Centralisation versus decentralisation and student participation

1
Centralisation versus decentralisation and
student participation

• Antoon BoonRectors Office Educational Policy
  Unit

Rectors Office
29/11/2005
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

Rectors 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.

Rectors Office
29/11/2005
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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 thereofb) 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 improvement3
  research policy 4 internationalisation policy
  5 policy concerning allocation of budgets.

Rectors Office
29/11/2005
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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 regulations2
  the levels of student fees and the spending
  proposals3 initiatives of student
  counseling4 regulations of international
  student mobility5 organisation of academic
  year, including holidays.

Rectors Office
29/11/2005
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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 yearb) for the more specific
  topics (second list above) formal concertation
  has to be done between university management and
  student bodyc) for the more general topics
  student body has the right to formulate advise
  university management has to reply formally and
  motivate if it doesnt take advise into account

Rectors Office
29/11/2005
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Organisational chartcentral level
Rectors Office
29/11/2005
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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)

Rectors Office
29/11/2005
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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)

Rectors Office
29/11/2005
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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)

Rectors Office
29/11/2005
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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

Rectors Office
29/11/2005
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Organisation administrative support (e.g.
education)
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29/11/2005
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Organisation advisory structures (e.g.
education)
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relation central and decentral new external
factor

• K.U. Leuven association

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29/11/2005
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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 -gt academic council -gt group
  structures -gt faculty level)
• As co-managers students have agreed upon
  discretion concerning personal matters

Rectors Office
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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 obligatoryb) 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

Rectors Office
29/11/2005