EU Policies and Legal Frameworks for Part-Time and Short-Cycle Higher Education Courses

1. EU Policies and Legal Frameworks for Part-Time and Short-Cycle Higher Education Courses WP1 Report Presentation Belgrade, 4th July 2016 Academia, Slovenia Žan Dapčević

2. Contents Part 1: Bologna ProcessBackgrounds Part 2: Short-Cycle Higher Education in Europe with Recommendations to the Republic ofSerbia Part 3: Part-Time Higher Education in Europe with Recommendations to the Republic ofSerbia

3. Background of Higher Education AcrossEurope There are about 37.2 million tertiary students in the EHEA (academic year 2011/12) with about 82% of these at level 6, and 15.6% in the more occupationally focused level 5, and about 2.7% in levels 7. In Serbia, this was total: 231,661, 178,789 in level 6, 47,322 in level 5 and 5500 in level 7. These represent 77.7% of students in level 6, 20.4% in level 5 and 2.4% in level 7 in Serbia. Across the EHEA counties level 8 students are less than 5% in most countries, but go up to 9% in a number of countries. (EC, 2015, 29-30) It should be noted that level 5 reported here is not short cycle, but merely something at that level ofstudy. Most EHEA countries use 180 or 240 ECTS for first cycle programmes with 58% and 37% using the former or the later respectfully. Five countries (Denmark, Finland, Germany, Hungary and Poland) add a 30 ECTS requirement for professional training or placements, which then makes for a 210 ECTS programme. (EC, 2015,52-3) 65% of second cycle programmes mostly use the 120 ECTS model, 16% use 60-75 ECTS, and 13% use 90 ECTS. Unlike first cycle programmes, where the professional programme is longer, in second cycle, the professional programme is usually shorter. (EC, 2015,53-4) The use of a national qualification framework was agreed as part of the Bologna process, and the Framework for Qualifications of the EHEA was adopted, and then followed by the European Qualification Framework in 2008 as a translation tool between the two systems. By 2015 22 countries had completed all 10 implementation steps for this. The UK, Estonia, and others have completed this. Serbia is at step 9 with qualifications included in the NQF, and now awaits its self-certification in compatibility with the European Framework for Higher Education. (EC, 2015,68) The EHEA provides the basis for recognition of qualifications between its member states and is seen through the use of the ECTS, Diploma Supplement and national qualification frameworks used by its members. Some of this is also codified by national legislation. However, in practice this is mostly done by individual institutions, who base their decisions on commonly used materials from ENIC/NARIC. There is still more work to be done to ensure that recognition of national qualifications and higher education institutional degrees across borders is automatic. (EC, 2015,79-83)

4. Comparison betweeen EQF- QF EHEA -ISCED

5. Short-Cycle HigherEducation Level 5: the MissingLink

6. Why Short-Cycle HigherEducation? • SupplyIssue: • Demand for specific technicalskills • Channing Occupational Structure of Employment • Work-Based Learning • High Employability – over 96%,sometimes • 100% in 6 months aftergraduation • Duration of studies – 1 or 2years

7. Characteristics of SHCE inEurope • Over 2 million students are studying inSCHE-programmes. • Especially non-traditional and mature students are increasingly participating inSCHE. • SCHE meets the demands of the labormarket • The main objective of SCHE studies is professional specialization focusing onemployment • SCHE develops strong partnerships between public authorities, higher education institutions, students, employers and employees, trade unions, chambers ofcommerce • Curriculum is developed based on National QualificationFramework • Lecturers and Tutors from theIndustry • Work-Based Learning • SCHE makes lifelong learning areality • Usually 2 year study programmes awarded 120ECTS • SCHE contributes to improving the quality and efficiency of education andtraining • Continuous and regular updates oncurriculum

8. Short-Cycle Higher Educaiton in Europe Availability as of 2014 • The number of educational systems having short cycle programmes has grown from 14 in 2005 to 26 in2014 • Most commonly considered to belong to higher education but in some countries they are attributed to post- secondary Vocational Education and Training (VET).

9. Diversity of Short-Cycles inEHEA • Different namings: Higher Education Certificate, Undergraduate certificate, Higher Technician, Professional diploma, Advanced Professional Diploma, Interim Qualification, Technological Specialisation Diploma, Higher Education Diploma, Diploma of Higher Education, Undergraduate diploma, University diploma, Associate degree, Degree, Foundation Degree, First Level Professional Higher Education Diploma, Sub-Bachelor, ProfessionalBachelor • Different levels: France, Luxembourg, Malta, Spain and the UnitedKingdom • Leading to: majority of programmes to professional qualifications, some are considered to lead to academic qualifications

10. Gaining credits towards Bachelor programme in the same field for previous short-cycle studies,2014 • In eight systems, fullcredit may beawarded • Ireland and the UnitedKingdom • (England, Wales andNorthern • Ireland) this depends onan • agreement betweenthe • institutions where thetwo • programmes (short cycleand first cycle) aretaught. • Some countriesalso • mentionshorter • programmes whicheither • prepare forcertain • professions orare • intermediate qualificationsin • programmes leading toa first-cycledegree • Georgia - althoughseveral • options exist in theory,there • have been no casesof • recognition of shortcycle • qualifications forthe • purpose of continuingto • study in a firstcycle programme.

11. Yerevan Ministerial Conference 2015 Commitments for Short-Cycle HigherEducation • „To include short cycle qualifications in the overarching framework of qualifications for the European Higher Education Area (QF-EHEA), based on the Dublin descriptors for short cycle qualifications and quality assured according to the ESG, so as to make provision for the recognition of short cycle qualifications in their own systems, also where these do not comprise suchqualifications“ • „To ensure that qualifications from other EHEA countries are automatically recognized at the same level as relevant domesticqualifications“ • (Meaning without ENIC/NARICcentres)

12. „Dublin“ Descriptors: SCHE = 120ECTS • Qualifications that signify completion ofthe • higher education short cycle (within the first cycle) are awarded to studentswho: • have demonstrated knowledge and understanding in a field of study that builds upon general secondary education and is typically at a level supported by advanced textbooks;such knowledge provides an underpinning for a field of work or vocation, personal development, and further studies to complete the firstcycle; • can apply their knowledge and understandingin occupationalcontexts; • have the ability to identify and use data toformulate • responses to well-defined concrete and abstractproblems; • can communicate about their understanding, skillsand activities, with peers, supervisors andclients; • Qualifications that signify completion of the first • cycle are awarded to studentswho: • have demonstrated knowledge and understanding in a field of study that builds upon and their general secondary education, and is typically at a level that, whilst supportedby advanced textbooks, includes some aspects that will be informed by knowledge of the forefront of their field ofstudy; • can apply their knowledge and understanding in amanner that indicates a professional approach to their work or vocation, and have competences typically demonstrated through devising and sustaining arguments and solving problems within their field ofstudy; • have the ability to gather and interpret relevant data(usually within their field of study) to inform judgements that include reflection on relevant social, scientific or ethicalissues; • can communicate information, ideas, problems andsolutions to both specialist and nonspecialistaudiences; • have developed those learning skills that are necessaryfor them to continue to undertake further study with a high degree ofautonomy.

13. Recommendations for Implementation of SCHE inSerbia • Implementation of SCHE as committed at Yerevan Ministerial Conference by 2020 and definedby • DublinDescriptors • Short-Cycle Higher Education within FirstCycle • Duration: 2years • Teachingmethods:Lectures(20%),Tutorials&LabWork(30%),Work-BasedLearning(50%) • Modes of study: Face-to-Face and online (onlyLectures!) • ECTS:120 • Full credit-award for progression towards Professional BachelorsDegree • Partialcredit-awardforprogressiontowardsAcademiaBachelorsDegree • Other forms of SCHE if implemented should be named „Short Programmes“ as per „The EHEAin • 2015: Bologna Process ImplementationReport • No Implementation of Part-Time SCHE as it is covered by practical context -internship

14. Part-time HigherEducation A way to promote Life-LongLearning

15. Part-time HigherEducation • The concept of a full-time student status is clear and understandable across the European HigherEducation • Area. • However, the reality for other kinds of students is more complicated than it may initially appear. This is because terms such as 'part-time' mean very different things in different countries – sometimes referring strictly to a notion of time related to teaching/learning hours, but possibly related to matters such as fundingarrangements Definition1 StudyProgramme Duration 2xFull-time Definition2 TeachingHours 30% ofFull-Time TeachingHours Definition3 Funding Part-time =paying tuition fee

16. Part-time Higher Education AccrossEurope • Greece - the law expects part- time students to study at least 20 hours perweek. • Slovakia - the required hours are defined as study hours per academic year, with a range of 750-1 440 hours set for part- time students, as opposed to 1 500-1 800 for full-time students. • Hungary, Slovenia and Moldova, part-time students are defined in terms of contact hours, requiring between 30 % to 50 % of the contact hours of a full-timestudent.

17. Financial Contributions for Part-Time Higher Education byStudents • Denmark, Slovenia - there are no fees for full-time students, but part-time students are required to contribute financially to their studies • Hungary - the fees are almost the same as for a full-timeprogramme • Albania, Croatia, Denmark, Holy See, Hungary, Ireland, Malta and the former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia - likely to be associated with higher private financial investment

18. Impact of formal student status on financial arrangements related to higher educationstudies • Portugal - to be eligible for a grant, part-time students should be enrolled at least for 30 European Credit Transfer and Accumulation System (ECTS)credits. • Norway - financial support to part- time students is awarded if the volume of study is at least 50 % that of full time study. The amount then awarded is either 50 or 75 per cent of the maximum amount, depending on the volume ofstudy. • Slovakia - part-time students receive lower financial support than full-time students, but are entitled to a studentloan

19. Provision of part-time or other alternative study forms by higher education institutions • France - continuing education and recognition of prior learning, both introduced by law, as a means of encouraging higher education institutions to organise flexible learning and broaden access to highereducation. • Germany, Iceland and the United Kingdom (England, Wales and Northern Ireland) provide PT withoutobligation • Bosnia and Herzegovina, Kazakhstan and Lithuania onlyfew providePT

20. Statistical data on student participation in part-time studies • There is no perfect measure to cover this topicfully. • These data clearly indicate that the age of students influences part-timestudying.

21. % of students studying part-time in tertiary education, by country and by age,2011/12 • The older the students are, the more likely theyare • to study part-time in allcountries. • 30 to 34-year-olds: Denmark (18%) - Poland(95%) • Poland, Ukraine, Kazakhstan, Hungary; Slovakia and Croatia: more than 85 % of higher education part-time students are aged between 30 and34 • A significant number of students in the younger age group studies part-time in some EHEA countries: Ukraine (44.5%), Poland (37.2%), Sweden (29.7%) and Azerbaijan (25.3%) • Luxembourg, the Netherlands, Malta, Ireland and Denmark: the share of part-timers in the older age group is 10 times higher than among their younger peers.

22. Students by formal status of enrolment (self-reported)in %,2013/14 • More than 28.1 % of all students are part-time students (academic year 2011/12) in half of the EHEA countries • Between 2008/09 and 2010/11, the number of part- time students declined, butrose again for the academic year 2011/12

23. Typical week for both full-time and part-timestudent • Students may be considered as full-time students, even if they devote fewer hours to study than is often considered a norm for full-timestudying • part-time students may devote more hours to study than is usually required • the link betweenofficial student status and hours devoted to studying is not always straightforward

24. Recommendations for Implementation of PT inSerbia 1. Implementation of Part-TimeStudies Short-CycleHigher Education - no part-timestudies • 1st 2nd 3rdCycle • AcademicStudies • Duration: 2x full-time study • Max ½full-time • workload perweek 1st, 2ndCycle ProfessionalStudies - Duration: 2x Full-Time minus Work-Based Learning = 1-2Full-Time Recognition of Prior Learning: WorkExperience Government Financing: VoucherSystem

25. Report preparedby • Bruce Scharlau, Unviersity ofAberdeen Rachel Shanks, Unviersity ofAberdeen • Nigel Beacham, Unviersity ofAberdeen Zan Dapcevic,Academia • Bibliography • Kirsch, Magda, Beernaert, Yves. Short Cycle Higher Education in Europe Level 5: the Missing Link Brussels, Eurashe, 2011. Available from (accessed 5 June, 2016) http://www.eurashe.eu/library/l5_report_sche_in_europe_full_report_jan2011-pdf/ • European Commission/EACEA/Eurydice, 2015. The European Higher Education Area in 2015: Bologna Process Implementation Report. Luxembourg: Publications Office of the European Union. Available from (assessed 13 June, 2016) http://eacea.ec.europa.eu/education/eurydice/documents/thematic_reports/182EN.pdf http://www.mizs.gov.si/fileadmin/mizs.gov.si/pageuploads/ANG/Organisation_and_Financi ng_of_Education_Act_Dec_2015.pdf • Extras • https://ec.europa.eu/ploteus/en/compare offers some comparisons of EQFs acrossEurop