The programme is aimed at providing the framework for training auditors who will perform audits on social responsibility at universities.

The auditor training programme aims at reaching the following outcomes:

• After the completion of the study programme students will be able to identify problems and resources of the University Social Responsibility (USR);
• Students will have knowledge about social audit and will be able to perform an auditing process on social responsibility at a University;
• Students will be able to conduct interviews with focus groups and individuals as tools to carry out an audit and collect data;
• Students will be able to analyse the data collected and reflect on it;
• Students will have skills in writing and presenting a report as feedback to the institution audited;
• Students will be able to self-reflect and self-assess personal learning.

Students participating in the programme also gain "soft" skills: they improve their skills of teamwork, critical thinking, time management, foreign language, and social abilities to work in an international setting and team. Such skills will be valuable for them in the future.

The Auditor Training Programme developed during the project is organised as a process: observe/reflect, explore, act, evaluate and modify.

• During the "Observe" phase students carry out desk research on University Social Responsibility, get acquainted with the concept of social responsibility
• The "Explore" phase addresses a problem and challenges and includes some online and workbook readings.
• The "Act" phase is intended for actual training of students on audits, auditing of social responsibility and institutions. This phase involves collecting, analysing data and generating evidence by means of interviewing, meeting with focus groups and final reporting.
• The "Evaluate" phase is related to the assessment of learning and the completion of a reflective learning log and provision of feedback, defined as "lessons learned" that might indicate room for improvement.
• The "Modify" phase is related to the development of new aims and setting of new directions with an aim to move forward and increase social responsibility at the institution audited.

The Auditor Training Programme comprises the following units: Introduction to the project and main USR  concepts; self-introductions and expectations from the training; USR Audit and auditing, auditor skills, team-building; USR Benchmarking criteria; Methods of auditing; Simulation of USR audit; Report writing.

The programme is designed as a three-phase process organised in a blended mode: an online preparatory phase, a face-to-face 6-day (approximately 40 hours) auditor training and individual work carried out by students as a post-course.

The preparatory phase includes desk research of students on:

- ESSA project and USR;

- context of the project;

- country related logistics (information about the institution where the audit will take place);

- profile of students;

- research methods on auditing;

- time-management.

The final phase includes:

- Actual audits in host universities;

- Time management and working rules;

- Audit report writing.

 

Four cohorts of 6-7 students from each partner university have been trained so far. During the Auditor training programme students write their reflections about their learning process, they fill in pre-and post-training surveys. The Auditor training programme is revised and updated after each training and audit completed.