report - fys.kuleuven.be · ai: intro/exercise sessions in student room in multiple sessions when...

Institute of astronomyCelestijnenlaan 200D - bus 24013001 LEUVEN, BELGIË

ReportOC ASTRONOMY & ASTROPHYSICS06/11/2018CELESTIJNENLAAN 200D 03.32 VAN HOOF

MEMBERS

Present: Hans Van Winckel (chair), Hugues Sana, Clio Gielen (secretary), Inge Serdons (Faculty of Science), Jari Peeperkorn, Özkan Gürhan, Jordan Van Beeck, Tinatin Baratashvili, Aaron Van Poecke

Excused: Ana Escorza Santos, Ioannis Argyriou, Maarten Baes, Giovanni Lapenta, Tom Van Doorsselaere, Christofel Waelkens, Riccardo Raabe, Andrew Tkachenko

REPORT

1.WELCOME AND REPORT ON PREVIOUS MEETING

• The chair welcomes the new student delegates and Inge Serdons, responsible for COBRAat the Faculty of Science

➡ AI Students: There is still room for one more student representative• The chair explains the agenda which is approved. No items are added to the agenda. All

POC reports and documents can be found on the Sharepoint: https://webdoc.groupware.kuleuven.be/poc/50694042/SitePages/pocdoc.aspx

• The minutes of the previous meeting are approved.➡ AI Students: The new ECTS fches still need to be checked by the students.

2. ANNOUNCEMENTS

• Academic Calendar: An overview of course deadlines for 2018-2019 can be found on: https://fys.kuleuven.be/ster/education/master-project-deadlines-2018-2019

• non-EEA students: Legal limitations on study trajectory and exams• Remarks on running semester:

- Asteroseismology: Difcult to follow videoconferencing from Nijmegen due to poor au-dio quality. ➡ AI: Can the taped classes be put online?

- Linux/Python introduction courses: Too late in the semester because students already had deadlines where Python/Linux was needed. Better to have a hands-on session in the 1st-2nd week, focused on 1st-year Ma students

https://fys.kuleuven.be/ster/education/master-project-deadlines-2018-2019

https://webdoc.groupware.kuleuven.be/poc/50694042/SitePages/pocdoc.aspx

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ons kenmerkuw kenmerkleuven

➡ AI Hans: Organise new courses next year and point students to dedicated Python/Linux session at ICTS KU Leuven: https://admin.kuleuven.be/icts/opleidingen

- Computational methods: Difcult to start with coding without experience- Courses in Gent/Brussels: Difcult to fnd whom to contact or how to fll in ISP.

➡ AI Hans: Ask Faculty how to add them to ISP and ask Maarten to send around list with courses of Gent.

- Overlap in timing: Intro General Relativity overlaps with Asteroseismology. Difcult to fxdue to amount of elective courses.

- General for all practical sessions:➡ AI: Intro/exercise sessions in student room in multiple sessions when room is too

full.

3. QUALITY CONTROL AT KU LEUVEN

• 3 types of quality control at KU Leuven: - OPO evaluation by students (every year certain courses)- Curriculum evaluation (every 3 years)- COBRA (every 8 years)

3.1 OPO EVALUATIONS

• Good student participation rate, thanks!➡ AI All: Form POC subcommittee to overview participation

3.2 CURRICULUM EVALUATIONS

• Reports on sharepoint• Positive evaluation: learning outcomes of A&A programme reached • Remarks of students:

- Uneven spread study load over semesters. More students only fnish thesis in Septem-ber: Due to heavy load in 1st semester? Depending on student background?

- Difcult to make biannual courses annual as Faculty requires certain minimum amount of students

➡ AI Hans: See if certain courses can move from 1st to 2nd semester - Difculty with administration: Unclear whether this is at IvS or faculty level?- Difculty with IT/coding: Hopefully better now IT intro sessions are organised.

• Open questions:- Lack of courses on diferent topics (ex. coding): 12ECTS can be freely chosen, but stu-

dents need to make the efort to browse to programme catalog of KU Leuven or other universities. Students do not think a specifc course on programming needs to be added to A&A programme, although more information needs to be given where stu-dents can fnd already existing courses.

https://admin.kuleuven.be/icts/opleidingen

blz.


- Applicability in non-research oriented jobs: Lots of our master do continue in PhD track,but other typically go into R&D. We do lack people going into teaching.➡ AI: Can we promote teaching as career for our master students?➡ AI: Highlight career opportunities with A&A degree, more examples of alumni on

website?- Better information on practical side master thesis: Ask when you have questions or

things are unclear. Readers/referee should be chosen by promotor and not student.➡ AI Hans: Make clear to promotors that it is their job to pick readers/referee for the-

sis.- More courses outside IvS expertise: Our programme refects we are a research-ori-

ented master, and thus our own research felds. 12 ECTS points can be chosen freely.- Feedback: Some courses only give grade but no other feedback.

➡ AI Students: Make list of courses where feedback is not optimal• Evaluations does not ask for strong reforms, only minor changes. The curriculum will be

reevaluated in the near-future due to retirement of prof. Waelkens.

3.3 COBRA EVALUATIONS

• Overlap with curriculum evaluations.• Dashboard results:

- Strong increase in student numbers, especially local students: Unclear why exactly. • Student comments do not ask for strong reforms. Only minor remarks:

- Info session on diferent courses/research felds: Difcult to give overview in one ses-sion but students can try out all classes in the frst weeks and attends seminars.➡ AI Hans: Make clear to (international) students that they can attend several cour-

ses in the frst weeks to learn more about the course.➡ AI Hans: Organise meet-up between new students and 2nd year students/Phd stu-

dents to discuss courses/felds.- Focus on HERMES in “Observational Techniques”: HERMES is an example to several

similar instruments and data is easy to obtain. Similar instruments data can always be found on ESO archive.

- Overlap content “Galaxies and Cosmology” and “Early Universe Cosmology”: Not all students agree that there is unnecessary overlap and only few students follow both courses. ➡ AI Hans: Discuss with prof. Waelkens if mathematical introduction in G&C can be

adapted as it is not very well linked to rest of the course.• Professor comments:

- Late additions thesis topics: Currently organised by Faculty, but Hans can always makeadditional well after the deadline (until April). ➡ AI Hans: Make clear to students/promotors that students are encouraged to come

up with their own topic ideas and contact promotors.

blz.


- Instrumentation expertise of IvS not fully refected in A&A programme: Some instru-mentation courses and instrumentation thesis topics are always welcome.

• COBRA meeting with externals:- Lex Kaper: Responsible at University of Amsterdam for programme A&A- Somebody from Gent/Brussel: Sven Derijcke?- ABAP other Faculty: Somebody from (Bio-)Engineering?- Werkveld: Somebody from Materialise? IT/startups?

➡ AI Hans: Contact candidates and organise another OC meeting before deadline (16/12)

➡ AI All: Prepare questions for external COBRA meeting (3/4 questions)

4. SUSTAINABILITY

• Faculty requests OCs to make subcommittee to refect on integrating “Sustainability” in thecurriculum

➡ AI All: Volunteers for this subcommittee? Hugues - Aaron - Jari (Katrien Kolen-berg?)

➡ AI All: Refect on how to include Sustainability in A&A programme.

5. VARIA

• No other items are raised and the chair closes the meeting.

Clio Gielen Hans Van WinckelSecretary Chair

POC: Astronomy and Astrophysics

6 November 2018


Agenda

Adoption of the Agenda

Welcome new student delegates

AI from previous meeting

Students into the programme

Non EEU students, their ISP and exam participation

Quality control at KU Leuven

COBRA 1

Possible curriculum reforms

Reflection on sustainability (FPOC)

AOB


Announcements: POC representation

Student representation: Jari Peeperkorn, Ozkan Gurhan, Jordan VanBeeck, Tinatin Baratashvili, Aaron Van Poecke

Ioannis Argyriou as Ombuds person

Ana Escorza as BAP representative

Contact Hugues or myself for points on the agenda !!

History and preparatory material on sharepoint. Normally all of youhave access.


Previous POC Report

After the meeting, report is prepared. Iteration takes one week.Then report goes to the web, including annexes and link is sent tovice-dean.

Proposed changes need a confirmation by the FPOC.

Report previous meeting 23/05/2017


https://fys.kuleuven.be/ster/education/poc/reports

Announcements: Academic Calendar : deadline overview

Overview deadlines of different courses are now online.Deadlines 2018-2019


https://fys.kuleuven.be/ster/education/master-project-deadlines-2018-2019

Running the first semester

Good number of incoming students, many international ones.

37 students in total into the master of A&A.

Any remarks on the running semester ?


non-EEU students: full info on sharepoint

As a non-EEA citizen, there are some legal limitations on theflexibility of your study trajectory via the Belgian migrationlegislation

The minimum requirement is enrolling for 54 ECTS peracademic year to meet the Belgian legal requirements for astudent stay (exception last year and thesis).

For non-EEA students not participating in the exams can alsohave a negative impact on your legal stay in Belgium.

Non-EEA students are therefore required to participate in allexams for which they registered (unless with legally bindingreason)


Quality Control at KU Leuven

OPO evaluation by students

Curriculum evaluation: on regular time intervals, typically 1/3years.

COBRA: quality cycle which was organised in replacement ofthe external reviews (1/8 years). Important for accreditation.


OPO evaluation: yearly for different courses

Part in the ’quality assurance’ policy

Every 2-3 years (2 for bi-annual courses, 3 others unless less goodevaluation).

We had a very good student participation rate so thanks !!

We need to form a POC subcommittee to overview the evaluations.


Curriculum Evaluation

Reports are on sharepoint

Replies Students

Open Questions

Discussion

AI after Curriculum Evaluation Results ?


COBRA discussion: Dashboard

Dashboard gives an overview of the master

Dashboard A&A


COBRA discussion: students

Report by Students

Discussion and AI


COBRA discussion: teachers

Report by Staff

Discussion and AI


COBRA meeting with externals

2 external ZAP (e.g. Maarten Baes; Lex Kaper (?)

1 ABAP of other faculty

1 alumnus

1 ’werkveld’ (external ? Alumnus working outsideAstrophysics ?


COBRA meeting with externals

AI: questions


Curriculum reforms ?

Discussion


Reflection on sustainability

FPOC requests OCs to make a subcommittee to reflect onsustainability in the curriculum

Volunteers ? Next OC meeting.


AOB

Round the table


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