Trends IV: European Universities Implementing Bologna

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Trends IV European Universities Implementing
Bologna

• Kate Geddie
• EUA Programme Manager
• Bologna Process National Conference for Turkey
• Istanbul, 6 June 2005

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EUA Mission Membership

• Creation of a unified association to represent
  universities at European level in 2001
• Mission To promote a coherent system of higher
  education and research in Europe through
• policy development (Bologna ERA)
• support to members services and projects
• Significant growth in membership from 578 to 764
  members
• 689 full individual members, 45 countries, 17
  associate individual members (Polytechnics,
  Colleges, etc.)
• 34 full collective members (Rectors Conferences)
• 6 associate collective members
• 18 affiliate members (networks, specialised
  associations)

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(No Transcript)
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EUAs involvement in the Bologna Process

• EUA as a policy forum
• Bologna - influencing the process gt representing
  universities in the Bologna Follow Up structures
• Preparing the  Trends  reports
• Glasgow Convention Strong Universities for
  Europe the sectors input to Bergen
• Information dissemination to individual
  institutions
• Research Positioning universities as research
  institutions e.g. ERC Identification Committee,
  Universities in FP7

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Trends IV Methodology

• Institutions at the centre of the 2004/2005
  exercise
• 62 site visits to universities (incl. 14 Coimbra)
  7 other HEIs, variety of profiles, but all have
  started implementation
• for 29 of 40 Bologna countries, incl Turkey
• interviews with multiple institutional players
• by teams of 2 persons (1 internat., 1 from
  national RC)
• Analysis of institutional responses, progress
  priorities
• concentrating on the 3 Bologna mid-term
  priorities (structures, recognition, quality)
  research
• taking account of the European national
  contexts
• through a questionnaire sent to Rectors
  Conferences
• through re-analysis of Trends III data
• Authors Sybille Reichert and Christian Tauch

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Bologna From national commitment to
institutional reality -- 2003

• It takes concerted action on all levels to make
  the European Higher Education Area a reality

national commitment
national legislation
national incentives/ support
institutional leadership/ policy
instit. communication deliberation decision
instit. reality
only half have provided some funding 75 of HEIs
clear financial incentives needed
46 of HEIs nat.legisl. undermines auton.
decision-making
little more than a third have a Bol. coordinator
role of academics? (less than half reasonably
aware, 30 not very aware) students not
included enough at dep- level
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Bologna From national commitment to
institutional reality -- 2005

• It takes concerted action on all levels to make
  the European Higher Education Area a reality

national commitment
national legislation
national incentives/ support
institutional leadership/ policy
instit. communication deliberation decision
instit. reality
Only 6 countries have provided some funding for
implementation at institutional level
Majority of HEIs still find that nat.legisl.
undermines auton. decision-making
Bologna reforms have become an integral part of
inst. strategy
Role of academics investing lots of extra time,
taking up the challenge students involvement
depends strongly on national context
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Degree Structures Implementation of BaMa at
national level

• Almost all countries have by now introduced the
  two cycles system.
• Need for reforms is perceived very differently by
  the various disciplines and faculties e.g.
  humanities, regulated professions
• Only medicine generally still excluded in most
  countries, but also teacher training and other
  disciplines still cause problems
• In some countries subject-specific coordination
  groups or pilot projects were considered very
  helpful for curricular development.

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Degree Structures Attitudes in the HEI towards
Ba/Ma

• Most HEIs see advantages of the two cycles
  system.
• Still a challenge reorientation of curricula,
  focusing of contents.
• In most HEI staff supported the underlying ideas
  of problem-based learning, a student-centred
  approach etc., even if they were critical of
  various aspects of the implementation.
• Only in few HEI academics complained Bologna was
  imposed on them, by the institutional leadership
  and/or by the ministry.
• The introduction of Ba/Ma, modularisation, ECTS,
  etc. often implies a lot of extra work also for
  administrations -gt
• Even pro-Bologna staff ask for incentives,
  extra funding.

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Degree Structures Bachelor level - 1

• Misconception that Bologna prescribes in any
  way 32.
• Some scepticism about academic value of 3 y
  -degrees
• Content of traditional 4 (or 5) y programmes
  often compressed into 3 y students fail and
  validates professor scepticism
• Justified concern about one size fits all
  approach taken by many national laws imposing 3 y
  Bachelors Some disciplines request more autonomy
  in designing their degree programmes.
• Discussion still centred on nominal duration, not
  outcomes Some universities dont want to award
  same degrees as profess. sector.

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Degree Structures Bachelor level - 2

• Ba graduates labour market or Ma-studies? Huge
  differences between countries. In UK, Ireland,
  Latvia, Lithuania, Turkey Ba are well accepted by
  labour market.
• In many HEI students felt badly informed about
  value of a Ba and plan to go for a Ma., often
  supported by professors.
• Universities in some binary systems fear
  competition from polytechnics Poly-Ba can be
  more attractive to employers (practical
  experience).
• Need for more dialogue with employers regarding
  Ba, including governments that must give clear
  examples in public service employment (career,
  service grades,salary)

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Degree Structures Master level

• Despite Bologna-Consensus (300 ECTS) huge
  variety
• Re-questioning international competitiveness of
  18060 ECTS
• 300 ECTS programmes continue to be popular in
  some countries (PL, HG) and disciplines
  (medicine, engineering)
• Stand-alone Ma still the exception.
• Tendency to create too many Ma-prog no
  institutional strategy
• Ma progr. often designed with narrow focus on
  preceding Ba programmes. Vertical mobility as a
  threat, not opportunity -gt
• Students worried about (lack of) public funding
  for Ma level.

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Degree Structures Modularisation and Learning
Outcomes

• No European template for creating course
  modules
• Many HEI have modularised their programmes (ECTS,
  TUNING)
• Students welcome the concept of modularisation
  but complain it often has been done
  superficially, not leading to more flexibility.
• Ba curricula seem often more rigidly structured
  than traditional ones (many compulsory subjects
  and contact hours).
• In some HEI only vague notions of LO exist (esp.
  prof., students)
• Context of LO Very positive reference to
  qualifications frameworks (QF) in DK and UK
  (curricular dev., recognition)

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Recognition Diploma Supplement

• Most HEI will be able to issue the DS free to
  every graduate in the course of 2005.
• All HEI plan a DS in English, some also in the
  national language.
• Frequent difficulties the national student data
  software has not yet been adjusted to Bologna,
  the complexity of study itineraries, costs for
  translations.
• Major challenge for many HEI how to include LOs
  in the DS to make it a truly informative
  document. Otherwise fails to essentially provide
  information on a graduates profile.

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RecognitionExchange mobility and ECTS

• Majority of HEI have implemented ECTS and use it
  both for accumulation and transfer.
• Occasionally reservations were expressed
  regarding ECTS standards and levels and the ECTS
  grading scale.
• Moving from contact hours to student workload
  (how to assess workload) is still an issue in a
  number of HEI.
• Many called for a more European implementation
  of ECTS to preclude inconsistencies.
• More important than ever Erasmus principle of
  mutual trust and confidence. HEI should compare
  the defined learning outcomes, not search for
  contents identical to their own.

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Recognition General Mobility Trends

• Incoming European mobility increased in many
  countries since 1999.
• Concern over decreasing outgoing mobility
  causes? language, funding, jobs, students more
  risk-conscious, finish on time.
• Obstacle to mobility academic calendars across
  Europe
• Consensus better preparation, guaranteed
  recognition needed.
• Using stay abroad for required courses, formal
  inclusion in curricula
• Little data available on long-term mobility of
  academics in Europe

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Recognition National and foreign degrees

• Recognition of national degrees legally
  regulated/automatic in most countries.
• Unknown difficulties might arise with the
  recognition of Ba/Ma degrees greater variety of
  curricula -gt
• IE and SC qualif. framework helpful tool for
  recognition of national deg.
• HEI in some countries have relative/full autonomy
  in the recognition of foreign degrees.
• In other countries this is still done by
  ministries through rather cumbersome procedures.
• Non-formal qualifications not perceived as
  important in many HEIs re-asserted in Bergen

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Quality Enhancement Putting Quality Assurance
into Context

• Quality Enhancement gt Quality Assurance
• Quality Enhancement Sum of many methods of
  institutional development
• Ex Added value of Bologna reforms
• Opportunity to reflect and review curricula
• Opportunity to reform teaching methods (student
  centred learning, continuous assessment, flexible
  learning paths)
• Strengthening horizontal communication and
  institutional transparency
• Most limiting factor for quality enhancement is
  not nature of internal or external QA but limits
  to resources when room for improvements
  identified.

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Internal Quality Development

• Activity in internal quality dev. processes has
  risen
• Focus largely on teaching and learning (all
  inst.), some attention student support services
• Research quality emphasis on external review,
  only a third of HEIs have a form of internal
  research review
• Lack of coherence regarding quality development
  processes -- only few HEIs pursue a systematic
  institutionalised approach to quality development
  
• Institutional autonomy systematic approach to
  qd, at least on the extremes

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Relation of Internal and External QA

Positive Impact / Effectiveness of External QA

• External QA more appreciated in build-up of
  internal QA
• Institutions find that internal quality processes
  are more improvement oriented and attuned to
  institutional goals.
• an advanced internal quality culture should
  be mirrored in a light external quality control.

Degree of Advancement of Institutional Qual.
Development
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Research Exposure

• Most institutions offer some research exposure to
  Bachelor students, but often only limited,
  depending on subject
• Shift of research experience from Bachelor to
  Master level
• -gt Master level primary level for research in
  action
• Often less time for independent research in new
  programmes due to compressed continuously
  assessed programmes
• Too early to assess impact on doctoral level
• Generally, little attention to doctoral
  candidates careers beyond academia little
  skills training
• Doctoral level next major issue (Bergen)

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Resources for Education vs.Resources for
Research ?!

• Enormous time investment for Bologna reforms,
  esp. if used as opportunity for deeper reform
• Even in the long run, greater time investment due
  to more counselling, tutoring, assessments,
  individualised attention
• Vast majority of institutions were not in a
  position to hire new staff (no additional
  resources from gvmts)
• Research resources particularly problematic in
  some countries, many Eastern European countries,
  Italy, Greece
• Universities Enhancing the quality of teaching
  in Europe should not have to be paid with a
  decrease in the quality of research!

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Institutional Success Factors

• Other ongoing reforms
• in a third of the countries, B. ref. form an
  integral part of a wider review of the entire HE
  system, according to national rectors
  conferences
• Internal Communication (especially horizontal)
• Added value more transparency (also for resource
  distribution), opportunity to develop new
  interdisciplinary programmes at master level,
  better link to research
• Leadership, institutional coordination and
  guidelines
• Timing
• Balance between enough internal deliberation and
  keeping the momentum to move forward
• Two thirds of institutions decided to adopt the
  Bologna reforms as their own reform agenda

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National Success Factors

• Institutional autonomy balance between national
  regulation/ coordination and institutional leeway
• Many criticisms of wrong mix of little guidance
  and information but (often rushed) overregulation
• Examples of good practice exist, e.g. in Finland,
  Denmark, Norway, Ireland, Switzerland, some parts
  of Germany
• Not just governments but sometimes accreditation
  bodies can limit the institutional autonomy
  significantly
• National financial support
• Only 6 countries provided support to institutions
  for the implementation of the Bologna reforms
• A few others provided a little incentive money
  for a few projects or funds for national level
  coordination (but none for implementation at
  institutional level)
• The majority did not interpret their commitment
  as having a financial dimension.

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Some general conclusions and questions

• HEIs have adopted the reforms accepted
  ownership
• The process tends to strengthen institutions
  capacity for change, adds value opportunities
  for enhancing quality
• But, improvements often on hold gt lack of
  resources
• Very different national contexts incentives - if
  opportunities for institutional
  development/incentives remain different, will
  this have a long term impact for Europe?
• Is the state retreating from funding? What does
  this mean for access and progression issues, the
  teaching/research link?
• Does Bologna blur the traditional differences
  between different types of institutions?

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Questions for Turkey

• Early success due to US model will focus change
  to one more of European integration? Can Bologna
  be used as a tool?
• Bologna requires little institutional effort how
  to raise awareness and initiate greater change?
• Evident need for increased research funds how
  to improve attractiveness of doctoral studies?

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Thank you for your attention

• Kate.geddie_at_eua.be