The Quality Assurance Policy of the Medical School is fully aligned with the quality policy of Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, as approved by the University Senate, reflecting its core values. The Medical School ensures and highlights the quality of its educational, research, and administrative work through continuous improvement of all its functions and with the participation and contribution of all its members.

The Department organizes and implements high-standard postgraduate programs in the most important fields and areas of its science, oriented towards modern trends and demands, thereby enhancing its academic profile. Additionally, the Department is committed to developing a creative environment for research and work for all its staff, both academic and administrative, as well as a creative academic environment for its students.

Quality is recognized as a fundamental element for the realization of the Department’s vision and mission, and thus, the creation of a quality culture is deemed significant. This is a continuous and collective process of development and improvement of the work produced in the following areas:

1. Continuous improvement of quality in education and research
2. Continuous improvement of the quality of processes and services of the Aristotle University of Thessaloniki (AUTH)
3. Continuous improvement of working conditions and quality of life at AUTH
4. Transparency at all levels
5. Promoting the work done at AUTH to society, the state, and the international scientific community

Implementation of Quality Policy – Quality Assurance

The quality policy is implemented by:

• Commitment to compliance with the legal and regulatory framework of the institution
• Setting, reviewing, redesigning, and redefining quality assurance goals, fully aligned with the institution’s strategy.

This policy primarily supports:

• The organization of the internal quality assurance system
• The assumption of responsibilities by the leadership of the institution, departments, and other functional units, staff members, and students, as well as their respective roles in quality assurance
• Safeguarding academic principles, ethics, preventing discrimination, and encouraging the participation of external entities in quality assurance
• Continuous improvement of learning and teaching, research, and innovation
• Ensuring the quality of study programs and their compliance with the specific standard of the Hellenic Quality Assurance and Accreditation Agency (ADIP)
• Effective organization of services and development and maintenance of infrastructure
• Allocation and effective management of necessary resources for the institution’s operation
• Development and rational allocation of human resources

The Medical School and the Postgraduate Program “Health and Environmental Factors” are particularly committed to implementing the quality policy, which enhances the academic identity and orientation of postgraduate programs, promotes their purpose and subject, achieves their strategic goals (as set annually), defines the means, actions, and ways to achieve them, ensures the participation of stakeholders, and applies appropriate internal and external quality processes for their continuous improvement.

Furthermore, the Department is committed to implementing quality procedures that demonstrate:

• The suitability of the structure and organization of postgraduate programs
• That the desired learning outcomes and qualifications comply with the European and National Qualifications Framework for Higher Education
• The promotion of quality and effectiveness of the teaching/research work of postgraduate programs
• The suitability of the qualifications of the teaching staff for postgraduate programs
• The drafting, implementation, and review of specific annual quality objectives for the improvement of postgraduate programs
• The demand level for the qualifications of graduates in the job market
• The quality of support services
• The efficient utilization of resources of postgraduate programs, which may come from tuition fees
• The conduct of annual internal evaluation and review of the quality assurance system for postgraduate programs of the Department, in collaboration with the Internal Evaluation Group (OMEA) and the Quality Assurance Unit (MODIP) of Aristotle University of Thessaloniki.

The procedures for monitoring and continuously improving the quality of postgraduate programs are analyzed as follows:

• Implementing a policy for the quality assurance of postgraduate programs, periodic review, and revision (when required)
• Designing postgraduate programs according to applicable laws and AUTH regulations, considering, where feasible, the opinions of students, graduates, and collaborating entities
• Compliance with applicable legal frameworks and regulatory provisions
• Implementation of postgraduate program regulations and other AUTH regulatory decisions
• Submission of individual evaluation forms and course descriptions into the MODIP information system by instructors
• Evaluation of courses and instructors by students
• Various methods of student evaluation
• Efforts to monitor the progress and professional placement of postgraduate program graduates
• Teaching staff (selection, regulations, performance, support)
• Allocation and management of resources for postgraduate programs (infrastructure, equipment, etc.)
• Collection and processing/analysis of quality data (complete, accurate, and up-to-date information) to ensure the quality of postgraduate programs for their improvement
• Monitoring, analysis, and comparison with national and international indicators
• Publicizing information about postgraduate programs
• Systematic and qualitative updating of postgraduate program websites (in Greek, English, and possibly other languages) to disseminate related program information
• Feedback mechanisms for strategy and goal setting, review, action taking, and corrective actions (when required)
• Conducting annual internal evaluations (monitoring, checking, and reviewing postgraduate programs), according to the above, based on HQA and MODIP guidelines
• Supporting external evaluation and certification processes, in collaboration with MODIP

Quality Objectives

The quality objectives that the Medical School will focus on for the “Health and Environmental Factors” postgraduate program may include the following:

1. High level and quality of studies with international criteria
2. Providing knowledge with emphasis on both basic sciences and clinical work through modern educational practices such as problem-based learning (PBL) and integrated teaching in medical education, along with fostering critical, creative, and research thinking
3. The correct combination of depth and breadth of knowledge
4. Familiarization with cutting-edge areas and conducting laboratory and clinical work, combined with research of international standards
5. Continuous improvement of quality in education and research
6. Promoting the work done at AUTH and the postgraduate program to society, the state, and the international scientific community
7. Strengthening academic advising

Achieving these goals is a primary concern of the Department and is made possible by the high-quality members of the Department and the active participation of students in its activities.

Publication

The Quality Policy is communicated and disseminated to academic and administrative staff, students, and other involved parties. The Quality Policy is posted on the Medical School’s website and on the websites of the postgraduate programs. Additionally, it is publicized during the presentation of postgraduate programs at Department conferences and in events held by the postgraduate program.