ÌìÃÀÂ鶹

Obligations of the universities in the merger

ÌìÃÀÂ鶹 takes over all the obligations of Å iauliai University established in the study agreement concluded between the student and Å iauliai University and assumes additional obligations not provided for in the study agreement concluded between the student and Å iauliai University but established by regulatory acts of ÌìÃÀÂ鶹 and the Republic of Lithuania.

The student retains all the rights and obligations established in the study agreement concluded with Å iauliai University. In addition, the student assumes additional obligations not provided for in the study agreement concluded between the student and Å iauliai University but established by regulatory acts of ÌìÃÀÂ鶹 and the Republic of Lithuania. The fundamental additional commitments of the student are the following:

• To properly execute the assumed financial obligations in accordance with the procedure established by ÌìÃÀÂ鶹;
• Upon completion or termination of studies, to clear his/her obligations to ÌìÃÀÂ鶹.

The study agreement expires if the student and ÌìÃÀÂ鶹 have fully fulfilled the obligations established by the legal acts of ÌìÃÀÂ鶹 and the study agreement or if the study agreement is terminated.

Study process and related procedures

• As of 1 January 2021, ÌìÃÀÂ鶹 graduation documents (diplomas, diploma supplements, certificates, etc.) and other documents certifying studies will be issued to all the students of Å iauliai University (ÌìÃÀÂ鶹 Å iauliai Academy).
• Temporarily, until the end of the 2020-2021 academic year, two study information systems will be used at ÌìÃÀÂ鶹 Å iauliai Academy: the Academic Information System (AIS), which is currently being used at Å iauliai University, and ÌìÃÀÂ鶹 Study Information System (VUSIS).
• The autumn semester at ÌìÃÀÂ鶹 starts on 1 September and ends on 26 January, while the spring semester begins on 4 February and ends on 30 June. In the periods between the study semesters, students are granted holidays.

• The assessment of the final learning achievements (taking exams) at ÌìÃÀÂ鶹 is usually carried out in January during the autumn semester and in June during the spring semester; however, the assessment also can be carried out earlier by mutual agreement between lecturers and students.
• Study schedules at ÌìÃÀÂ鶹 are published until 1 December for the spring semester and until 1 May for the autumn semester.

• The attendance of classes of a subject (module) is carried out in accordance with the procedure laid out in the subject (module) description.

Registration for studies

Registration to resume studies

In order to resume studies, students who have suspended their studies or taken an academic leave have to submit an application for permission to resume their studies after the academic leave/suspension of studies no later than five days before the end of the academic leave/suspension of studies. In case the application is not submitted in time, the concluded study agreement is terminated, and the student is removed from ÌìÃÀÂ鶹 student list. These applications are submitted on the study administration platform of ÌìÃÀÂ鶹 — .

Registration for elective courses

At the end of each semester, students have to register for elective courses (modules) for the upcoming semester. The registration for elective courses (modules) takes place on : until 15 December for the spring semester (currently, until 1 January 2021 not applicable) and until 15 May for the autumn semester. You can get acquainted with the start and end dates for registration for electives by taking a look at the academic calendar of ÌìÃÀÂ鶹.

Students have the right to drop out from the selected study subjects (modules) and choose other study subjects (modules) instead. This can be carried out on no later than within two weeks since the beginning of the semester.

Assesment of learning achievements

At ÌìÃÀÂ鶹, a study subject (module) is considered completed (evaluated positively), if the final assessment of learning achievements received by a student is equal to or higher than 5 points.

If a student fails the final assessment of learning achievements (exam), he/she has the possibility to retake the final assessment of learning achievements of a subject (module) free of charge once. Resit exam timetables are to be published publicly on the website of ÌìÃÀÂ鶹 Å iauliai Academy and VUSIS until the beginning of a new semester.

Types of debt and debt elimination

If a student fails to pass the resit exam of a subject (module) (i.e., receives a mark lower than 5 points), a debt is generated, which can be eliminated in the following ways:

• by repeating the course (module);
• by successfully retaking the exam of the course (module) after self-studying without attending classes; or
• by replacing the subject (module) with another one (in case of general university studies).

If a student has repeated the subject (module), retaken the exam of the subject (module) for the first time without attending classes after self-studying or replaced the subject (module) with another subject but failed the exam and the resit exam of the subject (module), an academic debt is generated, which is settled through the above-mentioned methods of debt elimination.

It is important to note that ÌìÃÀÂ鶹 students who have collected more than 15 ECTS credits in debts and (or) academic debts are expelled from the University.

Arrival to assessment of learning achievements

If a student cannot participate in the final assessment of learning achievements (exam) of a subject (module) due to an illness or other significant reason, the student may address the head of ÌìÃÀÂ鶹 Å iauliai Academy for permission to arrange the final assessment of learning achievements of a subject (module) at another time but no later than within one month since the beginning of a new semester.

If a student does not attend the final assessment of learning achievements (exam) or an interim assessment of a subject (module), the student must inform the administration of ÌìÃÀÂ鶹 Å iauliai Academy within three working days of the scheduled date of the final (or interim) assessment and submit a document justifying his/her absence.

In case this cannot be conducted due to objective reasons, the student has to inform about the reason for his/her absence as soon as possible.

Entering and accounting of learning achievements

The final learning achievements of a course (module) are entered on VUSIS by the teacher of the course (module) of the chair of the evaluating commission within five working days since the final assessment of learning achievements (exam).

Procedures for assessing learning achievements and assessment-related appeal possibilities

In accordance with the established procedure, students who disagree with the final assessment of a subject (module) (excluding final examinations and final thesis defence assessments) have the right to address ÌìÃÀÂ鶹 Å iauliai Academy Dispute Resolution Commission by submitting a reasoned statement within seven calendar days from the date the final assessment of a subject (module) was published.

In accordance with the established procedure, students who disagree with the procedure applied in an interim assessment, the final assessment of learning achievements (exam) of a course (module), the final exam or the final thesis defence have the right to address ÌìÃÀÂ鶹 Siauliai Academy Dispute Resolution Commission within three working days from the interim assessment, final assessment of learning achievements of a course (module), final exam or final thesis defence.

Student ranking in terms of learning achievements

After each academic semester, in relation to the weighted average of students’ learning achievements of the latest semester at Siauliai University and (or) ÌìÃÀÂ鶹, a student ranking is composed, revealing the ranking of students who received the highest final assessments for the courses (modules) studied. The ranking is formed in a descending order in terms of the weighted average of learning achievements.

Notably, based on the results of the student ranking, incentive scholarships for learning achievements of the previous semester are also awarded to students.

If a student has gone abroad for part-time studies during the study semester, the weighted average of learning achievements of his/her last semester at ÌìÃÀÂ鶹 and (or) Å iauliai University is used in forming the student ranking. Students who return after an academic leave or suspension of studies are included in the student ranking based on the weighted average of learning achievements of their last semester at ÌìÃÀÂ鶹 and (or) Å iauliai University.

Student rotation in terms of learning achievements

The learning achievements of each student are classified into three levels of achievement, namely, excellent, average and sufficient:

• Excellent – the student has no academic debts, and the weighted average of his/her learning achievements of the assessed period ranges from 8 to 10 points;
• Average – the student has no academic debts, and the weighted average of his/her learning achievements of the assessed period is above 5 points but does not reach the excellent level of achievement;
• Sufficient – the student has no academic debts, and the weighted average of his/her learning achievements of the assessed period is above 4 points but does not reach the average level of achievement.

A well-performing student is an individual who has no academic debts, has fulfilled all the requirements of the study programme in the assessed period and has reached an excellent or average level of achievement; therefore, the person who meets the criteria of a well-performing student continues to hold his/her state-funded study place.

Significantly, the student rotation regarding the financing of studies with funds from the state budget does not apply to students in master's and professional study programmes. The level of learning achievement of a student in a state-funded place in the assessed period is determined on 30 September of each year. The results of the closest-in-time rotation of ÌìÃÀÂ鶹 Å iauliai Academy students for the 2020-2021 academic year will be announced on 30 September 2021.

It should be noted that a student can also retain the state-funded study place he/she holds even if he/she reaches only the sufficient level of learning achievement. However, this can occur only if there is no other student to whom the state-funded place could be transferred.

Preparation of final theses and other research papers

At ÌìÃÀÂ鶹, final theses and other research papers are to be drafted in accordance with the Regulations for the Preparation, Defence and Storage of Research Papers of Students Studying at ÌìÃÀÂ鶹 and the established procedure by ÌìÃÀÂ鶹 Å iauliai Academy.

Payment of tuition fees

Self-study course (module)

The fee payable for a self-study course (module) — studying individually without attending classes — equals to 25 percent of the fee for the course (module). The fee is to be paid no later than three working days before taking the exam.

Repetition of a course (module)

The fee payable for the repetition of a course (module) is calculated by multiplying the cost of a study credit by the number of credits of the course (module). The fee for the repetition of the course has to be paid no later than by the end of the first month of the semester in which the course (module) to be repeated is taught.

Taking a course (module) as a free listener

The fee payable for taking a course (module) as a free listener is calculated by multiplying the cost of a study credit by the number of credits of the course (module). Free listeners have to pay the fee within 15 working days after the day of signing the study agreement.

Students in places not funded by the state

The tuition fee payable for a semester is to be paid by the last day of the first month of the semester. The tuition fee for the spring semester of the 2020–2021 academic year is to be paid by 28 February 2021.

If a student has applied for a loan to cover the tuition fee, this payment can be deferred until the loan is granted but no longer than until 1 December in the autumn semester and 1 May in the spring semester.

If at the beginning of a semester a student does not have the needed funds to cover the full tuition fee for the whole semester, the tuition fee may be allowed to be paid in no more than three instalments; however, the first payment has to cover no less than 30 percent of the tuition fee payable and has to be paid no later than on the last day of the first month of the current semester. Applications for tuition fee deferrals and permissions to pay in instalments are to be submitted to the head of ÌìÃÀÂ鶹 Å iauliai Academy. The applications can be submitted through VUSIS.

Upon a request by a doctoral student, the payment of the annual tuition fee, with an approval by the head of ÌìÃÀÂ鶹 Å iauliai Academy, may be divided into instalments other than those provided for in the study agreement or postponed by the order of the Pro-Rector for Research at ÌìÃÀÂ鶹.

It is important to note the tuition fee for a student can be paid not only by the student himself/herself but also by other natural and legal persons (e.g., employers).

Tuition fees may also be reduced for students who actively participate in sports and represent ÌìÃÀÂ鶹 and for students participating in ÌìÃÀÂ鶹 research activities. In all cases, the tuition fee reduction for one semester is no less than 30 percent but no more than 70 percent.

Reimbursment of tuition fees

If a student of first- or second-cycle studies terminates his/her study agreement concluded with ÌìÃÀÂ鶹, the tuition fee paid can be reimbursed in the following cases:

Recovery of tuition fees

If a student fails to pay the tuition fee payable in time, the tuition fees or parts thereof can be recovered. If the tuition fee (or parts thereof) for the semester is not paid in time and if the student is expelled from ÌìÃÀÂ鶹 (by terminating the study agreement), the amount of the sums to be recovered for the semester are the following:

If a free listener fails to pay the fee for taking the course (module) exam (credit) within 15 working days from the signing of the study agreement, the recoverable amount is equal to the full fee.

In accordance with the amount due, a payment delayed after the term incurs a daily penalty equal to 0.02 percent of the amount due.

Completion of studies and settlement with the university

• A student completing or terminating his/her studies at ÌìÃÀÂ鶹 has to settle with the following departments of ÌìÃÀÂ鶹:

Every student will be able to monitor his/her settlement status with ÌìÃÀÂ鶹 departments on VUSIS.

A student who fails to settle with ÌìÃÀÂ鶹 departments will not be able to be receive documents certifying his/her studies.

• Students in bachelor’s, master’s or integrated study programmes who have completed their study programmes exceptionally well are awarded a Cum Laude diploma. Magna Cum Laude diplomas are awarded to students in bachelor's, master's or integrated study programmes who have completed their study programmes exceptionally well and distinguished themselves in their the field of research.

You can find out more about the Cum Laude and Magna Cum Laude diplomas and the criteria for their issuance here.