NQF in Flanders

2

UGent today

- Ghent’s mission education, research & service to society in a pluralistic environment

- A comprehensive/fully-fledged university 11 faculties - 132 departments > 33 000 students (doubled in 15 years) + 6 000 academic & administrative staff + + 2 000 externally financed researchers 5 interdisciplinary doctoral schools

Structure of Higher Education in Flanders

PROFESSION ORIENTED BACHELORUniversity College

(at least 180 credits)

ACADEMICALLY ORIENTED BACHELOR

University – University College(at least 180 credits)

MASTERUniversity – University College

(at least 60 credits)

Advanced master

Advanced bachelor LINK programmes PREPARATORY

programmes

Higher Education in Flanders

5 Universities and 22 ‘hogescholen’ (Fachhochschule, Polytechnics, University Colleges, Universities of applied sciences, …

> 200.000 students: ± 90.000 in universities 5 associations around the universities: Leuven, Gent,

Antwerp, Brussels, Hasselt Main tasks of the associations: continuum of studies,

‘academisation’, pooling expertise, democratisation, … Main topic: future of the academic disciplines of the

hogescholen: at the ‘hogescholen’ or at the universities?

5

Ghent University > 33.000

University College Gent > 15.000

University College Arteveldehogeschool > 10.000

University College West-Flanders > 5.000

Members Ghent University Association

Decree on Flemish Qualification Structure (Spring 2009)/1

Long negotiations with stakeholders Employers Trade union Education (a.o. higher)

Advice from the official boards, a.o. VLOR (Flemish Education Council) SERV (Socio-economic Council Flanders)

Validation procedure throughout Europe Flanders and the Netherlands: NVAO, november 2008

Procedure in FlandersDecree on Flemish Qualification

Structure (Spring 2009)/2

HEIs write domain specific learning outcomes together (5 = short cycle; 6 = Ba; 7 = Ma; 8 = PhD)

NVAO (Dutch-Flemish Accreditation Organisation) validates the descriptions = automatically recognition as qualification

NVAO sends qualifications to Agency for QA in Education and Training

Procedure in FlandersDecree on Flemish Qualification

Structure (Spring 2009)/3

Each HEI writes LO for each discipline and each course unit; a lot of work has already been done in teh previous years (but outside a framework)

To be coordinated by Vlir (Rectors Conference) and Vlhora (Flemish Board of University Colleges)

In line with the Dublin descriptors and with the Flemish, Belgian and international regulations about access to a profession

≠ common programmes or course units!

Procedure in FlandersAgreements between Vlir and

Vlhora/1

Characteristics of domain specific Los

1 Global: at the level of the discipline (and not course units)

2 Generic: although specific aspects of same disciplines remain possible (topic of discussion)

3 Related to Flemish Qualification Structure4 Prototypical: focus on characteristics of a

discipline

Procedure in FlandersAgreements between Vlir and

Vlhora/2

5 Adequate basis for QA6 Distinctive: makes profiles more clear7 Sustainable and open for evolution8 Basis for international comparison

12 to 15 LOs per discipline general terms of Dublin descriptors and decree

not to be repeated disciplines (± 600) to be clustered (± 45)

Procedure in Flandersstep by step/1

Steering committee 1 person per institution per discipline 1 projectguide Consultation of colleagues inside HEI Consultation of stakeholders (students,

employers, trade unions) Comparison with international examples Based on an agreed methodology (Tuning, EUA

Bologna Handbook, …)

Procedure in Flandersstep by step/2

Testing group Representatives of the steering committees Compares the ± 45 descriptions Negotiates with steering committees

Procedure in Flandersstep by step/3

Stakeholders Proposals negotiated with student unions,

employers, (former) members of evaluation committees, professional bodies

Suggestions incorporated in final proposal

Decision by Vlir-Vlhora, validation by NVAO, acceptance by Agency for QA

Procedure in Flanderstopics to be solved

Timing: ready in 2013 (decree) or 2017 (following the scheme of external QA)?

Costs: support for HEIs is 300.000 euro (1FTE for 5 years): who pays?

Procedure for periodical revision? Procedure for new programmes? Same procedure or common task with the

Netherlands? (general agreement on recognition of diplomas in the pipeline