Memorandum submitted by the CMU Universities
Group
INTRODUCTION
1. CMU represents over 30 modern universities.
These universities have been supportive of the Magna Carta Universitatum
adopted at Bologna in 1988. This articulated important principles
about the role and function of universities as follows:
— The university is an autonomous institution
at the heart of societies differently organised; it produces,
examines, appraises and hands down culture by research and teaching.
To meet the needs of the world around it, its research and teaching
must be morally and intellectually independent of all political
authority and economic power.
— Teaching and research in universities
must be inseparable if their tuition is not to lag behind changing
needs, the demands of society and advances in scientific knowledge.
— Freedom in research and training
is the fundamental principle of university life, and governments
and universities, each as far as in them lies, must ensure respect
for this fundamental requirement.
BENEFITS OF
THE EUROPEAN
HIGHER EDUCATION
AREA
2. CMU universities have actively participated
in the Bologna Process and Heads of institutions have supported
the intergovernmental initiative designed to create a European
Higher Education Area (EHEA) by 2010. Accordingly, CMU welcomes
the Education and Skills Committee Enquiry bearing in mind the
2007 London meeting.
3. There are clear benefits for students
in the establishment of a common structure of higher education
systems across Europe but also benefits for staff, institutions
and for the UK in terms of European and international relationships,
economic activity and trade. CMU universities are active in European
partnerships, successful in bidding for EU research funding and
actively recruit students from the EU.
4. It is therefore important that government
policy and initiatives are "Bologna compliant" and that
they do not create unnecessary obstacles to future progress on
the creation of the EHEA or hinder opportunities to enhance mobility
of students and staff from the UK. Specifically, policy must enhance
the understanding of students, employees and employers about learning
outcomes ie what learners will know or be able to do as a result
of a learning activity and the knowledge, skills and aptitude
which it can be anticipated that will have been acquired. This
is crucial for national and European qualifications frameworks
and for the associated assurance arrangements and enhancement
of standards and quality in higher education upon which the success
of the European Higher Education Area relies.
THE NEED
FOR A
TRANSPARENT NATIONAL
PROCESS
5. The Bergen communiqué (signed
in May 2005 by Ministers from countries committed to the Bologna
process) recommended that there should be a transparent national
process to align national frameworks within the overarching European
Framework It was considered that such a process would assist not
only with the progression of but also add reputational value to
the Framework for the EHEA which is being promoted. As a result,
it was agreed that criteria and procedures to be self-certified
by each signatory Member State should be put in place to seek
to demonstrate how national frameworks were compatible with the
EHEA Framework.
SELF-CERTIFICATION
PILOTS: REPORT
FROM SCOTLAND
6. As a result Scotland was one of two countries
(the other being the Republic of Ireland) to agree with the Bologna
Working Group on Qualifications Frameworks to pilot the self-certification
process with a view to reporting on the process by September 2006.
(All self-certification processes should be completed by 2010).
7. The report of the Scottish working group
has now been published. While higher education is obviously a
function devolved to the Scottish Parliament, one of the aims
of the report is that it "will prove useful to ministries
of education, higher education staff, student and employers and
employees across the countries involved in the Bologna process
in higher education." Accordingly, the Education and Skills
Committee may well wish to consider the report[31]
as part of their Enquiry and which is also attached to this evidence
submission (http://www.enic-naric.net/documents/QF-Scotland_en.pdf).
It should be noted that the Scottish Framework for Qualification
of Higher Education Institutions (SFQHE) relies on the credit
system in Scotland which UUK's evidence confirms is ECTS compliant
(as is that in Wales). In England, modern universities have adopted
credit systems and also APL (accreditation of prior learning)
which allows for the identification, assessment and formal acknowledgement
of prior leaning and achievement.
8. The relationship between the SQFHE and
the EHEA framework was outlined in the Scottish Report (Table
1) as follows:
| EHEA qualification Cycles
| Qualifications within the Scottish FQHE
|
| First cycle qualifications | Scottish Bachelors Degree with Honours
|
| Scottish Bachelors Degree
|
Short cycle qualifications within or linked to
the first cycle
|
Diploma of Higher Education |
| Intermediate awards within the first cycle |
Certificate of Higher Education |
| Graduate Certificate |
| Graduate Diploma |
| Second cycle qualifications | Masters Degree
|
| Integrated Masters Degree
|
| MPhil Degree |
| Intermediate awards within the second cycle
| Postgraduate Diploma |
| Postgraduate Certificate
|
| Third cycle qualifications | Doctoral Degrees including Doctorates by
Research
|
| |
9. It should be noted in particular that the Graduate
Certificate and Graduate Diploma are qualifications that are typically
for graduates or equivalent but are not of postgraduate level
or outcome. These qualifications have been designed explicitly
to aid the promotion of flexibility and progression within the
lifelong learning agenda in Scotland.
10. The Scottish Diploma of Higher Education (DipHE)
is typically offered after the equivalent of the first two years
of full-time higher education in Scotland. Some DipHEs are awarded
for achievement over a breadth of subject areas while others focus
on one subject, in some cases with a strong vocational focus.
The precise focus and outcomes will be identified in the relevant
programme specifications.
11. The Scottish Certificate of Higher Education (CertHE)
is available in a number of Scottish HEIs typically after the
equivalent of one year of full-time study. Some CertHEs are awarded
for achievement over a breadth of subject areas while others focus
on one subject, in some cases with a strong vocational focus.
Again, the precise focus and outcomes will be identified in the
relevant programme specifications.
12. These particular qualifications have been designed
explicitly to aid the proportion of flexibility and progression
within the lifelong learning agenda in Scotland. CMU recognises
of course that the Committee wishes to examine the English Framework.
However, the Report from Scotland is instructive not only as a
pilot for the self-certification process but also because it clearly
identifies a framework for higher education qualifications with
which the Bologna Process is concerned.
FOUNDATION DEGREES
IN ENGLAND:
THE FE & TRAINING
BILL, CLAUSE
19
13. The extent to which the foundation degree programme
introduced in England from 2001 complies with Bologna has been
a matter of debate. The DfES website describes foundation degrees
as "new, innovative degree level qualifications designed
with employers, so they fit perfectly into the world of work".
In spite of the DfES description, they are not "degree (ie
first-cycle) compliant" in terms of learning outcomes and
competencies. Accordingly within the EHEA framework foundation
degrees do not comply as first cycle qualifications and indeed,
learner progression onto honours degrees programmes was always
anticipated and has been promoted. Accordingly, foundation degrees
will need to comply as intermediate awards within, or short cycle
qualifications linked to, the first cycle of the EHEA framework.
VALIDATION OF
FOUNDATION DEGREES
14. Currently all foundation degrees are validated by
universities and higher education institutions. This has assisted
students in terms of progression routes, added value and status
to the foundation degree as a qualification, encouraged provider
collaboration but also added merit to the argument that, as qualifications,
foundation degrees fall within the Bologna Process ie within the
European Higher Education Framework.
15. The inclusion of Clause 19 into the FE and Training Bill
by which further education colleges would be enabled to apply
to the Privy Council for foundation degree awarding powers allows
education providers that are not primarily higher education institutions
to acquire both validation and franchise rights for foundation
degrees, subject to any future arrangements and agreement in relation
to quality assurance regimes. Lord Adonis has stated that "Clause
19 will allow high-performing further education institutions to
award their own foundation degrees removing their dependency on
higher education institutions for validation in respect of foundation
degrees" (House of Lords 13 December 2006).
16. Subsequently Ministers have advised that they expect
only "a few" colleges to be awarded validation powers
for foundation-degrees. Even if this proves to be the case, institutions
that are not primarily higher education institutions will be awarding
foundation degrees.
17. CMU universities have supported the development and
delivery of foundation degrees both directly and in collaboration
with colleges. However, validation by higher education institutions
has been regarded as crucial both to the status of what is a relatively
new qualification and also to the proposition that this was a
qualification to encourage progression within a lifelong learning
framework and within the first cycle of higher education. Accordingly,
it is unclear what advantages will be derived for the UK or UK
HEIs committed to progressing the European Higher Education Framework
and the EHEA from any switch from validation of foundation degrees
by universities and higher education institutions to validation
by further education colleges. It is also not clear what value
will be added for learners, employers and to the Bologna Process
by the twin-track approach proposed ie some foundation degrees
validated by universities with others validated by colleges.
18. Accordingly, CMU believes that it would be helpful
if the Education and Skills Committee considered this specific
issue in more detail as part of its Bologna inquiry.
January 2007
31
"Verification of compatibility of the framework for qualifications
of higher education institutions in Scotland with the framework
for qualifications of the European Higher Education Area". Back
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