Quality policy

PANTEION UNIVERSITY OF SOCIAL AND POLITICAL SCIENCES

FACULTY OF SOCIAL SCIENCES

DEPARTMENT OF SOCIOLOGY

MΑ “CRIMINOLOGY”

Quality Policy of the academic unit for the development and improvement of the Postgraduate Programme "CRIMINOLOGY"

1. Introduction

The quality policy of the MΑ "CRIMINOLOGY" is harmonized with that of the Department of Sociology, as well as with the overall one of Panteion University, while it is adapted to the current conditions and requirements.

The aim of the quality policy of the MΑ “CRIMINOLOGY” is the continuous assurance and improvement of the quality of its educational and research activities on the basis of the fundamental principles and axes described below. The quality policy of the MA is approved by the General Assembly of the Department of Sociology and the Dean's Office of the Faculty of Social Sciences and is published on its website. The quality assurance procedures of the MA are coordinated and carried out under the responsibility of the Internal Evaluation Team (ΟΜΕΑ) of the Department of Sociology, which, in order to carry out its work, cooperates with the MA Steering Committee, the President and faculty members of the Department, the Department's Secretariat, and the Quality Assurance Unit (MODIP).

2. Quality assurance principles

In order to fulfill its mission and its educational and research objectives in accordance with the values and quality assurance policy of the Department and Panteion University, the MA is committed to fundamental principles that have to do with:

• Academic freedom in the educational process and research, as well as the free expression and circulation of ideas,
• the methodologies and methods of constructing scientific discourse,
• the promotion of quality and the implementation of quality procedures by means of an annual internal evaluation,
• strengthening excellence in research and education,
• academic ethics, regulatory obligations and the standards of the Single Higher Education Area,
• meritocracy and impartiality, transparency and accountability,
• dialogue as a means of building consensus and respect for freedom and democratic ideals,
• a student-centred educational approach to teaching and learning,
• respect for diversity, the removal of barriers that create exclusion or reduced learning opportunities, and
• the promotion of graduates' acquired skills in the labour market.

3. Pillars of the quality policy

The main pillars of the quality policy of the MA are:

• The provision of high-quality knowledge to students,
• The development of research through the operation of the laboratories and Research Centers of the Department relevant to the subject of the MA (e.g. the Laboratory of Urban Criminology and the Centre for Criminal Sciences) with the active participation of the students of the MA,
• the internationalization and extroversion of the MA through the development of international synergies and cooperation protocols,
• the strengthening of cooperation in terms of research and absorption in the labour market; and
• the harmonisation of the operation of the MA with national legislation to take all initiatives and obligations for quality assurance (OMEA, MODIP, HQA).

Specifically, in terms of quality, the MA aims to:

• upgrade the educational work and enhance the performance of students,
• the support of the internationalized and international dimension of the educational and research work, mainly through educational exchanges and collaborations with corresponding programmes of foreign universities and
• upgrading research activity and extroverted orientation.

In particular, emphasis is placed on the cultivation of analytical and critical skills both in the investigation of complex aspects of the criminal phenomenon and in the formulation and implementation of criminal policy measures to address them, utilizing creative scientific tools from different scientific disciplines in the context of promoting interdisciplinarity, with primary concern for the deepening and familiarization of students in issues of methodology of criminological research and the utilization of modern methods and techniques.

In this direction, the main objective of the MA is to offer its students’ knowledge and skills, drawing both from the current scientific acquis of Criminology and through its feedback from current scientific trends and contemporary public policies.

4. Extroversion and dissemination of academic activities

The extroversion of the MA and its connection with institutions of the wider public sector and civil society, which enhance the absorption of its graduates and effectively link it with society, is implemented through the conclusion of academic partnerships and the signing of cooperation protocols.

In this way, graduates are provided with the necessary theoretical and operational skills to enable them to work as qualified scientists, researchers and consultants, capable of staffing the state, public and private services (Ministries of Justice, Citizen Protection, Interior, Education, Religion and Sports, Health and Social Solidarity) and in particular the police and prisons, the Juvenile Probation Service and the Probation Service for Adults, the various social services (state, municipalities, private bodies), the Councils for the Prevention of Delinquency, the centers for the prevention and treatment of social exclusion (of persons released from prison, addicts, immigrants, homeless, unemployed, etc.) or victims of crime (battered women, children, etc.), as well as similar governmental or non-governmental bodies. At the same time, the systematic development of knowledge and skills in a collaborative context, which places a strong emphasis on academic ethics and the social relevance of knowledge, is an essential prerequisite for taking initiatives and responsibilities within the wider civil society.

The dissemination and publicity of the academic activities that ensure the quality of studies of the MΑ, its interconnection with society and the labour market is implemented through their publication on its website, their mention at numerous national and international conferences and other scientific events and research actions and collaborations organized by the MΑ either independently or in collaboration with other universities and scientific institutions.