Abstract:

Objective processes occurring at the Russian Higher school, Russia's participation in the Bologna process, transition of Russian universities to a level system of training, development and approval of professional standards for activity areas by joint efforts of representatives of universities and employers' associations, reduction in the number of universities and their branches in the country, the need to include the Russian universities into reputational ratings create serious prerequisites for understanding the need to involve participants of the educational process in the development of the university environment.

The purpose of the article is to analyze the practices of including participants of the educational process in the development of the socio-cultural environment of the university. The research methodology is based on the potentials of the system approach. To summarize the Russian experience, the practices of higher education institutions were studied. Сollected information, analysis of normative legal documents and practices of educational and scientific activities of the university were processed. Students, academic, administrative and management staff of 19 universities of the Russian Federation were interviewed. At the first stage, respondents were asked to assess the degree of their participation in the management run of the university in terms of the organizing and conducting possibilities for independent scientific research. At the second stage, there were the obtained results on the degree of involvement of public associations and student self-government bodies in the management process of the university, and at the third stage the educational environment of the university and the opportunities provided by the universities to improve its effectiveness were assessed.

According to the achieved results, most respondents believe that universities are capable to conduct independent scientific research. The degree of university involvement in public administration by public associations is very heterogeneous: there are universities with the very high degree of authority and participation of such associations, but the majority quite formally estimate such participation, as well as it is difficult to answer the question about the degree of such participation. The development of the educational environment at the university in the respondents’ opinion resulted in a rich corporate culture of the Russian universities which combines unique traditions. Respondents want their opinion to be taken into account on important issues related to the organization of the educational process, cultural and recreational activities, socially significant events. As an analytical result of the national experience of the inclusion practices of participants of the educational process into the development of the socio-cultural environment of the university, the recommendations have been drawn up that include tools to support the educational component of the educational process, as well as the development of student self-management, the participation of students in the activities of public associations and various art and sports clubs. Нigher education institutions strategy aimed at development of the socio-cultural environment of the university can ensure the effectiveness of professional education directions, the optimal trajectory of student development, and thereby contribute to improving the quality of vocational training.

Keywords:

Social and cultural environment, professional education, participants of the educational process, research activities, public associations.