Rating System for Students

Starting from 2014, Index-Rating System (IRS), performance assessment of students will be implemented at Ukhta State Technical University.

Designed as an extension of an existing higher education institutional well -proven professor evaluation system, IRS is more complex to implement and the volume of data being processed is greater. On Thursday, January 16, at a meeting with monitors and all interested students, the IRS creator, a graduate student, Konstantin Rochev, will go into more detail on the particulars of the Index-Rating System, how it works, what is required from students, and what are the benefits of it.

In the anticipation of system presentation, Vice-Rector on Administrative and External Relations Affairs Chief of Executive Staff, George Korshunov, gave a speech. He noted that although the IRS is an analogue evaluation system as the one for professor, but it is much broader in its capabilities. Generated by this system rating, is to serve students as additional recommendation for their future employment.

“Today, Ukhta and Republic Enterprises have an urgent need for qualified personnel. 150-200 of our graduates find their work at "LUKOIL Komi". Therefore, current students need to think about how to prove themselves to potential employers. IRS provides such an opportunity”, said Korshunov.

In other words, system performance assessment allows calculation of student rating for the study period at the university. Student index is also an indicator showing student achievements per semester that serve as basis for further scholarship appointment. In addition, the system determines candidates for corporate scholarships, internships and employment. IRS will also collect information for issuing reference letters and portfolios for potential employers. Since 2015, it is planned to distribute a proportion of scholarship fund according to student achievements per semester.

Each semester, students are required to fill in information about personal achievements through the site with a description and scanned documents confirmation. After entering data into IRS, they will be checked and approved by the responsible persons.

But despite the seeming simplicity of the Index-Rating System, there are some hidden difficulties. As the creator of the IRS, Konstantin Rochev, agreed himself, the main "pickle" for many students will most likely be the documented confirmation of their achievements; since, their participation in certain activities is not always documented. Also, we cannot ignore the notorious "human factor"; the legendary student procrastination could become a serious obstacle in obtaining of an objective picture of student's performance.

Nevertheless, Rochev is sure that all these problems are solvable, the system will continue to evolve through student feedback, and in the foreseeable future the IRS can be implemented in all other oil and gas universities of Russia as well. This will allowUSTU students to see their achievements, level of education; and, ultimately, to determine their competitive advantage in Russian job market.