Joint Programmes Require Joint Forces: the Management Aspect

1
Joint Programmes Require Joint Forces the
Management Aspect
BRIDGE PROJECT FINAL CONFERENCE
Francesco Girotti International Relations
Division, Bologna University JOIMAN projects
coordinator
18 October 2012, Malta
2
STARTING POINTS

• Joint Programmes Integrated study programmes
  offered by 2 or more institutions leading to the
  award of a Double, Multiple or Joint Degree
• JOIMAN focused on the Administration and
  Management of JP
• WHY?
• Because of the Erasmus Mundus impact
• Because of the nature of the network
• HOW?
• Surveys to JP coordinators (Master, Doctorate,
  EUNonEU), study visits, international
  conferences, papers, discussions, networks

3
JOIMAN FINDINGS AT A GLANCE

• 3 main messages
• There are different models of Joint Programmes,
  with different levels of integration and
  different impact on the planning, organisation
  and management of the programmes themselves
• Institutional strategy, support and commitment
  are crucial for the implementation of Joint
  Programmes
• Being aware of the processes allows to think in
  advance

4
MESSAGE 1 DIFFERENT MODELS
Joint Admnistration of students and ad hoc
services
Highest level of Integration (EM Model)
Joint QA measures
Common budget and tuition fees
Jointly developed curriculum (new, learning
outcomes based,)
Focus on international students
QA measures standards jointly agreed
Curriculum based on existing courses/
exploitation of excellences (Comparison of
learning outcomes)
Jointly agreed students services and standards
Based on own institution tuition policies
Focus on local students
Lowest level of Integration (Structured mobility
in Bilateral coop.)
Curriculum based on existing comparable courses
(input based)
5
MESSAGE 1 DIFFERENT MODELS (DOCTORATES)
    International collaboration Individual programmes Cotutelle Joint doctoral programme Joint doctoral degree and programme
Research        
Courses        
Structure of cooperation        
Selection/admission        
Supervision        
Defence        
Monitoring/reporting        
Employability        
Funding/fees        
Double or multiple degrees        
Joint degree        
5
6
MESSAGE 1 DIFFERENT MODELS

• Positioning your joint programme in the
  appropriate level of integration has a deep
  impact on the management of the joint programme
  itself.
• I.E Large integrated consortium increase the
  critical mass, share of resources and expertise,
  increase the quality of the mobility offer BUT
  more coordination efforts and costs (meetings,
  staff mobility etc) more harmonization problems
  (procedures, legislations, cultures)
• I.E targeting international students more
  chances to attract best students, creation of a
  real international environment BUT more efforts
  in marketing the programme, more efforts in the
  ICT infrastructures, more efforts in services for
  students etc

7
MESSAGE 2 INSTITUTIONAL COMMITMENT

• Most common obstacles detected
• Legislation on joint degrees
• Institutional regulations
• Different Education Systems (length of study,
  accreditation)
• Tuition fees policies
• Funds and Human Resources

8
WHY INSTITUTIONAL COMMITTMENT IS IMPORTANT?

• To prepare the ground through external actions
• To advocate changes at national level
• Developing a network-based strategy
• To prepare the ground through internal actions
• Creating appropriate structures for the
  development and implementation of JP
• Creating/adapting internal rules
• Coordinating the efforts of the many actors
  involved
• Providing funds for new initiatives
• Promoting the professional development of
  administrators and academics involved
• Fostering the initiatives of academics

9
THIRD MESSAGE KNOW THE PROCESS AND THINK FIRST

• First action of the JOIMAN group has been the
  definition of the processes in order to draft a
  comprehensive questionnaire for JP coordinators.
• Processes have been refined after the submission
  of questionnaires and study visits.
• This allowed us to draft a map which could be
  useful and adaptable to any Joint Programme for
  the planning of the management phase.

10
WHY IT IS IMPORTANT TO KNOW THE PROCESSES?

• Because most of the detected obstacles in the
  management of Joint Programmes are at Programme
  level and can be approached during the
  development/negotiation phase
• Lack of information on the educational systems of
  the partners
• Late involvement of key people
• Confusion in terminology
• Late definition of procedures for the
  administration of students
• Duplication of quality assurance requirement,
  without a clear reflection on the harmonization
  of the existing institutional procedures with
  the needs of international dimension of the
  programme
• Late discussion on calendars, credits, thesis
  procedures, certification, phd candidate
  supervision etc

11
Transversal processes
Students administration timeline
Q U A L I T Y A S S U R A N C E M E A S U R E
S
F I N A N C I A L M A N A G E M E N T
Application
Promotion
Receipt of application
Quality in the application phase transparency
Selection round for non EU
Selection
Selection round for EU
Quality of the selection
Communication of results
Sharing of the budget
Admission
Visa procedures
Quality management tools
Management and distribution of fees
Enrolment
Enrolment procedures
Evaluation of teaching
Welcoming services
Management of scholarships
Welcoming
Language training
Evaluation of services
Cultural integration
Teaching
Reserves for sustainability
Academic Tutoring
Ex post evaluation students career
Preparation to the mobility
Transfer of students career
Accounting / reporting
Mobility
Tutoring of the mobility
Welcoming services
Ex post evaluation feedback from the labour
market
Cultural integration
Academic Tutoring
Transfer of students career
Overall evaluation of the programme
Dissertation
Joint jury
Diploma and DS
Joint signature or request of multiple diplomas
12
(No Transcript)
13
Tangible outputs
Good practice report on the management of JP
(Master EU-non EU and Doctorates)

• Annexes Cooperation agreement template,
  Glossary, example of guidelines, national
  legislations on tuition fees

Thematic papers
Contributions from international seminars
JOIMAN web site www.joiman.eu
14
(No Transcript)
15
(No Transcript)
16
HOW TO USE THE RESULTS

• Traditional way Reading
• (adapting concepts to different contexts,
  adapting tools such as the cooperation agreement
  template to our needs)
• Innovative Way