Quality assurance work at the Norwegian Film School

Here is a brief description of how the film school’s arrangements and structure can be viewed in relation to the university’s overall quality assurance system.
The Norwegian Film School has a more detailed description of its quality assurance work on its website.

The programmes of study - disciplines at the film school

The film school is a faculty at the university, but it functions as a separate unit, a school where the bachelor’s programmes are referred to as disciplines. The school is led by the dean, vice-dean and the education managers for the bachelor’s and master’s programmes. Each discipline has a head teacher. The main responsibility for the organisation and quality assurance of the programmes of study lies with the education manager. However, each bachelor’s degree discipline also has a head teacher who is responsible for the discipline’s organisation and interaction with the school as a whole.

Evaluations and feedback

The Film School has the following permanent evaluation schemes:

• Oral and written evaluation of individual courses
• Individual self-evaluation at the end of each semester
• Overall evaluation of each discipline at the end of each semester
• Individual conversations once every academic year
• Individual statements of intent and joint evaluation after each production exercise.

Student participation

Functions of the programme of study committees at the university are fulfilled through various forums and regular activities at the film school.

• Regular meetings between student representatives from each discipline and the dean 2-3 times per semester.  Education managers and head teachers are summoned when needed.
• Regular coordinator meetings in which each discipline coordinator meets the students.
• The students’ semester meeting with the dean.
• Informal meetings between the dean and students in each discipline when required
• Student representatives on the faculty council (formerly the department board).

Reporting

The education manager collects written material complied during the quality assurance work and adapts this as part of joint reporting to the university.

Development of the portfolio of studies

All changes to programme descriptions are considered in the film school’s management team and discussed with academic staff before they are sent for further consideration to the Education Committee. The formulation of semester plans are based on the programme descriptions after discussions in the academic community. The annual rhythm of the work on the portfolio of studies is somewhat different from the university in general.

Actors’ responsibilities and duties

• The film school’s deans are primarily responsible for the educational programmes and the quality of education.
• The dean is also responsible for academic staff, doctoral research fellows and managers.
• The vice-dean is specifically responsible for pedagogical development and artistic development work
• The education manager takes on the role of a joint programme of study coordinator for all the disciplines.
• Head teachers are responsible for planning and implementing the programmes of study in their discipline, and planning the teaching sections that are common to all disciplines.
• The film school has a faculty council that includes employee, student and industry representatives. The industry representatives have been appointed by Norwegian film industry organisations.