FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
Who is the Newman assessment system for?
The Newman assessment system is aimed at all Catholic higher education institutions regardless of their size or seniority, and regardless of their IFCU membership.
I am afraid that my institution’s practices and policies in terms of social responsibility are not enough to obtain labels, what can I get from the Newman evaluation?
Your participation in the Newman assessment will give you access to the Newman Framework, which is the most comprehensive and relevant USR framework for Catholic academia to date. You will then have a real working tool that allows you to identify the different fields and sub-fields covered by USR in the academic environment. The device will also allow you to identify your strengths and weaknesses in terms of USR, and to have reliable data presented in the form of a Dashboard to redefine your institutional development strategy (or to start designing one); it is a decision support tool. Likewise, you will always be able to communicate on specific aspects in which your university is effective, by producing your own tables, infographics, videos based on the elements presented in the Dashboard. In addition, a label of recognition, “University committed to social responsibility”, will be awarded regardless of the results.
Should I communicate the results of the assessment?
Each university is free to decide on the use of the results and quality labels received. IFCU will only publish the names of participating universities on its website and communication supports. The results of each university are private, only the university in question can access its own online Dashboard. The institutions evaluated are free to decide whether or not they wish to make public their results and any quality labels obtained, as well as the channels to do so.
Is Artificial Intelligence reliable for evaluating our institutions in terms of USR?
The Mileva artificial intelligence tool is an analysis and forecasting tool that provides a reliable diagnosis as well as personalized suggestions for improvement. It produces contextualized analyzes based on the data provided and the specificities of the context in which each establishment is located. Mileva has proven itself with many renowned organizations such as the MIT, the NASA or United Nations agencies.
In terms of communication, what would be the advantages that universities could derive from the Newman evaluation, in addition to the labels?
With the aim of accompanying universities in their university social responsibility approach, IFCU has developed a communication toolkit in the form of a brochure. This kit provides a non-exhaustive list of means that universities can make use of to communicate on their approach and gives them clues to benefit from their participation in the evaluation.
Kit available by clicking here.
Is it possible to get an overview of the indicators of the Newman Framework before the opening of the platform?
Yes, it is. Before you register, we can send you some examples of indicators covered by the Framework if you request them. And once you have registered for the assessment, you will receive the complete Newman Framework in Excel format containing all the indicators. This will allow you to start gathering the information and documents needed to feed the evaluation platform as soon as it opens.
Is it possible to obtain a list of the documents that could be requested from us for the evaluation?
Yes, it is, we have prepared a list that contains examples of documents/materials that you can provide, you are then free to submit those you want/have. This is in no way a list of mandatory documents. To receive this list, we invite you to contact us by email. In any case, we strongly advise you to provide as much material as possible to qualify and clarify your answers.
