Strategic Plan

EASTERN MEDITERRANEAN UNIVERSITY

FACULTY OF ARCHITECTURE

STRATEGIC PLANNING REPORT

2022-2025

1-INTRODUCTION
2-VISION OF THE FACULTY OF ARCHITECTURE
3-MISSION OF THE FACULTY OF ARCHITECTURE
4-GOALS AND STRATEGIES OF THE FACULTY OF ARCHITECTURE
5-APPENDIX
6-SWOT- (Strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats of the Faculty)

01. INTRODUCTION

The Strategic Plan of Faculty of Architecture has been systematically prepared based on the methodological recommendations from Prof. Dr. Cem Tanova. The “Strategic Plan Process” was divided into 5 stages of workshops. First workshop introduced the “Current Situation” of the Faculty with the participation of Faculty Board Members, students, alumni, and professional organization representatives. This workshop took place on 27 January 2022. Since, there are graduates across the world, this meeting was held online. “Current Situation” presentation provided the current state of Accreditations, information on the Faculty of Architecture Projects and Faculty of Architecture Events including the events of the Research Centers HERA-C, TASAR, ISBE, posters for special days. The presentation also included information on the activities of the two departments of the Faculty.

In the second stage of the process a workshop was planned to carry out an internal analysis through SWOT Analysis – Part 1: Identifying Strengths and Weaknesses. This meeting was held face to face with the participation of the Faculty Board Members and students. It was carried out on 9 March 2022. First of all, the perceived strengths were put forward by the participants (see Appendix). Then, the most important strengths were determined by voting. A similar method was implemented to identify the most important weaknesses as well. Following that, a table was prepared in order to show whole list of strengths and weaknesses, as well as the most voted ones. By this way, the workshop of SWOT Analysis – Part 1: Identifying strengths and weakness was completed (See Appendix).

In the third stage of the process a workshop has planned to assess the state of the environment that the Faculty is operating in through a SWOT Analysis – Part 2: Identifying Opportunities and Threats with the participation of the Faculty Board Members, students, alumni, professional organization representatives, on 23 March 2022. This workshop was held online due to the participation of worldwide alumni. Again a number of opportunities and threats were listed down as it was highlighted by the participants. Then, by the help of voting, the most important opportunities and threats were selected (See Appendix).

The fourth stage of the process on 30 March 2022 was a workshop to determine the “Vision, Mission and Goals and Strategies of the Faculty” based on the information generated by the SWOT analysis that had been carried out in prior stages of the process. Before the workshop, the Strategic Plan of the University, the Strategic Plan of the Faculty of Architecture (2018-2022) and the Strategic Plans of the Departments (Architecture and Interior Architecture) were sent to the participants; Faculty Board Members and students. At the end of the workshop, the Vision, Mission and Goals and Strategies of the Faculty were revised and restated considering the existing/previous strategic plans of the University, Faculty and Departments. During that workshop, a number of groups were formed with assigned responsibilities. The groups worked in parallel and completed the assigned tasks.

02. VISION STATEMENT OF FACULTY OF ARCHITECTURE

Our vision is to create a sustainable platform supporting:

our leadership position in the region and worldwide ranking by preserving our basic values, diversity and maintaining our innovative and technology-based organizational structure;
our internationalization through multicultural service and integration;
the internalization of ethical values;
the environmental and multi-layered responsiveness and collaboration in architectural education balancing research and practice-oriented experiences.

03. MISSION OF FACULTY OF ARCHITECTURE

The mission of the Faculty of Architecture is:

to preserve and develop the quality and leadership position in the domain of architecture and design by active follow-up of the general mainstreams in the community, society, and worldwide, and by the active participation of our diverse/multicultural profile
to keep innovative, creative, culture-sensitive opportunities for ever-changing social, environmental, and ethical values via the integration of diversity
to educate with innovative technologies and tools relevant to the fields remaining an inspiring and orienting standpoint for any further improvements.

04. GOALS AND STRATEGIES

After completing the vision and mission of the Faculty, goals of the Faculty of Architecture are determined under the VALUE of ethics, integration, innovation, diversity, leadership and responsiveness.

I-ETHICS

Goal 1-Increasing awareness of professional ethics
Goal 2-Creating awareness of research ethics
Goal 3-Achieving commitment to ethical values by inviting professionals
Goal 4-Creativity ethical know-how about world-wide practices
Goal 5-Plagiarism oriented awareness on project process
Goal 6- Monitoring ethical values through different mediums
Goal 7-Increasing the usage of Similarity Checking Software Tools

II-INTEGRATION (WITH SOCIETY)

Goal 8-Having collaboration with NGO’s other stakeholders
Goal 9-Realizing interdisciplinary searches and practices
Goal 10-Achieving integration with the city
Goal 11-Encouraging closer relations between students and staff
Goal 12-Ensuring student adaptation to the Campus
Goal 13- Activating design club

III-INNOVATION

Goal 14-Enhancing transformative learning experience
Goal 15-Facilitate scholarly work of faculty as they expand the frontiers of innovation, technology and creativity in the architecture, design humanities and arts
Goal 16-Give place to different voices

IV-DIVERSITY

Goal 17-To enhance the diversity of students and staff (to sustain promotional activities at Faculty level)
Goal 18-To support interdisciplinary studies and integration of other professions

V-LEADERSHIP

Goal 19-Having a reputation for being resistant to change
Goal 20-Protecting the diverse student and staff profile in the Faculty
Goal 21-Keeping strong communication network with the other institutions and stakeholders

VI-RESPONSIVENESS

Goal 22-Rethinking and redesigning the teaching and learning relationship so to deal with aspects beyond the built environment
Goal 23-To promote the relation of culture and built environments from the perspective of environment-behaviour studies
Goal 24-Changing the perspective in architectural education by fully accepting sustainability issues as an intrinsic part of the architectural discipline
Goal 25-Implementation of various pedagogical tools in academic and professional training that facilitates the integration of sustainable environmental design in the education and professional practice of architecture

Table 1-Values, Goals, Strategies and Time Period

List of the VAUES ETHICS INTEGRATION (WITH SOCIETY) INNOVATION DIVERSITY(INTERNATIONALIZATION, MULTICULTURALITY) LEADERSHIP RESPONSIVENESS
I- ETHICS
GOALS-	STRATEGIES	TIME ST/MT/LT
1- Increasing awareness of professional ethics	Arranging collaborative seminars with Chambers of Cyprus Turkish Architects	ST
2-Creating awareness of research ethics	Providing collaborative seminars/ activities with institute and relevant boards	MT
3- Achieving commitment to ethical values by inviting professionals	Professionals to be proposed by students	MT
4-Creativity ethic know-how about world-wide practices	Being active in competitions to allow them understand rules regulations	LT
5-Plagiarism oriented awareness on project process	Giving sketch exam to support the awareness	ST
6- Monitoring ethical values through different mediums	Giving seminar on Similarity Checking Software Tools	ST
7- Increasing the usage of Similarity Checking Software Tools	Giving seminar on Similarity Checking Software Tools	ST
II- INTEGRATION
GOALS	STRATEGIES	TIME ST/MT/LT
8-Having collaboration with NGO's and other stakeholders	Giving services to the community	LT
9- Realizing interdisciplinary searches and practices	Conducting activities together with other faculties of the university research centers	MT
10-Achieving integration with the city	Motivating students to participate activities in the city	ST
11- Encouraging closer relations between students and staff	Organizing socio-cultural activities NGOs and locals	MT
12- Ensuring student adaptation to the Campus	Satisfying attachment of students to the campus by various social / cultural activities	ST
13- Activating design club	Collaborating activities together with community / activity center	ST
III- INNOVATION
GOALS	STRATEGIES	TIME ST/MT/LT
14-Enhancing transformative learning experience	Flowing of collaboration among the intellectual mindset of the academic community and diverse student population.	ST/ LT
15-Facilitating scholarly work of faculty as they expand the frontiers of innovation, technology and creativity in the architecture, design humanities and arts.	Enabling policies in regard with Publication awards; Sabbaticals and Research leave facilitating wide range of undergraduate and postgraduate study options	LT
16-Giving place to different voices	-Hiring competent Faculty with diverse perspectives -Limiting inbreeding recruitment policy -Creating opportunities for multidisciplinary collaboration	ST/MT/ LT
IV- DIVERSITY
GOALS	STRATEGIES	TIME ST/MT/LT
17- Enhancing the diversity of students and staff (to sustain promotional activities at Faculty level)	-Sustaining promotional activities at University level -Creating a strong alumni network -Encouraging student and civil society integration and collaboration -To increase the bonds with local and international professional and commercial bodies	ST-MT-LT
18-Supporting interdisciplinary studies and integration of other professions	-Initiating programs and research projects in collaboration with other disciplines -Engaging in public, private projects working with various sectors -Supporting extracurricular activities from various interdisciplinary bodies	ST-MT-LT
V- LEADERSHIP
GOALS	STRATEGIES	TIME ST/MT/LT
19-Having a reputation for being resistant to change	Developing action plan according to unexpected situations	ST-MT-LT
20-Protecting the diverse student and staff profile in the Faculty	Satisfying strong and well planned promotion activities reaching targeted groups	ST-MT-LT
21-Keeping strong communication network with the other institutions and stakeholders	Bridging the gap" among various internal and external stakeholders through common/shared projects, activities	ST-MT-LT
VI- RESPONSIVENESS
GOALS	STRATEGIES	TIME ST/MT/LT
22-Rethinking and redesigning the teaching and learning relationship so to deal with aspects beyond the built environment	-Establishing a set of values to be constantly updated by environmental and multi-layered responsiveness collaboratıon in architectural education (students and staff) -Designing and implementing this principle as a leading principle of coexıstence in the upcoming contexts	ST-MT-LT
23-Promote the relation of culture and built environments from the perspective of environment-behaviour studies	-Promoting the sustainability in the design of the built environment -Presenting it as a key-factor for addressing the challenges in response to resource availability, ecological deterioration and climate alterations.	ST-MT-LT
24-Changing the perspective in architectural education by fully accepting sustainability issues as an intrinsic part of the architectural discipline	-Changing the role of our educational institution; -Promoting an updated set of learning tools that serves not only for interaction with the students, but reflecting to the entire architectural community and building sector.	ST-MT-LT
25-Implementating various pedagogical tools in academic and professional training that facilitates the integration of sustainable environmental design in the education and professional practice of architecture	-Fostering the knowledge and skills in sustainable environmental design; -Tending towards achieved comfort, delight, well-being and energy efficiency in new and existing buildings -Promoting and demonstrating within a culturally, economically and socially viable design process, at all stages of architectural and professional education. -Providing an opportunities for academia and practice to reach out to each other and co-operate in order to answer to the challenges of climate change and resource scarcity.	ST-MT-LT

05. SWOT- (Strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats of the Faculty)

For the SWOT Analysis that took place as two parts, the most important Strength, Weakness, Opportunity and Threats were determined and are listed down:

STRENGTH

Having multi - cultural atmosphere
Having international networks
Location of the faculty in the campus and in the city
Quantity and quality of academic staff
Having variety of educational programs

WEAKNESS

Outdated physical, technical and technological equipment
Lack of technological archive systems
Having no faculty budget
Inadequate international collaborations

OPPORTUNITIES

Be able to create strong international network due to academic profile and the diverse of alumni
High level of recognition achieved by large student profile
Being a campus university that enable to achieve collaboration amongst other faculties
Development of online opportunities due to the pandemic that improved collaborations

THREATS

Being a faculty in a unrecognized country
Decrease of the student enrolment
Difficulty of transportation to the island (increased flight fee)
The decrease of the success level of students who prefer the Department comparing the previous years

Table 1- SWOT of the Faculty

STRENGTH (Number of vote)

Having multi-cultural atmosphere (11)

Having international networks (7)

Location of the faculty in the campus and in the city (6)

Quantity and quality of academic staff(6)

Having variety of educational programs(6)

Diversity of academic staff in terms of educational background (5)

Having good communication among the students (5)

Having a good alumni network (5)

Being most active Faculty in the whole university as extracurricular activities(4)

Having different international accreditation (4)

Encouragement of promotion for academic staff(4)

Having diversity of student profile (4)

Having job security and personal rights (4)

Having a research assistants position for students assistantship (4)

Being an independent faculty (3)

Strong relationship among instructors and students (3)

Chance to find the jobs due to high education level (3)

Being of the oldest Faculty of the University (3)

Having an open door policy (3)

Having student representative opportunity of the faculty(3)

Quick adaptation to unexpected situations in terms of education(covid-19) (2)

Having close contact among the departments of the Faculty (2)

Being able to take both blue and green certificates from the University (2)

Having opportunity to use historical buildings of the city(2)

Having the highest number of student (2)

Being the most established Faculty (2)

Having updated infrastructure (2)

Having different scholarships (2)

Encouragement for knowledge generation via research centres (2)

Train new academic staff for the other university of north Cyprus (2)

Having private offices for the academic staff(2)

Being able to take courses between two departments (1)

Dominated of female academic staff (1)

Having a faculty journal(1)

Good proximity among the buildings of the Faculty (1)

Having a well-designed environment around faculty(1)

Existence of double minor and major programs (1)

Existence of Ahmet Behaeddin Library in the Faculty (1)

Weakness (number of votes)

Outdated physical, technical and technological equipment (12)

Lack of technological archive systems (9)

Having no faculty budget (9)

Inadequate international collaborations (8)

Absence of practice based research opportunity (7)

Not having contemporary education systems in physical environments such as old furniture in the classes and offices(7)

Low level of promotion (7)

Decreasing number of students (6)

Decrease of number of visiting professors that create loss of dynamism (5)

Low leadership on sustainable developments (5)

Insufficient number of courses in graduate programs offered in different semester (5)

Lack of research opportunities for academics and graduate students (5)

Being in an island (4)

High number of students per instructor (4)

Absence of variety labs including material and digital printing office (4)

No monitoring and feedback of strategic plan during its application in terms of reaching goals (4)

Uniqueness of the Faculty not being understood by the rector's office (4)

Decrease of student activities due to pandemic (3)

Lack of interdisciplinary programs (3)

Long bureaucracy of approvals (3)

No English improvement process during education (3)

Having language barriers (2)

Not having distant education (2)

Insufficient orientation process for the adaptation of students for the Faculty (2)

Inadequate promotion of activities for students (2)

Inadequate number of student activities (1)

Opportunity (number of votes)

Be able to create strong international network due to academic profile and the diverse of alumni (14)

High level of recognition achieved by large student profile (13)

Being a campus university that enable to achieve collaboration amongst other faculties (12)

development of online opportunities due to the pandemic that improved collaborations (12)

Opportunities supported by being in historical city (11)

Existence and aimed international accreditations and memberships providing an opportunity to be able to take part in global architectural platform (11)

Having an internationally recognised diploma (11)

Resilience as recognised skill due to our political status and environment (10)

The university takes place in the highest rank in international base (10)

The university is still first choice in island (7)

Debates and philosophical definitions in the scientific world move towards flexibility and multidimensionality (7)

Having beach club (6)

No accommodation problem in the city and the campus (6)

Offering completely online programs (6)

To propose, accept and apply individual initiatives as collective ones with consensus (5)

Existence of Maras (5)

Due to the increase of foreign currency the university becomes attractive for local students (5)

The latest receiver of Pritzker award created a hope in architectural education (5)

Digital and virtual presence (4)

Due to pandemic promotion of the programs increased as online activities increased as well (4)

The existence of stationeries and other amenities in nearby environment (3)

Increased research projects due to pandemic (3)

Getting involved and include in ongoing development in city scale of Famagusta and neighbours cities in order to assure sustainable developments (2)

Threats (number of votes)

Being a Faculty in a unrecognized country (13)

Decrease of the student enrolment (13)

The increased difficulty of transportation to the island (increased flight fee) (12)

The decrease of the success level of students who prefer the Department comparing the previous years (12)

Widening gap between education and profession (11)

The current unfair competition between universities, combined with insufficient supervision by the higher education councils (10)

The reduced quality of yok policy for opening new universities (10)

The low number of exchange programs due to low recognition (9)

The increase of university number in an uncontrolled manner (9)

Global economic situation (9)

Decrease of funding from government to the university (8)

Inadequate public transportation (8)

Not having enough publicity to attract more international students (7)

Energy problem in country and high expenses (7)

In the state of not developing the university and academic staff the reduced academic interest (6)

Extremely low quality and quantity of more advanced technological equipment in all faculty facilities so to be and become competitive (5)

The ability of faculty members to contribute only in an intellectual sense, rather than taking an active part in architectural work in the central and local government (5)

Inadequate diversity of facilities in the city (food, environment) (4)

Not solving the problems of alumni (not having enough feedback from the alumni) (4)

The culture of fear and scarcity coming from media and social media (3)

The kitsch built environment having less and less fine precedents to learn from (3)

The wars happening in nearby region (2)

Decrease in interest for studying architecture especially in the region (1)

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