2014 Admission Campaign: January & February

Dr. Lyudmila Tovarnichenko, Executive Secretary of the Admission Commission of Astrakhan State University, has told us about changes that took place in January and February 2014 in the field of admitting new students to universities.

“Traditionally, as it was for last several years, any university must publish documents related to their admission campaigns on their web sites by February 01. Unfortunately, there was a delay with publishing such materials this year for reasons independent of universities.

We had to face the following situation. In late January, we got a letter from the Ministry of Education & Science of Russia. They wrote that the Order of Admission was already signed by the Minister, but it had to be approved at the federal Ministry of Justice. The federal Ministry of Education & Science recommended that we used some clauses of this document, which specified that we must publish a list of entrance examinations, a list of specialties, and information about special rights and advantages for particular categories of our future students by February 15. Firstly, the new list of entrance examinations was still being developed then, while the old one was out of date. Secondly, when the new document was approved in Moscow at last, we found out that it was incomplete: there were no page two and three in it for an unknown reason. Anyway, on February 14 universities published the list as it was then.

One more problem (I’d say the main one) was that there were considerable changes in some specialties in the new list of entrance examinations; that provoked public resentment. Secondary school graduates found out that they had to take entrance examinations in disciplines quite different from those that they studied. Let me explain that more clearly. The list of entrance examinations consists of the following items: the Russian language as an obligatory exam, one profile discipline (which a university has no right to change) as another obligatory exam, and one more discipline for a university to choose itself from several variants. At the same time, the new document stated that, for example, to be admitted to the specialty “Foreign Regional Studies” one had to take an exam in History as an obligatory discipline, although it was Geography that was obligatory last year. The specialty “Pedagogical Education” faced essential changes, too. Our University could choose Math, Physics, Chemistry, History, ICT, Literature - and that was all. There were no foreign languages, Geography, or Biology on the list. The list of specialties that require taking exams of creative or professional character has changed, too. If last year we offered a sports contest for Pedagogical Education in Physical Training and a creative exam in Social & Cultural Activities, now this new list forbade us to offer that. As the public opinion pressed, Rossiyskaya Gazeta (the official source of information) published the new list with absent pages; now the list allowed entrance exams in foreign language, in Biology, and in Geography for the specialty “Pedagogical Education”. This specialty has been included into the list of specialties that may require taking an exam of creative or professional character. The Order of Admission was published in Rossiyskaya Gazeta only on February 25.

There are some other changes. A certificate of the Unified State Examination is valid for four years after its issue. If we could admit college graduates or those who already have a higher education to the 2^nd year of studies at once or even higher, now we can admit anyone only to the 1^st year, whatever education they might already have. Such students can cover individual educational programs. Orphans can enjoy special benefits again: up to 2017, they can enter a university without having to take part in an entrance competition, but within a predetermined quota.

Graduates with a secondary professional education have to face some changes, too. The new law entitles universities to choose the form and the list of entrance examinations for such students. Our University will examine them by means of internal tests.

In comparison with the last year, the number of budget-financed places has increased at bachelor courses and decreased at master courses. As for five-year specialty programs, we offer two specialties - Veterinary and Applied Chemistry. We’re going to obtain a license for the specialty “Customs”.

Our Admission Commission recommends that secondary school and college graduates pass a medical commission, as it has become an obligatory requirement for some specialties. It’s also necessary for some practical training programs and for their future work. I’d like to remind that any student of ASU is provided with medical assistance. We have a preventorium, and anyone can improve their health there”.

Interviewed by T.Yu. Gavrilkina (the Innovative Laboratory of Information Linguistics of ASU)