession. HSP does not set forth requirements concerning gender, age, national extraction, political views and religion of the applicant for a job, considering such requirements to be a manifestation of discrimination.

HSP instructors are elected into positions (in conformity with HSP Satversme(Constitution))by the HSP Senate meeting. The majority of the instructors have been elected into the positions at the Higher School of Psychology. Some instructors who proved to be skilled specialists in their field and have appropriate education are invited to deliver several courses. Such specialist must be at lest master’s degree holders. The HSP support the teaching staff members wishing to pursue further studies and professional development, including:

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  Courses of professional development;
  
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  Participation in seminars held by the HSP and other higher education establishments, conferences, training, projects and research activity;
  
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  Participation in international conferences;
  
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  Professional development in seminars and professional courses;
  
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  Experience exchange between instructors from Latvia and abroad;
  
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  Further studies.
  

The goals of the staff development policy are meant to reach the following objectives.

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  To improve the qualification of the HSP staff members involved in implementations of the study programme;
  
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  To the replenish the staff involved in the programme implementation with new instructors foe whom the HSP will be the principal place of work;
  
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  to involve guest lecturer into the study programme;
  
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  to ensure participation of HSP instructors in courses, projects, seminars, local and international conferences:
  

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  to create a system of professional development of the HSP instructors. For this purpose it is necessary to create a complex module system for professional development of instructors-psychologists within the system higher education, to create a system of innovations of psychological programme to be taught at the HSP;
  
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  to conduct professional development of the instructors at Lodz Higher School of the Humanities and economic sciences;
  
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  to facilitate participation of the instructors in:
  

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  annual colloquia held by International association of school psychologists;
  
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  seminars and conferences held by the Latvian association of professional psychologists;
  
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  International conference: CiCe Eight Annual Conference
  

Professional development of the teaching staff members:

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  Plotka I. Seminar “Imagery of sand games” Latvian association of family psychotherapists. (headed by Linde fon Keizerlink), Latvia, Riga, 2005.
  
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  L. Kaļiņņikova training seminar “Big Brothers Big Sisters Programme implementation”, Vilnius, 2005.
  
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  V. Petļaka licence of Professional Association of Psychologists of Latvia “Formation of an addicted person, treatment of addicted personality”, 2005.
  
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  V. Petļaka LU certificate, “Pedagogical development of teaching staff in higher school, innovations in the system of higher education administration of education”, 2004. – 2005.
  
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  Plotka I. Seminar “Personal growth of a psychologist”, Latvia, Riga, 2004.
  
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  I. Kazanovska Seminar „ Personal growth of a professional psychologist”, Tartu – Riga, 10 hrs., 2004.
  
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  I. Kazanovska Seminar „Types of psychological conclusions”, LPPA, 6 hrs., 2004.
  
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  I. Kazanovska Seminar „Development of the pupils intellect during the study process” Moscow–Riga, 12 hrs., 2004.
  
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  I. Kazanovska Seminar „Bilingual School Effectiveness”, 40 hrs., 2004.g.
  
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  V. Jansons LPPA Seminar “Types of psychological conclusions” – license, 2004.g.
  

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  Plotka I. – seminar “Art therapy”, Jurmala, August, 2003.
  
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  Kaļiņņikova L. – seminar “Art therapy”, Jurmala, August, 2003..
  
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  Kaļiņņikova L., J. Kuprina – seminar LPPA “Practical application of the psychologist’s code of ethics”, December 12, 2003 Riga.
  
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  Petļaka V. – LU Medical post-graduate studies institute in psycho-therapy training: psycho-dynamic counseling, certificate of a practicing therapist, 2002 – 2003.
  
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  Kazanovska I. – seminar “Psychology of intellect”, Riga, June, 2003.
  
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  I. Kazanovska - Courses „ Psychology of intellect”, Moscow– Riga, 36 hrs., 2003.g.
  
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  L. Kaļiņņikova seminar “Ethical issues in professional activity of a psychologist”, LPPA, Riga, 2003.
  
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  L. Kaļiņņikova, seminar “Art therapy”, Jurmala, 2003.
  
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  Kazanovska I., seminar “Psychotherapy and psychosomatics”, Jurmala, September, 2002.