1. NQF in Flanders

2. 2 UGent today - Ghent’s mission education, research & service to society in a pluralistic environment - A comprehensive/fully-fledged university 11 faculties - 132 departments > 33 000 students (doubled in 15 years) + 6 000 academic & administrative staff + + 2 000 externally financed researchers 5 interdisciplinary doctoral schools

3. Structure of Higher Education in Flanders PROFESSION ORIENTED BACHELOR University College (at least 180 credits) ACADEMICALLY ORIENTED BACHELOR University – University College (at least 180 credits) MASTER University – University College (at least 60 credits) Advanced master Advanced bachelor LINK programmesPREPARATORY programmes

4. Higher Education in Flanders 5 Universities and 22 ‘hogescholen’ (Fachhochschule, Polytechnics, University Colleges, Universities of applied sciences, … > 200.000 students: ± 90.000 in universities 5 associations around the universities: Leuven, Gent, Antwerp, Brussels, Hasselt Main tasks of the associations: continuum of studies, ‘academisation’, pooling expertise, democratisation, … Main topic: future of the academic disciplines of the hogescholen: at the ‘hogescholen’ or at the universities?

5. 5 Ghent University > 33.000 University College Gent > 15.000 University College Arteveldehogeschool > 10.000 University College West-Flanders > 5.000 Members Ghent University Association

6. Decree on Flemish Qualification Structure (Spring 2009)/1 Long negotiations with stakeholders Employers Trade union Education (a.o. higher) Advice from the official boards, a.o. VLOR (Flemish Education Council) SERV (Socio-economic Council Flanders) Validation procedure throughout Europe Flanders and the Netherlands: NVAO, november 2008

7. Procedure in Flanders Decree on Flemish Qualification Structure (Spring 2009)/2 HEIs write domain specific learning outcomes together (5 = short cycle; 6 = Ba; 7 = Ma; 8 = PhD) NVAO (Dutch-Flemish Accreditation Organisation) validates the descriptions = automatically recognition as qualification NVAO sends qualifications to Agency for QA in Education and Training

8. Procedure in Flanders Decree on Flemish Qualification Structure (Spring 2009)/3 Each HEI writes LO for each discipline and each course unit; a lot of work has already been done in teh previous years (but outside a framework) To be coordinated by Vlir (Rectors Conference) and Vlhora (Flemish Board of University Colleges) In line with the Dublin descriptors and with the Flemish, Belgian and international regulations about access to a profession ≠ common programmes or course units!

9. Procedure in Flanders Agreements between Vlir and Vlhora/1 Characteristics of domain specific Los 1 Global: at the level of the discipline (and not course units) 2 Generic: although specific aspects of same disciplines remain possible (topic of discussion) 3 Related to Flemish Qualification Structure 4 Prototypical: focus on characteristics of a discipline

10. Procedure in Flanders Agreements between Vlir and Vlhora/2 5 Adequate basis for QA 6 Distinctive: makes profiles more clear 7 Sustainable and open for evolution 8 Basis for international comparison  12 to 15 LOs per discipline  general terms of Dublin descriptors and decree not to be repeated  disciplines (± 600) to be clustered (± 45)

11. Procedure in Flanders step by step/1 Steering committee 1 person per institution per discipline 1 projectguide Consultation of colleagues inside HEI Consultation of stakeholders (students, employers, trade unions) Comparison with international examples Based on an agreed methodology (Tuning, EUA Bologna Handbook, …)

12. Procedure in Flanders step by step/2 Testing group Representatives of the steering committees Compares the ± 45 descriptions Negotiates with steering committees

13. Procedure in Flanders step by step/3 Stakeholders Proposals negotiated with student unions, employers, (former) members of evaluation committees, professional bodies Suggestions incorporated in final proposal Decision by Vlir-Vlhora, validation by NVAO, acceptance by Agency for QA

14. Procedure in Flanders topics to be solved Timing: ready in 2013 (decree) or 2017 (following the scheme of external QA)? Costs: support for HEIs is 300.000 euro (1FTE for 5 years): who pays? Procedure for periodical revision? Procedure for new programmes? Same procedure or common task with the Netherlands? (general agreement on recognition of diplomas in the pipeline