Transcript FIPSE - University of Toledo

EU – US ATLANTIS PROGRAMME
Short-Cycle Higher Education
in Europe and the United States:
Addressing Social and Economic Needs
ATLANTIS PROJECT PRESENTATION
June 15-16, 2009
1st International Conference:
Recognition and Quality Assurance
of Short-Cycle Higher Education
Golden Sands, Bulgaria
The Project – an Opportunity to Collaborate in a Transatlantic
Consortium of 4 Institutions:
University of Toledo, Toledo, Ohio, USA
Owens Community College, Toledo, Ohio, USA
International University College, Dobrich, Bulgaria
LEIDO, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
Two critical factors made our partnership possible:
CRITICAL FACTOR 1:
ATLANTIS Programme
EU-US Cooperation in Higher Education and Vocational Training
Result of an agreement on higher education and vocational training between
the European Union and the United States of America signed in June 2006
for the period 2006-2013. The program is designed and funded jointly by
the European Commission and by the US Department of Education.
It aims at promoting understanding between the peoples of the
European Union and the United States of America and improving the
quality of their human resource development.
ATLANTIS Programme: Main Actions
•Transatlantic Degree action, supports partnerships towards setting up
joint study programs - including joint/double degrees;
•Excellence Mobility Projects, supports student mobility within successful
consortia;
•Policy-oriented measures, addresses comparative higher education and
vocational training issues, and promotes dialogue on recognition of
qualifications and accreditations; collaboration, dissemination of information,
and exchange of best practices
CRITICAL FACTOR 2:
Growing Importance of Short-Cycle Higher Education
Programs and Qualifications
• Short-Cycle Higher Education
• Tertiary Short Cycle
• Sub-degree Higher Education
OECD’s definition of SCHE: - “…a level or stage of studies
beyond secondary education which can lead to a qualification
recognized on the labor market” (Kirsch et al., 2003)
Main Functions of Short-Cycle Systems
1. To respond to increasing demand for higher education;
2. To contribute toward greater equality of educational
opportunity;
3. To respond to the growing need for a diversified range of
qualified manpower;
4. To generate and facilitate innovational practices not often
accepted by universities;
5. To decentralize and regionalize higher education.
(Kintzer, 1980)
In Europe:
The importance of SCHE - recognized in the Bologna Process
•A collective effort of public authorities, universities, teachers,
students, stakeholder associations, employers, quality assurance
agencies, international organizations
•Crosses EU borders but is closely connected with EU policies
•For the EU - part of a broader effort in the drive for a Europe of
knowledge which includes:
•lifelong learning and development,
•the Lisbon Agenda for Growth and Jobs and Social Inclusion,
•the Copenhagen Process for enhanced European co-operation in VET;
•initiatives under the European Research Area.
In Europe:
The 2003 Berlin Conference of European Ministers Responsible for
Higher Education invited:
“the Follow-up Group to explore whether and how shorter higher
education may be linked to the first cycle of a qualifications
framework for the European Higher Education Area.”
The European Qualifications Framework, adopted by the European
Parliament and Council on April 23, 2008, placed SCHE at Level 5
(as programs that can be offered WITHIN the first level of higher
education (bachelor’s).
In the United States:
The importance of 2-year institutions, mostly community colleges,
has grown tremendously in the last several years in light of:
- Economic crisis and the need for skilled professionals in a
knowledge-based economy;
- Need to raise educational attainment nation-wide in order to
remain globally competitive;
- Needs for regional initiatives and community invigoration.
Each of the project partners identified a critical issue related to
SCHE to focus on:
US partners: partnerships between SCHE, HE institutions
and industry;
Dutch partner: the contribution of SCHE to life-long and
life-wide learning systems;
Bulgarian partner: recognition and quality assurance of
SCHE programs and qualifications.
These issues are at the core of our THREE project objectives:
Objective 1:
To stimulate discussions and exchange of best practices and
experience in these three critical policy areas concerning SCHE
Objective 2:
To provide a forum for international exchange of ideas and
best practices through the organization of three international
conferences in those critical policy areas:
1st International Conference: June 15-16, 2009 – Bulgaria
Recognition and Accreditation of Short-Cycle Higher Education
Programs in Europe and the US
2nd International Conference: October 15-16, 2009 – Toledo, USA
Educational Partnerships for Economic and Community Development:
Emerging Trends from the US and Europe
3rd International Conference: June, 2010–Amsterdam, the Netherlands
The Contribution of SCHE to Life-Long and Life-Wide Learning
Systems
Objective 3:
To lay the grounds of a feasibility study on transatlantic
collaboration in the development of dual/joint SCHE degrees
in business and tourism and hospitality management amongst
participating institutions.
Partner Institutions and Background on Choice of
Objectives:
US Partners
Dutch Partner
Bulgarian Partner
Short-Cycle Higher Education in the United States
2-year Associate’s degree – the first post-secondary degree
Most common abbreviations:
AA – Associate of Arts
AS – Associate of Sciences
AAS – Associate of Applied Sciences
Short-cycle certificates and licenses
Community Colleges - a Major Player in Short-Cycle Higher
Education in the United States
Factors underlining the growing importance of community
colleges in powering state and national knowledge-based
economy and society:
• economic
• social
• financial
Economic Factors:
• Severe economic crisis and erosion of manufacturing base –
need for re-training the workforce
• Competitive global knowledge-based economies require:
- shortening of the “degree gap” (difference in the rate of
degree production between the USA and its top competitors)
-
16 million more Americans are needed to earn degrees by 2025
(37% increase in production per year) to stay competitive with
leading developed nations (NCHEMS)
- raising of educational levels of the population:
- only 48% of adults meet adult literacy minimum
standards (National Adult Literacy Survey, 2007)
- as many as 50% of entering college students must
complete at least one developmental course
Social Factors:
• Need to provide equality of educational opportunity
63% of the 18.9 million new jobs that will be created by
2014 will require some postsecondary education (Bureau of Labor
Statistics, 2005) – underserved populations are key to filling these
jobs.
• Need to serve adult and non-traditional students – “the new
majority”
• Offer opportunities for life-long learning
Financial Factors:
Rising tuition and constrained financial support threaten college
affordability for majority of the population
Tuition and Fees (The
College Board, 2008)
Why Community Colleges:
Well-developed network: 1,202 public community colleges
A campus is within driving distance of 90% of the population
Enrollment Capacity: 11.6 million students (46% of all undergrads)
6.6 million students for-credit
5 million students non-credit
40% full-time students
27% employed full time
50% employed part time
Average age is 29
Open-door Policies
Low costs
Multi-function Institutions
 Federal Level:
President Obama’s administration embraced the ambition to renew
America's status as the world leader in college attainment.
His request to every American:
“to commit to at least one year or more of higher education or
career training. This can be community college or a four-year
school; vocational training or an apprenticeship… But whatever
the training may be, every American will need to get more than a
high school diploma” (President’s speech to the February 25th Joint Session of
Congress)
 State Level:
From Ohio: The emerging University System of Ohio
Short-Cycle Higher Education in the Netherlands
The New Associate’s Degree
- Phasing out “kort HBO” ISCED 5B programs by 2007
- Piloting Associate degree programs, offered through 20
hogescholen and two private institutions
- Current evaluations of the results are in progress – final
decision to be made in 2010
- Critical role of the business sector in the introduction of this
new degree
- The place of the new degree in the LLL and RPL systems
Short-Cycle Higher Education in Bulgaria
Replacing the “Specialist in…” (ISCED 5B) Degree with a
Professional Bachelor (ISCED 5B)
ISCED Level 5A: Tertiary programs “that are largely theoretically based”
and provide “sufficient qualifications” for moving on to “advanced
research programs” and professions “with high skills requirements.” These
programs are a minimum of three years of “full-time equivalent duration,”
and assume the completion of secondary education. Master’s degree
programs are included here along with Bachelor’s.
ISCED Level 5B: Shorter Tertiary programs than those covered in 5A,
and that “focus on occupationally specific skills geared for entry into the
labor market, although some theoretical foundations may be covered.”
Level 5B programs are of two to three years duration, and do not provide
access to advanced research.
ISCED Classification as
a Guide
0
ISCED-1997: Learning
Pathways
1
2B
2A
2C
3А, 3В
3A
L
LM
M
3C
3B
4A
4B
L
LM
M
Post secondary, non
tertiary education
L
LM
M
5A
5B
L
LM
M
L
LM
M
Practical/technical/occupationally
specific programmes, 2 to 3 years
long, focus on the labor market
6
LM: Labor Market
0
ISCED-1997: Learning
Pathways, BULGARIA
(NSI)
1
2B
2A
2C
3А, 3В
3A
3B
LM
Vocational Colleges, 2 years,
4B 4С
Class IV Professional
Qualification
4A
5A
LM
3C
5B
LM
LM
Colleges, 3 years, Professional Bachelor
LM
6
LM: Labor Market
Evolution of SCHE in Bulgaria
ALL
1990/ 1992/ 1993/ 1996/ 1998/ 2000/ 2001/ 2002/ 2005/ 2007/ 2008/
1
3
4
7
9
1
2
3
6
8
9
Independent
46
47
47
3
4
4
8
9
10
10
10
Within
Universities
-
-
-
43
42
43
40
40
40
31
28
PRIVATE
Students
31943 30261 27791 24981 22065 16369 16646 14801 23608 26169 27724
(ISCED-5В)
17% 15.5% 13.5% 9.5% 8.2% 6.6% 7.3% 6.4% 9.7% 9.9% 10.1%
% of all sts.
Independent
-
2
2
1
2
2
6
7
9
9
9
Within
Universities
-
-
-
2
4
4
-
-
-
-
-
Students in
private
colleges
(% of all
ISCED-5B)
-
171 246 1238 2691 2440 3047 2635 11250 17565 19273
0.6% 0.9% 5% 12.2% 14.9% 18.3% 17.8% 47.7% 67.1% 69.5%
- A study (Slantcheva et al.) commissioned by the Ministry
of Education in 2005 studied the college sector and
documented a number of challenges:
FACULTY:
- majority: part-time; many travelling (often long-distances) from
universities just to teach a course or two
Public
1999/2000
2000/2001
2001/2002
2002/2003
2003/2004
Private
Total
From these, full-time
Total
From these, full-time
2207
2001
2126
2076
2033
968
967
876
837
854
160
166
216
218
281
45
44
88
88
85
Educational Areas
Agrarian Studies and Veterinary Medicine
Very low
student/faculty
ratios – system
inefficiency
Health and Sport
Social, Economic and Legal Studies
Teacher Training
Technical Studies
Art
Year
Faculty
Students
Student/
faculty
Ratio
2003/2004
267
1049
4\1
2002/2003
245
1022
4\1
2001/2002
237
888
4\1
2000/2001
1695
885
2\1
2003/2004
1347
3955
3\1
2002/2003
1292
3617
3\1
2001/2002
1212
3243
3\1
2000/2001
670
3240
5\1
2003/2004
699
3956
6\1
2002/2003
670
3920
6\1
2001/2002
632
4159
6\1
2000/2001
619
4859
8\1
2003/2004
68
168
2\1
2002/2003
68
160
2\1
2001/2002
42
167
4\1
2000/2001
79
190
2\1
2003/2004
1695
3620
2\1
2002/2003
1632
3938
2\1
2001/2002
1687
3660
2\1
2000/2001
1781
3641
2\1
2003/2004
23
57
2\1
2002/2003
23
62
3\1
2001/2002
24
58
2\1
2000/2001
25
44
1\1
• Most students enrolled in economic and
technical studies;
• Low graduation rates;
• Narrow program silos in continuing in a higher
level;
• Where continuation possible, length of studies
prolonged;
• The labor market did not recognize the degree
“specialist in…”
Graduates and the Labor Market
Survey of 454 college graduates (2005)
Educational
Areas
I DO NOT
I work in my
work in my
area of study
area of study
I continued
my education
in a higher
level
I work
abroad
I joined
the
military
I do not
work at
present
Agrarian
studies and
veterinary
medicine
23,3
41
44
0
1,4
27,4
Social,
economic and
legal studies
32,3
25,0
92,7
1,0
2,1
2,1
Technical
Studies
31,1
34,4
51,4
0
2,7
11,5
Health and
Sport
54,3
8,7
15,2
0
2,2
21,7
Teacher
training
22,2
33,3
88,9
0
0
0
Art
83,3
0
0
0
16,7
0
Currently, the following degrees and colleges have accreditation
(Ministry of Education and Science):
-Plovdiv University – 3 technical degrees
-Veliko Turnovo University – 2 teacher training degrees (in their two branch
teacher training colleges in Vratsa and Pleven)
-SouthWest University – 1 technical degree
-Russe University – 1 transportation degree
-Trakiiski University – 2 food technology degrees, medical degrees
-Burgas University – 3 technical degrees, 1 in tourism
-Varna Economic University – 1 tourist degree
-Svishtov Economic Academy – 2 economic degrees
-Technical University Sofia – more than 10 technical degrees
-Technical University Varna – 4 technical degrees
-Technical University Gabrovo – 2 technical degrees
-Sofia University of Chemistry – 1 technical and 1 biotechnologies
-Medical University in Sofia – 8 medical degrees
-Medical University in Varna – 1 medical degree
-Higher School of Transportation – 1 technical degree
-8 independent colleges
Challenges before the Bulgarian SCHE sector:
-Program silos remain – only few institutions offer master
degrees for professional bachelors;
-Professional bachelors as a new degree still to find its social
and labor market recognition (the “small” bachelor)
-Many institutions and programs have been placed on hold,
either unable or unwilling to undergo accreditation;
-Accreditation standards are geared for a bachelor’s degree,
although professional;
-Length of study remained (3 years);
-Still no information on how the labor market sees this new
degree;
-No information on how students and parents see it.
Thank you!
Snejana Slantcheva-Durst, Asst. Prof.
Judith Herb College of Education
University of Toledo
Toledo, Ohio, 43606
USA
[email protected]