Communications for a University Department Self-Assessment - A Case Study

A self-review process of an Electrical and Computer Engineering Faculty at the University of Iceland is presented, with emphasis on the communications aspects of the work. The self-review was carried out by an interdisciplinary self-review team, consisting of representatives from various stakeholders, such as the university administration, academic staff, students, former students working in industry and an international reviewer. Conducting an efficient self-review work of this diverse group, which was not always in the same location, required various communications skills and techniques. The challenges of conducting meetings with remotely located members, sharing data and documents, and efficiently assigning tasks were augmented by the fact that the university is relatively remotely located geographically, with typical communication distances of several time zones. The processes and tools for communications used for work within the self-review team, as well as communications with external stakeholders are discussed. Some of the primary lessons drawn from the exercise are discussed.