Transcript Slide 1

Implementing Bologna Process in
Croatia – the Role of Agency for
Science and Higher Education
Moscow, 11 November 2011
Overview
• The context of Higher Education in Croatia
• ASHE- role and activities
• Experts
The context of Higher Education in Croatia
• The main stakeholders:
MSES - Ministry of Science, Education and Sports
ASHE - Agency for Science and Higher Education
NCHE - National Council for Higher Education
NCS - National Council for Science
SU - Students’ Union
Rectors’ conference
HEIs
• 2001 - Croatia signed Bologna declaration
• 2003 - Act on the Scientific Activity and
Higher Education
• 2005 - Accreditation of Study Programmes
according to Bologna process
•
MSES - Education Sector Development
Plan 2005-2010
• 2006 - ESG were adopted in Croatia
• 2006 - Establishment of QA Units at HEIs
• 2009 - Quality Assurance Act
• 2011 - 3 new Acts on HE and science ( in procedure)
Croatian HE before 2004
Problems – within the HE system
• Very long time required to graduate – the average of 7.5 years for
pre-Bologna graduates (2005-2010 Development Plan)
• Very high drop-out rate (only 33% of enrolled students graduate)
• Limited mobility
• Practically no clearly defined outcomes nor programme objectives
Problems – caused by the issues within the system as well as
the higher education policies
• Employers not satisfied with students’ competences (Further
Bologna, 2006)
• Weak competitiveness at the European level
• Weak educational structure of the population
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Education System Development Plan 2005 -2010
• Priorities in higher education:
– Improve quality and efficiency of education.
• Objectives:
• Establish a quality assurance system for higher education in
the Republic of Croatia by 2006
• By 2010, decrease the drop-out rate to 50% and decrease the
graduation time to 6,5 years (at universities)
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Scheme of studies in Croatia
8.
Postgraduate
university
(dr.sc./dr.art)., 3
years
ECTS number regulated
by university
Postgraduate
professional
(spec), 1-2 years
Min. 300 ECTS
Graduate
(mag./dr. profession, spec), 1-2 years
60-120 ECTS bodova
7.
6.
5.
4.
3.
Undergraduate
(univ.bacc), 3-4 years
180-240 ECTS
2.
1.
UNIVERSITY STUDY
UNIVERSITIES
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YEAR
INSTITUTION
Graduate professional
(spec.profession), 1-2 years
60-120 ECTS
Undergraduate professional
(baccalareus/baccalaurea)
3-4 years
180-240 ECTS bodova
(pristup.profession)
<3 god.
<180 ECTS
PROFESSIONAL STUDY
UNIVERSITIES (OF APPLIED SCIENCE) &
UNIVERSITY COLLEGES OF APPLIED
SCIENCES
Croatian universities
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Croatian polytechnics
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Croatian colleges
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Bologna in numbers
• 2005 - 3+2+3 – restructuring
• 2005 - 828 programmes accredited –
undergraduate, graduate and professional – with
the help of international reviewers and an IT
system
• 2005 – first generation of Bologna students
enrolled
• 2005-2009 - 102 doctoral and 175 postgraduate
professional programmes accredited
• Until now – 1272 accredited Bologna study
programmes
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Other achievements in the
reform of HE system
• development of CQF
• implementation of State Matura
• establishment of new HEIs (around 30 new
HEIs, mostly private colleges and public
polytechnics)
• development of QA system (institutional,
national level)
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Resourcing of higher education
• Increase over 47% in HE state budget 20042008 (almost 12% annual increase)
• Additional €400 million secured in loans since
2004 for construction of new campuses in 6
cities (Zagreb, Rijeka, Split, Zadar, Osijek,
Dubrovnik)
• Over 2566 (20%) new full-time equivalent
positions opened 2004-2009
• Increased regional development of higher
education system in cooperation with the
Development and Employment Fund
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2009 Quality Assurance Act
• New and enhanced role of ASHE
• Establishment of new higher education
institutions – completely changed – a
system of “mentorship” introduced
• Quantitative accreditation criteria
– Teacher/ student ratio– 1/30
– Students/ space ratio – 1/1,26 m2
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Agency for Science and Higher
Education
• Established in 2005
• 2009 – redefinition of its role (Quality
Assurance Act) and strengthening of its
independence
• Unifies various activities related to the
science and higher education system
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Organizational structure
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ASHE activities
1. QA Role
2. Collecting and analysing data on the
system of science and HE
3. National ENIC/NARIC Office
4. Central Applications Office
5. Support to work of various bodies
6. International cooperation
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ASHE QA activities
QA Role (2009…)
Initial accreditation
Re-accreditation
Thematic evaluation
Audit
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ASHE QA activities
ASHE
activities
Self Peer
assessment review
Site
visit
Publication Follow-up
of a report procedure
Reaccreditation
+
+
+
+
+
Thematic
evaluation
+
+
Possible,
not
compulsory
+
Not formaly, but
a negative
outcome is
followed up by
re-accreditation
Audit
+
+
+
+
+
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ASHE QA activities
Re-accreditation
 5-year cycles
 All public and private HEIs + scientific organisations
established and/or financed by the State
 Checking fulfilment of necessary conditions prescribed
by the Ordinance + quality assessment on the basis of
established criteria
 Quality assessment affects the amount of financing from
the state budget
 20 HEIs are currently being re-accredited
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ASHE QA activities
Thematic evaluation
• Focus on a single segment of activities of a HEI or
evaluation of activities of similar evaluation subjects
• Outcome: a review report with an assessment; if the
assessment is negative, ASHE can launch a reaccreditation procedure
• Currently in procedure – thematic evaluation of public
research institutes
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ASHE QA activities
Audit
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CARDS 2003 project in 2006/08 – audit pilot project
ASHE developed audit model
Seminars for HEIs
In-house seminars for ASHE staff
Develop & promote quality culture
Audit manual
Currently in procedure (from 2010) – audit of Croatian
HEIs
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Transparency tools
• External quality assurance procedures in line
with the ESG, as well as European and
international best practices
• Foreign reviewers in the review panels
• Business representatives and students
included in the Management Board,
Accreditation Council and review panels
• An NGO representative included as a
member of the Accreditation Council
• Public reports
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Goals
• Integration of the Croatian science and higher
education system with the European systems
• Integration with the European Higher Education
Area
• Improved mobility
• Improved quality
• Recognisability and credibility of Croatian higher
education qualifications
• Access of persons with foreign higher education
qualifications to the Croatian labour market
• Equitable access to higher education system
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Working with experts
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Test for credibility of QA procedures
Sharing of good practice
Leading improvements
Valuable experience in professional
development
• Capacity building
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The audit team consists of:
2 representatives of HEIs (1 domestic, 1
foreign)
1 representative of a scientific institute or the
business sector
1 student representative
1 representative of ASHE
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Criteria for experts selection (audit):
• good knowledge of higher education, science and quality
assurance
• good knowledge of quality assurance systems
• participation in seminars for audit experts organised by
ASHE (on-line seminars for foreign experts)
• successful completion of seminar for audit
experts/certificate; database of audit experts
• participation in additional trainings for audit experts
• experience in audit
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Requirements for foreign experts –
re-accreditation:
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Competences in the discipline
Good knowledge of English language
Good oral and written communication skills
Teamwork
Non-conflict of interest and confidentiality
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Education
• Audit (procedure, standards, criteria, outcome)
– Basic training (Seminar+workshop→certificate
→inclusion in database)
– Additional training
– On-line seminars
• Re-accreditation
– 1 day prior to site-visit
(procedure, standards, criteria, outcome,
preparation for site-visit)
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Preparations for the site visit
Panel
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Reads the documents
Explores the web
Reflects on all issues
Shares initial impressions/findings (on the
meetings)
• Asks for additional documents (evidences)
• Puts a programme together (who to see, where
to go)
• Plans for the interview sessions
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What happens during the site
visit?
The review panel
• Holds interviews
• Checks documents
• Collects evidence
• Forms collective judgments
• Makes QA recommendations
• Holds an exit meeting/provides oral
feedback to the institution
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Expressing the conclusions
•
Avoid unjustified and overly prescriptive
statements
Consider the form and tone of the
conclusions
Identify both commendable practices and
areas for improvement
Provide firm evidence for conclusions
Avoid too diplomatic, indirect tone
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Exit Meeting
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with the leaders of the institution
the final assessment is not delivered
brief oral report – general impressions
presented by the panel chair
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Report
• within 1 month after the site-visit
• written by the chair of the expert panel
• all members should take notes during the
site-visit and cooperate in producing of the
report
• Report style (public document)
• Recommendation
• Adoption of the report
• Audit follow-up → Final report
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An institution’s expectations of
the agency’s report
The report is
• an external opinion
• substantiated by
evidence
• a set of recommendations
• timely
• well structured
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The report is NOT
• just what the institution wrote
• unsubstantiated
• prescriptive of the solutions
• late
• hard to follow
Lessons learned
• Involvement of all stakeholders in implementing
changes and carrying out activities
• Bring about changes– “bottom-up initiatives”
• International good practice – but implemented in
the national context (“no recipe”)
• Fair and equitable treatment of all stakeholders
(public, private, new or traditional higher education
institutions)
• Continuing education of employees/stakeholders
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Thank you for your attention!
[email protected]
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