Europeanization v. academic freedom in higher education in Poland

Dr. Anna BudnikUniversity of Bialystok, Faculty of LawPoland

Definitions

Academic freedom - the custom and practice that accords university professors and, to a lesser degree, school teachers; the freedom to teach and conduct research without interference of administrators, government officials, or other outside parties;

Doctrine that professors and students are free to inquire, to learn, and to teach in a climate of judgmental neutrality; to teach in the absence of political, religious, or social censorship. Derived from the German concepts of Lernfreiheit (uncontrolled study) and Lehrfreiheit (freedom of teaching).

Definitions

Europeanisation “incremental process reorienting the direction and shape of politics to the degree that EC political and economic dynamics become part of the organizational logic of national politics and policy-making”. (Ladrech)

“the emergence and development at the European level of distinct structures of governance, that is, of political, legal and social institutions associated with political problem solving that formalizes interactions among the actors, and of policy networks specializing in the creation of authoritative European rules” (Risse, Cowles and Caporaso)

Higher Education in Poland between 1949-1990- Centralization

- Full responsibility before the Minister for Higher Education

- No non-public sector of higher education

Higher Education after 1990

• the Act on Higher Education of 14 September 1990

- Rebuilt higher education autonomy- the Minister lost his functions regarding elections of

university bodies- Allowed creation of non-public HEIs

Constitution of the Republic of PolandArt. 70 para. 2 Education in public schools shall be without payment. Statutes may allow for payments for certain services provided by public institutions of higher education.Article 70 para 3 (…) Citizens and institutions shall have the right to establish primary and secondary schools and institutions of higher education and educational development institutions. The conditions for establishing and operating non-public schools, the participation of public authorities in their financing, as well as the principles of educational supervision of such schools and educational development institutions, shall be specified by statute.Article 70 para 4 Public authorities shall ensure universal and equal access to education for citizens. To this end, they shall establish and support systems for individual financial and organizational assistance to pupils and students. The conditions for providing of such assistance shall be specified by statute. Article 70 para 5 The autonomy of the institutions of higher education shall be ensured in accordance with principles specified by statute

the Law on higher education of 27 July 2005

Non-public HEIsIn 1990 there were only 400.000 studentsWithin first eight years 150 new private HEIs were createdNon-public he sector between 1990-1997expanding higher education market with increasing student demandlow degree of rivalry between providerslow barriers to entry absence of state financial support for non-state HEIs limited range of study fields and focusing on high-demand low-cost vocational study programs at medium or low tuition fees levels.

Non-public sector between 1997-2004mature higher education marketstable student demandhigh degree rivalry between providersabsence of state financial support for private higher educationsteady sales growth strategy, focusing on the entire market rather than selected student marke

Non-public HEIsIn 1990 there were only 400.000 studentsWithin first eight years 150 new private HEIs were createdNon-public he sector between 1990-1997expanding higher education market with increasing student demandlow degree of rivalry between providerslow barriers to entry absence of state financial support for non-state HEIs limited range of study fields and focusing on high-demand low-cost vocational study programs at medium or low tuition fees levels.

Non-public sector between 1997-2004mature higher education marketstable student demandhigh degree rivalry between providersabsence of state financial support for private higher educationsteady sales growth strategy, focusing on the entire market rather than selected student marke

The number of HEIs

Public HEIs1990/1991 1002013/2014 132

Non-public HEIs1997/98 146 1998/99 158 1999/00 174 2000/01 195 2001/02 221 2002/03 2522003/04 2742004/05 301 2005/06 315 2006/07 318 2007/08 324 2008/09 325 2009/10 330 2010/11 328 2011/12 3282012/13 321 2013/14 306 398 562

The number of students after 19901990/1991................................... 403 824 1991/1992................................... 428 159 992/1993................................... …495 729 1993/1994................................... 584 009 1994/1995................................... 682 200 1995/1996................................... 794 642 1996/1997................................... 927 480 1997/1998................................... 1 091 841 1998/1999................................... 1 273 955 1999/2000................................... 1 431 871 2000/2001................................... 1 584 804 2001/2002................................... 1 718 7472002/2003................................... 1 800 548 2003/2004................................... 1 858 680 2004/2005................................... 1 926 122 2005/2006................................... 1 953 832 2006/2007................................... 1 941 445 2007/2008................................... 1 937 404 2008/2009................................... 1 927 762 2009/2010................................... 1 900 014 2010/2011................................... 1 841 251 2011/2012................................... 1 764 060 2012/2013................................... 1 676 927 2013/2014.................................1 549 877

Europeanization of HE

Academic year number of international students1995/1996 ................................. 5 202 6972000/2001 ................................. 6 563 8922001/2002 ................................. 7 380 1 0022002/2003 ................................. 7 608 1 3072003/2004 ................................. 8 106 1 1782004/2005 ................................. 8 829 1 3262005/2006 ................................. 10 092 1 3062006/2007 ................................. 11 752 1 4892007/2008 ................................. 13 695 1 7742008/2009 ................................. 15 862 2 2102009/2010 ................................. 17 000 2 8332010/2011 ................................. 21 474 3 3642011/2012 ................................. 24 253 3 9642012/2013 ................................. 29 172 4 8672013/2014 ................................. 35 983

The Bologna ProcessThe Bologna Declaration, 199930 ministers for higher education decided to create the European Higher Education Area by 2010Aims:a system of academic degrees that are easy to recognize and compare. It includes the introduction of a shared diploma supplement to improve transparency; creation of the European Qualification Frameworka system based essentially on two cycles: a first cycle geared to the labour market and lasting at least three years, and a second cycle (Master) conditional on the completion of the first cycle;a system of accumulation and transfer of credits of the ECTS type used in the Erasmus exchange scheme;mobility of students, teachers and researchers: elimination of all obstacles to freedom of movement;cooperation with regard to quality assurance;the European dimension in higher education: increase the number of modules and teaching and study areas where the content, guidance or organization has a European dimensionproviding equal opportunities to quality educationLifelong learning

The “new” Law on Higher Education

• The Law on Higher Education of 27 July 2005• and subsequent amendments to this act approved 2011

• Everything is regulated by the Law on Higher Education statute and dozens of regulations issued by the Minister for Science and Higher Education

Programme design• Polish Higher Institutions have never had full

autonomy in starting new programms of study• Before 2011 the names of courses were defined

by the Minister responsible for higher education

• In 2011 the Law on higher education abolished the competence of the Minister to issue the names and requirements for university programs but the National Qualification Framework for Higher Education was created

The Quality of Higher Education

evaluation of higher education quality is closely connected with the accreditation processThe Polish Accreditation Committee (PAC) is responsible for both: evaluation and accreditationSince 2011 the PAC is responsible for newly created two types of assessment: program control and institutional control; In 2011 conditions of the two types of evaluation were determined by the Ministry

Financing HE and science as of 2013

Financing of higher education - 0,7 % GDPFinancing of science - 0,44 % GDP