QUALITY ASSURANCE AND EMPLOYABILITY. LESSONS FROM THE UNIVERSITY OF BUCHAREST

1. QUALITY ASSURANCE AND EMPLOYABILITY. LESSONS FROM THE UNIVERSITY OF BUCHAREST SORIN GEORGE TOMA MONICA ARDELEANU RODICA IANOLE QA DEPARTMENT UNIVERSITY OF BUCHAREST

2. QA DEPARTMENT, UB INTRODUCTION I. THE BOLOGNA PROCESS AND ITS DRIVERS II. QA AND EMPLOYABILITY: LESSONS FROM THE UNIVERSITY OF BUCHAREST CONCLUSIONS

3. QA DEPARTMENT, UB INTRODUCTION ACCORDING TO THE LISBON AGENDA UNIVERSITIES ARE MAIN ACTORS IN BUILDING A KNOWLEDGE SOCIETY AND A COMPETITIVE ECONOMY IN EUROPE EUROPE NEEDS STRONG UNIVERSITIES THAT ARE AUTONOMOUS, ADEQUATELY FUNDED AND ACCOUNTABLE

4. QA DEPARTMENT, UB THE BOLOGNA PROCESS HAS EMPHASIZED THE NECESSITY OF PROMOTION OF QUALITY ASSURANCE (QA) AND EMPLOYABILITY ACROSS EUROPE THE AIM OF OUR PAPER IS TO HIGHLIGHT THE ROLE OF QA IN HE FOR ENHANCING EMPLOYABILITY BY PRESENTING THE CASE OF THE UNIVERSITY OF BUCHAREST

5. QA DEPARTMENT, UB • THE BOLOGNA PROCESS AND ITS DRIVERS QUALITY ASSURANCE IS A MULTIFACETED PROBLEM, FURTHER ARGUMENTED BY THE NUMBER OF PARTIES INTERESTED IN IT AND THE MULTITUDE OF THEIR RESPECTIVE CONCERNS

6. DEFINITIONS OF QUALITY IN EDUCATION QA DEPARTMENT, UB

7. QA DEPARTMENT, UB

8. WHAT IS EMPLOYABILITY? QA DEPARTMENT, UB • THERE HAVE BEEN MANY ATTEMPTS IN THE LITERATURE TO DEFINE EMPLOYABILITY AND MANY OF THESE CONFINE THE DEFINITION TO A CONSIDERATION OF THE SKILLS DEVELOPED BY STUDENTS DURING THEIR TIME IN HIGHER EDUCATION • FOR SOME, IT IS SIMPLY ABOUT ‘GETTING A JOB’ • ACCORDING TO HILLAGE & POLLARD (1998): ‘IN SIMPLE TERMS, EMPLOYABILITY IS ABOUT BEING CAPABLE OF GETTING AND KEEPING FULFILLING WORK. MORE COMPREHENSIVELY EMPLOYABILITY IS THE CAPABILITY TO MOVE SELF-SUFFICIENTLY WITHIN THE LABOUR MARKET TO REALISE POTENTIAL THROUGH SUSTAINABLE EMPLOYMENT’.

9. QA DEPARTMENT, UB DEVELOPING EMPLOYABILITY IS ALSO ABOUT THE WIDER RELATIONSHIP THE UNIVERSITY HAS WITH EMPLOYERS AND THE LABOUR MARKET EMPLOYABILITY INVOLVES TWO ELEMENTS: • GRADUATE EMPLOYABILITY WHICH IS A SET OF ACHIEVEMENTS (SKILLS, UNDERSTANDING AND PERSONAL ATTRIBUTES) THAT MAKES AN INDIVIDUAL MORE LIKELY TO GAIN EMPLOYMENT AND BE FULFILLED IN THEIR CHOSEN OCCUPATIONS. • EMPLOYABILITY OF UNIVERSITY GRADUATES WHICH INVOLVES DEVELOPING THE INTERRELATIONSHIPS BETWEEN THE UNIVERSITY, ITS SCHOOLS AND SERVICES WITH THE LABOUR MARKET AND EMPLOYERS.

10. QA DEPARTMENT, UBMODELS OF EMPLOYABILITY

11. THE ESSENTIAL COMPONENTS OF GRADUATE EMPLOYABILITY Source: Dacre Pool & Sewell (2007)

12. QA DEPARTMENT, UB GENERIC SKILLS THE TERM IS WIDELY USED TO REFER TO A RANGE OF QUALITIES AND CAPACITIES THAT ARE INCREASINGLY VIEWED AS IMPORTANT IN HIGHER EDUCATION. THESE INCLUDE THINKING SKILLS SUCH AS: • LOGICAL AND ANALYTICAL REASONING, PROBLEM SOLVING, INTELLECTUAL CURIOSITY • EFFECTIVE COMMUNICATION SKILLS, TEAMWORK SKILLS, CAPACITIES TO IDENTIFY, ACCESS AND MANAGE KNOWLEDGE AND INFORMATION • PERSONAL ATTRIBUTES SUCH AS IMAGINATION, CREATIVITY AND INTELLECTUAL RIGOR • VALUES SUCH AS ETHICAL PRACTICE, PERSISTENCE, INTEGRITY AND TOLERANCE

13. QA DEPARTMENT, UB WHY ARE GENERIC SKILLS IMPORTANT? • THE GROWING EMPHASIS ON GENERIC SKILLS IN HIGHER EDUCATION HAS SEVERAL SOURCES. • TRADITIONAL JOBS HAVE DISAPPEARED AND PEOPLE ENTERING THE JOB MARKET NEED TO HAVE DIFFERENT ATTRIBUTES. • ONE IS THE INCREASING EVIDENCE OF DEMAND FROM BUSINESS AND EMPLOYER ORGANIZATIONS FOR GRADUATES TO POSSESS GENERIC SKILLS. • THERE ARE ALSO VARIOUS ECONOMIC, TECHNOLOGICAL AND EDUCATIONAL ARGUMENTS THAT HAVE BROUGHT GENERIC SKILLS TO WIDER ATTENTION. • THE CONTEMPORARY FOCUS ON GENERIC SKILLS IS REALLY PART OF A BIGGER, AS YET UNRESOLVED, DEBATE ABOUT THE PURPOSE OF UNIVERSITY EDUCATION AND HOW TO DEVELOP WELL EDUCATED PERSONS WHO ARE BOTH EMPLOYABLE AND CAPABLE OF CONTRIBUTING TO CIVIL SOCIETY (SEE KEMMIS 1998).

14. QA DEPARTMENT, UB GENERIC SKILLS AND QUALITY ASSURANCE • GENERIC SKILLS CAN ALSO PLAY A SIGNIFICANT ROLE IN QUALITY ASSURANCE MEASURES THAT ARE SUITABLE FOR USE IN HIGHER EDUCATION. • FOR EXAMPLE, HAVING A CONSISTENT TERMINOLOGY FOR DESCRIBING COURSE OUTCOMES CAN IMPROVE COURSE DEVELOPMENT ACROSS AN INSTITUTION. • IT CAN ALSO IMPROVE COMMUNICATION TO THOSE OUTSIDE OF THE INSTITUTION. • LIKEWISE, HIGHER EDUCATION INSTITUTION COULD USE WELL-GROUNDED SETS OF GENERIC SKILLS TO FACILITATE RECOGNITION AND ACCREDITATION OF PRIOR LEARNING, E.G. OF NON-GRADUATES STUDENTS INTO POST-GRADUATE PROGRAMS. • SUCH A PROCEDURE COULD GENERATE GREATER PUBLIC CONFIDENCE IN THE ASSESSMENT DECISIONS THAT ARE MADE BY EDUCATORS.

15. QA DEPARTMENT, UB IN ORDER TO PROVIDE STUDENTS WITH THE MAXIMUM BENEFIT FROM ATTENDING UNIVERSITY (AND HIGHEST EMPLOYMENT FIGURES) HIGHER EDUCATION INSTITUTIONS (HEIs) NEED TO CONSIDER ALL STAKEHOLDERS WHEN FORMULATING AN EMPLOYMENT STRATEGY

16. QA DEPARTMENT, UB STAKEHOLDERS INCLUDE: • THE GOVERNMENT • EMPLOYERS • HEIS • STUDENTS • ACADEMIC STAFF • TEACHERS AND PARENTS/GUARDIANS • TRADE UNIONS ETC.

17. QA DEPARTMENT, UB THE GOVERNMENT • TO SUSTAIN ECONOMIC GROWTH AND MAINTAIN NATIONAL SOCIAL WELL BEING • TO WIDEN PARTICIPATION IN HIGHER EDUCATION • POVERTY REDUCTION • SOCIAL INCLUSION • CONTROL OF WAGE INFLATION • IMPROVED PRODUCTIVITY

18. QA DEPARTMENT, UB EMPLOYERS • STRONG LINKS TO BE DEVELOPED WITH EMPLOYERS AND EMPLOYER GROUPS TO ‘MAXIMISE OPPORTUNITIES FOR GRADUATE EMPLOYMENT’ • UNIVERSITIES WOULD BENEFIT FROM ‘A MORE COHERENT INSTITUTIONAL APPROACH’ TO LARGER ORGANISATIONS AND THE PUBLIC SECTOR • EMPLOYERS WILL ENGAGE WITH UNIVERSITIES IF THEY PROVIDE WHAT EMPLOYERS NEED – GOOD PLACEMENT STUDENTS, GRADUATE RECRUITS AND ‘QUICK AND VISIBLE BENEFITS TO THEIR BUSINESS’

19. QA DEPARTMENT, UB HIGHER EDUCATION INSTITUTIONS • EDUCATION AND TRAINING ARE THE MAIN INSTRUMENTS AVAILABLE TO GOVERNMENTS AND THE COMMUNITY TO PREPARE INDIVIDUALS FOR A RAPIDLY-CHANGING, INCREASINGLY-DEMANDING WORLD OF WORK, AND TO IMPROVE THEIR EMPLOYABILITY • THE DILEMMA FOR HIGHER EDUCATION IS KNOWING WHERE TO CONCENTRATE ITS EFFORTS

20. QA DEPARTMENT, UB STUDENTS • MANY STUDENTS WERE SEEN TO BE MOTIVATED TO STUDY AT UNIVERSITY PRINCIPALLY BY THE PROSPECT OF GETTING A ‘GOOD’ (WELL PAID) JOB, AN AIM WHICH WAS RARELY VOICED BY STUDENTS IN THE PAST

21. QA DEPARTMENT, UB • STUDENTS NEED TO BE EQUIPED FOR ‘A LIFE OF WORK’ AND A WORLD OF LIFE LONG LEARNING • A FUNDAMENTAL SHIFT IN THE CONTRACT WITH THE STUDENT TO EMBRACE A MORE CLEARLY DEFINED ELEMENT OF PERSONAL AND CAREER DEVELOPMENT • HIGH PRIORITY GIVEN TO EMPLOYMENT SUCCESS BY UNIVERSITIES’ STUDENTS AND PROSPECTIVE STUDENTS

22. QA DEPARTMENT, UB • THE OPPORTUNITY TO BENEFIT FROM A RANGE OF LEARNING FROM WORK OPPORTUNITIES INCLUDING PLACEMENTS, INTERNSHIPS, LIVE PROJECTS, VOLUNTEERING ETC. • SELF-DEVELOPMENT AND SUCCESS IN EXTRA-CURRICULAR ACTIVITIES WILL BE RECOGNISED AND REWARDED • NEW ALUMNI PROVISION TO ENHANCE RELATIONSHIPS WITH STUDENTS FOLLOWING GRADUATION

23. QA DEPARTMENT, UB II. QA AND EMPLOYABILITY: LESSONS FROM THE UNIVERSITY OF BUCHAREST • ROMANIA- A BOLOGNA PROCESS SIGNATORY COUNTRY • ONE OF THE AIMS OF THE STRUCTURAL REFORM TAKING PLACE IN ROMANIA IS TO FULLY IMPLEMENT THE STANDARDS AND GUIDELINES FOR QA IN THE EUROPEAN HIGHER EDUCATION AREA • THE ROMANIAN AGENCY FOR QA IN HIGHER EDUCATION (ARACIS)- AN AUTONOMOUS PUBLIC INSTITUTION

24. QA DEPARTMENT, UB “QUALITY ASSURANCE IS ONE OF THE STRATEGIC GOALS OF THE ACADEMIC MANAGEMENT. UNIVERSITY OF BUCHAREST IS PROUD OF ITS QUALITY STANDARDS, RAISED THROUGH COMPARISON WITH INTERNATIONAL INSTITUTIONS, AND WITH THE BENEFIT OF HAVING MANY YOUNG STAFF TRAINED IN EUROPE AND NORTH AMERICA” (PROFESSOR IOAN PANZARU, RECTOR, UNIVERSITY OF BUCHAREST)

25. QA DEPARTMENT, UB

26. QA DEPARTMENT, UB

27. QA DEPARTMENT, UB

28. QA DEPARTMENT, UB UB - THE LEADING INSTITUION OF HIGHER EDUCATION IN ROMANIA, ENJOYING AN IMPRESSIVE INTERNATIONAL PRESTIGE, ACQUIRED OVER ALMOST145 YEARS UB IS AMONG THE FIRST 500 UNIVERSITIES OF THE WORLD (QUACQUAREELLI SYMONDS AND TIMES HE SUPPLEMENT) UNIVERSITY OF BUCHAREST (UB) HAS MORE THAN 30000 STUDENTS ENROLLED IN 19 FACULTIES AND OVER 50 INSTITUTES, DEPARTMENTS AND RESEARCH CENTRES

29. QA DEPARTMENT, UB • UB STARTED TO DESIGN AND DEVELOP AN INTERNAL QA SYSTEM SINCE 2004 • LOOKING CONFIDENTLY TOWARDS INTERNATIONALISATION, UB TOP MANAGEMENT HAS INITIATED THE PROCESS OF QA IMPLEMENTATION

30. QA DEPARTMENT, UB THE QA STRATEGY OF UB EMPHASIZES THE FOLLOWING DOMAINS: - THE INSTITUTIONAL CAPACITY - THE EDUCATIONAL EFFICIENCY - THE QUALITY MANAGEMENT MAIN OBJECTIVES OF QA STRATEGY: • INTRODUCTION OF A QUALITY MANAGEMENT APPROACH • DEVELOPMENT OF A STRONG INSTITUTIONAL QUALITY CULTURE • ENHANCING THE EMPLOYABILITY OF ITS GRADUATES

31. QA DEPARTMENT, UB • STARTING WITH 2005 UB LAUNCHED THE FIRST COLLABORATIVE PROJECT “DIALOGUES FOR PERFORMANCE” WITH CODECS • THE AIM WAS TO IDENTIFY THE OPTIMAL SET OF COMPETENCES NEEDED TO A GRADUATE FOR EMPLOYEMENT • CODECS HAS ORGANISED THESE MEETING AND INTERMEDIATED THE RELATIONSHIPS BETWEEN UB AND THE EMPLOYERS

32. QA DEPARTMENT, UB • CODECS IS A NON-GOVERNMENTAL ORGANISATION, SET UP IN 1003, WITH THE SUPPORT OF THE KNOW HOW FUND IN GREAT BRITAIN AND OF THE ROMANIAN FOUNDATION FOR DEMOCRACY • CODECS IS THE ONLY PARTNER OF THE OPEN UNIVERSITY IN ROMANIA, FOR ITS COURSES AND TRAINING PROGRAMMES.

33. QA DEPARTMENT, UB • 4 MEETINGS WERE ORGANISED, TAKING INTO ACCOUNT THE VARIOUS PROFILES OF THE 19 FACULTIES • THE PARTICIPANTS WERE: • STUDENTS • REPRESENTATIVES OF THE EMPLOYERS • PROFESSORS • TOP MANAGEMENT OF UB(RECTOR, VICE-RECTORS, QA STAFF)

34. QA DEPARTMENT, UB SOME OF THE OUTCOMES OF THE PROJECT: • A HIGHER FLEXIBILITY OF THE EDUCATIONAL OFFER • A BALANCE BETWEEN ACADEMIC CULTURE AND A PRACTICAL APPROACH OF CURRICULA • A STUDENT CENTERED APPROACH • A FOCUS ON THE PRACTICAL DIMENSIONS OF LEARNING OUTCOMES • A INCREASING RESPONSIBILITY OF UB TOWARDS ITS STAKEHOLDERS

35. QA DEPARTMENT, UB THERE WERE IDENTIFIED THE FOLLOWING NEEDED LEARNING OUTCOMES OF A BACHELOR GRADUATE: • GENERAL COMPETENCIES • INTERPERSONAL COMPETENCIES • CAREER MANAGEMENT SKILLS • COGNITIVE SKILLS

36. QA DEPARTMENT, UB CONCLUSIONS • HIGHER EDUCATION AND THE LABOUR MARKET ARE CHANGING RAPIDLY, THE ECONOMY IS INCREASINGLY KNOWLEDGE BASED AND COMPETITIVE, AND THE NATURE OF GRADUATES' WORK IS BEING TRANSFORMED AND DIVERSIFYING. • ENHANCING ACADEMIC QUALITY AND THE EMPLOYABILITY OF GRADUATES ARE THE TWO MOST FREQUENTLY MENTIONED DRIVING FORCES BEHIND THE BOLOGNA PROCESSACCORDING TO THE REPRESENTATIVES OF MINISTRIES, RECTORS' CONFERENCES AND HIGHER EDUCATION INSTITUTIONS.

37. QA DEPARTMENT, UB • QUALITY REPRESENTS A VALUE GENERATOR FOR HEIs, ENSURING A HIGHER EMPLOYABILITY • HEIs SHOULD BE ENCOURAGED TO SEEK A CLOSE DIALOGUE WITH PROFESSIONAL ASSOCIATIONS AND EMPLOYERS IN REFORMING THEIR CURRICULA • EMPLOYABILITY HAS GROWN IN IMPORTANCE AS A DRIVER OF CHANGE OF UNIVERSITIES

38. THANK YOU!