Polish System ot Accreditation in Higher Education.

Transcription

1 - Chapter 10: Polish System ot Accreditation in Higher Education. Andrzej T. Jankowski S ystem transformation and the subsequent socioeconomic changes that rock place in Poland in the last rwo decades of the previous century have had an impact on the shape and changes in the system of higher education. The changing approach of stare authorities to the education system in institutions of higher education was reflected in slow yet systematic diminishing of stare patronage over public higher schools with simultaneous increase in their autonomy. Also, the influence of authorities on recruitment limits was restricted and a decision was macie allowing non-public (private) institutions of higher education to be established. Moreover, education system authorities rock steps aiming at implementation of a two-stage system of higher education. The system allows for offering 3-year-ong vocational studies ending with a Bachelor's degree. Education ends with such 3-years' vocational studies in many non-public schools. That is mainly determined schools and in same faculties of stare by the school's personnel with required academic qualifications, who constitute so-called staff minimum. Teaching in these studies should be organized so as to make it possible for graduates to continue their learning at complementary M.Sc. studies, i.e. second-stage studies.the above actions resulted in a large increase in the number of young students, with a disproportiona1 increase in teaching personnel. Thus, a favorable growth in the number of students, i.e. an increase of the scholarization index, with a slight growth in the teaching personnel, led to a reflection

2 ,-- - "~~ Andrzej T. Jankowski regarding the personnel's excessive teaching duties. That resulted in worries regarding the possible deterioration of the quality of teaching. n the light of the real danger that such a situation might arise, rectors of higher education institutions rock steps aimed at defining criteria to be met by such schools in order to guarantee an acceptable level ot- teaching ald eliminating schools that do not meet these reguirements. Such actions were accepted by all types of state and non-public institutions ofhigher education. As the beginning of actions in that respect, the Agreement ot" Polish. Universities on the Quality of Education (Porozumienie Uniwersytetów Polskich na rzecz Jakosci Ksztatcenia) was signed in 1997, and then the University Accreditation Committee (Uniwersytecka Komisja Akredytacyjna, U~) was appointed in 1998 by the Conference of Rectors ofpolish Universities.The Accreditation Committee is an extra-governmental, academic organization and comprises representatives of universities where ensuring the high teaching guality is essential. t should be mentioned that all Polish universities joined in the action (nformator). Ever since its beginning, the aims of the University Accreditation Committee have been, as its chair, Stanislaw Chwirot says: 1. To determine and unify standards of teaching quality in particular degree programs. 2. To create an accreditation system for degree programs. University accreditation, also called academic accreditation, concerns particular degree programs and is a voluntary action. The institution that holds a given degree program and wants to apply for accreditation for this progran1, should fulfil same preliminary yet necessary conditions. n particular, it should have its system of evaluation, improvement of teaching guality, and implementation of the European Credit Transfer System (ECTS). The accreditation procedure starts after at least five university centers have submitted their applications for accreditation procedure for particular degree programs. For this purpose, the Accreditation Committee appoints a group of experts, whose task is to determine detailed standards of teaching guality for a given degree program. After they are accepted, the accreditation procedure begins; the main element of which is an on-site visit to the school. The aim of the visit is to check whether the aforementioned necessary conditions are met and the adopted detailed standards are fulfilled. These include personnel reguirements resulting from the regulations of the Higher Education Act, compliance of didactic activities taken by academic teachers with their academic specialization and research achievements, and participation ofprofessors' staff in carrying out the didactic program. Other elements that are evaluated include the number of students per independent scientific worker, compliance of the teaching progr:³nl \virh rht" kll()\\'(:'(i~~t' lt"('t"':lr\"

3 =~., ~._.",..i""'~"""""""""v³l to me et European teaching standards, didactic infrastructure of the visited organizational unit along with its specialist rooms, and documented domes- tic and international cooperation. After a detailed report is presented by the team of experts, the U niversity Accreditation Committee submits a final application to the Conference of Rectors of Polish Universities suggesting chat che accreditation should or should not be given. Accreditation is granted as a special certificate for five years, or for twa years in case of minor shortcomings in meeting che imple.- mented standards. n case of more serious failures, in turn, accreditation is refused or temporarily delayed ("Procedura"). According to so-applied accreditation rules, al academic institutions chat have been accredited constitute a group of institutions of a high level of teaching services, allowing for mobility of students between both domestic and other European institutions of higher education. Accreditation procedures similar to those of universities have aso been adopted by other types of higher education institutions like academies of medicine, economy, or physical education; vocationa higher schools; etc., which appointed similar committees in their structures (Krasniewski). ndependenty Erom this environmental, but voluntariy taken, evauation procedure of the quality of teaching, stare actions were initiated by the Ministry of Nationa Education and Sport in a similar, but extended direction. At the end of the year 2001 the Ministry appointed, as of January 1, 2002, the Stare Accreditation Committee (Panstwowa Komisja Akredytacyjna) as a statutory unit of higher education working for the qualitr of teaching (Ustawa; Wójcicka and Chwirot). The Committee includes selected high school teachers classified in corresponding teams that represent related degree programs.a large group ofexperts participating in accreditation procedures for a particuar degree program cooperates with these teams (Statut). Basic tasks of the Committee, drawn up in its charge, include presenting to the minister of higher education opinions and applications regarding: l i 1. Establishing univ~rsities. 2. Granting che right (permissions) to offer studies in a particular degree program and educationallevel. 3. Founding an external organizational unit by a university. 4. Evaluating the quality of teaching at a particular degree program. 5. Evaluating the qualifications of teachers. ;;. 6. Checking whether an organizational unit meets the conditions for offering higher education studies defined by other regulations (i.e. Higher Education Act or Higher Vocational Studies Act, etc.).

4 ,-- ~, '~'~""";""'~""""'U"""V'" to meet European teaching standards, didactic infrastructure of t~e visited organizational unit along with its specialist rooms, and documented domestic and international cooperation. After a detailed report is presented by the team of experts, the U niversity Accreditation Committee submits a final application to the Conference of Rectors of Polish Universities suggesting that the accreditation should or should not be given. Accreditation is granted as a special certificate for five years, or for rwo years in case of minor shortcomings in meeting the imple.- mented standards. n case of more serious failures, in turn, accreditation is refused or temporarily delayed ("Procedura"). According to so-applied accreditation rules, all academic institutions that have been accredited constitute a group ofinstitutions ofa high level ofteaching services, allowing for mobility ofstudents between both domestic and other European institutions of higher education. Accreditation procedures similar to those of universities have also been adopted by other types of higher education institutions like academies of medicine, economy, or physical education; vocational higher schools; etc., which appointed similar committees in their structures (Krasniewski). ndependently Erom this environmental, but voluntarily taken, evaluation procedure of the quality of teaching, stare actions were initiated by the Ministry of National Education and Sport in a similar, but extended direction. At the end of the year 2001 the Ministry appointed, as of January 1, 2002, the Stare Accreditation Committee (Panstwowa Komisja Akredytacyjna) as a statutory unit of higher education working for the qualitr of teaching (Ustawa; Wójcicka and Chwirot). The Committee includes! selected high school teachers classified in corresponding teams that represent related degree programs. A large gro up of experts participating in accreditation procedures for a particular degree program cooperates with these teams (Statut). Basic tasks ofthe Committee, drawn up in its charge, include presenting to the minister of higher education opinions and applications regarding: 1. Establishing univ~rsities. 2. Granting the right (permissions) to offer studies in a particular degree program and educationallevel. 3. Founding an external organizational unit by a university. 4. Evaluating the quality of teaching at a particular degree program. 5. Evaluating the qualifications of teachers. 6. Checking whether an organizational unit meets the conditions for offering higher education studies defined by other regulations (i.e. Higher Education Act or Higher Vocational Studies Act, etc.).

5 Andrzej T. Jankowski l)s Activities of the State Accreditation Committee extend to al types of higher education institutions, both public and non-public (private). Al universities at which a particular degree program is offered are subject to the oblig- 4 atory accreditation procedure. After a decision regarding accreditation ot- a given degree program has been made, institutions offering that program prepare a self-evaluation report. t contains the following information: composition of the team that. prepares the self-evaluation report; a short presentation of the institution; short information about the organizational unit that offers the degree program to be evaluated; a brief description of the staff teaching at the evaluated degree program; a description of the process of education including methods of teaching, apprenticeship, library collection and its accessibility; premise and laboratory facilities; and the evaluation system of students and academic teachers. A self-evaluation report also includes an indication of the J procedures that ensure the quality of teaching and student-related matters ³ (rules of recruitment to the university, types of studies, students' organizations, scientific circles, and social matters ofstudents). Additionally, it infornls about scientific activities of the organizational unit which offers the evalu~lted degree program and about possible plans for the future (Uchwata). The report is evaluated by an expert, and then folowed by an on-site visit at the institution by a visiting team and a representative of the Accreditation Committee who checks the formal-lega basis of functioning for the evaluated program.the team, in turo, focuses on realization of teaching standards defined by the Ministry of National Education and Sport tor a!. given program, meeting the requirements regarding the staff minimum with appropriate academic status which allows for running the degree program, and elements presented in the self-evaluation report, whether they are at or ~~ above the average level.the visiting team then draws up a report on the visit }~t for the Committee Presidium, including conclusions and observations.. The Presidium adopts a resolution including evaluation of meeting the requirements for higher-degree programs and evaluation of teaching quality and, if necessary, possible recommendations. The rating of evaluation of the teaching quality may be "outstanding," "positive," "conditiona approval," or "negative." Outstanding and positive ratings are given to organizational units for a period of five years. Conditional approval is granted for degree programs in those institutions where same shortcomings have been observed during an on-site visit and recommendations have been included in the resolution with a deadline for their completion. When serious defects have been found in the way a degree program has be en organized, an institution receives a negative rating, usually resulting in termination of recruitment tor this degree program

6 ,-- ~ 96 Poland Proceedings 2005: nternational Symposium on nnovation in Higher Education As can be seen above, both procedures do not exclude each other; on the contrary, they are mutually complementary, as they aim at promoting those state-owned and non-state-owned academic centers where the teaching quality is higher than average. What is an important element of both accreditation procedures is the fact that organizational units can notice their weak points and improve them as early as the stage of preparing the application for accreditation by the University Accreditation Committee or self-evaluation report for the Stare Accreditation Committee.That results in internal advancement ofthe didactic process by means of the academic community, focusing on improving teaching quality. Works Cited Academic Accreditation Committee. Bulletin UAM Poznano "Accreditation PTocedure of the University Accreditation Committee." External Assurance of Quality ofteaching in Higher Education. Ed. M. Wójcicka and J. Urbanikowa.Warsaw, CBPNiSW UW, "Act ofjuly 20,2001 amending the Higher Education Act, thevocational Schools of Higher Education Act, and same other Acts." Journal of Law 85 (2001): 924. Chwirot S. "University Accreditation Comrnittee." Quality ofteaching in Highcr Education Glossary. Ed. M. Wójcicka. Warsaw. CBPNiSW UW, Krasniewski A. "Accreditation Committee of Rectors of Polish Acadernic Schools." Quality ofteaching in Higher Education Glossary. Ed. M. Wójcicka. Warsaw, CBPNiSW UW; Resolution No 18/2002 of the Presidium of the Stare Accreditation Committee oc February 28, 2002 on guidelines to preparation of a self-assessment report. Statute of the Stare Accreditation Committee, adopted on January 11, "\ Wójcicka M., and S. Chwirot. "Assurance of Quality of Teaching: Poland against Other Countries." Quality Assurance in Higher Education. Ed. M. Wójcicka andj. Urbanikow.Warsaw, CBPNiSW UW,