RSUH – with signs of ineffectiveness?

Among the well-known universities that fell into the red zone of the Ministry of Education and Science was the Russian State University for the Humanities

Among the well-known branded universities that fell into the red zone of monitoring by the Ministry of Education and Science in terms of the effectiveness of universities, there was the Russian State University for the Humanities. Although this university, according to many experts, is the leader in liberal education and the humanities. In addition to its reputation, the university also has quite real achievements: only this year it entered the list of winners of the Monobra competition among universities for the best strategic development program. RGGU is the leading university in the educational and methodological associations of Russian universities in the areas of historical and archival studies, history, cultural studies, museology.

Efim PIVOVAR, Rector of the Russian State Humanitarian University, to the question: “Did the monitoring shock you?” Answered:

• The first attempt to monitor universities across the country is very important. The selected criteria are transparent and understandable. This is the first step. As a first step, they certainly work. Infrastructure is defined. But it has already been said that we will improve the monitoring indicators together. And the fact that measurements are very important is obvious.

The Russian State University for the Humanities has a program for the strategic development of the university. The indicators that we set for ourselves already have results, and some of the indicators coincided with those set in the federal monitoring.

- For some indicators, the RSUH is below the threshold values ​​determined in the monitoring. For what?

• We had lower rates of income from research and development activities per employee. But these are indicators of last year, and in our development program we set the task of raising this figure, now it is already twice the threshold values: about 100 thousand rubles. per person. Although this is lower than the average for Moscow. But here we have a specificity. We implement a lot of programs. There are few students in some programs, but these specialists are also needed. There cannot be many specialists in ancient or oriental languages, but the Russian State University for the Humanities cannot help preparing them. Therefore, there are donor programs, and there are programs that will not bring money, but must be supported by the university as a whole. We can realize this balance thanks to the development program.

- But still, does the Russian State Humanitarian University show signs of inefficiency in monitoring the ministry?

• We have just begun to implement the development program. But we were not recognized as ineffective, not true.

- But with signs of inefficiency.

• Efficiency is the achievement of great results with minimal means. So the meaning of this word in monitoring is not quite technologically verified. If we talk about the word, about documentary technologies, we must be more precise. I would still talk about problems, not about efficiency. And I consider them a reserve of development. We have problems, of course. Six years ago, we could not at all show data on our training areas, on the right to operational management. All these years we fought. But now this problem has been solved - 70 thousand square meters. m we defended. This speaks volumes about the effectiveness of the team. As a rector, I inherited these problems. We have allowed them.

- Do you now fit in the squares?

• No, but this can easily be adjusted by contingent. Accreditation requirements change. There was a standard - 10.5 square meters, now there will be 13.

- Reduce the number of students?

• It is already decreasing: the state focuses on the growth of not humanitarian areas, but engineering and technical, which are important for the economy. There is an overproduction of social specialists - economists, lawyers. Of course, it is not correct to call them humanitarian. Here, there are correction tasks for all universities, although the Russian State University for the Humanities is also a member of the association of leading universities in economic management. And actually humanitarian directions at us are strong and are in demand.

- Contests grow, and places should be reduced?

• The demand for our programs in Moscow is growing. When I came, the competition was 5 people per place, now there are more than 30.

- Are there specialties for which the competition is even higher?

• There are 100 each. Demand.

- Are the monitoring criteria fair?

• Any measure of quality cannot be absolute. It is always relative. The word "justice" does not fit here. In our opinion, an important indicator for a university is demand. It contains the knowledge that quality education is provided here, and that employers hire with this education, and that the university has a favorable atmosphere. This indicator can be supplemented by a slice of knowledge after the first year, and at the end of the bachelor's program. We are working on this now.

But society as a whole has complaints about the quality of university education. So it is necessary to look for solutions to problems.