Accrediting Professional Courses in Finnish Higher Education Institutions

1. Accrediting Professional Courses in FinnishHigherEducationInstitutions AccreditingLifelongLearning 25th EUCEN European Conference Brno, May 14-17, 2003 Ilkka Virtanen Professor Ilkka Virtanen University of Vaasa & FINHEEC

2. Outline for Contents • Accrediting higher education (universities and polytechnics) in Finland; some general views • Accreditation and registration of professional courses law-directed • General principles and the procedure in accrediting non-degree professional courses • Accreditation as an elementof quality assurance system Professor Ilkka Virtanen University of Vaasa & FINHEEC

3. Accreditation of HE in Finland • Degree programmes: mainly (especially in universities) a political ”ex ante” accreditation • The fields of study in universities is determined by decrees • Accreditation of the polytechnics and their programmes is based on evaluation by the Higher Education Evaluation Council (FINHEEC) • (Voluntary) accreditation and registration of professional (continuing education) courses offered by higher education institutions is decree-directed • Conducted by the Accreditation Board of Professional Courses, a subsection of FINHEEC Professor Ilkka Virtanen University of Vaasa & FINHEEC

4. Accreditation of HE in Finland (2) • Evaluations initiated by the FINHEEC • Evaluations of higher education institutions • Institutional evaluations (universities and polytechnics) • Audit of quality work (polytechnics) • Programme and thematic evaluations • Evaluations commissioned by the Ministry of Education • Selection of the Centres of Excellence in Education and Adult Education (universities and polytechnics) • Centres of Excellence in Regional Impact (polytechnics) Professor Ilkka Virtanen University of Vaasa & FINHEEC

5. Accreditation and registration of professional courses directed by a decree • The Higher Education Evaluation Council(FINHEEC) • An independent expert body assisting universities, polytechnics and the Ministry of Education in matters relating to evaluation. The scope of the Council's activities covers 20 universities and 29 polytechnics. (Decree 1320/1995) • http://www.minedu.fi/asiant/kka/english/finheec.htm#finheec • The Accreditation Board of Professional Courses • A subsectionFINHEEC, responsible of Accreditation (i.e. evaluation and registration) of professional courses offered by HE institutions (Decree 465/1998) • http://www.minedu.fi/asiant/kka/english/projects/accre.htm Professor Ilkka Virtanen University of Vaasa & FINHEEC

6. Accreditation and registration of professional courses directed by a decree • Professional courses accredited by the Board strictly defined • Offered by universities and polytechnics • Continuing education assisting professional development • Based on first-degree (or higher) education • Long-term (min. 30 ECTS credits) education • Non-degree education (in Finland e.g. MBA is not a degree); in polytechnics the professional courses can be included in post-graduate degrees Professor Ilkka Virtanen University of Vaasa & FINHEEC

7. General principles in accrediting • An external process for assessing whether the education is conducted according to fixed publicly available criteria and standards • Voluntary for HE institutions, is based on institution’s application; the aim is to support the development of education, not to guard or control it • Is based on institution’s course documentation, self-evaluation and external evaluation (site visit by a PRT, their report, final decision by the Board) • Accreditation applies to an individual course, not to the institution or its sub-unit • Future-oriented, continuous improvement of the educational process most important (the decision of the Board is always appended with a feedback and list of recommendations) Professor Ilkka Virtanen University of Vaasa & FINHEEC

8. Accrediting as a quality assurance tool • The organiser’s point of view • A tool for quality improvement • Preparing the application starts self-evaluation and operational development • Educational processes become transparent • The external evaluation contains a strong consultative touch (during the preparation of the application, site visit and immediate feedback by PRT, feedback by the Board) • An evaluation based on dialogue and communication offers a forum for discussions between the institution and its stakeholders • Participation of the stakeholders in the site visits Professor Ilkka Virtanen University of Vaasa & FINHEEC

9. Accrediting as a quality assurance tool (2) • The student’s point of view • Does a certain course provide the quality of education it claims to offer? • Fulfilment of the general criteria in HE? • Work-orientation? • Pedagogical arrangements? • Practical arrangements? • Feedback and quality assurance arrangements? • Ensuring of students’ interest; an external, objective advance assessment of the quality of education Professor Ilkka Virtanen University of Vaasa & FINHEEC

10. Accrediting as a quality assurance tool(3) • The working life’s point of view • Helps to identify eligible programmes which can be used in • Personnel training • Assessing the competence of recruits • On site visits, the PRT typically includes an expert from working life • Three members (out of 12) of the Accreditation Board represent commercial and industrial life and the public sector Professor Ilkka Virtanen University of Vaasa & FINHEEC

11. Key words in accrediting of professional courses • Independence • Expertise • Quality • Reliability • Transparency • Dialogue and interaction • Development before control • Voluntariness Professor Ilkka Virtanen University of Vaasa & FINHEEC