On 12 September 2019, the Open University of China (OUC) held the Co-construction and Sharing Majors Acceptance Summary and Promotion Exchange Meeting in Beijing. More than 110 people from 25 branches, 12 industry colleges, and related departments at the headquarters attended the meeting to discuss the construction and development of co-construction and sharing majors. Lin Yu, vice president of the OUC, and some branch schools leaders attended the meeting.

From November 2018 to July 2019, the OUC headquarters organised nearly 80 experts and conducted the first batch of field inspection and acceptance for 29 majors in 13 branches. After strict evaluation by the expert panel, nine majors (orientations) were accepted and allowed to carry out enrolment nationwide; five majors (orientations) were accepted and allowed to carry out enrolment in some specified areas; 12 majors (orientations) were forced to conduct rectification within a certain time and then were allowed to carry out the national enrolment; three majors (orientations) were forced to conduct rectification within a time limit and then were allowed to carry out enrolment in some specified areas. At the same time, seven majors (orientations) were forced to suspend enrolment. In September 2019, the OUC will organise the second batch of co-construction and sharing majors acceptance work.

The meeting was presided over by Chen Kun. Vice chairman of the Teaching Affairs Department Ye Zhihong gave a keynote speech on "Improving the Quality of Major Construction and Building an OUC Brand,” which comprehensively summarised the results and problems of the first batch of acceptance work and deployed the arrangements and requirements for the second batch of acceptance work. Ye Zhihong said that most of the construction units that participated in the first batch of acceptance work attached great importance to major construction. The constructions of certain majors have involved a range of innovations, which reflect regional and industrial characteristics. Their professional talent training objectives are clear and feasible, capable of implementing the fundamental task of building virtue through education. However, there are also some common problems that will require the construction units to continue to strengthen their support, further clarify their positioning of serving the people nationwide, focus on strengthening the construction of online course resources and mobile digital resources, promote the establishment of an online teaching network serving the nation, and strengthen the exchanges and coordination of relevant departments of the OUC headquarters and other departments. With the promulgation of the National Vocational Education Reform Implementation Plan and Discipline Teaching Standards for Higher Vocational Schools, and other policies, Ye Zhihong said that during the follow-up process for the co-construction and sharing of major construction, the OUC must pay close attention to the management of quality and standards, and jointly build an OUC brand.

In response to the common problems highlighted in the first batch of the acceptance work, the heads of relevant departments at the OUC headquarters gave detailed explanations. Wang Weiyan, director of the OUC Online Operation and Maintenance Centre, introduced the common functions of the OUC learning platform and demonstrated the online course construction process. Wang Ran, deputy director of the Department of Learning Resources, explained the basic situation, management mechanism, and standards of curriculum resource construction, and held on-the-spot exchanges with the other attendees on the problems, challenges, and countermeasures faced in resource construction. Qi Wenxin, deputy director of the Academic Affairs Department, introduced the formation and operation of the online teaching team; expounded the importance, necessity, and reality of the formation of the online teaching team; and clarified the goals and tasks of construction, as well as the requirements for team formation, operational mechanisms, and guarantee measures.

The branch representatives exchanged experiences and shared their opinions on the construction of the co-construction and sharing majors. The Fujian Branch used its distinctive tea art and tea marketing major (tea evaluation and marketing orientation) as an example to demonstrate the main methods and effects of shared major construction from three aspects: major connotation construction, talent training model, and teaching research achievements. Taking the fundamental task of virtue building through education and the construction of Hainan Free Trade Zone as a starting point, the Hainan Branch introduced the concept and ideas of shared major construction, and exchanged experiences and practices from the exploration of the talent training model, the improvement of vocational skills and the implementation of the teaching process. In combination with the current dual opportunities of the revitalisation of the old industrial bases in Northeast China and the opening up of coastal areas, the Liaoning Branch introduced the entire process of the two shared major constructions it had undertaken.

In combination with the theme of the meeting, the participants discussed issues such as problems and confusion in major construction, the collaborative development of tea art and tea marketing, and OUC Major Setup and Management Measures (Draft for Discussion).

Vice president Lin Yu gave a summary of the meeting. He affirmed the achievements of the acceptance work and touched on the problems and shortcomings. He pointed out that the goal of the education and teaching reform of the OUC is to build a quality OUC teaching organisation system through the implementation of academic education and quality improvement strategies. From the perspective of major development, he pointed out the tasks and directions for the follow-up work: First, adjust the major structure. The goals of the promulgation of OUC Major Setup and Management Measures was the institutionalisation of major setup, as well as the delegation of duties and responsibilities, highlighting performance appraisal, mobilising system strength, and jointly adjusting major structure. Second, it is necessary to optimise teaching resources. We should unify the construction standards and assessment mechanism for resources, adhere to systematic overall planning, promote the improvement of the standard system, and build high-quality resources. Third, we should improve team building and implement Opinions on Deepening the Construction of Online Teaching Teams and Administrative Measures for the Construction of the OUC Online Teaching Team. Furthermore, we should promote the construction of the OUC teaching faculty system. We should design assessment according to strict standards and reward different methodology in order to achieve "managing all and all in management.” Fourth, it is necessary to enhance the effectiveness of teaching by collecting teaching and learning information from various channels. We should ensure that the effectiveness of teaching can be measured through system design and then improve the setup standards and requirements of the study centres. We should also improve grassroots management mechanisms.

Lin Yu pointed out that it is necessary to start from system construction to systematically consider and gradually eliminate the problems we are currently facing, and then achieve the purpose of guaranteeing and improving the quality of education and teaching. It is necessary to seize the opportunity of the 40th anniversary of the founding of the OUC, the favourable conditions for the OUC's nationwide network, and the increasing demand of society for continuing education. We should work hard and focus on this, in order to promote teaching reform, enhance the cohesiveness of the OUC system and the school operation ability, and lead the OUC on a positive development path.

The participants agreed that through the summary of the acceptance work, the meeting identified key problems, reached a consensus, strengthened communication, and clarified the concepts and tasks of the co-construction and sharing majors for the present and future. Overall, this is of great significance in improving the quality of major construction at the OUC and promoting the reform and development of school education and teaching.

By Guo Meng, OUC