Joint programmes (degrees?):
many challenges and many
solutions
Raimonda Markeviciene
Athens, 2013
Joint programmes and joint degrees
Working definition of JD (EUA 2003)
Recommendation on the
Recognition of JD – 2004
• Developed and approved by
several institutions
• Students study at parts of the
programme at other institutions
• Students stays are of
comparable length
• Teachers teach at other
institutions, agree on
programme requirements and
admission
• Either national or joint degrees
• A joint degree…a higher
education qualification issued
jointly by at least two or more
HEIs or jointly by one or more
HEI and other awarding bodies
on a basis of a study programme
developed and/or provided
jointly by the HEI, possibly also
in cooperation with other
institutions. A joint degree may
be issued as:
Joint diploma
in addition to
one or more
national
diplomas
Joint diploma
only
One or more
national
diplomas that
attest joint
qualification
JP & JD – challenges and problems
JP –while
JP features:
1. 2-20 partners (HEIs,
non-governmental
organizations,
companies…
2. Coordinating institution
(may rotate)
3. Covers different
educational systems
/countries/continents
May have associate
partners
still
running
JD –once
qualification
/ diploma
obtained
• Mostly interdisciplinary and
multi- disciplinary programmes
• Not enough support for them
on national level
• Different workload and grading
standards
• National systems treat them
differently
• Does not belong to any national
qualification system even though
separate JP components do
• No recognition problems in the
countries that issued diploma
• Automatically recognized by partner
universities
• Might be recognized by other
institutions in the country
• Recognized by employers
• Legal recognition still difficult
The most frequent/popular JP models JOIMAN
web site: www.joiman.eu
• Offered at all or several partner universities
• one study period abroad
Core courses • Final thesis at home university. Research for it at home university or outside HEI
Trip
programmes
Bilateral
mobility
Intensive
residential
modules
• All students start at the same institution
• More than one mobility period
• Students are together from the beginning to the end
• One year at the starting institution
• Second year at the second institution + research for the thesis
• Mobility destinations may be fixed or chosen depending on the starting institution or fee.
• One of the above models + intensive residential module at one of the institutions. Usually
outside lecture periods.
• For the modules all students are together.
Joint degree systems according to CHE (centre
for Higher Education, Germany) and CHEPS (Centre for Higher Education Policy
Studies, university of Twente)
Programme
organization
Mobility
Synchronisation system
Rotation system
Independent programme in each
partner country
Partner countries do not have
independent study programmes
Course components (Even entire
curriculum) are synchronised for
the purpose of exchange
Study components are offered by
partners to form a self-contained
programme
Study abroad can be chosen
flexibly
The HEIs for the periods of study
are predetermined
Students do not form a joint
student body
Students in a cohort rotate as a
joint body
Students do not have to study on
all partner countries
Students spend periods of study in
all partner countries
Legal basis on European level
Lisbon Recognition
Convention, 1999
Recommendation on
the recognition of JD,
2004
Fair assessment within
reasonable time limit
Fair assessment; substantial
differences between JD and
comparable qualification
within national system
Uniform/transparent
procedures and criteria
Remove legal obstacles for
recognition
Recognize unless substantial
differences are proven by
host country
Degree/institution –subject
for quality assurance and
belong to educational system
Possibility to appeal
Adequate information : to
competent recognition
authorities, DS&ECTS
Code of Good practice
in the Provision of
transnational degrees,
2002
Agreements & contracts;
quality & standards; policy &
mission statement;
Information; staff; culture &
customs; agents; awarding
institution; admission &
learning activities; workload;
“transnational education
programmes, complying with
provisions of the present
Code, should be assessed in
accordance with stipulations
of the LRC”
Recognition… recognition…
The Recommendation
indicates that where a part
of the study programme
giving rise to a joint degree
has not been the subject of
quality assessment or is not
considered as belonging to
the education system of one
or more parties to the
Lisbon Recognition
Convention, this may be a
valid reason not to
recognize the degree.
…in the cases where the studies
for the joint degree have
actually taken place in a limited
number of institutions, but the
joint degree is awarded in the
name of a larger consortium, it
seems rightly to require that all
consortium members are
recognized institutions and that
at least the institutions in which
the student has actually studied
for the joint degree, have been
quality assessed.
Recommendation on the recognition of Joint degrees, 9
June 2004
Criteria of jointness create new challenges
for external and internal QA
The programme is developed and/or
approved by several institutions
Mobility periods at partner institutions
(not necessarily all)
Students stay at partners should constitute
considerable part of the programme
Automatic recognition of study
achievements at partner institution
Final award - joint, double, multiple
degree/diploma
different rules,
cultures, traditions
mobility, different
semester periods
language problem,
psychological problems
Different grading ;
rules, software
different legal systems
and national
requirements
Choice of partners – start thinking of recognition
before creating a JP
• Consortium institutions
have to be nationally
recognized
• Have the accredited
programmes in related
subject areas
Legal status
Legal
provisions
• All partners should be
allowed to offer JP
• JP have to be recognized
as such in HE system of a
country
• Quality assessment
requirements have to be
explored (especially for
JP)
Quality
assessment
Trust in partners – not only in academic but also administrative issues
legal provisions could be changed with necessary amount of pressure
National accreditation/recognition
procedures:
1. Accreditation/evaluation by national
assessment agencies (single or joint)
2. Validation by the university (e.g.
England)
3. Evaluation of the quality of the courses
other universities
Procedures carried out by
professional networks/organizations,
e.g.: ECTNA (European Chemistry
Thematic Network Association);
EAALS (European Accreditation
Agency for the Life Science)
Types of
accreditation
procedures of JP
Procedures carried out by the EACEA
What is
required
by legal
system?
What is
accepted
by it?
Procedures initiated by the HEIs
themselves, such as: commissioning
expert review on the academic
aspects of the programme
European Consortium on accreditation (ECA) research
QA of joint programmes
QA assurance –
institutional level
Keep in mind
ESG
standards!
QA assurance –
institutional level
QA assurance –
consortium level
QA assurance –
institutional level
QA assurance –
institutional level
Implementation aspects of JP
• Application phase
• Student selection
• Enrolment/ registration,
visas
• Orientation measures
•Agreement on tuition fees
•Formation of budget and its
division among partners
•Diversification of financial
support, external funding
•Agreement on internal QA
system
• Academic calendar
• Grading scales
• Credit transfer
• Individual consultations
• Graduation documents
Services for
applicants
and students
Studies and
graduation
(programme
with explicit
mobility LO)
Finance and
quality
management
Mobility
• Additional funds for
specific services
• Cultural integration
• Visas, accommodation
• Consultations
Suggestions for the principles of JP quality
A TIP
assurance
Adopt QA plan
before the
programme
starts
Predictability and
transparency
Risk management
QA assurance
for course the
same as in an
institution
Develop or
synchronize course
jointly
Courses approved
by all the partners
Establish a
governing body
responsible for
QA.
QA procedures for all
joint processes
(recruitment,
admission,
graduation, etc…)
Institutions should
know each others
QA systems
JP must be coherent and holistic therefore QA system
must be prepared jointly
A TIP
Are mobility LO
outcomes
described on the
programme level
and will they
contribute to the
profile of the
programme? Can
these LO be
tested? Where?
Eg.: Ability to interact constructively with others regardless
of background and culture and respecting diversity; Ability
to adapt to and act in new situations and cope under
pressure; ability to work in and international context
Credits and workload
Are competences
fostered by
mobility identified
at the programme
level and does the
consultation with
the stakeholders
show that
graduates need
them?
Learning outcomes
Competences
Tips for Joint Programme Curricula
How student
mobility is
facilitated within
the programme?
What are QA
means to ensure
adequate workload
in all partner
institutions?
10 Golden rules (EUA 2003) + Joiman
recommendations
Ensure
involvement
of academic
and
administrativ
e staff
Develop
program
goals and
LO
Know
“WHY
”
Ensur
e
acces
sible
infor
matio
n
Devel
op
langu
age
policy
Setting up quality measures
Choose
partners
carefully
Educati
onal
and
legal
systems
Make
sure of
the
instituti
onal
support
Sustai
nable
fundi
ng
strate
gy
Organ
ize
and
plan
meeti
ngs in
advan
ce
Involvement of stakeholders;
cooperation with external
services
Alloca
te
and
share
respo
nsibili
ties
Information – advise to consortiums
Use ECTS checklist
for the description
of programmes
Consortium’s
solutions for student
workload and
grading
Consortium's policy
for graduation
(when, where, with
whom, how)
Special attention to
admission
requirements (level)
Well described mobility
scheme indicating the
possible differences in
case of choice of
partners
Ideally – separate
well developed JP
booklet to go with
Diploma
Supplement
(profiling&mobility)
Profile of the
programme: clear
indication of goals
and added value of
the format of JP
Competences and LO
of the programme.
Consider defining LO
for each component
under different
national system.
Diploma Supplement
2.1
Name of qualification and title conferred (in original)
• Is the title protected by law
• Indicate if it is a JD
Name and status of awarding institution
2.3
• Names of institutions issuing degree
• whether they undergone quality assurance and/or accreditation procedure
Name and status of institution if different from 2.3 administering studies
2.4
• The section should contain detailed information depending on JP model and mobility scheme
used in it
Mode of study
4.1
• How programme was undertaken: full-time, e-learning which partners), placements …
4.3;
4.4
Programme details/ grading scheme
6.1
Additional information
• What parts of the qualification have been earned at which institution
• Information on all grading schemes used should be provided
• Note whether qualification is a joint or double/multiple degree
• Consortium agreement and arrangements for QA might be referred to
8
Information on the national HE system
• References to the HE systems whose institutions are involved in JP provision
Costs of the programme
Direct
• Staff
&teaching
• Travel
• Publication
• Promotion
• Consultation
Indirect
• Utilities
• Computer
• Telephone
• Rent
Scholarships
Tuition, enrolment,
service
Fees
Investment
• Financial
planning and
consulting
• Administrative
fees
• Commissions
• Tax effects
Fees and scholarshipsSame tuition for
Fees
Scholarships
State
legislation
Institutional
policies
Country
specific
Institutiona
l or may be
consortium
?
Consortium policy set in the
agreement
all students?
Performance
based?
Distinguish
between EU and
Non- EU?
Performance
based?
Bound to
mobility?
Based on
needs?
Attract
students?
Basics of financial management
A TIP
Decide on the type of
consortium
Calculate full cost of
the programme
Devise the
programme’s
sustainability plan
and plan reserve fund
Agree on tuition fee
and scholarship policy
Agree on the
consortium policy of
sharing the costs
JP programme providers and recognition authorities
Mobil
ity
cultur
e
Apply rules
Adapt rules
JP
Qualit
y
cultur
e
Know rules
EFHARISTO
POLY!