V.D. Chukhlomin, T.P. Roudenko, Omsk State University, Department of Commerce,

A passage to the market economic system under conditions of a drawn-out economic crisis and the destruction of the totalitarian system have rather a important influence on the system of specializers developing, in general, and the system of higher acquisition, in peculiar. In its bend, reformation temper amidst higher educational establishments staff has to a great extent cleared the manner for perestroika and passage to the market economic system: a figure of University module members found themselves among the political and economic leaders of the terminal of the 80s and the beginning of the 90s.

It seemed natural that the first Decree of President Yeltsin was a celebrated Decree on Education which enunciated a prima function of the system of instruction in societal development. However, the consequences of these reforms within the first four old ages look discouraging, if non ruinous for the Russian system of instruction which was seen by many people – and non merely in Russia – as one of the accomplishments of the Epoch of Communism. Let ‘s see Omsk State University as an illustration of what is traveling on in the domain of Russian instruction.

Omsk State University was founded in 1974 by a particular determination of the Party leaders in Moscow. State universities have ever been elect educational establishments in Russia where the best professors worked and the best scientific schools were created. By that clip Omsk had become the 2nd ( after Novosibirsk ) industrial centre of Siberia. So it was sensible to put up the University here, the 13th establishment of higher acquisition in the town. Unlike other educational constitutions which oriented themselves on the preparation of specializers for peculiar professions, province universities were allowed to supply general or nonvocational instruction. Due to this they attracted progressive-minded bookmans and latitudinarian pupils. Local governments, who had to accept this state of affairs, did non care much about universities ‘ development, building of their new edifices and pupils ‘ residence halls, as universities were financed direct from Moscow.

Cancellation of elaborate ordinance of university learning procedure and fiscal control has become the most important consequence of the reform. State Committee for Higher Education ( now it is renamed as Ministry for Education ) which is located in Moscow and is in charge of province universities within Russian Government determines “ the regulations of the game ” . This Committee supervises activities of public organisations which unite representatives of top universities. These are, first of all developing State Educational Standards Projects. These Standards assess the topics and their range to be taught at a university, so that the latter is able to attest pupils and present them appropriate grades. The Standard determines the content of about 70 % of a course of study, the remainder is for the University to make independently. Apart from inventing criterions, Learning and Methods Unions draw determinations refering this or that university ‘s ability to supply preparation in peculiar fortes. Without these blessings universities do non hold right to independently implement specializer preparation and degree awarding.

In comparing with the old state of affairs the system of higher instruction has become much more broad. In fact, any module member may learn what s/ he wants and the manner s /he prefers, existent monitoring being conducted by Head of Department or Dean. Nothing similar to studies from American University instructors or Deans exists at that place. Many University Rectors are concerned about it, but so far cipher has been brave plenty to truly exert control, because instructors ‘ wages are so low that some of them might go forth universities, sing these review steps to be contemptuous.

The system of Standards is besides being critisized. The Committee logic is clear: if the authorities fundss universities, and if harmonizing to the consequence of their academic accomplishments pupils are given diplomas non of a peculiar university form, but of a form universal for the whole state, so there should be a peculiar standardisation of course of study contents. Furthermore, the authorities is afraid that in the absense of criterions some province educational establishments will radically cut down the course of study range, which, in its bend, will take down the quality of province sheepskin of instruction. The kernel of the unfavorable judgment is that in world the difference in sheepskin quality is universally recognized: university sheepskin are valued much more than those from other establishments of higher acquisition. Meanwhile, province universities, particularly the 1s located far from Moscow have to travel through legion statutory blessing processs before puting up new section divisions. For illustration, for the last two old ages Omsk State University has unsuccessfully been seeking to acquire a licence for developing specializers in the field of finance and banking, though all the new commercial Bankss located in Omsk give employment to this University graduates in the first topographic point. Without existent control over course of study content, highly complicated standardisation and licensing processs look unreal and bureaucratic, at least with respect to province universities. The latter should be authorized to independently make course of study, new and unconventional including, every bit far as all fortes are concerned.

Like in many other instances the Russian reform has stopped half-way. Another ground to critisize the Committee is the fact that the authorities consistently does non run into its committednesss to finance universities. A new theoretical account of the system of instruction envisages governmental support of universities from the federal budget in volumes necessary for developing the figure of pupils set by the Committee for a university in inquiry. Every twelvemonth the Committee informs a university about how many pupils and in which fortes it may inscribe this clip. In the instance of Omsk State University this norm is about 600 full-time pupils yearly. In the past the Committee provided the University with elaborate instructions as to what amount of money it may pass and for what intents. The University had four bank histories, the chief history control including 18 places. Nowadays there are two bank histories at the University ‘s disposal ( one – in rubles, the other – in foreign currency ) with merely three expense points of budgetary financess. These are instructors ‘ wages, pupils ‘ stipends and other disbursals covering equipment investings, running disbursals and future development investings.

Financing per normative ( i.e. per centum ratio of en rolled students/ratio of per centum to inscribe pupil organic structure ) is another important alteration in university operation. University curates enthusiastically accepted funding per normative Si

nce, on the one manus, they are tired to carry the Committee of the necessity in every rouble spent. On the other manus, efficient determinations refering resources application can be made merely locally. In the period of the 1992 hyperinflation when a new funding system started working, Omsk State University decided to pass extra financess on instructors ‘ wages. 26 monthly wages were paid during 12 months. At that clip it seemed that merely two-three crisis old ages should be lived through to keep instructors ‘ staff. In 1993-1994 Omsk University purchased several generations/classes of computing machines PC 386 and 486. However, since mid -1994 the Government really stopped financing universities by other expense point. The crisis broke out. Fearing the possibility of being closed establishments of higher acquisition did non cut down admittance of pupils in 1994 or in 1995. Fearing public protests, the Government neither closed any higher educational constitution, nor decreased registration, though it was clear that federal budget financess would non be plenty for both this figure of pupils and establishments. The latter have to happen resources to cover their disbursals on their ain. Practically all the universities have established Boardss of Trustees, Alumni Associations and asked for local governments ‘ aid. These beginnings do non give adequate money. To make research in universities has become complicated due to failing of their production installations and production crisis, as a whole. In this state of affairs, it seems that the lone manner for universities to last is to supply fee-paying educational services.

In the period of crisis endeavors ca n’t demo great demand for educational services. Fiscal administrations resort to particular bureaus services instead than to universities to develop their specializers. The lone existent clients are governmental bureaus ( employment bureaus ) . Governmental bureaus have province budget financess specified for unemployed retraining. These bureaus purely audit estimations of costs on instruction and make non let to significantly increase disbursals on instructors ‘ payment. That ‘s why the university on the whole receives really small amounts from this beginning, while instructors working for these bureaus can acquire 5 – 6 times more money than when instructing pupils. It ‘s interesting, but despite this difference in wages instructors seem to see their work with pupils more of import and serious than the 1 by a contract with bureaus. Of late, community demand is particularly strong in the alleged “ top precedence ” professions, chiefly in the domains of jurisprudence and economic sciences, the early old ages of perestroika being evidently the extremum in the latter. But late jurisprudence fortes lead without inquiry. Probably, this is due to the fact that our enterprisers believe that in this state it is non possible to derive economic wisdom and concern accomplishments from text editions and that university professors ca n’t explicate what ‘s traveling on in Russian economic system, while “ jurisprudence is deserving analyzing ” . In the yesteryear, Omsk State University admitted 100 pupils per twelvemonth to teach in “ Jurisprudence ” . Nowadays this figure has been reduced to 75, but at the same clip the University enrolls over 100 excess pupils yearly, the alleged “ beyond-the-plan pupils ” , i.e. above the figure set by the Committee. Still this does n’t assist run into the demands: the figure of appliers is by far larger. And that is despite a high ( as to regional graduated table ) tuition fee of $ 1500 and even $ 2500 a twelvemonth.

Within Omsk University budget construction the portion of grosss from educational services exceeds 40 % . This amount of excess net incomes about peers running disbursals, and, accordingly, is non plenty for the University development. Harmonizing to our estimations, twice every bit much is needed to do redevelopments and to buy lower limit of needed equipment plus to supply University operation at the -end-of -the-70s degree. The chief secret of the University critical capacity in 1994 – 1995 is that local governments permitted establishments of higher acquisition non to pay their measures for public public-service corporations, chiefly, for cardinal warming, in Siberia the measures for the latter running every bit high as rewards fund. And cipher knows how long this state of affairs will last. Mind, that the University gets excess net incomes from “ beyond-the-plan ” pupils tuition fees at the Departments of Law and Economics every bit good as for extension classs in new fortes, such as direction, selling, commercialism, societal public services, psychological science. The University could gain more, if other sections were able to market their plans. The job is that the chief sections were set up in the period of the planetary resistance between the USSR and the USA. Those chief sections are the Departments of Mathematicss and Physics which today have the most extremely qualified staff, computing machine categories, research labs and best-stocked library. For several old ages in a row these sections ca n’t or can barely inscribe the set figure of pupils, still they are the chief users of the University ‘s assets. Like the bulk of industrial endeavors these sections are non ready for transition, but choose the? of inactive endurance ” . Under the democratic processs of picks the University governments are non able to radically reform bing course of study. Such a state of affairs is likely to be in industry on the whole, excessively.

Possibly, this fact helps understand why of late there is an obvious inclination among immature people to acquire human-centered instruction. They see what a black place endeavors of defense mechanism industry, research establishments and universities have found themselves in. So today the younger coevals chooses humanistic disciplines. Omsk State University can be proud of the fact that it was the first province establishment of higher acquisition in Russia to open the Department of Theology among its new fortes of human-centered rhythm. Some divisions of the History Department, such as Ethnography and Archaeology, every bit good as those of the Arts Department, Linguistics and Journalism, in peculiar, are popular among pupils. We ca n’t but advert a great desire among pupils to analyze a foreign, sometimes, two foreign linguistic communications while at the University, and non merely as an obligatory topic during the fit period of time- one and a half through two semesters – but besides at some elected, intensive or extension classs.

Finally, we should add that harmonizing to our estimations under extremist Reconstruction towards active selling of new educational plans the University would be capable to usually work even at the current degree of funding. If the University changes the 1:8 faculty-students ratios established now in Russia to 1:15 or 1:20, it will get by with paying instructors competitory wages. Unfortunately, by the terminal of 1996 the university had to pay its first measure for cardinal warming. So at that place emerge the chief job: to be or non to be.