Fuentes consultadas

F15: Material facilities

The accommodation and material facilities are sufficient to implement the programme.

Description

The material facilities of MEL are described in the self-evaluation report. The facilities also include housing for international students and support with visa procedures. Information on facilities is published in the student manual, containing information about student life, hous- ing, Rotterdam as well as everything linked to the study programme. The students and alumni greatly appreciate receiving the manual in advance. The Committee toured these facilities and talked to the students and could check that all the information provided was correct.

Assessment

The facilities offered to the students are good. All the lecture rooms are very well equipped. The students can make use of workplace facilities, computers and good library facilities. Access to the facilities (opening times) is extensive. The student manual is of great value to the stu- dents. When interviewing the student and the alumni delegations the Committee heard that they appreciate the facilities very much.

Master degree course in Maritime Economics and Logistics: the assessment by the Committee is

good.

F16: Student support and guidance

• The student support and guidance, as well as the information given to students are adequate for the pur- pose of students’ progress.

• The student support and guidance, as well as the information given to students meet the requirements of the students.

Description

The MEL approach to student support and guidance is characterized by one of short lines of communication. Supporting staff and students know each other on a personal level, and from November till May students and supporting staff have contact almost on a daily basis.

Students can easily approach staff and lecturers in case of any problems, concerns and/or ques- tions. All resident staff members have an office hour when they are available without appoint- ment. The students receive a quick response to their inquiries.

Because of the frequent contact with the students, the MEL office can monitor the progress of the students on an individual level and can register any problems at an early stage. Students who face difficulties are contacted early on by the student affairs officer.

At the end of the induction course and the core course period, students are informed of their progress. A student failing the induction course will be required to complete extra assignments before the start of the core courses, and MEL will provide extra tutoring if necessary.

After the examination period in May, students receive a written communication from the MEL office informing them about their study progress and any re-sits that have to be taken.

0 QANU / Master of Science in Maritime Economics & Logistics (MEL) During the thesis period the Thesis Research Coordinator stays in contact with both the supervisor(s) and the students, monitoring the progress of the thesis, the contact between the supervisor and the student, etc.

The Student Affairs Officer in particular is entrusted with providing pre-arrival support in terms of visas, housing, etc., along with the role of programme coordinator. This is done using the services and facilities offered by the University (OOS). In order to ensure that the students can focus as much as possible on their learning experience while in the Netherlands, the Stu- dent Affairs Officer is available for assistance with all sorts of problems including residential, landlord, dealing with the community, police, mail, etc.

The support and guidance of students is evaluated in the annual programma evaluation at the end of the year.

Student support at a central level

In addition to the support offered by the MEL office, all students of EUR can seek advice from the Erasmus Student Service Centre (ESSC). The ESSC offers support in different areas: general information on housing, culture, sports, visas, etc. In addition, it also offers a wide range of courses, workshops and training sessions throughout the academic year. These courses are supportive and supplement the regular study programme. Examples include “Academic writing for Master students”, “Thesis presentation” and “Presentation skills”. There are Dutch language courses for foreign students.

Students can also obtain advice and counselling from student counsellors, university psycholo- gists, confidential counsellors and student advisors through the ESSC.

Assessment

The individual guidance and support of the students, the intensive direct contact and the strong support the students get during their studies belong to the strong aspects of the pro- gramme in the opinion of the Committee. The students spoke very highly of the guidance and short communication lines. Especially the efforts of the Student Affairs Officer are highly appreciated by the students.

Master degree course in Maritime Economics and Logistics: the assessment by the Committee is

good.

Assessment of the subject “Facilities and provisions”:

The Committee concludes on the basis of its assessments of the relevant facets that the assess- ment for the subject “Facilities and provisions” for the master degree course in Maritime Economics and Logistics is satisfactory.

1 QANU / Master of Science in Maritime Economics & Logistics (MEL)