CELEX: 51997PC0707
Language: en
Date: 1998-02-02
Title: Amended proposal for a Council recommendation concerning European cooperation in quality assurance in higher education

COMMISSION OF THE EUROPEAN COMMUNITIES
                                                                     Brussels, 02.02.1998
                                                                     COM(97) 707 final
                                                                     97/0121 (SYN)
                                                Amended proposal for a
                                          COUNCIL RECOMMENDATION
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                       CONCERNING EUROPEAN COOPERATION IN QUALITY ASSURANCE IN
                                                HIGHER EDUCATION
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                               (presented by the Commission pursuant to Article 189 a(2)
                                                   of the EC Treaty)
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 ---pagebreak---  ---pagebreak---                             EXPLANATORY MEMORANDUM
Following the Parliament's opinion as expressed at the First Reading on 18 November
 1997, the Commission presents to the Council, in accordance with Article 189 A,
paragraph 2 of the EC Treaty, a modified proposal for a recommendation. This text
reflects two main groups of modifications:
         a group of amendments designed to provide useful clarifications and greater
         precision in relation to the original proposal;
         another group of amendments reinforcing the proposal, notably in relation to the
         diversity of education systems, the autonomy of higher education institutions and
        the invitation to Member States to participate actively in the creation of a
         European network for quality assurance.
The Commission's modified proposal preserves the same overall structure and the same
objectives as its original proposal, but certain provisions have been developed and
clarified.
Of the amendments proposed by the European Parliament, almost half have been
accepted by the Commission.
The amendments considered problematical fall into the three following categories.
1)      Amendments relating to certain matters ofprinciple that constitute the basis for
        the proposal
             A number of amendments. aim to eliminate the references to the
             Commission's White Paper on growth, competitiveness and employment and
             to the White Paper "Teaching and Learning". However, the references to
             these White Papers, cited in the preamble to the Commission's original
             proposal, form part of the justification for Community action in this field.
             A series of amendments propose a presentation in summary form of the
             principles that should characterise the national systems of quality assurance,
             the different stages of the quality assurance exercise, and the actors involved
             in each stage. Because this is a relatively new domain, the Commission
             prefers to retain the analytical approach including an explanation of the
             essential features, rather than the summary description proposed by
             Parliament.
             One amendment would eliminate the link between quality assurance and the
             labour market needs. This link, however, is important for the employability
             of graduates. Also, the legal basis of the proposed recommendation includes
             article 127 of the Treaty, in which article the labour * market needs are
             explicitly referred to.
                                                 £.
 ---pagebreak--- 2) Amendments raising questions that are outside the scope of the proposal
       involvement of the associated countries of Central and Eastern Europe
       directly in the development of procedures for quality assurance and in the
       creation of the network. This poses a problem, because a reference to third
       countries in a Community instrument is not allowed. Moreover, only some of
       these countries participate in the relevant Community programmes.
       introduction of a recommendation to the Member States to establish systems
       for quality assurance in the field of research.
3) Amendments introducing superfluous additions or developments, or alternative
   formulations that do not improve the original text
       transferring or repeating parts of the legislative text in the preamble and vice-
       versa.
       repeating the aspect of the autonomy of the higher education institutions.
 ---pagebreak---                   Amended proposal for a
               COUNCIL RECOMMENDATION
CONCERNING EUROPEAN COOPERATION IN QUALITY ASSURANCE IN
                  HIGHER EDUCATION
                        ibii O
 ---pagebreak---    PROPOSITION INITIALE DE LA COMMISSION                                                     PROPOSITION MODIFIEE SUITE                      A    L'AVIS     DU     PARLEMENT
                                                                                             EUROPEEN DU 18 NOVEMBRE
   THE COUNCIL OF THE EUROPEAN UNION,                                                        THE COUNCIL OF THE EUROPEAN UNION,
   Having regard to the Treaty establishing the European Community, arc1                     Having regard to the Treaty,establishing the European Community, and particularly
   particularly Articles 126 and 127 thereof,                                                Articles 126 and 127 thereof,
   Having regard to the proposal from the Commission,                                        Having regard to the proposal from the Commission,
   Having regard to the opinion of the Economic and Social Committee,                       Having regard to the opinion of the Economic and Social Committee,
   Having regard to the opinion of the Committee of the Regions,                            Having regard to the opinion of the Committee of the Regions,
   Acting in accordance with the procedure referred to in Article 189c of the Treaty        Acting in accordance with the procedure referred to in Article 189c of the Treaty
   Whereas a high quality of education and training at all levels is an objective for all   Whereas a high quality of education and training at all levels is an objective for all
   Member States and whereas the Community is requested to contribute to its                Member States and whereas the Community "is requested to contribute to hs
   achievement by promoting coopération between Member States and, if necessary, by         achievement by promoting cooperation between Member States and, if necessary, by
  supporting and supplementing their action while fully respecting their responsibility     supporting and supplementing their action while fully respecting their responsibility
  for the content of teaching and the organisation of the education and training systems    for the content of teaching and the organisation of the education and training systems
  and their cultural and linguistic diversity;                                              and their cultural and linguistic diversity;
  Whereas the Council stated in its conclusions of 25 November 1991 that improving          Whereas the Council stated in hs conclusions of 25 November 1991 that improving
  the quality of teaching in higher education is a concern shared by each Member State     the quality of teaching in higher education is a concern shared by each Member State
  and by every higher education institution within the European Community; whereas         and by every higher education institution within the European Community; whereas in
  in view of the diversity of methods used for quality assessment at national level,       view of the diversity of methods used for quality assessment at national level, national
  national experience could be complemented by European experience provided by a           experience could be complemented by European experience provided by a limited
  limited number of pilot projects aimed at establishing and strengthening cooperation     number of pilot projects aimed at establishing and strengthening cooperation in this
  in this area;                                                                            area;
 Whereas through developments and activities in the Member States as well as through       Whereas through developments and activities in the Member States as well as through
 transnational cooperation and the mobility of students and teaching staff (particularly   transnational cooperation and the mobility of students and teaching staff (particularly
 in the framework of Community programmes such as SOCRATES and especially its              in the framework of Community programmes such as SOCRATES and especially its
 ERASMUS chapter) the awareness of European higher education institutions of the           ERASMUS chapter) the awareness of European higher education institutions of the
 need to be able to judge the quality of studies available in other countries and to       need to be able to judge the quality of studies available in other countries and to
 compare it with that of studies available within their own systems lus been               compare it with that of studies available within their own systems has been
 substantially raised;                                                                     substantially raised;
 Whereas one of the main issues of the Commission memorandum on higher education           Whereas one of the main issues of the Commission memorandum on higher
 highlights that the former view of a vertical quality hierarchy of educational           education highlights that quality should be guaranteed at all levels and in all
 institutions whose qualifications are traditionally considered as different entrance     sectors, with differnces only in terms of objectives, methods and educational
 tickets to society is becoming increasingly obsolete: whereas the emphasis todav is       demand: whereas there is a support for the introductionof efficient and acceptable
 more on quality across the whole of education and within each institution: whereas       methods of quality evaluation wiiich are based on European cooperation and
 quality should be guaranteed at all levels and in all seclon, with differences only in   transnational exchange of experience and which emphasis* its role and cultural
 terms of objectives, methods and educational demand; whereas there is support for the    dimension;
 introduction of efficient and acceptable methods of quality evaluation which are based
 on European cooperation and transnational exchange of experience and which
emphasise the importance of quality assurance for strategic management as well as its
cultural dimension:
                                                                                          Whereas, due to differing education svstems in the Community, the term "higher
                                                                                          education institution", as used in this Recommendation, covers all types of
                                                                                          institutions which offer Qualifications or diplomas at that level, whatever such
                                                                                          establishments mav be called in the Member States: whereas this definition is used
                                                                                          in the decision establishing the SOCRATES programme;
Whereas a Commission study on the state of quality assurance in the Member States         Whereas a Commission study on the state of quality assurance in the Member States
revealed that the new systems of quality assurance had certain points in common;          revealed that the new systems of quality assurance had certain points in common;
whereas the two pilot projects conducted subsequently were based on these core            whereas the two pilot projects conducted subsequently were based on these core
elements of existing national systems; whereas they tested the common method              elements of existing national systems; whereas they tested the common method
successfully and showed that the actors in the field are all eager to pursue the          successfully and showed that the actors in the field are all eager to pursue the
exchange of experience during the reorganisation of higher education in general and       exchange of experience during the reorganisation of higher education in general and
the development of quality assurance in particular;                                       the development of quality assurance in particular,
Whereas higher education institutions have not only to meet the educational and           Whereas higher education institutions have to meet the new educational and social
professional requirements of n world-wide 'knowledge society', hut also to address        requirements of a world-wide "knowledge society" and the resulting developments:
sreinl problems nationally: whereas they aim to guarantee the quality of teaching by      whereas they aim to improve the quality of teaching by developing new initiatives
developing new initiatives (individually or on a collaborative basis within higher        (individually or on a collaborative basis within higher education associations) aimed at
education associations) in order to give the services they provide the required           giving the services they provide the required attributes;
attributes;
                                                                                <f
 ---pagebreak---  Whereas in view of the ever greater constraints of global competition as well as of        Whereas the technological and economic changes and their consequences for ifo
 m^c education, authorities in all Member States face the task to tailor higher             labour market pose new challenges for higher education institutions under increasingly
 criHCaiinn systems and their relationships to state and society in ways which respect     difficult conditions, including a growing number of students accompanied hv a
 existing academic norms and values, and reinforce the autonomy andresponsibilityof        shortage of financialresources:and therefore higher education institutions are requin-.;
 higher education institutions;                                                            to ensure that students obtain a future-oriented education and to prepare thçrn
                                                                                           appropriately for therequirementsof the labour market: whereas if these challenge»;
                                                                                            are to be met traditional academic norms and values must be the subject of refleyrjnn
                                                                                           and the autonomy of higher education institutions must be reinforced:
 Whereas the discussion of the Commission communication of 13 February 1994 has             Whereas the discussion of the Commission communication of 13 February 1994 has
 demonstrated that all Member States are currently considering introducing or               demonstrated that all Member States are currently considering introducing or
 overhauling systems to improve mutual recognition of academic or professional             overhauling systems to improve mutual recognition of academic or professional
 qualifications; whereas quality assurance in higher education can contribute to the       qualifications; whereas quality assurance in higher education can contribute to the
 necessary flexibility and help to modernise higher education institutions;                necessary flexibility and help to modernise higher education institutions;
 Whereas the White Paper Growth, Competitiveness and Employment identifies as a Whereas the White Paper Growth, Competitiveness and Employment identifies as a
weakness at European level the lack of an open education area in the Community weakness at European level the lack of an open education area in the Community
 resulting from an insufficiently transparent system of qualifications;'h considers the resulting from an insufficiently transparent system of qualifications; it considers the
wealth of nations to be increasingly based on the creation and exploitation of wealth of nations to be increasingly based on the creation and exploitation of
 knowledge and states that the key elements in competitiveness include the quality of knowledge and states that the key elements in competitiveness include the quality of
 education and training as well as the way in which corporate strategies are able to education and training as well as the way in which corporate strategies are able to react
react to the changes in society;                                                           to the changes in society;
Whereas the White Paper on Teaching and Learning and the premise of the 'learning Whereas the White Paper on Teaching and Learning and the premise of the "learning
society", on which it is based, stresses the role of education and training as the "main society", on which it is based, stresses the role of education and training as the "mam
•vehicles for self-awareness, belonging, advancement and selffidfilmenf, and that the      vehicles for self-awareness, belonging, advancement and selffuhfUmenf', and that the
 "individual's place in relation to their fellow citizens will increasingly be determined  "individual's place in relation to theirfellowcitizens will increasingly be determined
by their capacity to learn and master fundamental knowledge"; as the social and by their capacity to learn and master fundamental knowledge*; as the social and
cultural functions of education and training on the one hand and their economic cultural functions of education and training on the one hand zod their economic
functions on the other are indivisibly linked, demands in terms of the quality of functions on the other are indhisibry linked, demands in tcnns of the quality of
education and training are correspondingly multidimensional and vitally important for education and training are correspondingly multidimensional and vitally important for
all European citizens;                                                                     all European citizens;
Whereas the Commission Green Paper on obstacles to transnational mobility                  Whereas, pursuant to articles 126 and 127 of the Treaty, promoting mobility is a
highlights the difficulties encountered by students wishing to pursue their studies on a   declared objective of the Community, whereas the Commission's Green Paper on
transnational basis and stresses that this type of mobility is essential for an education  obstacles to transnational mobility examines the principal \*r°il,frfrninistrativeand
of high quality which can enable individuals to meet European and international            practical obstacles encountered by students wishing to studv in another Member
standards and to take advantage offreedomof movement within the Community;                 State and proposes measures to improve mobility: whereas h sresses that this type
                                                                                           of mobility is essential for an education of high quality which can enable
                                                                                           individuals to meet European and international standards and L? take advantage of
                                                                                           freedom of movement within the Community;
                                                                                           Whereas quality assurance svstems varv from one Member Ssce to another, since
                                                                                           the size, structure, financial environment, institutional characteristics and
                                                                                           pedagogical self-image of higher education institutions also differ whereas the
                                                                                           quality assurance svstems should remain flexible and a c t a b l e to new
                                                                                           circumstances arising as a result of further developments b th-e structure and
                                                                                           objectives of higher education institutions
        HEREBY RECOMMENDS TO MEMBER STATES:                                                        HEREBY RECOMMENDS TO MEMBER STATES:
        A.     to establish, within their responsibilities for the organisation of their          A.   to establish, in stria accordance with their responsibilities for the
               higher education sterns, transparent quality assessment and quality                     organisation of their higher education systems, their constitutional and
               assurance systems with the following aims:                                              budgetary requirements and the principle of the amonomv of higher
                                                                                                       education institutions, transparent quality assessment and quality' assurance
                                                                                                       SNstems with the following aims:
                     to safeguard the quality of higher education within the specific                          to safeguard the quality of higher education within the specific
                     economic, social and cultural context of their countries while taking                     economic, social and cultural context of their countries while taking
                     due account of the European dimension and of international                                due account of the European dimension and of the ranidlv changing
                     requirements:                                                                             world:
                     to help higher education institutions use quality assurance                               to encourage and help higher education institutions to use quality
                     techniques as steering mechanisms to rromotc organisational                               assurance techniques as a means of better meeting the requirements
                     flexibility lor permanent improvement in a rapidly changing                               of a rapidly changing environment within the framework of the
                     environment;                                                                              comprehensive education and research mandate of educational
                                                                                                               establishments in general:
                     to underpin European and world-wide cooperation in order to                              to underpin European and world-wide cooperation in order to
                     benefit from cadi other's experience for the accomplishment of the                       benefit from each other's experience for the accomplishment of the
                     two foregoing tasks;                                                                     two foregoing tasks;
               to base systems of quality assessment and quality assurance on the                        to base systems of quality assessment and quality assurance on the
         n.     following principles:                                                                    following principles:
                                                                                 S
 ---pagebreak---            Autonomy and independence of the bodies responsible for quality                    Autonomy and independence of the bodies responsible for quality
           assessment and quality assurance                                                   assessment and quality assurance
           These bodies should be autonomous and independent in relation to the               These bodies should be autonomous and independent in relation to the
          political authorities and to the higher education institutions themselves           political authorities and to the higher education institutions themselves
           in relation to procedural and methodological matters.                              in relation to procedural and methodological matters.
           Relating evaluation procedures to the profile of institutions while                Relating evaluation procedures to the profile of institutions while
          respecting their autonomy                                                           respecting their autonomy
          Quality assessment and quality assurance procedures should involve                   Quality assessment and quality assurance procedures should involve
          questions of institutional self understanding, especially how they define            questions of institutional self understanding, especially how they define
          their aims and objectives, be it at the level of the institution, of the             their aims and objectives, be it at the level of the institution, of the
          department or of the discipline, in order to allowfor diverse educational           department or of the discipline, in order to allowfor diverse educational
          responses to different societal needs.                                               responses to different societal needs.
          Internal and external procedural elements                                           Internal and external procedural elements
          All quality assessment and quality assurance procedures should consist             All quality assessment and quality assurance procedures should consist
          of an internal, self-reflective component and an external component,                of an internal, self-reflective component and an external component,
          based on the appraisal ofexternal experts..                                        based on the appraisal ofexternal experts..
          Involvement of all the players                                                     Involvement of all the players
          The internal element should involve all the relevant players within the            The internal element should involve all the relevant players within the
          institution in the process of self-reflexion, especially teaching staff and        institution in the process of self-reflexion, especially teaching staff and
          administrators in charge of academic and professional guidance, as                 administrators in charge of academic and professional guidance, as well
          well as students.                                                                  as students.
          The external element should be a process of cooperative consultation               The external element should be a process of cooperative consultation
         and advice between independent experts from outside and players from               and advice between independent experts from outside and players from
          within the institution.                                                            within the institution.
         Alumni, social partners, professional associations and other interested            Alumni, social partners, professional associations and other interested
         social groups could be included in the expert groups in order to bring             social groups could be included in the expert groups in order to bring
         relevant social and professional criteria to bear.                                 relevant social and professional criteria to bear.
         It is recommended to include foreign experts from other Member States              It is recommended to include foreign experts from other Member States
         in the groups of external experts. They can contribute to quality                   in the groups of external experts. They can contribute to quality
         assessment and assurance by providing experiences from abroad                      assessment and assurance by providing experiences from abroad
         relating the observed processes to standards prevailing in other                   relating the obsened processes to standards prevailing in other
         countries and byfostering cultural understanding.                                  countries and byfostering cultural understanding.
         Publication of evaluation reports                                                  Publication of evaluation reports
         Reports on quality assessment and assurance procedures and thefr                   Reports on quality assessment and assurance procedures and their
         outcomes should be published in a form appropriate to each Member                  outcomes should be published in a form appropriate to each Member
         Slate and should provide a source of good reference material for                   Slate end should provide a source of good reference material for
         cooperation partners andfor the interested public.                                 cooperation partners andfor the interested public.
    C.   to ensure that follow-up measures arc taken at national or regional or        C.   to ensure that follow-up measures are taken at national or regional or
         oilier level in order to enable higher education institutions to implement         other level in order to enable higher education institutions to implement
         their plans for improving the quality of studies and for integrating               their plans for improving the quality of studies and for integrating
         graduates into the labour market more effectively.                                 graduates into the labour market more effectively.
    D.   to ensure that high priority is given by public authorities and by the        D.   to ensure that high priority is given by public authorities and by the
         management of higher education institutions to continuous exchange of              management of higher education institutions to continuous exchange of
         experience and cooperation in quality assessment and quality assurance             experience and cooperation in quality assessment and quality assurance
         with other Member States, as well as with international organisations              with other Member States, as well as with international organisations and
         and associations active in thefieldof higher education;                            associations active in thefieldof higher education;
II. AND. TO THIS END, REQUESTS THE COMMISSION :                                       AND TO THIS END REQUESTS THE COMMISSION AND THE
                                                                                      MEMBER STATES:
         to support the establishment of a "European Quality Assurance                1.   to support the expansion and completion of the existing structures for the
         Network" of bodies responsible for quality assessment and quality                 creation of a "European Quality Assurance Network" of bodies
         assurance, designated by the Member States, and of organisations and              responsible for quality assessment and quality assurance, designated by
         associations within the European Community with quality assessment or             the Member States, and of organisations and associations within the
         quality assurance experience in thefieldof higher education;                      European Community with quality assessment or quality assurance
                                                                                           experience in thefieldof higher education;
         The tasks of this "Network" could include:                                       The tasks of this "Network" could include:
                                                                             «?
 ---pagebreak---        exchange of information and experience through European                    a) exchange of information and experience, for example, through European
       conferences, workshops and by using rj£\y. technologies;                       conferences, workshops and by using modem information and,
                                                                                      communication technologies;
 b)    technical assistance to individual Member State authorities in             b) technical assistance to individual Member State authorities in
       implementing concrete projects for establishing or improving                   implementing concrete projects for establishing or improving quality
       quality assessment and quality assurance procedures and                        assessment and quality assurance procedures and mechanisms
       mechanisms;
 c)    assistance to groups of higher education institutions from                     assistance to groups of higher education institutions from different
       different Member States who wish to cooperate in quality                       Member States who wish to cooperate in quality assessment or assurance,
       assessment or assurance, particularly in the framework of the                  particularly in the framework of the "Thematic Networks" under the
       "Thematic Networks" under the ERASMUS Chapter of the                           ERASMUS Chapter of the SOCRATES programme;
       SOCRATES programme;
 d)    other assistance to higher education institutions including               d) other assistance to higher education institutions including information on
       information on new methodological developments and examples                    new methodological developments and examples of good practice,
       of good practice, facilitating contact with international experts by           facilitating contact with international experts, for example, by forming a
       forming a "pool" or preparing a "tool kit" of methodological                   "poo!" or preparing a "tool kit" of methodological instruments for
       instruments for obtaining information necessary for quality                    obtaining information necessary for quality assessment and quality
       assessment and quality assurance procedures;                                   assurance procedures;
e)     linking quality assurance with other Community activities                 e) linking quality assurance with other Community- activities developed
       developed especially in the framework of the SOCRATES and                      especially in theframeworkof the SOCRATES and the LEONARDO DA
       the LEONARDO DA VINCI programmes, or with the                                  VINCI programmes, or with therecognitionof qualifications at European
       recognition of qualifications at European level;                               level;
f)     preparation of methods to achieve better integration of graduates         f)   preparation of methods to achieve better integration of graduates in the
       in the European labour market;                                                 European labour market;
The "European Quality Assurance Network" will be eligible for                   The "European Quality Assurance Network" will be eligible for financial
financial support in the framework of the SOCRATES and the                      support in theframeworkof the SOCRATES and the LEONARDO DA VINCI
LEONARDO DA VINCI programmes, subject to their objectives and                   programmes, subject to their objectives and normal procedures ensuring
normal procedures. A tangible business sector involvement in the                openess and transparency. A tangible business sector involvement in the
assurance of quality in higher education is necessary for the latter, but is    assurance of quality in higher education is necessary for the latter, but is also
also desirable for SOCRATES;                                                    desirable for SOCRATES;
                                                                             UL     AND REQUESTS THE COMMISSION
to present evety two years reports to the Council, to the European           L  to present every two years reports to the Council, to the European Parliament
Parliament and other relevant institutions of the European Community            and other relevant institutions of the European Community' on the development
on the development of quality assessment and quality assurance systems          of quality assessment and quality assurance systems in the Member States, on
in the Member States agj on cooperation activities at European level;           cooperation activities at European level and on the progress achieved with
                                                                                respect to the objectives referred to above:
in the light of these reports, to submit appropriate proposals to               in the light of these reports, to submit appropriate proposals to strengthen
strengthen quality' assurance in higher education.                              quality assurance in higher education and cooperation among the Member
                                                                                States
                                                                   ¥
 ---pagebreak---  ---pagebreak---  ---pagebreak---                                                                    ISSN 0254-1475
                                                            COM(97) 707 final
                                              DOCUMENTS
EN                                                                01 15 16
                                    Catalogue number : CB-CO-97-727-EN-C
                                                             ISBN 92-78-29635-X
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