Abstract:

One of the main requirements for accession of Serbia to the European Union is a reform and harmonization with the European higher education area and the Bologna Declaration. Starting at the school year 2007/08, all higher education institutions, both in the state and in the private sector, had to undertake the accreditation process for the first time, implemented by the Ministry of Education of the Republic of Serbia, according to the EU standards. The College of Sports and Health was among the first institutions that successfully finalized this process.
Ever since, according to the Bologna Declaration, the College regularly conducts a process of self-assessment, as one of the main conditions for the quality assurance. The self-assessment is performed on the basis of standards defined by the national Accreditation and Quality Assurance Commission and which comprise of: a strategy, standards, procedures and system of quality assurance; the quality of study programs and teaching process; science research, artistic and professional work; the quality of lecturers and associates; the quality of students; the quality of student books, literature, library and IT resources; the quality of the institution management and administrative support; the quality of premises and equipment; financing; the role of students in self-assessment and quality control–14 standards in total.
The analysis in this paper will be based upon the Standard 13, which refers to the role of students in self-assessment and quality control, since the students themselves are the focal point of the teaching process; therefore, a provision of the adequate conditions for their uninterrupted work and development represents one of the major evaluation factors.
Students actively participate in self-assessment and quality assurance process by filling in surveys twice a year. In that manner the students are involved in the quality improvement of study programs and education process. They give their opinion on teaching and teachers, as well as their comments and suggestions on all issues related to the teaching process and its implementation.
Some of the key questions in the survey are related to: the utility and application of knowledge and competences acquired in the College; potential jobs which students might be able to perform after the graduation; their plans on further education, or employment; regular attendance to classes; satisfaction with organisation of studies; fulfillment and utility of pre-exam obligations; assessment of applicability of the specific subjects’ curriculums for their future professional engagement; knowledge of students’ rights and obligations based on the College Statute; evaluation of the Students’ Parliament work; the quality of information provided through the Notice Board and the Internet; the quality of the College web site; appraisal of the College management, Student’s Service, administration and library.
Although the students have been regularly completing surveys since the beginning of implementation of the Bologna Declaration, this paper will present comparative results for researches conducted during the last three school years (2009/10, 2010/11, 2011/12), which included the majority of students of the study programs for Sports Coaches and Sports Management of the basic professional studies.
The analysis of such data allows an insight into the current state and provides guidelines for further improvement of the College overall activities.

Keywords:

The Bologna Declaration, standards, self-assessment, quality assurance, students, survey.