Dear students, 

I would like to share with you information regarding the Hebrew University’s teaching policies in the coming academic year (2022/2023), and to update you regarding the state of our University.

1. Student satisfaction. The survey that we conduct at the conclusion of each course is designed to get your feedback on the extent to which we are meeting your expectations of us. The survey results show that your overall satisfaction with courses is high, and satisfaction with the course instructors is even higher (the scores are on a scale from 1 to 9, with adjustments for large courses):

In the field of student satisfaction with instructors, we managed to maintain high scores. However, there is a decrease in the reported degree of student satisfaction with the courses. We are working intensively to draw lessons to improve the quality of teaching at the University.  Thank you for participating in the survey and for your feedback, which is very helpful.

2. High failure rates in certain courses is a matter that continues to concern us. In the second semester of the 2021/2022 academic year, the University had about 65 courses in which over 15% of the students received a final failing grade after the first final exam. We do not adjust grades (“factor”) automatically, but in any case in which a course has a high rate of students who fail it, we work to identify the causes and find solutions. Sometimes, the reason is suboptimal teaching. In others, students fail courses because they are not sufficiently prepared to understand the material taught in that course; for such cases, we are adding preparatory courses, changing the curriculum in previous courses and adding active practice sessions and quizzes. There is a high correlation between active participation in courses and success in the course, and thus, as detailed below, we are taking steps to encourage participation in classes.

At the Hebrew University, our goal is for everyone to succeed in their studies. We allow re-studying of a course following failure, without payment of additional tuition for this, and we maintain a lenient policy regarding the possibility of re-studying an academic year following failure. We hope that this policy will help as many students as possible to successfully complete their studies, without compromising on the high level of studies. The dedicated staff of the Dean of Students’ office is at your disposal in a variety of areas, to help you succeed.

3. Student attendance in lessons. Many instructors report a decrease in the number of students attending classes. Student absenteeism from classes stems from various reasons, including: availability of recordings; the pressure placed on students to work while studying at the University (to gain relevant experience and to earn a living); participation in another course that is taught at the same time; and the assumption (which is sometimes wrong), that there is no real benefit from attending a class that takes place in the format of a lecture, without the active participation of students. Absence from classes is frustrating, because it hinders the quality of teaching and learning, and often, as mentioned, explains the high rate of failure in certain courses. In light of this, we are taking extensive steps in this matter. We have instructed the departments to examine the enforcement of mandatory attendance (the standard mandatory attendance is 80% of the classes in each course, excluding justified absence), and to expand the incentives encouraging attendance in classes, such as administering exams during class meetings, awarding a bonus grade for active participation in class, offering guided solution of questions and encouragement of active learning.

The class recordings are an important means of learning, and as a rule, are subject to the teacher's discretion, in courses in which the attendance requirement is enforced, the recordings will continue to be available immediately at the end of each lesson. On the other hand, in courses where attendance will not be enforced, the instructors have been instructed to consider making the recordings accessible during the semester only to students who were absent from class for justified reasons, and to allow free viewing of the recordings only towards the end of the semester.

These moves are designed to improve the quality of teaching and learning at the University, and are expected to contribute significantly to your success. Please prepare yourself for this as soon as possible, by finding a place to live (in Jerusalem or in Rehovot, according to the campus at which you will be studying), and by avoiding studying courses that take place at the same time.

4. Achievements in the field of research. The University's researchers, including the University’s master’s and doctoral students, excel in research activity. This is reflected in our improved achievements in the indices that measure various aspects of the University’s research contribution. Among all higher education institutions in Israel, the Hebrew University leads in research contribution (measured by the number of articles published by University researchers and the quality of the journals in which the articles are published, the winning of competitive research grants, and more). We also continue to lead in international rankings, which measure various aspects of research activity in institutions worldwide. In the recently published Shanghai index, which gains much media prominence, our University ranked 77^th, among thousands of institutions around the world:

I wish you a pleasant summer and a successful academic year.

These days, I am completing my five-year tenure as HUJI rector, the person in charge of all academic activities at the University. At the conclusion of my term, I will be returning to serve as a teacher and researcher (at the Faculty of Law). I enjoyed my work as rector, thanks to the excellent administrative and academic staff who comprise the Hebrew University, and not least, thanks to the Hebrew University’s excellent student body. Thank you for being part of the University's community. Thanks also to the representatives of the Student Union for the excellent collaboration. I wish much success to the incoming rector, Prof. Tamir Sheafer. Please try to continue to be generous and open-hearted.

Sincerely yours,

Barak