Latvian Evangelic Lutheran Christian Academy

Latvian Evangelic Lutheran Christian Academy

ACCREDITATION MATERIALS FOR THE PROFESSIONAL PROGRAM OF STUDIES

“PRACTICAL THEOLOGY”

I pArt

Jûrmala

1997

I.  THE AIMS AND OBJECTIVES OF THE PRACTICAL STUDIES PROGRAM "PRACTICAL THEOLOGY"

1.  Aims

·  To educate the highest-qualification social workers according to the needs of the ev.luth. Church and State of Latvian in order to create the Christian ministry services for socially deprived in the country;

·  To offer a professional, practically useful higher education (University level), which is based upon the scientific and evangelical grounds.

2.  Tasks

·  To train highly qualified specialists of Christian motivation, i.e. specialists in practical theology:

q  administrative social workers:

heads of the social work agencies 1319 16[*],

managers of the social work agencies 1319 22,

heads of the structural units in the field of

social service 1229 06

q  social workers for various recreation and rehabilitation centres in Latvia:

visiting nurses in the field of social work 2446 05,

family visiting nurses 2446 04,

social caseworkers 2446 04,

community organizers in the field of social

work social work 3260 12

q  social service specialists required by the Christian church:

deacons 2460 07,

social rehabilitation specialists 2446 07;

·  to improve constantly the program of vocational education in practical theology so as to provide the students with thorough knowledge about social work as professional activities that can help individuals, social groups or the entire community to improve and to revive abilities of social functioning;

·  to offer knowledge about realization of the Christian charity (compassion) principle and the principle of deaconate (social ministration) in the modern society. This is achievable by use of the Biblical anthropology and sociology combined with knowledge in social sciences;

·  to attain the world-wide used methods of deaconal ministry;

·  to promote the scientific research in the deaconate, to teach the integrity of various sciences and theology into the practice of social work;

·  to teach and educate people that are capable of evangelical charity so that their free choice to follow evangelical values is combined with professional efficiency.

·  to transform the theorethical knowledge of students into the practical human activity which is known as a charity service in the Bible,

because:

II.  THE REPORT ON SELF-ASSESSMENT

1.  The Contents and Organization of work within the professional Program of studies "Practical theology".

The contents of the professional studies program are divided in 7 interconnected blocks of academic studies:

1) Inaugural courses in theology. The part A of the program for bachelor's degree in theology that is comprised into the program of professional studies;

2) Basic courses in social and humanitarian sciences;

3) Professional theoretical disciplines;

4) Professional courses of social care and charity work skills;

5) Professional social work practice and field–work;

6) Scientific research;

7) Foreign languages

(For more details see: Appendix – The program of professional studies "Practical Theology”)

The comparison of programs in Practical theology was carried out among the Latvian Evangelical Lutheran Christian Academy, the Norsk DiakonihØyskole, Oslo, and Finnish Theological institute.

Conclusions:

No essential differences were pointed out, when the contents of the above mentioned European universities were compared in regard to the training of social care and charity workers and deacons. The scope of the program prepared by the Latvian Evangelical Lutheran Christian Academy is more extensive, since

1) it is properly adapted to the background of education and social thinking in the post-Communist state, and has to be developed in accordance to the desirable status in democratic society;

2) there are certain proportional differences in the share of the basic, specialized and theorethical professional courses. The program of the Christian academy has allotted more space to theological disciplines and understanding of charity service, because the research must be developed in the deaconate - it is a competely new research field in Latvia;

3) the training of specialists for academic work has to be envisaged. At present it is provided only at the Diakonihjemmets HØgskolesenter, Diaconia College Centre, School of Social Work, and Norsk DiakonihØyskole in Oslo, Norway, but probably the work could be carried out as one's postgraduate studies at LChA;

4) there is no concept at all how to train deacons in Latvia, and a total lack of traditions in professional training of social care and charity workers can be felt. In the present–day situation when text-books in Latvian are not available, students have to be granted good knowledge of foreign languages. LChA has initiated the concept of practical Christian ministry within its Professional program so as to meet respective needs in Latvia;

5) the Program of studies has to be further developed:

Þ  various modules of academic work has to be performed, involving the optional individual training so as to develop the special gifts and interests of each particular student;

Þ  the number of academic contact hours has to be decreased due to the students' individual and group work. Original educational aids in accordance to the aims and tasks of study program has to be prepared;

Þ  the program has to be unloaded from the scope of general theological disciplines. LChA has to become an open University with wide range of courses and integrated Bible school education.

2.  Pedagogical process and realization of the Professional studies Program.

·  Organization of studies.

The program of studies is attainable at the full-time department. The length of studies - 8 semesters (4 years). An academic year lasts 40 weeks or two terms.

·  The structure of the Academic program.

Study year / Study courses
1st year / ¨the basic courses of theological, social and humanitarian sciences;
¨dominance of theological courses;
¨courses that are mobilizing the situation of student's free choice: to be pro or con the faith in God and that of charity service.
2nd year / ¨courses that are stabilizing the values of Christian theology;
¨courses that are developing a general scope of knowledge as well as scientific research interests;
¨professional theorethical disciplines.
3rd year / ¨foreground of professional theorethical courses;
¨development of scientific research interests;
¨vocational skills of social care and charity and deacon's work;
¨specialized disciplines of professional social work.
4th year / ¨professionally specialized disciplines;
¨scientific research.

Field work, that is supervised training in an operating agency is necessary at the length of all 3-4 years of studies: it is provided during the whole academic year with intensive practical training at the end of each academic year ( in June).

·  Forms and methods of studies.

Lectures, students' unaided work, workshops, role–plays, group work, supervised scientific research.

Discussions, a dialogue with a student, the utmost development of individual abilities the personality is capable to.

3.  Professional Practices and Field work

·  Introductory training (evangelization practice and field–work - 1st, 2nd terms):

Aim:

Þ  to get insight into social work, charity and rehabilitation;

Þ  to get insight into Christian ministry;

Þ  to learn to apply the theological knowledge in the evangelization.

·  General practice and Field work:

Aim:

Þ  to develop vocational skills of a deacon, social care and charity work and capacity of action especially. This is a practice in psychology and social work - 3rd, 4th terms.

·  Specialized training.

Aim:

Þ  to train students in vocational and social ministry along with explication of those ethic dilemmas a social care and charity is faced to - 5th, 6th terms.

Besides these three major practices there is a

·  Professional training in 7th term that scopes 100 academic hours in total. The field work is provided as parallel to the work at qualification theses and is directly connected with that institution or social problem about which the student is writing his or her qualification thesis.

Aim:

Þ  to combine creative vocational activities with scientific research.

For more detailed information see: "Professional Program of Studies 'The Model of Practical Training for Social Worker and Deacon'"

4.  The Maintenance and Management of Studies

1.  1. The process of studies in LChA is regulated by:

"The Contract of Studies",

" The Regulations of the Senate of LChA",

"The Regulations for Administration of Studies in the LChA",

"Enrollment Regulations in LChA",

"The Basic Principles of Credit Point Record in LChA",

"Regulations for Academic and Professional Studies in the LChA”,

"Regulations for Students' Field Work"

"Regulations for Final and State Examinations",

"Regulations for the Scientific Research Centre".

2.  The Program of Studies in LChA is realized by

Þ  lecturers:

·  who possess interdisciplinary scientific interests (philosophy Þ sociology Þ theology, psychology Þ theology, philology Þ theology etc.)

·  not so qualified members of the teaching staff are working at the theological courses jointly with a lecturer whose qualification corresponds to that of a doctor or professor – most frequently a visiting professor from any of the partnership high schools or universities. Working this way a new generation of specialists is gradually educated, a generation who is willing to synthesize achievements developed in a dialogue, thus uniting vocational skills, aspects of international cooperation and definite academic goals.

·  The program of studies is conducted by Program director, whose functions are confirmed by the Senate.

Þ  The studies Program director:

·  supervises the work at the program;

·  interviews experts, teaching staff, students etc. and analyses opinions so as to design an optimal program model;

·  negotiates discussion and confirmation of program at the Senate;

·  prepares the program for Accreditation;

·  coordinates realization of the program, helps to assign the teaching staff to the courses, operatively brings about the required changes in the program;

·  hears out the references of the teaching staff and students to the contents of the program, to better ways of its realization;

·  provides students' inquiries, analyses the results of them and informs the Senate;

·  investigates a labor market on the behalf of complete purposefulness of the Program.

·  The Program director is endowed with rights:

·  to propose and to prepare for Senate's examination questions that are connected with program fulfillment, improvement, changes etc.;

·  to control the work of academic staff as the study Program is being realized;

·  to make suggestions to the administration of the Academy about the neccessity to substitute particular members of the teaching staff who do not enable fulfillment of the program aims or fails in coordination of their lecture course with the aims and tasks of LChA as regulated by the LChA Constitution.

3.  Management of the Studies Program.

4. On studies maintenance and support see:

"Reference to the Scientific Library of LChrA",

"Reference to Educational and Material Resources of LChrA",

5.  Creative and Scientific Research Work performed by Staff and Students of LChA

The scientific research activities at the Academy are directed and managed by the Scientific research center that is an independent structure within the Christian Academy (see: Regulations for Scientific Research Center"). The work at the Center is participated by the teaching staff and students, who are carrying out research work and investigations within the frames of study program as well as applied research projects ordered by several institutions. Relations with these institutions are regulated by research contracts and agreements. (See: Appendix.)

·  The themes of qualification projects and theses for bachelor degree are important in research and development of deaconate concept that has to be worked out to respond the needs in Latvia (see: Appendix).

The results of scientific research work are reflected in the collected scientific articles of the Academy; the 1st volume is expected in the Fall/Winter 1997. "Works" are planned to be issued regularly every year.

Within the frames of professional program of studies the teaching staff and students of the Academy are engaged into international project of applied research "Thematic Network", managed by Lahti High School of Deaconate in Finland.

Applied research projects in Latvia, which are realized by the Christian Academy

Client / Time / Subject

Latvian Ev. Luth. Christian Academy involve international research project’s

1.  Joint research project

2.  Project of archeological examination

~ 225 ~

3.  Project of the Archeological excavations

~ 225 ~

4.  Joint Research Projects

~ 225 ~

5.  Joint Research Projects

~ 225 ~

6.  Process which guarantees the quality

All scientific, methodical and management work of the Academy is directed to achieve good study results and to guarantee their quality. Among factors that guarantee the quality of studies are:

 the compliance of the study program.

At the LChA Senate meeting, when analysing the self-evaluation materials of the academic study program, prepared for the accreditation, the Senate admitted, that the program meets the international standards of the bachelor of theology study program. The study program has been compared with the respective programs of the European partner institutions. In the compared study programs, there are no principal and essential differences, the program meets the internationally recognized requirements. More see in Appendix "Reference on Compliance of the Academic Study Program", p.

 the quality is secured by the academic environment, regular and serious scientific research work of the teaching staff and involvement of students in it;

 in order to maintain the quality of the teaching work, strong and regular quality control mechanism functions at the Academy, which implements indirect function of determination and realization of the LChA standards. The efficiency of this mechanism is proved by the fact, that the teaching staff does not want to change the place of work, is well-disciplined and used to analyse the result of the teaching work.

Quality Control mechanism at the LChA