Memorandum submitted by the Universities
and Colleges Information Systems Association (UCISA)
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
1. Although UCISA (the Universities and
Colleges Information Systems Association) has sought to raise
awareness of the Bologna Process amongst its members by including
presentations at its conferences, a straw poll carried out by
the JISC infoNet service in late 2005 indicates that few UCISA
members have confidence that their institutions are prepared for
Bologna. UCISA is seeking to assist its membership in addressing
this through involvement in a number of initiatives. UCISA is
a partner in a JISC infoNet project to build a resource to assist
institutions to prepare for Bologna and is also a partner in two
further projects being proposed by European University Information
Systems (EUNIS) and KION, [23]the
software development arm of a consortium of Italian universities.
All initiatives are at an early stage. UCISA can, as partners
in all three initiatives, look to ensure that the outputs from
each project are aligned to a common objective but there is still
scope for different interpretations of the same aspects of the
Bologna Process. UCISA would therefore recommend that a central
agency, whether in the UK or cross Europe, would be in a better
position to commission work rather than rely on individual initiatives
to provide their own interpretation.
2. UCISA has worked with the European Unit
of UUK and others on the definition of the Diploma Supplement.
UCISA is pleased to note that the Diploma Supplement does now
appear to be embedded in most institutions' working and believes
that the collaboration has played some part in this success. UCISA
notes that, in addition to there being implications for student
and course related processes within institutions, there are also
implications for the student records systems on which many of
those processes rely, particularly with regard to the transfer
of credit related data. UCISA is able, through having both institutional
and corporate members, to assist the implementation of systems
changes required as a result of the Bologna Process by bringing
all relevant parties together as part of the development. This
model has worked successfully with other agencies such as UCAS.
ABOUT THE
AUTHOR
3. UCISA is a membership organisation that
represents those responsible for delivering information communications
technology (ICT) systems and services in universities and colleges.
UCISA has practically 100% coverage of the HE sector with over
140 universities and colleges as members. In addition, UCISA includes
in its membership, organisations such as HESA and UCAS and systems
and software suppliers. This has allowed UCISA to act as a broker
to bring together agencies such as HESA with student records systems
suppliers to ensure proposed changes are discussed at an early
stage with suppliers and that appropriate development and testing
schedules emerge to the satisfaction of all parties.
4. This response has been composed by the
UCISA Executive Secretary, Peter Tinson, and has been circulated
amongst members of the UCISA Executive for comment before submission.
Peter has over 20 years' experience of working in the HE ICT sector.
He has led projects to implement administrative computing systems,
managed departments responsible for the delivery of both administrative
and student computing systems and has been responsible for the
development and implementation of strategy and policy relating
to ICT use. In his current role, Peter leads the sector response
to consultations as they arise from various organisations, including
the Funding Councils, the Joint Information Systems Committee
(JISC) and government departments. He is currently a member of
the HEFCE Shared Services Advisory Group and has been a member
of a working group looking at the implications of the introduction
of digital television on the HE sector.
FACTUAL EVIDENCE
5. A straw poll of computing professionals
in the Higher Education sector carried out by the JISC infoNet
service at the end of 2005 noted that 88% of respondents believed
that their institutions were not well prepared for Bologna. The
poll was used as part of the initial request to the Higher Education
Funding Council for England (HEFCE) for funding for the JISC infoNet
project to assist institutions to prepare for Bologna. UCISA is
a partner in this project which has now been funded by HEFCE's
Leadership, Governance and Management fund.
RECOMMENDATIONS FOR
ACTION
6. The Bologna Process has implications
for the development of student records systems since these systems
underpin the business processes at all institutions. Changes that
are required to those systems, particularly relating to credit
transfer, need to be defined clearly and unambiguously across
Europe. It is our belief that this is best achieved by a central
agency commissioning work in this area and that the UK, through
having mature student records systems in the community, is well
placed to lead on this work. There is a need to engage with the
suppliers of student records systems to ensure that those systems
can support the changes in business processes that the Bologna
Process will require. UCISA is willing to work with the Europe
Unit of Universities UK, software suppliers and other agencies,
on the development of clear standards and their subsequent implementation.
December 2006
23 See http://www.jiscinfonet.ac.uk/bologna/index_html/view Back
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