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JOIMAN project’s results and good practices Francesco Girotti, Lille, May 19-20, 2011
JOIMAN project’s results and good practices
Francesco Girotti, Lille, May 19-20, 2011
www.joiman.eu
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What is JOIMAN and why JOIMAN?
Joint Degree Management and Administration Network:
tackling current issues and facing future challenges
Was a PROJECT funded by the LLP – Erasmus Programme
Is a NETWORK of 18 institutions (15 HEI and 3 EM NS)
aiming to continue to exist
UTRECHT NETWORK and the CONTINUATION OF THE PROJECT
AIMED TO investigate on management and
administrative issues of joint programmes
www.joiman.eu
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Contexts
Realities faced by HEIs:• Erasmus Mundus
programme and its
philosophy of consortia
and integration
• Institutional policies
• Cooperation and mobility
in EHEA
• Joint Phd
• Increased attractiveness
Problems faced by HEIs:• Student enrolment
• Harmonization of tuition fees
• Joint administration of students
• Award of joint diploma
• Sustainability of the programme
• Respect of international and
national QA rules
• From the Co-tutele to joint phd
• Non EU Partners
www.joiman.eu
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Outputs
Good practice report on the management of JP (Masters)
Annexes: Cooperation agreement template, Glossary,
example of guidelines, national legislations on tuition fees
Report on Joint Programmes with non EU Institutions
Report on Joint Programmes at Doctoral Level
Contributions from international seminars
JOIMAN web site: www.joiman.eu
Thematic papers
JOIMAN Publication: how to manage joint programmes?
www.joiman.eu
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Observations
1. Different models and different levels of integrations
2. External constraints3. Internal constraints (institutional level) 4. Internal constraints (programme level)
www.joiman.eu
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Integration Level
Highest level of Integration
(EM Model)
Lowest level of Integration
(Structured mobility in
Bilateral coop.)
Joint Admnistration of students and ad hoc services
Common budget and tuition fees
Jointly developed curriculum (learning outcomes)
Curriculum based on existing courses/ exploitation of
excellences
Curriculum based on existing comparable courses
Focus on international students
Based on own institution tuition policies
Focus on local students
Jointly agreed students’ services and standards
QA measures standards jointly agreed
Joint QA measures
www.joiman.eu
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Main challenges and obstacles
1. External constraints:
National legislation on Joint Degrees (relevant for all JPs)
• 75% of EU Countries can award Joint Degrees
• Suspicious approach to Joint diploma, even when it is possible
The problem seems to be more on how to apply favourable legislation
• Accreditation rules
• Autonomy of the institution
Different socio-economic systems (tuition: relevant mostly for EM)
www.joiman.eu
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Main challenges and obstacles
2. Internal constraints (institutional level)
Institutional commitment
• To have a vision on JP (most HEIs has one)
• To have a strategy: most HEIs has in general terms, not declined into
implementation actions, which means to dedicate funds, HR, training, making
“difficult” choices
Why? Because JPs involves
• Academic boards
• Registrar offices
• Research units
• International offices
• Quality assurance offices
• Accounting boards
www.joiman.eu
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Main challenges and obstacles
3. Internal constraints (programme level)
Underestimation of important issues during the needs analysis
• Lack of information on the HE systems of the partners
• Lack of involvement of the administration
• Confusion on terminology (Joint degrees, Enrolment, DS)
• Underestimation of sustainability issues
• Change of targets (international students)
• Underestimation of the organisational issues (harmonisation of calendars,
certification process, harmonisation of examination procedures and cultures)
These obstacles can be removed if institutions are aware of the
processes and can therefore undertake an appropriate negotiation of
the procedures (internally and with partners) in due time.
www.joiman.eu
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Some (not so) common sense recommendations
•Be prepared as an “institution” (guidelines, funds, HR)•Be prepared to dedicate appropriate time to the
development
•Exploit EM and other opportunities for innovation purposes
(not to build up programmes in short time)
•Ask yourself “why”? (and to find an appropriate answer)•Select partner setting up criteria for the institution and notonly for the research group
•Ensure institutional commitment of all HEI (including yours)•Know the process and to do it in advance
www.joiman.eu
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Some operative recommendations
•Verify your legal and procedural framework and foster thesame procedure on your partners’ institution at the first stage
•Ensure the approval of the Programme from relevant
bodies in each partners institution (faculty, external agency,
Ministry etc.)
•Define your target group (international vs local students)
and define an appropriate promotion plan
•Define a communication plan, roles and meetings of the
partners, including administrative staff
www.joiman.eu
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Some operative recommendations
•Nominate people responsible for key activities•Use ICT tools for management of application and students careers•Plan welcoming, tutoring and integration services and activities for
international students
•Discuss the academic calendars, examination procedures, credits, thesis•Draw up a budget (full costs or at least additional costs of the
programme) and the plan to cover costs (fees, other funds etc.)
•Define a sustainability plan and involve stakeholders•Define a quality assurance plan shared by all partners•Search the funds for the programme, for the mobility of students or forparts of the programmes (such as intensive programmes)
www.joiman.eu
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Some considerations
Joint programme
Define Strategies and
objectives
Know rules and Know the processes
Apply rules and solutions/agreements
Adapt rules and anticipate problems
www.joiman.eu
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How to use JOIMAN results?
•As a source to map the processes for the management of JP•To anticipate problems of the “implementation” phase•To extract good practices and recommendations•To adapt existing tools (such as the Cooperation Agreement)•To analyse trends and models on JPs•To understand success and failure reasons•To identify or to draft new institutional strategies
www.joiman.eu
www.joiman.eu
www.joiman.eu
Thank you for your attention!
www.joiman.eu
Francesco Girotti – University of Bologna
