Flexibility, Quality and Strategic Development: EFFECTUS Ready for the Next Step Forward

• Three teaching modalities, up to 30% online delivery, and the launch of the Strategic Development Framework for the period 2026–2030 confirm the institution’s commitment to modern and competitive higher education.

The academic calendar, the organisation of teaching in the summer semester, and the strategic development of the institution were the central topics of the faculty meeting of EFFECTUS veleučilište held on 19 February. In the first part of the meeting, academic and organisational guidelines were presented by Dean Dr Jelena Uzelac, while the second part focused on strategic considerations regarding the future of the institution, led by Dr Sanja Gutić Martinčić.

Academic Calendar and Organisation of Teaching

The Dean presented key information regarding teaching and examination periods in the summer semester:

• Teaching for the Entrepreneurship programme, FIPP, and the first year of the MBA programme begins on Monday, 23 February 2026.

• Teaching for the second year of the MBA programme begins on Thursday, 12 March 2026.

• Extraordinary examination periods: 20 March and 15 May 2026.

• First mid-term examination cycle: 7–24 April 2026.

• Second mid-term examination cycle: 1–12 June 2026.

Regular summer examination period:

• Entrepreneurship, FIPP and first-year MBA: 15 June – 10 July 2026

• Second-year MBA: 29 June – 17 July 2026

Autumn examination period: 31 August – 26 September 2026

Start of classes in the 2026/2027 academic year: 7 October 2026

Teaching Modalities and Online Delivery Model

In the summer semester, teaching continues through three clearly structured modalities, tailored to different study programmes and student needs:

• Entrepreneurship, FIPP and first-year MBA: Monday–Thursday

• The second year of the MBA programme: Thursday–Saturday, in bi-weekly subject blocks

• Transfer students: Friday afternoon and Saturday

Up to 30% of teaching in the first two modalities may be delivered online, in accordance with the decisions of the Polytechnic Council and the Accreditation Council.

Results of the Online Teaching Survey

A survey conducted among winter semester students showed:

• 51.56% prefer a combined model (online + on-site)

• 25.17% prefer exclusively online teaching

• 23.26% continue to prefer fully on-site teaching

Advantages of online teaching: flexibility, time savings, accessibility of lecturers, technical stability.
Challenges: reduced interaction and occasional issues with AAI login access.

Amendments to the Study Regulations and Academic Integrity

• Examination registration deadline: 48 hours in advance

• Examination withdrawal deadline: 24 hours in advance

• Lecturers are required to grade examinations within five working days

• The permitted similarity index for final and master’s theses has been reduced to 15%

• A mandatory verification checklist and an anti-plagiarism clause have been introduced

• New Guidelines for Thesis Writing have been presented, along with clarified procedures for committees responsible for enhancing thesis quality

Strategic Development Framework 2026–2030

The second part of the faculty meeting was led by Professor Dr Sanja Gutić Martinčić, who presented the process of drafting the Strategic Development Framework for the period 2026–2030.

The strategy development process is based on the principle of inclusiveness of all stakeholders – students, faculty members, staff, external associates, alumni, and representatives of the business sector. Surveys and research activities will be conducted in the upcoming period, and faculty members have been invited to actively participate.

Through the work of the teaching staff focus group, the objective is to collect experiences, observations, and proposals in order to clearly define what functions well within the current system, where challenges exist, which external opportunities should be leveraged, and which potential risks need to be identified in a timely manner.

The meeting concluded with a message emphasising the importance of joint engagement in the implementation of the teaching process and the continued development of the institution, with a strong focus on quality, transparency, and strategic foresight in shaping the future of EFFECTUS veleučilište.