Memorandum submitted by the Council for
the Mathematical Sciences (CMS)
The Council for the Mathematical Sciences (CMS),
comprising the Institute of Mathematics and its Applications,
the London Mathematical Society and the Royal Statistical Society,
is pleased to present its evidence relating to the inquiry on
the Bologna Process. This response reflects the conclusions
and recommendations of a CMS report The Bologna Process and
Master's Courses in the Mathematical Sciences, released October
2006. The report was prepared by a working group consisting of
representatives from the three societies as part of the Council's
ongoing role of representing the interests of the mathematical
sciences to government and other public bodies.
The Bologna Process and Master's Courses
in the Mathematical Sciences is presented as an annex to this
submission, and is also available online at www.cms.ac.uk/CMSsubmissions.html
IMPLICATIONS OF
THE BOLOGNA
PROCESS FOR
THE UK HIGHER
EDUCATION SECTOR:
ADVANTAGES AND
DISADVANTAGES
1. The CMS welcomes the process in so far
as it encourages more cooperation between and mobility of staff
and students. Comparing practices with European (and other colleagues)
is a useful corrective to possibly complacency.
2. A structure that is unique to the UK
Higher Education sector is the integrated masters courses that
exist in mathematics sciences, physics, chemistry, engineering
and other subjects. These are enhanced undergraduate courses that
typically take one more year to complete than a standard Bachelor's
degree. These courses, generally known as MSci, MMath, MChem,
MPhys etc, are of great importance within the mathematical sciences
in providing sources of well qualified people trained to substantially
beyond the First Cycle level, well equipped both to enter employment
and to go on to further study.
3. It is vital to the health of these disciplines
that such courses are accepted as being equivalent to a combined
First and Second Cycle qualification, despite the fact that there
is often no clear break point between the cycles in these qualifications.
Implementation of the Bologna Process would severely disadvantage
the mathematical sciences unless this is the case.
4. Compliance may need some amendments to
course design, but it is imperative that generic interpretations
of the requirements for compliance evolve in such a way as not
to cause unfortunate subject-specific consequences.
5. The funding arrangements for the crucial
Second Cycle must be considered by Government. Given the nature
of most of these courses, and the arrangements which were agreed
for integrated masters courses, the natural "parent"
body to fund the Second Cycle is the DfES and not the Research
Councils.
THE AGENDA
FOR DISCUSSION
AT THE
2007 MEETING IN
LONDON—CLARIFYING
THE UK POSITION
6. The UK has generally welcomed the development
of Learning Outcomes as course descriptors, rather than relying
on numerical credits; this approach should be supported.
7. Nevertheless, as with credits, there
are some current inconsistencies between different statements
of Learning Outcomes. Some statements insist that M-level work
includes some "which is at the forefront of knowledge in
a field of work". This is wholly unrealistic in the mathematical
sciences and must be strongly resisted.
8. Statements to the effect that M-level
work is "informed by the forefront" are entirely acceptable,
as are statements in which the concept of "research"
is given a broad meaning. It is on this basis that the integrated
masters (MMath type) and one-year postgraduate masters (MSc type)
meet the descriptors of Learning Outcomes for the Second Cycle.
The CMS supports the use of the Dublin Descriptors as being the
most appropriate expectations for the Second Cycle.
9. Clarification of the "exchange rate"
between the Credit Transfer and Accumulation Scheme (CATS) and
the European Credit Transfer System (ECTS) is needed, and the
inconsistencies between the two systems must be resolved.
THE IMPLICATIONS
OF A
THREE-PHASE
STRUCTURE OF
HIGHER EDUCATION
AWARDS FOR
ONE-YEAR
MASTERS AND
SHORT UNDERGRADUATE
COURSES (HNCS,
HNDS AND
FOUNDATION DEGREES)
10. For postgraduate courses (ie courses
of MSc type), the usual UK practice is to offer a one-year programme
containing 180 CATS credits with at least 120 at M-level. This
is compliant with the Bologna Process where a Second Cycle qualification
typically requires 90 to 120 ECTS credits with at least 60 at
M-level—unless cognisance is taken of the apparent limitation
of a full calendar year to only 75 ECTS credits. Clarification
of this issue is urgently needed.
11. The model of 3+2+3 (BSc + 2-yr MSc +
3yr Doctoral) seems likely in many European countries, but is
not the only pattern allowed. It would be very damaging to the
future of MMath courses and highly unattractive to UK students
if they had to fund themselves for two-years of an MSc course.
The importance of proper funding structures is evident.
AWARENESS AND
ENGAGEMENT IN
THE BOLOGNA
PROCESS WITHIN
HEIS
12. A lack of guidance has resulted in HEIs
responding to the issue rather late in the day and in ways that
threaten the uptake of integrated masters courses.
13. Some universities are assuming that
their four-year MMath courses do not comply with the Bologna agreement.
If universities make individual decisions to cut their courses
without coherent guidance, then the outcome would be disastrous
for mathematics and other subjects, and for employers who seek
these graduates.
14. Students are beginning to make uninformed
choices. The MMath graduates of the Bologna-compliance deadline
of 2010 have already enrolled.
OPPORTUNITIES TO
ENHANCE THE
MOBILITY OF
STUDENTS FROM
THE UK
15. The CMS is supportive of opportunities
to enhance the mobility of students from the UK and would like
to emphasise the extra breadth and employability gained by a period
in another country.
16. If student mobility between universities
in different European countries is to be a reality then First
and Second Cycle qualifications gained in the UK need to be accepted
elsewhere as appropriate preparation for a doctorate. Quite apart
from considerations of credit levels and length of study, it is
true that academic traditions are somewhat different in the UK
from those in most other European countries. In a report to the
Institute of Physics [The Bologna Process and UK Physics Degrees,
Gareth Jones (London, 2003), p 13], referring to the situation
in Physics, the author notes that "in the UK realistic problem
solving, practical skills and applications are probably developed
better whereas, in the rest of Europe, the theoretical foundations
and advanced theoretical methods are developed better". The
same is generally true of mathematical sciences. It is worth noting
that the UK has been on the whole more successful in maintaining
the numbers of students entering university to study mathematics
than have other European countries: numbers have declined relative
to the whole university cohort, but not as dramatically as elsewhere.
17. In principle the difference in academic
traditions should not be a bar to mobility but it is something
that universities in the UK and abroad have to take into account.
This applies not only to students proposing to study to the next
higher level, but also to students who spend a year of their Bachelor's
programme in an EU country.
18. If the UK wishes to redress the balance
between incoming and outgoing students it needs to ensure that
students are able to speak foreign languages at an appropriate
level before they enter university.
19. Students will probably also need extra
financial support. Currently, joint degrees are problematic, but
mobility can be encouraged without joint degrees.
20. We welcome Erasmus/Socrates exchanges
as being of great value, and encourage departments of mathematics
in these schemes and to formulate their regulations to facilitate
such exchanges.
THE POSSIBLE
IMPLEMENTATION OF
A EUROPEAN
CREDIT TRANSFER
SYSTEM (ECTS) AND
A FOCUS
ON LEARNING
OUTCOMES AND
COMPETENCIES
21. The CMS is supportive of an ECTS based
on learning outcomes, subject to our points made in paragraphs
6, 7, 8 and 9.
QUALITY ASSURANCE
SYSTEMS IN
HE (TEACHING AND
RESEARCH): THE
COMPATIBILITY OF
UK PROPOSALS AND
BOLOGNA
22. We believe that the standards set by
the Quality Assurance Agency (QAA) in the UK exceed the standards
proposed by the Bologna Agreement.
DEGREE CLASSIFICATION
REFORM IN
LIGHT OF
BOLOGNA
23. The integrated masters degree combines
First Cycle and Second Cycle qualifications, but it is not apparent
from the way the qualification is badged that both are held.
24. The CMS Bologna Working Group concluded
that institutions should make a dual award (First and Second Cycles)
at the end of four years (five in Scotland), such as BSc MMath,
with a single classification. The years of the degree programme
on which this classification is based can vary between institutions,
but must include the final two years.
THE BROADER
IMPACT OF
BOLOGNA ACROSS
EUROPE: A MORE
STANDARDIZED EUROPE
AND THE
CONSEQUENCES FOR
THE UK'S
POSITION IN
THE GLOBAL
MARKET FOR
HE
25. We accept that mobility and cross-border
understanding of degrees are important for the future of Europe,
but feel it would be helpful if the Committee deliberated also
the deeper strategic issues surrounding education in Europe. In
particular, it would seem that the Bologna Process is driven primarily
by the principle of "harmonisation". The implementation
of standards is crucial in establishing markets in commodities
such as electrical appliances. But education is an extremely personal
matter, and the diversity of requirements for educated people
is immense. For example, "conversion masters" can be
extraordinarily effective in preparing people for employment,
and are internationally attractive, but do not obviously fit in
the Bologna structure. There is a risk that the emphasis on harmonisation
in Bologna will actually be to the detriment of meeting these
diverse needs of employers and society.
December 2006
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