Policy for Supporting, Developing, and Evaluating HOU Academic Staff
The Hellenic Open University (HOU) recognises the importance of its teaching staff (DEP and SEP) and their contribution to delivering high-quality university education and achieving its academic goals.
HOU is committed to the continuous support, development, and evaluation of its teaching staff through:
- implementing transparent and merit-based procedures for staff selection;
- ensuring the numerical adequacy of teaching staff;
- providing appropriate working conditions;
- offering opportunities for academic and professional development;
- continuously evaluating teaching performance based on clearly defined quality criteria.
HOU promotes the ongoing enhancement of academic activity by implementing actions aimed at further developing and connecting learning communities, fostering educational innovation, adopting modern teaching methods using new technologies, and strengthening research to deliver high-quality outputs.
The selection of Adjunct Teaching Staff (SEP) is based on publicly announced, rigorous criteria that ensure the recruitment of highly qualified academic personnel suitable for the subjects taught in the offered Study Programmes (SP). The success of this policy is demonstrated by student satisfaction, as expressed during the evaluation process of teaching staff by students, and by the achievement of the University’s academic objectives.
Furthermore, HOU acknowledges the need for continuous professional development of teaching staff to maintain a high level of knowledge and skills. Outreach activities are encouraged, such as participation in mobility programmes and conferences; educational leave is granted (for permanent teaching staff – DEP), along with support for increasing the quantity and quality of research output by members of the academic unit.
Indicative Actions by HOU
- Support for permanent teaching staff (DEP), such as:
- annual funding for participation in national and international scientific conferences,
- funding for research proposals,
- training and teaching within the framework of cooperation with European universities through the Erasmus programme or under memoranda of understanding with foreign universities.
- ii) Support for Adjunct Teaching Staff (SEP), such as:
- training of new teaching staff in distance education methodology through the Lifelong Learning Centre,
- training of existing staff on advanced topics in distance education methodology through the Lifelong Learning Centre,
- establishment and operation of the Teaching and Learning Support Centre, aimed at continuously improving the quality and effectiveness of education and teaching activities.
Evaluation of Teaching Staff
The evaluation of teaching staff aims to generate and provide evidence that can contribute -through its utilization- to improving the quality of the educational process at HOU. Teaching staff are evaluated periodically by students as well as by Module Coordinators and Directors of SP. The Institution’s goal is to maintain a culture of evaluation, increase participation in evaluations, and continuously enhance teaching staff performance.
Evaluation results help to understand students’ perceptions based on their experience in the modules and identify areas for improvement at both tutor and module level. The Coordinator and the Director of SP gain an overall picture of the module and the SP respectively, enabling them to implement improvement actions where necessary. Schools and the Senate, based on a comprehensive assessment of evaluations, compare evaluation data at the SP level and identify issues for improvement. Additionally, the Institution considers evaluations for scoring both in the recruitment and contract renewal of Adjunct Teaching Staff.
Finally, HOU applies quality assurance procedures for all staff (teaching and administrative) supporting the Study Programmes, which are reflected in regulatory documents (e.g., SEP obligations regulation, research ethics code, etc.).
The Policy for Supporting, Developing, and Evaluating HOU teaching staff is approved by the University Senate and published on the Institution’s main website at: https://www.eap.gr/en/politiki-ypostiriksis-anaptiksis-prosopikou-ps/.
Its implementation, monitoring, and revision are carried out in accordance with the procedures of the Institution’s Internal Quality Assurance System.
26th Senate Meeting – 7 November 2025 (Version 2)
Documentation History
For transparency and archival purposes, the previous version of the Policy for Supporting, Developing, and Evaluating HOU Academic Staff remains accessible below:
