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Key Action 103 Higher Education Mobility: Guidance for Co- ordinators. Joanna Collins British Council. Introduction. The context The allocation The agreements Mobility Reporting Timetable Exceptions Appeals. The context. Tighter regulations
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Key Action 103 Higher Education Mobility:Guidance for Co-ordinators Joanna Collins British Council
Introduction • The context • The allocation • The agreements • Mobility • Reporting • Timetable • Exceptions • Appeals
The context • Tighter regulations • Less flexibility for the National Agency(NA) and beneficiaries • More detailed grant agreements • More emphasis on quality • Increased importance of the Erasmus Charter for Higher Education (ECHE) • Handbook same approach for 2014 • Mobility consortia – same regulations
Erasmus Charter for Higher Education • New level of institutional commitment, expressed in the ECHE • Quality standards before, during, after mobility • Will be monitored e.g. through review of individual reports • If commitment in ECHE not met, action plan; if action plan not achieved, NA can recommend withdrawal of ECHE
The Grant Agreement • More clarity, less flexibility for NA • Aim to issue by mid-July • 16 to 24 months as in application • 70% first payment • if 70% disbursed, remainder; if not, second payment reduced by difference 70% and spend • Virement rules
The Grant Agreement • More detail on requirements • Calculating grant and documentation; includes special needs support • Details of documentation required as evidence of mobility • Linguistic support • Rules governing checks and audits • Grant Agreement takes precedence over Handbook, Programme Guide etc.
The allocation • Fair and transparent • Good utilisation of budget • UK policy and NA objective to increase participation numbers • Budget rises less than rise in numbers 2013 and 2014 • Allowing HEIs sufficient flexibility
The Allocation • Grant rates set in December: NA decides within tight European Commission(EC) parameters • Application numbers, received March • Past performance: drop out between allocation and numbers realised, last three years, by action • Disadvantage: 20% (extra €100 per month) • Proportion of students to each country band • Staff – average grant • Over-allocation, resulting in good utilisation of budget
The Allocation cont’d • HE mobility budget: € 49, 513, 065 (7% for staff, 93% for students), Organisational Support(OS) included • Budget increase lower than increase in demand (application numbers) • HEIs in seven categories based on three years’ past performance • 50% of students to each country band
Modelling the allocation • Judgement of - over-allocation - parameters for HEI bands - percentage cuts to numbers of mobilities and months for each band
Your grant • HEIs set selection criteria • Zero grant students and zero grant months allowed Suggestions • Cap months • Look at paid traineeships • Look at students’ socio-economic status • Virement (100% between student study and traineeships; 100% staff to student mobility) • Use of OS funding
Student mobility • Mobility agreement: before mobility, with Student Charter (HEIs can add to text) • Learning agreement: sign within 1 month of start of mobility • Requirements before, during and after mobility (quality) • Changes can be agreed by email, < two weeks in advance • Recognition: ECTS, Transcript, Diploma Supplement • Short durations – agreed by NA • Tuition fee contribution • Grant and loans as in Lifelong Learning Programme • Zero and partial grant students: other benefits of Erasmus+
Language training (start to be confirmed) • Priority in Erasmus+ • DE, EN, ES,FR, IT and Dutch testing before and after mobility of two months or more • Results do not affect mobility; L2 levels defined in inter-institutional agreements etc • On-line training in five main languages and Dutch, between tests • Other languages – OS funding • Some countries offering courses
On-line linguistic support • Start date 1 October • NA allocates licences on basis of numbers of mobilities • Re-allocation possible • HEI allocates to individual beneficiaries • Individual use licences within appropriate deadlines.
Graduate traineeships • Graduates in year after they graduate • Mobility agreed before they graduate • Applicable regulations • Documentation as for non-graduates except: - no recognition - counts towards 12 months in cycle from which have just graduated • Reminder: HEIs set selection criteria
Staff mobility • Quality • Not solely CPD of individual: modernisation of HEI, impact on Teaching and Learning • Dissemination • Recognition e.g. through performance management • HEI sets criteria, including priority to staff not travelled • Programme before departure • Grants: EC country rates for daily subsistence plus two days travel (not included in calculation of duration) • Fixed travel grant, using EC distance calculator
Staff mobility Teaching • Staff from HEI with ECHE • Incoming staff from “relevant” organisation”, managed by host HEI • To HEI with ECHE and inter-institutional agreement • Minimum eight hours teaching in any week or part of week Training • Staff from HEI with ECHE • To any relevant organisation • Training events (not conferences)
Reporting • Interim and final, as in LLP • Mobility tool, 2014 version (date tbc) • New data dictionaries • Duration as usual • NA will download data on specific dates to form reports • Validation • Reporting to be as accurate as possible • Re-allocation following reports on same basis as first allocation
Reporting cont’d • Individual reports mandatory: EC – failure to submit risks HEI and individual losing grant • Via EU Survey • Downloadable via Mobility Tool • Desk checks etc as under LLP • Quality a factor, eg in systems checks and through monitoring of reports from HEIs and individuals
Exceptions etc • UK NA gives extra month to sign Learning Agreement • Less than minimum duration - contact NA • Force Majeure – wide, helpful definition - see Handbook • If templates not ready - NA circulate late drafts or use previous versions • If travel before Grant Agreement signed or regulation finalised – at HEI risk
Appeals • Formal request for review of a decision affecting your grant • If you think the NA is in error • Download form from https://www.erasmusplus.org.uk/contact-us/how-to-make-an-appeal • First point of contact for questions, short duration, regulation etc – the Erasmus+ HE team