CONHEÇA

Strategic Planning of the PEA.

PEA began its strategic planning in 2020, responding to CAPES’ requirements, becoming one of the first programs at UEM to do so. During the pandemic, a committee composed of representatives from different segments defined the process steps, starting with a characterization of the Program including its mission, vision, and values, and using a SWOT analysis based on a questionnaire applied to participants.

Based on the results, six objectives and 29 targets were established for the following two four-year periods, reviewed by the committee and presented to the academic community. The planning was attached to the 2017–2020 quadrennial report, identifying strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and challenges, and guiding strategic improvements. Collaborative participation ensured representativeness in the planning, as detailed in the evaluation of the aforementioned period.

PEA’s strategic planning was developed based on the Program’s mission and vision, aligned with the Institutional Development Plan (PDI) of the Center for Biological Sciences / UEM and the results of the self-evaluation. The process began with a workshop involving faculty, students, and staff, followed by the formation of a committee that collected and analyzed data and suggestions from the academic community. This planning, divided into two cycles, was approved by the Academic Council before being shared with all members.

The targets aim to address weaknesses identified in the self-evaluation, promoting the Program’s development, improving CAPES assessment, enhancing student training, and increasing the social impact of its outputs.

Actions will be planned across three fronts: emergency (new methods), medium-term (procedure improvements), and long-term (pursuit of excellence and compliance with CAPES standards), prioritizing high-quality training, knowledge sharing, and dissemination of the Program to society.

PEA will conduct annual self-evaluations using online tools and other methods, with results compiled in reports by a specific committee (Resolution 022/2021-PEA).

For each evaluated area (infrastructure, communication, social impact, scientific production, human resources, and internationalization), strengths and weaknesses were identified, and immediate and future actions were defined to support the Program’s mission and sustainable growth.

Alignment between PEA’s strategic planning and UEM’s PDI will be ensured through analysis of institutional guidelines and targets, discussed during the preparation of the strategic plans.

 

 

Objective 1: Adequacy and Improvement of PEA’s Infrastructure, Organizational, Administrative, and Financial Structure

  • Target 1: Create committees to monitor and implement PEA’s Strategic Planning.

  • Target 2: Hold an annual workshop to present administrative, scientific, and financial reports, as well as PEA’s CAPES evaluation results (internally sharing the metrics that PEA has achieved in CAPES assessments), aiming to improve internal communication and program self-awareness.

  • Target 3: Widely disseminate PEA regulations and standards, ensuring adherence to deadlines by students and faculty.

  • Target 4: Review scoring criteria in the curriculum for Master’s and Doctoral selection, with participation from faculty and students.

  • Target 5: Reassess Doctoral student admission, with participation from faculty and students.

  • Target 6: Improve the Language Proficiency Exam, with participation from faculty and students.

  • Target 7: Review the Doctoral Qualification Exam, with participation from faculty and students.

  • Target 8: Review procedures for Master’s and Doctoral defenses, with participation from faculty and students.

  • Target 9: Identify spaces lacking accessibility and request corrections from UEM administration.

  • Target 10: Collaborate with the Center for Biological Sciences and the Rectory to reduce gaps in university staff and faculty.

  • Target 11: Make efforts to seek grants and partnerships to fund research projects.

  • Target 12: Seek partnerships with public and private organizations to address financial and material deficiencies.

Objective 2: Improve PEA’s Internal and External Communication

  • Target 13: Create a social media account exclusively for PEA (e.g., Instagram) and evaluate the impact and visibility of the Program’s outputs internally and externally using altmetric indicators.

  • Target 14: Create an internal communication channel via WhatsApp, managed by administrators, with participation from faculty and students.

  • Target 15: Modernize the website with an updated visual identity.

Objective 3: Fulfill the Social Function of the Graduate Program in Ecology

  • Target 16: Ensure that 100% of faculty and students participate in at least one extension project/course each year.

  • Target 17: Include student participation in the preparation of reports and technical work.

  • Target 18: Create a tool to monitor the inclusion of the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) in Program activities.

  • Target 19: Include SDG identification in Master’s and Doctoral projects.

  • Target 20: Encourage the creation of online/remote courses focused on Limnology and Ecology, with participation from students and faculty.

Objective 4: Improve the Impact of PEA’s Scientific Productions

  • Target 21: Encourage that 100% of PEA publications explicitly present social impact (regional, national, or international).

  • Target 22: Disseminate 100% of scientific articles produced by faculty and students through some type of media.

Objective 5: Improve Student Intellectual Development and Strengthen PEA’s Human Resources

  • Target 23: Identify current labor market demands and offer courses and disciplines addressing these needs.

  • Target 24: Create Working Groups to discuss the implementation of racial and/or social quotas in PEA’s Selection Process.

  • Target 25: Review the teaching internship rules, with participation from students and faculty.

  • Target 26: Create a protocol for addressing student mental health issues.

Objective 6: Increase the Impact of PEA’s Internationalization

  • Target 27: Disseminate international opportunities through communication channels such as social media and WhatsApp.

  • Target 28: Offer an increasing number of courses in other languages.

  • Target 29: Seek international, internal, and external grants to obtain funding for projects, international mobility, agreements, and international events.