Social Contribution Policy
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First Release Date: 15.06.2022 |
SOCIAL CONTRIBUTION POLICY DOCUMENT
Yaşar University has set five strategic goals in its 2020-2025 Strategic Plan, one of which is social contribution. For this reason, it is tried to reach the broadest possible social benefit in all academic and administrative activities at our University. In line with this purpose, academic studies are carried out, and projects are produced to create permanent solutions to predetermined social problems. Environmental, social and economic facts are prioritized for a sustainable lifestyle while carrying out the specified activities. In addition, attention is paid to ensuring that these activities are compatible with society’s changing and developing dynamic structure.
In our University’s Strategic Plan, the actions to be taken within the scope of the social contribution target are classified under nine headings. These titles are:
- Disseminating Social Responsibility Projects,
- Increasing the Participation of Students in Sportive and Cultural Activities,
- Increasing Social Integration for Disadvantaged Groups,
- Contributing to the creation of safe, functional, accessible, and respectable living environments for all individuals,
- Increasing Continuing Education Activities,
- Increasing Professional Career Development Support,
- Strengthening Relations with Alumni,
- Increasing Communication with Real and Legal Persons,
- Increasing the Number of Artistic Events.
The targets for these fields of activity have been determined as follows:
1.Dissemination of Social Responsibility Projects
Yaşar University aims to contribute to society by educating its students fully equipped in terms of social, cultural, and scientific knowledge apart from professional knowledge. It has created its curriculum in academic units in line with this purpose, and especially with its social responsibility course, it enables all students to produce solutions for the region’s social, economic and environmental problems. This effort is also maintained with research and application centers operating on selected subjects within the University. Finally, social responsibility projects selected by academic staff are encouraged through internal and external funding.
2.Increasing Students’ Participation in Sports and Cultural Activities
Our University Sports Culture and Health Unit, Student Council and Student Societies encourage our students’ activities in sports, culture, and scientific matters by providing sufficient budget and moral support. Our academic units create their curricula to meet this need. The application courses that are suitable for the characteristics of their programs ensure that they are intertwined with society. Thus, its social contribution policy encourages its students to acquire the habit of social service.
3.Increasing Social Integration for Disadvantaged Groups
Students with physical and mental disorders need positive discrimination to receive an adequate education. Before the issue was handled by the Presidency of the Higher Education Institution, our University started to meet their needs and institutionalized its support in this regard, based on the authority given by the Law on the Disabled No. 5378. Through the disability unit established, it aims to provide an accessible campus environment for all students who apply with their report, apart from the adaptation for the courses and exams. Our University’s activities for disadvantaged groups are supported through a “Disabled Student Community”, including our students with disabilities.
Increasing Social Integration for Disadvantaged Groups is also essential for administrative and academic staff. An employment policy suitable for this purpose is implemented, and working conditions are regulated in the same direction by the relevant legislation and the “Global Compact” to which we are a party.
Addiction is a vital problem area, especially for young people. To ensure that the necessary measures are taken against all types of addiction (alcohol, tobacco, technology, etc.) and to ensure that the instructions from the relevant Ministries are duly executed, a “Commission for Combating Addiction” and its secretariat have been established at our University, and it is engaged in continuous and regular education activities for social contribution.
4.Contributing to the creation of safe, functional, accessible and respectable living environments for all individuals
Universities constitute a whole with students, administrative and academic staff, service providers and visitors. Their environments should support their lives and their reason for being. The physical infrastructure is built accordingly and then reviewed. A good living environment is provided by the university administration’s fulfillment of its obligation to protect (surveillance) the employees. The “Occupational Health and Safety Board”, established in this direction, meets every month and ensures that the demands of our employees who apply with near-miss forms are fulfilled. In addition, it evaluates the safer life suggestions brought forward by the health personnel, workplace psychologists and other employees of the University working in the “Workplace Health Unit” operating within the body of SKS, and conveys them to the Rectorate and the relevant units of the Rectorate, if necessary.
A “Nutrition-Friendly and Supporting Physical Activity Workplace Policy” has been established by our University for its employees and students. Within the scope of this policy, suitable environments are prepared for physical and mental health, and appropriate actions are encouraged. During the evaluation visit carried out by the Bornova District Health Directorate on June 1, 2022, our University was entitled to receive the “Nutrition-Friendly Workplace Supporting Physical Activity” certificate.
5.Increasing Continuing Education Activities
To have a sustainable profession, it is not enough to get the necessary education at universities. Because the rapidly developing scientific studies also change the economic, social and cultural life. In this direction, some professions become obsolete, some need to be updated, and new disciplines emerge. For this reason, the scope of the duty of universities extends beyond their students and graduates to the whole society. To fulfill this duty, lifelong learning activities for society are carried out at our University. “Yaşar University Continuing Education Center” supports all its members as well as the people of the neighborhood with the courses it opens in specific fields. In addition, our University’s “Open and Distance Learning Center” aims to offer the opportunity to attend some classes open to everyone, especially to our students (including abroad) and society, primarily through distance education programs.
6.Increasing Professional Career Development Support
Students enrolled in their programs at faculties and colleges need to practice in addition to theoretical education to reinforce their education. In order to meet this need, practical courses are included in the curricula. Clinical practice in psychology, a virtual court in Law, and legal clinic courses are examples of this. In addition, as a requirement of the regulation on the Regulation on Applied Education in Higher Education, compulsory practice courses have been added to the curriculum of some faculties and schools. It aims to support the professional career development of students by ensuring that some of these courses in the curriculum are carried out on campus and some in some workplaces with which protocols are signed.
Likewise, the existing internship practice in some programs is also essential in terms of professional development. In this direction, our University financially supports optional and compulsory internships.
7.Strengthening Relations with Alumni
Higher Education Law No. 2547 requires that universities maintain communication with their graduates. A Career and Alumni Center operates at our University to fulfill this obligation. The center not only prepares registered students for post-graduation but also maintains its policy of positively changing and transforming society through relations with graduates. In addition, the relevant professional organizations cooperate with the academicians and students of our university’s programs.
8.Increasing Communication with Real and Legal Persons
Our University aims to increase its regional, national and international relations, and realizing the stated goal is only possible by communicating with the real and legal persons there. In line with the goal mentioned above, each academic unit has established an external advisory board. It aims to make appropriate curriculum updates by obtaining advisors’ opinions from official and non-official institutions in the relevant professional field.
In addition, our academic and administrative units and academicians establish other appropriate external relations. For example, the “International Migration Chair” of the Department of International Relations continues its activities with many local and foreign institutions and academicians. Many departments have academic relations with equivalent institutions and departments in the country and abroad. Municipalities and some non-governmental organizations have been accepted as indispensable interlocutors in the activities of the University. The International Student Office carries out the Erasmus Program to realize student exchange programs and maintains exchange programs with many foreign universities.
9.Increasing the Number of Artistic Events:
Artistic activities are carried out intensively in the Faculty of Art and Design, Faculty of Communication and similar faculties, whose curriculum includes art and culture. End-of-term exhibitions by students, national and international competitions held by departments in cinema and similar areas, and “Wednesday Concerts” performed by the music department on campus are typical examples. Contribution to art is also provided by the activities of other faculties and student societies. In contributing to the community, the support provided in this regard is maintained with a “Poetry and Story” competition to be held annually.