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dv ExcEllEnt talEnt at the Faculty

oF communication & JournalisminFormation For lecturers

Do stuDents arounD you

SHInE?

Colophon

Publication HU University of Applied Sciences Utrecht, October 2012Text Regi Acton, Carien J. TouwenPhotography Jan Willem Groen, Gert Jan Peddemors, Ed van Rijswijk, Hollandse HoogteDesign Vormers, UtrechtPrint Tuijtel, Hardinxveld-Giessendam

All rights reserved.

1Index

What Is the excellence programme? 03the stars system 05all stars 07the FcJ stars 09Who does What? 11the academIc career coach 13hoW do you desIgn an excellence assIgnment? 15more InFormatIon 19

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January 2011: the FIrst batch oF excellent students receIve theIr certIFIcates From the FcJ board.

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1What Is the excellence programme?HU University of Applied Sciences Utrecht offers excellence programmes with the aim of encouraging students to make the most of their own potential by undertaking extra challenges. These challenges can form part of the regular degree programmes or be provided in the form of special courses. In addition, students themselves can take the initiative to demonstrate their excellence through individual achievements.

Working on the basis of the HU excellence programme, the Faculty of Communication & Journalism (FCJ) has developed its own variant, known as All Stars. The FCJ favours the integration of challenges and excellence within the courses already on offer. The All Stars programme is intended to give as many students as possible the chance to take on challenges and to show what they can achieve.

Over the last two academic years, a number of pilot projects have been conducted in both the regular range of courses and in the professorship. Various opportunities have been developed to provide students with extra challenges. The criteria that these excellence assignments and achievements need to meet are defined through experience gained in practice. In several pilot projects students have already been able to acquire one or more excellence stars, and some courses with excellence options are now being offered regularly. In the long run, each FCJ degree programme will offer its own All Stars options.

Starting in the academic year of 2012-2013, each degree programme will have its own All Stars information point, where students can submit their own ideas and initiatives for acquiring stars. This is also the place where lecturers and academic career coaches can ask questions or discuss proposals for developing new challenge options.

students From all FacultIes have helpedto reFlect on the development oF the star system.

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the stars system2HU defines five themes (stars) in which the budding professional practitioner can excel:• International perspective• Drive• Innovation• Leadership qualities • Skilled and reflective professional

Students decide for themselves how many stars they want to work towards. All extra work for a star should be undertaken within the study time normally allotted. An excellence project must not lead to a delay in the programme of studies. The acquisition of stars is reserved for students who can easily handle the workload of the Bachelor’s curriculum and thus have time to work on such extra activities. The stars acquired are listed on a certificate that is presented once a year to all the All Stars students at the faculty.

In the final phase of the degree programme a student may, on the basis of the stars that he or she has acquired, submit an application for the designation ‘Excellent’. In an assessment, the student demonstrates how all the stars relate to each other and, taken together, make him an excellent professional. This designation leads to the award of a certificate along with the diploma.

innovation anddissemination

internationalperspective

skilled and reflective professional

drive leadershipqualities

excellentprofessional

The CMD Course Theory Interactive is a first-year course in which students design and develop a game. The criteria for a pass grade in this course are defined on the basis of the year-end level for year one. An excellence assignment must exceed this level but not exceed the final level of the degree programme. The excellence assignment for the ‘innovation’ star involves the following: making a design and presenting this to experts from the professional field.

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all stars 3The FCJ’s All Stars excellence programme offers all students:- the opportunity to distinguish themselves;- challenges relating to various themes (stars) ;- challenges from the first year of studies through to the graduation

phase of the degree programme;- the option of defining the scope of participation for themselves

(from one star to a full ‘excellent’ designation);- space to take their own initiative.

From their first year of studies onwards, students can begin work on excellence assignments in the regular range of courses in order to acquire stars. A student can also acquire stars by submitting his own initiatives to the degree programme’s All Stars information point. Stars are awarded when a student meets the criteria for excellence, thus (demonstrably) achieving above the level of the student’s current study phase.

Student’s own initiative Offered by the degree programme

StarsStudent submits a proposal to the All Stars information point of his own degree programme

Student carries out an excellence assignment within the All Stars range of courses

Designation as ‘Excellent’

Student requests an assessment from the faculty Excellence Committee

Cohesive package of all stars, e.g. an ‘Honours’ (under development at FCJ)

If and when a student has acquired all the stars (towards the end of his studies), he or she can submit an application to the faculty Excellence Committee for the award of the designation ‘Excellent’. The stars can be acquired both within the regular range of courses and on the student’s own initiative. An assessment is used to determine whether the student has mastered all the stars at a level above that of a Bachelor’s diploma.

The assessment is carried out by the faculty Excellence Committee, which also includes external members from the professional field.

”

Editors of The Daily Dutch at work during the Olympic Games in London.

It Is a great pleasure to Work WIth motIvated and talented students. they deserve an extra challenge."

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the FcJ stars4Skilled and reflective professional The student demonstrates that he has knowledge that exceeds the standard level and that he is able to reflect on professional practice systematically (learning ability). The student demonstrates abilities over and above the regular standard.

Innovation, research and disseminationThe student demonstrates that he can carry out independent research into concepts, theories, methods or products, or is able to contribute to the development of these (research and innovation). The student converts his achievement into a publishable article in a recognized journal, and/or presents this at a national or international conference, whether or not in relation to his nomination for an award or scholarship.

International perspectiveThe student contributes to international exchange of knowledge in his field by carrying out research or work within an international context that transcends the usual level of the course or degree programme. The research or product forms the basis for comparison with and feedback on the Dutch professional context.

Leadership qualitiesThe student demonstrates, on the basis of one or more activities and supported by theory and research, that he has a representative picture of leadership in professional practice and also demonstrates that he possesses these qualities himself.

Vision and driveThe student presents his view of the future of his own discipline, based on the experience he has gained in the Bachelor’s programme and the excellent results achieved in the other four component fields. The student demonstrates to the faculty evaluation committee that he understands the factors on which the achievements are based (coherence). By achieving this competency, the student demonstrates that he is an excellent professional and merits the designation 'Excellent'.

All Stars lecturers John Driedonks and Brian Maston with excellent Campus Doc students.

The All Stars lecturer observes, selects and assesses. He develops the material and is responsible for the requisite organization. He does not provide any extra supervision for the student (otherwise this could not be defined as ‘excellence’) but he coaches the student while he or she is carrying out the excellence assignment.

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Who does What?5The student tells his academic career coach that he or she is seeking greater challenges and is interested in the excellence programme. If the student has been informed of the All Stars programme, he or she can also approach the lecturer of a course with his excellence assignment or submit an application to the All Stars information point for his degree programme.

The academic career coach has a key role in informing, scouting and guiding the student. The academic career coach knows the student the best.

Lecturers who do not offer excellence assignments in their courses may also come across students who they think are ready for an extra challenge. The lecturer can refer the student to his academic career coach and draw the student’s attention to the All Stars options in other courses. If the student wants to devise his own challenge the lecturer can refer him to the degree programme’s All Stars information point, where the student can submit his proposal.

The All Stars information point (for each degree programme) coordinates the All Stars activities and communication within the specific degree programme and supervises the level and the criteria for the options offered. The information point also processes applications for stars on the basis of students’ own initiatives. The assessment of the stars differs from programme to programme, but the framework and criteria are fixed by the All Stars programme and remain the same.

The faculty Excellence Committee assesses applications from students who wish to be considered for the designation ‘Excellent’. This faculty committee is comprised of examiners, professors and experts from the professional field. The student submits a complete dossier with all the evidence relating to his level of excellence. The student then defends the dossier in an interview, an assessment or some other method of examination specified by the committee. The Excellence Committee also plays a role in the quality assurance and quality control when it comes to the excellence programme within the faculty.

Self-Assured Generalists

39%

Easygoing Fun-Lovers

34%

HIG

HLO

W

LOW

SOCIAL DETERRENT

EXCELLENCE MODELIN

TRIN

SIC

MOT

IVAT

ION

TO P

ERFO

RM

HIGH

Compliant Followers

16%

Ambitious Status

Seekers 11%

Excellence model (source: Het Excellentiemodel. Een onderzoek van Platform Beta Techniek,YoungWorks en Motivation, november 2012) www.hetexcellentiemodel.nl.

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the academIc career coach6The academic career coach has a special position in fostering excellence. The academic career coaches tasks include scouting out, informing and supervising excellent students.

Informing studentsIn order to inform students properly about the opportunities for distinguishing themselves as excellent students, the counsellor must himself know about:- The faculty agreements for valuing excellence;- The faculty’s method of applying the stars system and the faculty

assessment criteria;- The range of faculty and interfaculty excellence options.

Scouting out potentially excellent studentsIn order to identify potentially excellent students, it is essential to be able to recognize them. One important element here is to approach the student actively. A student who is asked personally will view himself differently and will feel encouraged to get the best out of himself. How do you recognize an excellent student and how do you go about actively approaching this student? Two HU-wide working conferences for academic career coaches have led to production of a scenario for scouting out talent - please see www.excellerenFCJ.hu.nl. This subject will also be covered on academic career coach days.

SupervisionThe YoungWorks’ Excellence Model has been created on the basis of many interviews with young people in which they say what they need in order to excel. This model defines four groups of young people, each of which requires a different approach. The model provides advice on scouting and coaching. See also www.hetexcellentiemodel.nl and click on the UK flag for the English version. Preparing a selection (letter and/or interview), adjusting the study route or preparing an assessment are all examples of supervisory tasks that are the responsibility of the academic career coach.

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You will find the most up-to-date range at www.excellerenFCJ.hu.nl. The range is constantly evolving.

Course Coordinator Academic year Status

Communication Management

ZZP block Ingrid van Buuren 2

Uithof Line Annet Klarenbeek 2

Outdoortraining Marcella Polis 3

Scompany Renate van der Meer 3

ICC Martin Karemaker 4

Digital Communication

Doing New Things Kjell van der Giessen 1,3

Cross media design Jelke de Boer 2

Business Communication

Research Jonas Moons 3,4

International Communication and Media

Internships and profiling Dragana Licina 3

Graduation 4

Journalism

Brno Bert Determeijer 1

Padua TV Daan Westerink 1

Newsroom Tanja van Bergen 2

Newspaper of the Future PeterPaul Schmaal 3,4

Youth journalism Caroline Duijndam 3,4

Campus Doc John Driedonks 3,4

Applied research Marco van Kerkhoven 3,4

Europe in de World Carien Touwen 4

Communication and Multimedia Design

Theory Interactive Laurens Vreekamp 1

Gobelins Paris Hans Kemp 2

User Experience Laurens Vreekamp 3

Museum Battle Caroline Maessen 3,4

48 Hour Film Project Jelke de Boer 3,4

Under development in 2012-2013

Range in 2012-2013

Inst

itut

e fo

r C

om

mun

icat

ion

Med

ia In

stit

ute

Res

earc

h C

entr

e

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hoW do you desIgn an excellence assIgnment?7Before developing an assignment, it is important to determine whether there is, or can be, a match between the course and one or more stars. Moreover, students should be able to work on extra challenges within the course without this negatively affecting the regular programme and testing procedure. Please see the All Stars coordinator of your degree programme concerning the opportunities for excellence within your course or project.

Which steps do you need to go through?If students need to be able to earn stars, you need to undertake the following steps when designing an excellence assignment:

0. Determine the learning objectives of the regular course. Describe the learning objective, if this has not already been done, in the most concrete and quantifiable terms possible. Ensure that the criteria are in line with the year-end level.

1. Define and describe what a student can do in terms of an assignment that can be recognized as excellent. Consider which star this achievement should belong to and which abilities a student must demonstrate. You can make the excellence component in your course as large or as small as you want, but it must always involve an achievement within (at least) one of the five star themes. It could involve a more difficult level for an existing assignment or an extra assignment that fits within the course but goes just that little bit further. Work on the principle that the final level of the course is the minimum limit for the definition of ‘excellence’. Moreover, the assignment should be designed such that the student can produce his excellent achievement within the regular course period and without additional supervision.

2. Describe the standards that each achievement needs to meet, i.e. define the testing criteria in the most concrete terms possible. Use the general FCJ criteria as your frame of reference, but operationalize these for the course and the star. Remember that this should not involve a project that takes more time or effort than is normally allotted, but it should reveal a unique quality. This step leads to an assessment list with qualitative criteria and a cut-off score. The testing

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www.excellerenFCJ.hu.nl

17 criteria can also form input for a preliminary selection procedure. Examples include: a cover letter, an interview, a test/pitch or a presentation. These forms could also be combined if appropriate.

3. Write a chapter for the course guide and state here what the student must do to earn a star. Be as specific as possible, i.e. describe the activity or achievement, state the learning objectives and the testing criteria, the rules and criteria for the preliminary selection procedure and indicate the expected required effort.

4. Develop an assessment form that includes all criteria with the possibility to comment on these. Make sure that excellent achievements are assessed in line with the ‘four eyes principle’. This means that you always need two examiners.

5. Once the above-mentioned points have been carried out, consider how the students will be informed about the excellence assignment. Obviously this will be done through the course guide and in the general information about the All Stars programme, but apart from this students also require more detailed information, especially if the assignment involves a preliminary selection procedure. This could be provided during the block kick-off or during the presentations by a previous group, for example.

6. It will soon be possible to record the stars gained in Osiris, along with the course grades. However, excellence is not a question of grades and there is no chance of ‘resits’ here. Until Osiris has been finalized, registration will take place through Sharepoint and students will receive a certificate for the stars they have achieved.

Students can also participate in inter-faculty excellence programmes. For example, Journalism students participated in the International Talent Course. They made a promotional film for the Lornah Kiplagat Foundation on setting up a school for girls in Kenya.

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more InFormatIon8Below is an overview of the All Stars information points for each degree programme. More information can be obtained from the relevant contact people about excellence within the FCJ.

All Stars project organization

All Stars project leaderFaculty of Communication & JournalismCarien J. Touwen, carien.touwen@hu.nl

All Stars information pointsCommunication ManagementAnushka Derks, anushka.derks@hu.nl

Digital Communication (from 09/2013: Digital Media & Communication)Gerard van Elsen, gerard.vanelsen@hu.nl

Business CommunicationPaula Borsboom, paula.borsboom@hu.nl

International Communication MediaTheo Bors, theo.bors@hu.nl

JournalismAnneke Zaalberg, anneke.zaalberg@hu.nl

Communication and Multimedia DesignLaurens Vreekamp, laurens.vreekamp@hu.nl

Colophon

Publication HU University of Applied Sciences Utrecht, October 2012Text Regi Acton, Carien J. TouwenPhotography Jan Willem Groen, Gert Jan Peddemors, Ed van Rijswijk, Hollandse HoogteDesign Vormers, UtrechtPrint Tuijtel, Hardinxveld-Giessendam

All rights reserved.

fcj_

b_e

ng_1

012_

dv ExcEllEnt talEnt at the Faculty

oF communication & JournalisminFormation For lecturers

Do stuDents arounD you

SHInE?