29.06.2015 change 29.06.2015

The Sejm amended a provision in the Law on Higher Education

Source: Fotolia Source: Fotolia

Allowing universities to efficiently obtain permission to offer studies with general academic profile - this minor change was introduced last Thursday by the Sejm to the Law on Higher Education.

The amendment changes only one provision that defines to the conditions required to obtain permission to offer studies with general academic profile by a university organizational unit (eg. faculty), which has no powers to award degrees in the area and field to which the field of study in question belongs.

436 deputies voted for the enactment of the law, two abstained. The amendment will now go to the Senate.

Changes in the provisions concerning the possibility of offering studies with general academic and practical profile were introduced in earlier amendments of the Law on Higher Education of 2011 and 2014. According to regulations, the practical profile of studies should be focused on the acquisition of practical skills, obtained, among others, during workshops taught by persons with professional experience gained outside the university. General academic profile, in turn, it will be carried out on the assumption that more than half of the curriculum consists of activities aimed at gaining in-depth knowledge.

According to the previous provisions, a unit applying for authorisation to offer studies with general academic profile had to meet three requirements: recruit the required staff, conduct research, and obtain at least a positive assessment of the quality of education by the Polish Accreditation Committee for the first or second degree studies with practical profile. In the amendment, the words "practical profile" are deleted from this provision.

This provision was a problem especially in relation to courses of study with general academic profile, offered before the entry into force of the amendment of the Law on Higher Education of 2014.

The literal wording of the previous provisions required that the university units, which were not authorized to award degrees in the given field, and wished to continue teaching the courses with general academic profile, should not only hire the required staff and conduct research, but also should first change the profile of education to practical. Only after a positive assessment for the practical profile by the Polish Accreditation Committee, they could apply again for granting permission to offer studies with general academic profile.

"This procedure, resulting from the literal wording of the provision, would be irrational" - stressed in an interview with PAP representatives of the press office of the Ministry of Science. The proposed change will allow the units to maintain already granted authorizations to offer courses with general academic profile, if the course is evaluated positively by the Polish Accreditation Committee (this evaluation does not have to apply to study courses with practical profile), while unit meets the conditions to carry out general academic profile with regard to scientific and teaching staff and research.

"The obligation of universities to adjust education programs, as a rule, has not yet translated into more direct application in practice" - explained to PAP representatives of the press office of the Ministry of Science. They explained that the periods provided for in the Law for adjustment of the profiles and training programs are sufficiently long.

"However, some of the universities have already made preparations for the change or declared their introduction at an earlier date than specified in the regulations. In connection with this situation, there were questions of interpretation in the academic community" - they noted. The amended provision should eliminate those doubts.

"This change is minor, but good, and awaited by universities. This will reduce bureaucracy" - said Elżbieta Królikowska-Kińska (PO) during the parliamentary debate.

Ryszard Terlecki (PiS) stated, in turn: "The law fixes in fine detail the flawed Law on Higher Education. Even many such changes will only help little. The law requires numerous immediate and urgent revisions, but to lead Polish higher education out of the crisis, we need to rebuild the entire system". He announced, however, that the PiS will vote for the adoption of the amendment. (PAP)

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