145677-TEMPUS-2008-RS-SMGR
INTERNAL QUALITY ASSURANCE AT SERBIAN UNIVERSITIES
Training visit
SofiaUniversity
“St. Kliment Ohridski”
June 07-10, 2009
REPORT
INTRODUCTION
The network of higher education institutions in Bulgaria includes public and private institutions. There are three types of higher education institutions in Bulgaria: universities, equivalent to universities specialized higher education institutions, and higher education colleges.
The University is a higher school which among other criteria meets the following requirements:educates on a wide circle ofspecialities, of professional sectors in at least three of the four basic spheres of the science - humanitarian, natural, social and technical;have academic personnel under basic legal terms of employment which, on each speciality shall carry out not less than half of the auditorium and practical classes, as the persons with academic rank shall lecture for each speciality not less than 70 percent of the lecture courses;educate for the degrees "bachelor", "master" and "doctor" in the respective basic spheres of science.
Higher school which carries out education in one or two basic spheres of the science or culture can be a university with a name expressing its specifics.
The specialised higher school shall carry out scientific and research or artistic and creative work and shall carry out education in one of the basic spheres of the science, art, physical culture. Its name shall express the specific sphere where it prepares specialists. This higher school may also educate in educational qualification degree "Master" and educational and scientific degree "Doctor".
The independent college shall educate for acquiring a professional qualification of “Bachelor”. The college shall have an academic staff with basic employment contract which, for each specialty, carries out no less than half of the auditorium and practical classes. The persons with academic rank having basic employment contract in it shall read for each specialty no less than 50 percent of the lecture courses.A college shall be possible to be established within a university and a specialised high school, having obtained accreditation in professional branches or specialties from regulated professions, in which education shall be carried out. The college shall train for acquisition of educational and qualification degree of a “Bachelor”.
All types of institutions from the public and private sector are subject for evaluation and accreditation by the NEAA.
Main coordinating bodies at the national level
The main coordinating bodies at the national level are (i) the National Assembly; (ii) theCouncil of Ministers; (iii) the Ministry of Education and Science; (iv) the National Evaluationand Accreditation Agency. With regard to evaluation and the final approval of part of theAccreditation decisions, these bodies have the following powers:
(i) the National Assembly: makes the final decision about establishment,transformation and closing down of higher education institutions, as well asbranches and faculties where there are provisions for study programmes of theregulated professions.
(ii) the Council of Ministers: makes the final decision about establishment,transformation and closing down of faculties, institutes, branches and colleges atthe public universities.
(iii) The Ministry of Education and Science: controls whether higher educationinstitutions respect the law and in the cases of legal infringement addresses theNational Evaluation and Accreditation Agency with proposals to revoke theaccreditation status.
(iv) The National Evaluation and Accreditation Agency(NEAA): as the only nationalstatutory body for evaluation and accreditation, it recognizes the degree awardingpowers of higher education institutions. The Agency organizes also a follow-upprocedure at institutional and programme levels. It aims at a post-accreditationmonitoring and control of the capability of an institution to assure quality andstandards of its provision, as well as whether the institution properly addresses theissues and follows recommendations set in the evaluation report.
THE NATIONAL EVALUATION AND ACCREDITATION AGENCY(NEAA)
NEAA was established in 1996. by ordinance of the Council of Ministers as a specialised state body of the Council of Ministers for quality assurance in higher education. NEAA is a member of ENQA since 2008. NEAA itself establishes and approves criteria and procedures for evaluation, accreditation and post-accreditation monitoring in compliance with the HEA and the state standards.
NEAA’s mission is to assist the HEIs to maintain and improve the quality of education in the Republic of Bulgaria. The agency aims at stimulating and improving the quality of the educational and research services as well as at raising their competitiveness.
The core activity of NEAA is the evaluation, accreditation and control of the quality of education and research activities. The Agency monitors the ability of institutions, their main units and branches to provide good quality of education and scientific research through an internal quality assurance system. The mission of the Agency is to encourage higher education institutions in assuring and enhancing the quality of education they offer by sustaining high academic standards and good education traditions in Bulgaria.
The main evaluation and accreditation bodies of the Agency and their responsibilities
The main evaluation and accreditation bodies of the Agency are the Accreditation Council, the 8 Standing Committees in the main fields of higher education and the Standing Committee for Post-Accreditation Monitoring.
The Accreditation Council consists of 10 members and a Chairman, who is also the President of NEAA. They serve for a 6 –year’s term of office. 6 members are nominated by the Rectors’ Conference, 2 are nominated from Bulgarian Academy of Sciences and the National Center for Agrarian Sciences and 2 are nominated by the Minister of Education and Science. The Vice-President is nominated among the 6- nominees of the Rectors’ Conference and is responsible for the Post-Accreditation Monitoring. The President, the Vice-President and all members of the Accreditation Council are appointed by the Prime-Minister. The Accreditation Council approves nominations for the members of the Standing Committees and expert groups. The Council makes decisions about the accreditation status of existing and newly established institutions, faculties, branches and programmes included in the list of regulated professions.
The Standing Committees are in the main fields of study (Education; Arts and Humanities; Social Sciences; Natural Sciences, Mathematics and Informatics; Engineering and Technology; Health Sciences; Agriculture and Forestry; Security services). They consists of 3 to 7 representatives of universities who are subject specialists in the respective field. The 8 committees nominate peer group members for site visits and prepare them for the evaluation. They make decisions about the accreditation status of an existing or a new subject with all programmes of study at different qualification levels.
The Standing Committee for Post-Accreditation Monitoring is responsible for the organization of follow-up audits aimed at: (i) formal implementation of the institutional quality assurance system; (ii) the accomplishment by the institution of the recommendations in the evaluation report.
All standing committees serve a 3-year’s term of office in the Agency.
Review and Assessment Peer Groups serve on short-term contracts with the Agency. The duration of contracts depends on the type of procedure: 5 months for ex ante evaluations and 12 months for ex post evaluations.
Legal framework for the external quality assurance: the NEAA’ legal powers andactivities
The accreditation is acknowledgement by the National Evaluation and Accreditation Agency of the right of the higher schools to give higher education in education – qualification degrees in defined spheres, professional branches and in the specialities of the regulated professions by assessment the quality of the activities.The capacity of the higher school, of the professional branches and of the specialties of regulated professions is determined by the National Assessment and Accreditation Agency.The higher schools shall not have right to conduct education in specialities of not accredited professional branches and not accredited specialities of the regulated professions and to issue diplomas to the persons graduated them. The not accredited higher schools shall not receive state subsidy and shall not be financed by the state.
Accreditation in Bulgaria involves 4 types of procedures, designed to gather evidence toenable a decision about whether an institution or programme should be granted accredited
status. These procedures are based on evaluation and accreditation of: (i) an institution; (ii) asubject with all programmes of study at different qualification levels; (iii) a single programmeof study that is in the list of regulated professions; (iv) a doctoral programme of study.
NEAA also evaluates ex ante projects for establishment of new higher education institutions,new branches and faculties, new subjects and new programmes of study dealing withregulated professions. For these the Agency have a separate set of procedures.
Criteria for institutional accreditation
- Educational activities of the higher education institution
The HE institution must have publicly announced mission, goals and tasks, and provide education in accordance with them. These are basis for educational policies that should be aimed at the needs of the society at the regional and national level.
It’s of vital importance that the HE institution has implemented procedures for development, approval, supervision, and update of the educational documentation(qualification characteristics,educational plans and programs).
The HE institution should have developed and announced systems (rules and procedures) for examination and assessment of the knowledge and skills gained by students and for credit accumulation and transfer.The results of the systems’ functioning are periodically assessed and announced while taking into consideration the opinions of the students.
The HE institution must have a developed system for monitoring, assessment, maintenance, and improvement of the education quality.
The HE institution creates conditions for recruiting students and fostering their education and professional realization, which means that the HE institution (faculty and students) maintains contacts on educational issues with high schools (teachers and students) and that conditions have been created for the students to be informed of and oriented about the opportunities the HE institution offers to them to grow as specialists. Also it should be ensured that conditions have been created to support students in unequal social standing in their learning, and to integrate them into the student body.The HE institution should maintain contacts with employers and develope an environment helpful to the professional realization of the students (courses, internships, career centers, etc.)
- Research activities of the HE institution
The HE institution organizes, maintains and develops the scientific research (artistic and creative) activities of the faculty.Opportunities are provided and stimuli are created for publication of the research results (HE institution’s own publishing facility, permanent contractual relationships with outside publishers, servers and domains for electronic publications, etc.) as well as for the realization of inherent creative, artistic, sports and other activities.The outcomes of the scientific research (artistic and creative) activities are periodically analyzed and priorities are set.
The HE institution organizes, maintains and develops scientific research (artistic and creative) activities of the students and the doctoral students.
The HE institution disseminates and implements in science and practice the outcomes of the scientific research (artistic and creative) activities. The outcomes of the scientific research (artistic and creative) activities are included in the educational process.
3. HE institution management
The HE institution has developed an overall organizational system for management of the educational and scientific activities. The efficiency of the structures and their activities are periodically discussed to promote the HE institution development. Procedures have been developed and actions are taken in regard to the results of institutional and program accreditations and other independent external and internal evaluations that have been carried out.
The HE institution ensures the professional level, qualifications and development of the faculty. Faculty mobility inside the institution is ensured to maintain the academic standards of the disciplines taught. Continuity of the faculty is ensured, including through training of doctoral and post-graduate students.
The HE institution manages and develops the physical, technical, and information facilities necessary for education and scientific research (artistic and creative) activities. The physical and technical facilities for education and research activities are built up and are developed according to the specificity of the HE institution:
- Lecture halls and laboratories for the educational process;
- Laboratories and scientific appliances for research activities;
- Other specific facilities for educational and research activities (clinics, experiment fields and farms, sports halls and fields, studios, etc.)
The information facilities for educational and research activities are built up and are improved in accordance to the HE institution’s specifics:
- Library;
- Computer laboratories;
- Information centers;
- Computer system for administrative and educational activities management;
- Center for distance education (for accreditation of distance education programs).
The HE institution cooperates with other local and international HE institutions and organizations. Organization for maintenance and development of the cooperation with other HE institutions and organizations has been established. Faculty participation in national and international educational and research projects is supported and expanded. Faculty, students and doctoral students exchange and cooperation with other HE institutions is supported and expanded to promote teaching, research, expert, and creative activities to expand the educational profile of students and doctoral students through joint projects with international universities.
Criteria for program accreditation of a professional field and a major of the regulated professions list
1. Educational activity
HE institution develops qualification characteristics, educational plans and programs for each of the degrees. Their content and quality are in conformity with the goals of the degree within the professional field (or with the goals of the major of the regulated professions list). This documentation is periodically analyzed and updated, and compared to similar documentation.
The student education is carried out by faculty who have the necessary profile and qualification, which means that there has to be a minimum number of full-time habilitated faculty who teach auditorium and practical classes for each of the degrees. Faculty mobility inside the institution has to be ensured to maintain the academic standards of the disciplines taught. Also the academic career of the faculty has to be ensured.
There have to be available physical and technical facilities, necessary for the education that are in conformity with the specifics of the degree within the professional field:
Auditorium and laboratory area for educational purposes;
- Other specific educational facilities.
Also, informational facilities, necessary for the education, should be available:
- Library;
- Computer facilities;
- Information centers;
- Center for distance education, when a request has been submitted for such forms of education.
Student education corresponds to and is in compliance with the modern methods ofinstruction and student outcomes assessment. The results of the methods of instruction and student outcomes assessment are periodically analyzed and announced, while taking into consideration the opinions of the students. Student mobility is ensured through partial education in a local or international higher education (HE) institution, chosen by the student.
2. Research activities
Faculty scientific research (artistic and creative) activities are being organized, maintained and developed within the professional field (major of the regulated professions list). Faculty scientific research (artistic and creative) activities are being maintained:
- For scientific publications in paper or electronic format (monographs, studies, articles) locally or abroad, for textbooks and class-related materials;
- For participation in national and international conferences, symposia, etc.;
- For expert activities, consultant services etc.;
- For inherent creative, art, sports, etc. activities.
It is also very important that conditions have been created (administrative and organizational) for dissemination of research results of social, scientific and practical interest in an appropriate form.
The students’ and doctoral students’scientific research (artistic and creative) activities are being organized, maintained and developed within the professional field (major of the regulated professions list).
3. Management of the education process
Organization has been developed for management of the educational process and instruction quality which means that rules for education quality management within the professional field (major of the regulated professions list) have been developed, accepted and announced and that the efficiency and the outcomes of the education quality management is periodically discussed and announced.
Organization has been created to follow up on alumni’s professional realization. Information is collected and analyzed about the professional realization and development of the alumni graduated with a certain degree in a professional field. Information is collected and analyzed on customers’ assessment of alumni’s qualification.
Self-evaluation report for programme accreditation of a professional field
The self-evaluation report on a professional field is a document, which serves as a starting point in the work of the National Evaluation and Accreditation Agency (NEAA) during the procedure for programme accreditation of a professional field. In this case the importance of the self-evaluation, prepared by the higher education (HE) institution, is due to the fact that the objective of the program accreditation process is to evaluate the quality of the student education in all offered forms of education and educational and qualification degrees.
The self-evaluation report on a professional field allows the HE institution to:
• Describe and evaluate the way in which it maintains, controls, and develops the quality of education and the academic standards in the offered specialities and programmes, offered in the different educational and qualification degrees, and in the different forms of education;