centralisation versus decentralisation and student participation

Centralisation versus decentralisation and student

participation

Antoon BoonRector’s Office + Educational

Policy Unit

29/11/2005Rector’s Office

2

Institutional background

• K.U. Leuven: process towards decentralisation since 2001 :- central level : responsible for general policies;- new decision making and coordination level : groups of faculties;- executive level : faculties/departments

Rector’s Office 29/11/2005

3

Legal background

• Decree (= Law) of 19 March 2004 concerning students’ rights, participation in higher education and…

• Each institution has to choose between one of the following models :- co-decision;- concertation.


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Legal background

• Co-decision model :(representatively elected) students have the right to be a member in each body taking decisions concerning :1° strategic policy of the institution :a) enlargement, scaling down or closing of institution or important part thereof;b) closing of cooperationships with other institutions; devolution of competencies to other institutions or organisation of decentralised structures.c) the programming of educational programmes ;2° the general educational policy, in particular educational innovation and improvement;3° research policy ;4° internationalisation policy ;5° policy concerning allocation of budgets.


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Legal background

• Co-decision model :(representatively elected) students have the right to be a member in each body taking decisions concerning in particular :1° regulations concerning students’ rights and the educational and examination regulations;2° the levels of student fees and the spending proposals;3° initiatives of student counseling;4° regulations of international student mobility;5° organisation of academic year, including holidays.


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Legal background

• Concertation model :a) university/institution has the obligation to consult with representatives of the student body concerning the same topics as determined for codecision at least once a year;b) for the more specific topics (second list above) formal concertation has to be done between university management and student body;c) for the more general topics student body has the right to formulate advise; university management has to reply formally and motivate if it doesn’t take advise into account


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Organisational chartcentral level


Founding authority

Board of Management

Academic Council

Executive Bureau

University Hospitals

Rector

Vice-rectors GroupsVice-rector Kortrijk

General Manager

Vice-presidents

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Organisational chartcentral level

Board of Management = Executive Bureau + Persons not belonging to the university (2005 onwards : + representatives of students)

Academic Council = Executive Bureau + Deans + Representatives of professors, assistents, students and administrative personnel

Executive Bureau : rector, general manager, vice-rectors (4) and vice-presidents (at most 3) (2005 onwards : + representative of students)


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Organisational chart relation central-decentral before 2005

Board of Management

- Academic Council

- Executive Bureau

Faculties

- Council (i.e. general parliament with all professors; representatives of assistents, students)

- Bureau (dean, small selection of professors, possibility to invite assistents or students for matters concerning them)

- Departments (with council and bureau) coordinating research matters;

- Permanent educational committees (with programme director)


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Organisational chart central-decentral since 2005

Board of Management

- Academic Council

- Executive Bureau

Groups

- Executive Committee (vice-rector, deans of faculties and small selection of professors (elected or because of their function); representatives of assistents and students

- Council (dean; representatives of professors (heads of departments or elected), assistents and students) : controlling function

- If need be : General assembly (dean, all professors, representatives of assistents and students) : controlling


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Organisational chart central-decentral since 2005

Group executive committee

- Council

- General assembly

Faculties (responsible for education; research in humanities) and departments (responsible for research in exact and biomedical sciences)

- Executive bureau

- Eventually council (with reduced power : controlling agency)

- Permanent educational committees (with programme director)


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Working principles : e.g. education

• Academic Council :- central policies (e.g. : bachelor-master reform; quality assurance system; flexibilisation of curricula);- final approval of concrete programme proposals by faculties (until 2005); final approval of programme proposals by groups (from 2005 onwards);

• Group executive committee :- proposals for educational programmes (over faculties and groups) (from 2005 onwards);- approval of concrete proposals by faculties (from 2005 onwards);

• Faculties :- proposals for educational programmes- concrete implementation


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Organisation : administrative support (e.g. education)


Vice-president teaching

Teaching support office Study Advice CentreAV-Net (Audiovisual

Services/Distant Teaching)

Educational Policy Unit

Continuing Education OfficeInstitute for Teacher Training

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Organisation : advisory structures (e.g. education)


Vice-president teaching

Educational CouncilAdvisory Council for

ict and education

Standing committee forreform of educational

programmes

Committee for projects of Innovation in education

Committee for marketing

Task force QualityAssurance

Task forceStudy guidance

Task forceTenure

Steering committee for bachelor-master reform

Committee for flexibilisation of study programmes

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relation central and decentral new “external factor”

• K.U. Leuven association


General meeting1/3 “hogescholen”

1/3 university1/3 co-opted members

Board of directorsK.U. Leuven

Board of directorsHogeschool 1

Board of directorsHogeschool n

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relation central and decentral influence association

• Central level : - policy making (e.g. agreement on profiles of programmes serving for students willing to start academic masters after professional bachelor programmes);- approval in concrete situations :(e.g. approval of new educational programmes must be agreed on within association)


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relation central and decentral influence association

• decentral level : - policy making (e.g. development of new programmes : influence of partners);- approval in concrete situations :(e.g. negotations on content and size of step up programmes through working committees)


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Organisational chart conclusions

• One university

• One central policy

• Many realities


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Organisational chart - student participation

• University and students have chosen for co-decision model (less bureaucratic)

• Students are represented by elected representatives at each level of the university (board of management -> academic council -> group structures -> faculty level)

• As co-managers students have agreed upon discretion concerning personal matters


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Organisational chart - student participation

• Two “exceptions” on co-decision practice :- in agreement students can decide not to participate on certain person-related decisions;- for each decision body, other members (students excluded) can decide to prepare meeting separately


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Organisational chart conclusions student participation

• Leuven was lagging behind in student participation :a) state organised universities : participation was already obligatory;b) “free” universities (although subsidised equally) : freedom of organisation guaranteed by constitution, but most had already implemented participation at most levels

• From 2005 onwards students are full members at all important decision levels


centralisation versus decentralisation and student participation

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