Quality Assurance
The Icelandic Film School emphasizes robust reform-based quality work in the school's academic disciplines. The reform work is intended to maximize the quality of studies, artistic and professional teaching and research project with the goal of granting students, teachers and staff access to a knowledge society which fulfills Icelandic quality requirements in accordance with the university laws nr. 63/2008.
Quality Policy of IFS
The school fulfills international quality criteria and strives to follow requirements and instructions concerning quality assurances in the field of higher education in Europe, according to. ESG_2015 (Standards and Guidelines for Quality Assurance in the European Higher Education Area).
IFS quality policy lends a framework to the school's quality work and shapes it in the future. The policy is geared towards increasing the quality of university operations and ensures that research and degrees as well as the educational and operational environment at the university fulfills international quality standards and requirements.
The quality policy serves as a guideline for the school community and administrators, students and other school staff are to take the policy into consideration in all their work. The quality policy is part of a general school policy which is reviewed on a regular basis.
HUMAN RESOURCES
• The school offer the most qualified individuals positions at any given time. • School staff approach all their work with constant reform in mind to ensure an effective, fecund and encouraging environment for studies, research and operations within the film industry. • The school establishes a varied working environment dedicated to a diverse set of individuals working there, inter, al, in the spirit of the school's egalitarian policy.
EDUCATION AND TEACHING
• The study program at the school is based on defined departments, is encouraging, demanding, faces the challenges of modern times, fulfills international quality requirements and is well organized. • Teachers focus their presentations and teaching methods in accordance with the needs of the students and encourage them in their artistic endeavors and to show integrity where the highest professional teaching standards are observed. • The students are provided with an education which is to the advantage of Icelandic society and fulfills international standards and quality requirements. • Teachers are active in developing and updating the study program in accordance with school criteria and requirements and the students take an active part in this process.
The departments reflect the best and most current knowledge at any given time. The study program interweaves research and teaching in a purposeful manner with the goal of meeting the societal challenges at any given time.
RESEARCH AND ARTISTIC CRITERIA
• The school is conducive to research and artistic criteria being up to date and encourages the future development of the art of film. • The school advocates that research yields, including data and research results, be made accessible to all with the aid of information technology. • The school encourages professional and research collaboration both in this country and abroad. • The school strives towards academic staff flourishing in their artistic projects and research and encourages staff to cooperate.
INFRASTRUCTURE
• The university has a clear policy concerning infrastructure development which is conducive to optimal conditions for teaching, artistic endeavors and research. • The infrastructure fulfills legal obligations and demands and is in accordance with exemplary working methods. A report on IFS administrative units contains a description of the school's quality system, the demarcation of projects and responsibilities, procedures and instructions which shape school operations in terms of the study program, teaching, research and other main features of school operations. The report shall be subject to a regular review in accordance with the school goal that quality work on the school's behalf be regular and reform-centered. The IFS principal is responsible for the school's quality management. Emphasis is placed on ensuring active student participation in the school's inner quality work. The quality council is appointed by the quality director who is the council chairman, the president of Core, the office manager, the technical director and one student representative appointed by the student association board. The quality council is responsible for university quality control vis-a-vis the principal and shall ensure the school operation are in accordance with internal and external quality standards.
The quality council is responsible for the publication of a report on administrative units and its constant revision.
This policy was approved by the school's board of directors and the university transition committee 2.9. 2022.
Regulations on the IFS Research Council
1st article Role
The role of the research council is organization, consultation, proposals and evaluation in the field of academic research at the IFS.
2nd article Appointments to the Research Council
The council is to consist of three PhD holders recruited from outside the school. Two active in visual media and one doctor of philosophy. A fourth representative is from the school and is responsible for data registration. The board of directors appoints representatives to the research council by appointment or received applications. Appointments are made for a period of five years at a time. At the end of which time the period of appointment is over. Council members and the board can reach an agreement on 1-2 additional years of council service, for the sake of consistency while new council members are found and appointed. This is an arrangement of loose appointments so either party can cancel council membership on short or long notice during the period of appointment. In which case every attempt shall be made to have this affect as little as possible the candidates who are academic staff members and active researchers.
3rd article The Task of the Research Council
The task of the research council consists primarily of consultation and supervision.
a. Consultation with school administrators on arrangement and policy-making concerning research operations.
b. Consultation with academic staff on their research and academic work.
c. Consultation and supervision on the school's research lab operations.
d. An annual evaluation of research work and the delivery of a short report.
The council convenes at least 2 annual meetings and reviews the status of projects. If a council member assumes research work beyond general consultation such as direct editing work then this contribution is to be negotiated especially.
4th article Administrative Position of the Research Council
The research council answers directly to the school's board of directors. Outside representatives are paid aa annual renumeration for IFS council membership commensurable with two meetings per annum and modest minimal preparatory work for said meetings. In addition to some e-mail exchanges between meetings. In the event of council members assuming bigger projects in relation to council work they shall be compensated with an hourly salary comparable to that of part-time teachers at the school at the given time.
These rules approved by the school's board of directors and the university transition committee 2.9. 2022.
IFS Code of ethics
IFS staff and students strive to form a community where relations and work methods are characterized by mutual respect, integrity, justice and responsibility. The goal with the code of ethics is to be instrumental in that the behavior of those who work and study at the school fulfill the highest moral standards within the school community. The code of ethics is set out in 13 sections. These are guidelines and should not be viewed as an exhaustive summary of becoming conduct. Violations of the code of ethics should be reported to a regular school staff member who will pass them on to the school council. The school council then evaluates whether it is necessary to active the ethics committee, according to procedure.
Code of ethics
1. Staff and students respect those who work and study at the school as individuals, treat them with consideration and observe confidentiality in their dealings with them
2. Staff and students shall prevent any sort of injustice taking place at the school, such as bullying, sexual harassment and other forms of discrimination, for example on account of gender, age, faith, nationality, race, disability, sexual orientation or views.
3. Staff and students respect the university community’s freedom of expression and conduct exchanges of opinion in a professional, objective and responsible manner.
4. The staff is cognizant of their position of power in their dealings with students and makes certain not to abuse their position of authority.
5. Staff and students are protective of the reputation of the school and do nothing that may tarnish the school’s community standing.
6. Staff and students seek knowledge with integrity and objectivity and stress professional and artistic practices, critical and creative thinking and objective reasoning.
7. Staff and students observe privacy protection and protect the interests of those who collaborate and conduct research with them.
8. Staff and students respect academic freedom, conduct their work at all times in accordance with their own convictions and do not allow themselves to be swayed by personal interests. The variety and complexity of the motion picture art form, professionalism, academic independence and independence in research and teaching are respected.
9. Staff and students respect intellectual property rights, do not plagiarize the ideas of others and always take pains to cite the sources they use, in accordance with the traditions of the arts and knowledge community.
10. School staff strives to create a fertile and encouraging educational environment for their students, in an atmosphere of trust and respect.
11. School students are responsible for their studies and are honest and considerate in their dealings with others.
12. Staff and students show responsibility towards the community at large, the environment and nature when teaching, conducting research or engaged in artistic endeavors.
13. Staff and students are active participants in the operation and development of the school and consider it their duty to disseminate information and knowledge with a view to improving school practices.
A violation of the code of ethics can lead to expulsion from the school.
These rules were approved by the school's board of directors and the university transition committee 2.9. 2022.