Raport România 2009 - 2012

ational level? Yes, due to the actions and measures of the Sectoral Operational Programme for the Human Resources Development – ESF for 2007-2013. 4.4. Does national policy steer student assessment procedures to focus on learning outcomes? 4.5. Is there an offer of training programmes on topics such as student-centred learning and learning outcomes for academic staff? Compulsory Yes for all academic staff Yes for some academic staff No No answer Voluntary Yes for all academic staff Yes for some academic staff No No answer 4.5.1. Please specify for whom and give approximate % that participate. E.g. Departemens of teacher training and human resources 4.6. Is the use of learning outcomes in curricula development and student assessment monitored by Quality Assurance procedures? 4.6.1. Please explain how, and provide a reference to further information. The National Quality Assurance Agency for HE reviewed the assessment methodology for study programmes in order to include appropriate instruments (grides for the description of qualifications using the learning outcomes). 4.6. Please provide any additional relevant comments for consideration regarding learning outcomes. The implementation of the NQF for HE was done based on a ESF strategic project in the last two years. It was a soft and voluntary process, in order to give time to the academic staff to accept the shift to learning outcomes and to apply the new methodology. 5. IMPLEMENTATION OF THE EUROPEAN CREDIT TRANSFER AND ACCUMULATION SYSTEM (ECTS) 5.1. In your country, do you use 5.1.1. Please provide details of how it is linked to ECTS (when applicable) and its main characteristics (e.g. how credits are calculated and whether the system is based on learning-outcomes). 5.2. In your country, what percentage of higher education institutions use ECTS for accumulation and transfer for all elements of study programmes? 2 5.3. In your country, what percentage of programmes use ECTS for accumulation and transfer for all elements of study programmes? 5.4. In the majority of higher education institutions and/or programmes, what is the basis to award ECTS in your country? 5.4.1. Please specify. 5.4.2. For student workload, is there a standard measure for the number of hours per credit? 5.4.3. What is the number of hours per credit? 27 5.4.4. What is the number of student teacher contact hours per credit? 0 5.4.5. Please provide any additional relevant comments for consideration regarding ECTS implementation. The number of hours for student workload is according to the type of HE program 6. DIPLOMA SUPPLEMENT 6.1. Is the Diploma Supplement issued in higher education institutions and to students in all fields of study? All students >75% of HEIs 50-75% of HEIs 25-49% of HEIs 0-24% of HEIs 0% No answer Some students >75% of HEIs 50-75% of HEIs 25-49% of HEIs 0-24% of HEIs 0% No answer Upon request >75% of HEIs 50-75% of HEIs 25-49% of HEIs 0-24% of HEIs 0% No answer In certain fields of >75% of HEIs 50-75% of HEIs 25-49% of HEIs 0-24% of HEIs 0% No study answer No students >75% of HEIs 50-75% of HEIs 25-49% of HEIs 0-24% of HEIs 0% No answer 6.1.1. Please identify those fields. 6.1.2. Please specify to which students. 6.2. Is there any monitoring of how employers use the Diploma Supplement? 3 6.2.1. Please provide the most recent results regarding the level of satisfaction of employers. 6.3. Is there any monitoring of how higher education institutions use the Diploma Supplement? 6.3.1. Please provide the most recent results regarding the level of satisfaction of institutions. According to the Law no. 288/2004, all higher education institutions issue the Diploma Supplement for their graduates from bachelor and master programs. 6.4. In what language(s) is the Diploma Supplement issued? The Diploma Supplement is issue in Romanian language and in other widespread language, usually in English, but could be also in French or German. 6.5. Is the Diploma Supplement issued 6.5.1. Please provide the amount and the reason for the fee. 6.6. Please provide an example of your national Diploma Supplement (in pdf or similar format) and send it to [email protected] 6.7. Please provide any additional relevant comments for consideration regarding your diploma supplement. In Romania, the Diploma Supplement is a compulsory document for all diplomas of bachelor and master programs, and for diplomas of professions regulated by European norms, regulations or good practices – where bachelor and master programs can be provided as part of a 5 to 6 year full-time programme of study, those diplomas are recognised as master’s degree certificates (as in the following fields of study: Medicine, Dentistry, Pharmacy, Veterinary Medicine, Architecture). Minister Order no 5289/September 9, 2008 on the Bachelor diploma and diploma supplement, issued by the Ministry of Education and Research, published by the Official Gazette, Part I, no 655 of 17.09.2008. Minister Order no 4151/15 June 2010 on the Master diploma and the Diploma Supplement, issued by the Ministry of Education and Research, published by the Official Gazette, Part I, no 445/01.06.2010. 7. NATIONAL QUALIFICATIONS FRAMEWORKS (NQFs) 7.1. Have you started the process to develop a National Qualification Framework in your country? 7.2. The BFUG working group on qualification frameworks has developed the following steps to assess the progress made in establishing a national qualification framework. Please choose below the stage that best describes your national situation. The 10 steps have been taken since 2006. The first draft of the Self certification Report was drafted in the spring 2011, official launched during a international conference on 14-15 of April 2011. The final draft will be ready in September 2011. 7.2.1 Please provide the date when the step was completed. 30.11.1999 4 7.2.2. Please provide a reference for the decision to start developing a NQF. www.acpart.ro; www.acpart.ro/docis; www.rncis.ro 7.2.3. Please provide a reference outlining the purpose of the NQF. 7.2.4. Please provide a reference to a document establishing or outlining the process of NQF development. Please also report, which stakeholders have been identified and which committees have been established. 7.2.5. Please provide a reference describing the agreed level structure, level descriptors and credit ranges. 7.2.6. Please provide a reference outlining the form and the results of the consultation. Please provide a reference for the design of the NQF as agreed by the stakeholders. 7.2.7. Which stakeholders have been consulted and how were they consulted? 7.2.8. Please provide a reference document for the adoption of the NQF. 7.2.9. Are ECTS included in the NQF? 7.2.10. Please provide a reference for the decision to start the implementation of the NQF, including a reference to the roles of the different stakeholders. 7.2.11. Please provide a reference for the redesign of study programmes based on learning outcomes. 7.2.12. Please provide a reference outlining how qualifications have been included in the NQF. 7.2.13. Please provide a reference to the self-certification report. 5 The Steering Committee is analysing the first draft of the Self certification report till 15 of May 2011. After that moment the report will be published on the sites marked below. 7.3. Does a website exist in your country on which the National Qualification Framework can be consulted? 7.3.1. Please provide the link to that website. www.acpart.ro; www.acpart.ro/docis; www.rncis.ro 8. RECOGNITION OF QUALIFICATIONS 8.1. Which institution/organisation makes final decisions on recognising foreign qualifications for the purpose of academic study and work in your country? Recognition for Higher education institution Central government authority (e.g. ministry) Regional academic study government authority (e.g. ministry) National ENIC/NARIC centre Regional/local specialised independent institution Social partner organisation (employers' organisation, trade union etc) Individual employers Other No answer Recognition for Higher education institution Central government authority (e.g. ministry) Regional professional government authority (e.g. ministry) National ENIC/NARIC centre Regional/local specialised employment independent institution Social partner organisation (employers' organisation, trade union etc) Individual employers Other No answer 8.1.1. Please specify. 8.2. Which of the following statements is specified in national legislation? Applicant's right to fair assessment of qualification is based on the conformity with the national and European legislation taking into consideration the best practice in the recognition procedures. 8.2.1. Please provide a reference to the relevant legislation. The recognition conditions are stated in the law implementing the Lisbon Convention no. 172/1998. Also there are some references in the Law of national education no. 1/2011 8.3. What measures exist to ensure that these legal statements are implemented in practice? Based on the law implementing the Lisbon Convention, the National Centre ENIC/NARIC has adopted the methodology on the recognition of diplomas through a Ministry Order. 8.4. Do higher education institutions typically: 8.4. Do higher education institutions typically: The Higher Education institutions are competent only to recognise the study periods at central level. 6 8.5. Are higher education institutions' recognition policy and practice typically evaluated in external Quality Assurance processes? 8.5.1. Please explain. 8.6. What measures exist to ensure that higher education institutions have fair recognition procedures for study and training periods abroad? In this moment the HEI have their own procedures for recognition of study periods abroad, and in the new law of national education no. 1/2011 is stated that a unified procedure shall be adopted in a Ministry order and implemented by all HEIs. 8.7. Please provide any additional relevant comments for consideration regarding your system of recognition of qualifications. The academic and professional recognition is done by the Ministry of Education through the ENIC/NARIC centre for non-regulated professions. The competent authorities for the regulated professions take the decision of recognition for EU citizens. 7 Part 1.3 BFUG Data Collection on Quality Assurance 1. CHARACTER OF EXTERNAL QUALITY ASSURANCE SYSTEM 1.1. Which situation applies in your country? The Romanian Agency for Quality Assurance was created by Government Ordinance 75/2005, approved with modifications by Law 87/2006, as independent public institution, with its own income and expenditure budget. 1.1.1. Please explain the main elements of your external quality assurance system. Which ministry or government- dependent agency is responsible for quality assurance? How is this responsibility managed in practice? If there are external evaluations of institutions and/or programmes, by whom are these evaluations undertaken, how often, and how are the outcomes of evaluation used? 1.1.2. Please explain the main elements of your external quality assurance system (if it exists). If there is no system of quality assurance, please state this explicitly. 1.2. What are the main outcomes of an external review undertaken by the different QA agencies? 1.3. What is the main outcome of an external review? 1.4. Does the outcome of an external review normally have an impact on the funding of the institution or programme? 1.4.1. Please specify the normal impact of an external review. Throughout the external review, under which the agency verifies the compliance by the evaluated study-programme of criteria and standards set legally, according to the ESG, in case all criteria are met accordingly, the study-programme/institution is empowered to either enrol students and deliver courses (in case of provisional authorisation) or to enrol students, deliver courses and organize final examinations and deliver degrees at the end of each Bologna cycle (in case of accreditation). Based on the actual capacities of the respective study-program, the agency also establishes the maximum capacity of enrolled students for each year of studies, which represents one of the financing criteria for the State universities. At the same time, by legal disposition, all accredited study programmes and institutions must undergo a periodical evaluation, every five years, to be granted the re-accreditation. The expected results of the formative advice given by the agency as part of the process on strengthening and enhancing quality and, according to the case, mentioned in the final reports, is evaluated through follow-up measures, as additional visits after one, two (in case when problems affecting quality standards were identified) or three years (in case of positive results for institutional evaluations), as well as in the periodic evaluations (every five years) of study programs and institutions. 1.5. Does the agency cover: 1.5.1. Collectively, do the agencies cover: 1.6. What is the main "object" of the external evaluations undertaken? 1.6.1. Are all institutions subject to external evaluation? 1.6.1.1. Please specify 1.6.2. Are all programmes in all cycles subject to external evaluation? 1.6.2.1. Please specify 1.6.3. Are all institutions and all programmes subject to external evaluation? 1.6.3.1. Please specify 1.7. How are the positive outcomes of Quality Assurance evaluations made available to the public? The evaluation results are published on the ARACIS website, as well as printed as institutional evaluation reports. At the same time, the Agency sends out yearly reports on its own activity, in a very transparent manner. The agency organizes and it s representatives attend public events (conferences, workshops, training sessions for evaluators – teaching staff, students, international evaluators) organized in Romania on QA in higher education. Also, its representatives attend most of the international relevant conferences and seminars on QA, where they present the agency’s good practice drawn from the evaluation process. The public relation function is assured by one staff member active in communicating with mass media. 1.8. How are the negative outcomes of Quality Assurance evaluations made available to the public? See above. 1.9. Which of the following issues are typically included in external quality assurance evaluations? Teaching Student support services Lifelong Learning provision Research Employability Internal Quality Assurance/Management system Other (please specify) 1.9.1. For those issues that are typically included in external Quality Assurance evaluation, please briefly explain the approach. Throughout the external review, under which the agency verifies the compliance by the evaluated study-programme of criteria and standards set legally, according to the ESG, in case all criteria are met accordingly, the study-programme/institution is empowered to either enrol students and deliver courses (in case of provisional authorisation) or to enrol students, deliver courses and organize final examinations and deliver degrees at the end of each Bologna cycle (in case of accreditation). Based on the actual capacities of the respective study-program, the agency also establishes the maximum capacity of enrolled students for each year of studies, which represents one of the financing criteria for the State universities. At the same time, by legal disposition, all accredited study programmes and institutions must undergo a periodical evaluation, every five years, to be granted the re-accreditation. The expected results of the formative advice given by the agency as part of the process on strengthening and enhancing quality and, according to the case, mentioned in the final reports, is evaluated through follow-up measures, as additional visits after one, two (in case when problems affecting quality standards were identified) or three years (in case of positive results for institutional evaluations), as well as in the periodic evaluations (every five years) of study programs and institutions. Further details can be found in the following link: www.aracis.ro 1.10. Please provide any additional relevant comments for consideration regarding your external Quality Assurance system. 2. CROSS-BORDER EVALUATION 2.1. Does your national quality assurance system or legislative framework allow higher education institutions to choose a quality assurance agency from outside your country (instead of your national quality assurance agency)? 2.1.1. If some institutions are able