A framework for enhancing regulatory cooperation in external quality assurance in Southern Africa

Cross-border higher education (CBHE) has taken centre stage in the Southern Africa Development Community (SADC). There has been increased trade in higher education services among member states of the SADC. This has necessitated regional regulatory cooperation in quality assurance and accreditation. SADC has established the Southern African Quality Assurance Network as a regional network of external quality assurance agencies. This paper presents a framework that can be used to enhance regulatory cooperation within the Network on quality assurance in higher education with special focus on CBHE. The paper identifies the main areas of focus as people mobility, institutional and programme mobility, accreditation and registration and recognition of academic credentials. Proposed mechanisms for regulatory cooperation include regional credit accumulation and transfer system, regional qualifications framework, framework for accreditation and registration of foreign providers and framework for recognition of academic credentials.     

College Student Access: How Articulation Agreements Support Rural Students

Students from rural areas face additional burdens, such as affordability, academic preparation, and lack of college-going resources that make seeking, enrolling, and attending college more difficult. Community colleges offer hope to achieve a college degree for many rural students, and well-developed articulation agreements can be one way of improving access for these students.     

EUROPEAN COMMUNITY COURSE CREDIT TRANSFER SYSTEM

ECTS, the European Community Course Credit Transfer System, has been conceived to ease academic mobility and recognition, through the creation of a common credit system for the courses of the participating institutions from different countries.     

欧洲学分互认体系:一个转换与累积体系

欧洲学分互认体系(ECTS)于1989-1990学年开始推行。其最初目的是根据欧共体"伊拉斯莫"计划,对学生流动转学期间的学习给予认可,学生将获得经由ECTS认证的学分和一个ECTS等级,这些学分和等级可以使学生流动期间就读学校的成绩获得母校的认可。"用户手册"是欧洲学分互认体系的解释性文件。该系统的核心是,学分的授予是建立在所完成的学习任务和通过考试所获得的学习成绩上的。本演讲将详细介绍ECTS系统,以及它目前在49个国家和地区之间作为转换与累积学分体系的作用。     

调和中的强制——论欧共体法中的一致解释原则

作为一个有别于普遍国际法的法律秩序,欧共体法建立了不同于普遍国际法的许多规则,一致解释原则当属其中之一。欧洲法院建立和发展一致解释规则旨在保证欧共体法的效力,在确立欧共体法优先地位的基础上,保持了该规则调和的性质,同时试图通过温和而间接的方式使欧共体法在成员国法律制度内取得类似直接效力原则所获得的效力,其内在的强制性随之凸显。与具有直接效力的欧共体法相比,它更易于被各成员国接受,因此与直接效力原则、国家赔偿原则一起成为欧共体法效力的保证。而新近通过Pupino案将该规则扩展适用至欧盟法的第三支柱①,对于欧盟法的发展意味深远。     

欧洲学分转换系统：从单一功能到双重功能的转变

欧盟国家在经济一体化深入进行的同时，也正朝着包括政治、文化一体化的目标努力。早在1987年，欧盟就在其成员国间进行了一项名为“伊拉斯莫”的高等教育合作计划，此计划旨在推动大学生在欧盟国家内的流动及通过合作提高欧盟国家高等教育的质量。在这个过程当中，欧盟委员会开发出了欧洲学分转换系统作为推动学生流动的工具，并取得了一定的效果。1999年《波洛尼亚宣言》发表，在肯定欧洲学分转换系统在促进学生流动方面的作用的同时，也希望将积累功能附加在欧洲学分系统之上，以促进终身学习。     

Patterns of Academic Inflow into the Higher Education System of the United Kingdom

This article examines the geographical mobility of highly skilled scientific personnel with reference to universities as principal recruiters of scientific skills. Its interest is the British academic labour market primarily because the United Kingdom has been a traditional academic destination for foreign scientists and students. Despite much of the talk about the internationalization of the scientific/academic community in the advanced world, the academic community of the United Kingdom is still far from being truly globalized. It is more Europeanized than internationalized. Inflows of foreign skills will enrich the science pool of the United Kingdom, but these, however, will mostly benefit the already high performing universities and departments. Lower performance universities might benefit less, as they will attract fewer foreign “stars” to their modest departments. The concept of “brain circulation” might be skewed through the biased division of this circulation between high performing and less performing institutions.     

THE UNIVERSITY OF THE PEOPLES OF EUROPE ‐ A FEASIBILITY STUDY

CEPES is in charge of the feasibility study on The University of the Peoples of Europe. This note gives an outline of what has been done until now and what further plans are. ECTS ‐ European Community Course Transfer System ‐ is conceived to ease academic mobility and recognition by providing a common credit system. 84 institutions of higher education or consortia participate during the pilot phase 1989/90‐1994/95.     

THE EUROPEANIZATION OF HIGHER EDUCATION: INTEGRATION AND DIVERSITY AS VIEWED FROM EASTERN EUROPE

The question asked by the authors is how best to build the common Europe of the Universities in the context, on one hand, of the establishment of the single market of the European Community countries and, on the other hand, the end of Communism in eastern Europe. That the universities of Europe as a whole will increasingly come together is a certainty; however, the process will be long and sometimes complicated. East and West need information on each other's universities and higher education systems, this for the myriad necessities of comparability and recognition. The West, in particular, needs a clear picture of what happened to eastern European universities during a period in excess of forty years during which they were very isolated. The authors illustrate many of the peculiarities of universities under communism with reference to the Romanian situation. However, the reader is cautioned that eastern Europeans themselves perceive as many differences among the universities of their various countries as similarities. Cooperation agreements, exchanges of teachers and of students, and other kinds of East‐West links will be established, and the result will be the greater affirmation of academic unity in diversity.     

The logics of study abroad programmes and their impacts

Study abroad programmes are characterized, in contrast to individual mobility of students across borders, by a particular set of established arrangements for foreign study between institutions of higher education, namely an ongoing, regular exchange of students; an organisational and educational infrastructure which supports the study experience; and provisions that successful study for some period abroad is at least partially recognized as a substitute for study at the home institution. The paper compares different models of, or approaches to, study abroad programmes and examines the effects of the different types of programmes. The paper draws on an extensive cross-national analysis of study abroad programmes, the Study Abroad Evaluation Project, addressing various support schemes by the European Community and national governments as well as programmes and students from British, French, German, Swedish and U.S. institutions of higher education. Findings show that there are certain logics of study abroad promotion programmes and of national modal types of programmes which shape the goals, attitudes of participants, experiences abroad, and the outcomes of the programmes to a large extent. However, significant exceptions can be pointed out: students themselves might opt for contrasting educational experiences abroad not strongly emphasized in their programme; students might report substantial problems abroad though strong administrative and academic support is provided, recognition of study abroad upon return might remain limited even though students consider their academic progress abroad as higher than that during a corresponding period at their home institution.This study was supported by the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development, Centre for Educational Research and Innovation. It was presented at the International Seminar on Higher Education and the Flow of Foreign Students, convened by the Hochschul-Informations-System, with support from the Federal Ministry of Education and Science and the Lower Saxony Ministry of Science and Arts in Hannover, Germany on 26th–28th April 1990.     

Transnational vocational guidance in the European Community

In the Single European Market, which will come into effect at the end of 1992 transnational vocational guidance will play an important role as one of the measures to enhance mobility within and between the twelve member states of the European Community (EC). The mobility of goods, services, capital, and people are essential to obtaining economic growth, which, in turn, is one of the most important political goals of the Single European Market.Of the four types of mobility, vocational guidance deals with people. Transnational vocational guidance supports individuals in their attempt to become more mobile across country borders. In order to map the existing transnational guidance provisions in the EC, a study on eight border regions was made in 1990 (Plant, 1990a). The idea was that this small-scale picture would point to some of challenges for guidance in the large-scale Single Market.From 1992 guidance services in the EC will have to adapt not only to rapid changes in national labour market conditions, but also to the demands of information on education, training, employment opportunities, study grants etc. in other member states. In these terms, psychological counselling dealing with possible personal problems in relation to transnational mobility is not at the heart of the matter.     

通过学分转换和认证先前学习促进学生交流

如同著名的荷兰科学家伊拉斯莫一样,凡是纵横欧洲几所大学研究的人都被视为是学生的楷模。与伊拉斯莫时代的习惯相左的是,现代大学对学生在其他大学学习的成果信息有所要求。作为一个综合学分互认体系,欧洲学分互认系统(ECTS)能够满足这样的要求。本次演讲将对包括荷兰开放大学在内的西欧院校的优秀实践将予以介绍。不幸的是,许多院校口头上称许学生流动性的种种优点,事实上却给学分互认制造障碍。障碍之一就是巨细靡遗的海外课程水平和内容具体要求说明。"学术教育是智慧和专业见解的增进","学胜于教","知识来源多元性和事实不是唯一存在性"等更为宽广的价值观是对待学生流动性的积极态度。本次演讲将探究这一更为宽广的价值观体系。由于期待所有大学都在这一问题上达成共识是不现实的,报告人建议让愿意采取切实行动对待学生流动的大学组成联盟。流动性友好大学联盟将基于自愿参与的形式为每个专业建立结构课程,并且采用综合学分互认系统和透明的先前知识认可规则。结构课程的概念将予以说明。它在本质上是一系列对于课程水平和内容的宽泛要求,而非具体必修课程清单。结构课程使学生能够利用世界各地大学的优势建立个人的课程组合。     

Issues surrounding the introduction of formal student contracts

This paper considers the appropriateness of introducing formal learning agreements in a higher education institution (HEI). It begins by examining the current legal nature of the student/university relationship and the legal status of formal learning agreements. The paper then explores the impact of such agreements on student satisfaction by reviewing the literature pertaining to student satisfaction and discussing the findings from a collaborative inquiry (CI) event, questionnaires and semi‐structured interviews. It also considers the title that such an agreement should bear and the possible content of such an agreement. The conclusion reached, is that a judiciously constructed learning agreement can potentially improve the service that students receive, promote the notion that a student is a member of a community, influence student expectations and thus increase student satisfaction. It is therefore an option that should be carefully considered, particularly as the vast majority of students who responded to the questionnaire distributed as part of the study supported the introduction of learning agreements.     

FROM REGIONAL CONVENTIONS TO A UNIVERSAL INSTRUMENT: STEPS FORWARD AND PITFALLS

The set of regional conventions on the recognition of studies, diplomas, and degrees is part of a UNESCO effort to promote academic mobility that is almost as old as the organization itself. Normally, the working of the six regional conventions should lead, eventually, to the adoption of a single universal convention on academic recognition; however, in spite of the Recommendation voted at the General Conference of the Organization in 1993, certain countries of the Europe Region, the region receiving the largest number of international students, is not too keen on the idea. This region, nevertheless, is in the process of unifying its own regional conventions through the adoption of a joint Council of Europe/UNESCO Convention on the Recognition of Qualifications Concerning Higher Education in the European Region. Possibly this action will serve as inspiration for a change of attitude toward development of a universal convention.     

The effect of articulation agreements on community college transfers and bachelor’s degree attainment

For more than a century, community colleges have provided a postsecondary education alternative to the traditional, 4-year university. Enrolling disproportionate numbers of both disadvantaged and nontraditional students, the community college sector has seen unparalleled gains in enrollment over the past few decades. Along with these increases in enrollment, there has been a shift in focus toward transfer to 4-year institutions, as well as the development of articulation agreements. Established in order to ease the transfer process from community colleges to 4-year colleges/universities—for those students interested in obtaining a bachelor’s degree—these agreements currently exist in more than 30 states. Via two-level, hierarchical linear modeling, this article examines the student and school level characteristics of community colleges that affect transfer and bachelor’s degree attainment rates. Also examined is the impact of articulation agreements. Ultimately, while articulation agreements are not found to yield a significant effect on transfer rates, they are found to have significant, positive effects on bachelor’s degree attainment rates.     

Inarticulate Transfer: Do Community College Students Understand Articulation Agreements?

Only 25% of community college students transfer to a 4-year institution within 5 years, and only 17% earn a bachelor’s degree within 6 years of transferring (Jenkins &; Fink, 2015). In response, community colleges have partnered with 4-year institutions to draft articulation agreements, outlining transfer policies and procedures for specific academic programs (Montague, 2012). However, no extant research has examined whether these articulation agreements are readable by community college students. This study examines 100 articulation agreements between 2- and 4-year institutions to answer the question: do community college students understand articulation agreements? Findings indicate that 93% of articulation agreements are unreadable by community college students of average reading ability, with 69% of articulation agreements written at or above a 16th-grade reading level. Implications for practitioners and future research are addressed.     

Free Lunch for All! The Effect of the Community Eligibility Provision on Academic Outcomes

We analyze the effect of the Community Eligibility Provision (CEP), a universal free-lunch program, on elementary and middle school students' academic performance and attendance in the state of South Carolina. As part of the program, eligible schools can provide free lunches to all students, regardless of whether an individual student qualifies for free or reduced lunch. Using a difference-in-differences approach, we show that CEP leads to about 0.06 of a standard deviation increase in math test scores for elementary school students. We find smaller effects on reading scores and on middle school students. These effects also vary by student poverty, school poverty, and locality. In particular, we find students that were previously eligible for free lunches but not on other public assistance programs benefit the most from CEP. The results may suggest that the expansion of access to free lunch help improve students' academic outcomes.     

Swirling Students: Articulation Between A Major Community College District and a State-Supported Research University

As the country experiences a recession and institutions of higher education increase tuition to compensate for diminishing state support, the transferability of credits among and between institutions is essential to students seeking to earn a baccalaureate degree. Students, parents, and taxpayers cannot afford to pay twice for the same courses or for additional courses. In this environment, articulation becomes a very important issue, particularly when research has shown that a significant number of students enroll in more than one institution on their path to a degree. The focus of this article is the swirling students between the Maricopa Community Colleges and Arizona State University. Swirling students, also a national phenomenon, encounter a number of challenges that institutions need to address. The history of articulation agreements in Arizona was explored to provide insight into the transfer model available to students enrolled at the Maricopa Community Colleges and Arizona State University. The data revealed that the extent of student swirl is greater than initially anticipated and transcends beyond lower division coursework into the senior year. After considering the findings and conclusions based on the data, this article concludes that transparent institutional intentionality is imperative to effective articulation agreements that accommodate student swirl.     

Academic mobility,transnational identity capital,and stratification under conditions of academic capitalism

Academic mobility has existed since ancient times. Recently, however, academic mobility—the crossing of international borders by academics who then work ‘overseas’—has increased. Academics and the careers of academics have been affected by governments and institutions that have an interest in coordinating and accelerating knowledge production. This article reflects on the relations between academic mobility and knowledge and identity capital and their mutual entanglement as academics move, internationally. It argues that the contemporary movement of academics takes place within old hierarchies among nation states, but such old hierarchies intersect with new academic stratifications which will be described and analysed. These analytical themes in the article are supplemented by excerpts from interviews of mobile academics in the UK, USA, New Zealand, Korea and Hong Kong as selected examples of different locales of academic capitalism.     

Getting Them There,Keeping Them There: Benefits of an Extended School Day Program for High School Students

Over a decade of research has demonstrated the positive effects of extended school day programs on various elementary and middle school student outcomes, both in the short and long term. The efficacy of extended school day programs in promoting academic outcomes among high school students is less well understood. This study contributes to the existing literature by examining school attendance, credit attainment, and standardized reading and math scores in a group of students at risk of academic failure who participated in extended school day programming. The study compared their outcomes to those of a group of demographically similar students who did not participate in the program. The extended school day program is provided within a full-service Schools Uniting Neighborhoods (SUN) Community School (CS) in the Portland, Oregon metropolitan area. Results suggest an advantage for SUN students in terms of better school attendance and earning credits toward graduation, but not in terms of standardized test scores. Implications for future research and extended school day policy are discussed.