European glossary on education, volume 5, Decision-making, advisory, operational and regulatory ...

250 Pages·2007·2.08 MB·English

EURYDICE
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European Commission
EURYDICE
European Glossary on
Education
Volume 5
Decision-making, Advisory,
Operational and Regulatory Bodies
in Higher Education
Eurydice
The information network on education in Europe
This document is published by the Eurydice European Unit with the financial support of the European
Commission (Directorate-General for Education and Culture).
Available in English (European Glossary on Education. Volume 5: Decision-making, Advisory,
Operational and Regulatory Bodies in Higher Education), French (Glossaire européen de l’éducation.
Volume 5: Organes formels de décision, consultation, gestion et supervision dans l’enseignement
supérieur) and German (Europäisches Glossar zum Bildungswesen. Band 5: Offizielle Entscheidungs-,
Beratungs-, Verwaltungs- und Aufsichtsorgane in der Hochschulbildung).
ISBN 92-79-04586-5.
This document is also available on the Internet (http://www.eurydice.org).
Text completed in December 2006.
© Eurydice, 2007.
The contents of this publication may be reproduced in part, except for commercial purposes,
provided that the extract is preceded by a complete reference to ‘Eurydice, the information network
on education in Europe’, followed by the date of publication of the document.
Requests for permission to reproduce the entire document must be made to the European Unit.
Eurydice
European Unit
Avenue Louise 240
B-1050 Brussels
Tel. [phone]
Fax [phone]
E-mail: [email protected]
Internet: http://www.eurydice.org
Printed in Belgium
Preface
Every education system and national education policy uses its own specific terminology to describe
the characteristics of its organisation and operation. In trying to understand and make reliable
comparisons of how the various education systems in Europe really work, we are often confronted
with questions of terminology. The development of precise ‘markers’ for reference purposes is thus
absolutely essential for better mutual understanding and to encourage good quality communication
in an enlarged Europe in which student and teaching staff mobility, as well as the openness of
education and training systems to the world at large, are essential aims of cooperation.
For these reasons, the Eurydice Network in 1999 launched a series entitled the European Glossary
on Education. Four volumes have already been published. They are concerned respectively with
examinations, qualifications and titles (a second edition appeared in 2004), educational institutions
(a second edition appeared in 2005), teaching staff (2002) and management, monitoring and support
staff (2003).
This fifth volume covers national terms used to denote bodies with responsibilities in the area of
decision-making, advisory, operational or regulatory duties, or responsibilities concerned with
quality assurance, in higher education in all Member States of the European Union (except Ireland)
and the EFTA/EEA countries (except Norway). Turkey which is also a member of the Eurydice Network
did not contribute to this Glossary.
The present volume belongs to a set of publications that Eurydice is producing in 2007 to provide
greater insight into interrelated aspects of higher education. These publications are the 2007 edition
of Focus on the Structure of Higher Education in Europe: following up the Bologna process (May 2007), Key
Data on Tertiary Education (April 2007) and a study on governance in higher education (scheduled for
the end of the year).
A guide to the use of the Glossary is presented by way of introduction. It contains all relevant definitions
and outlines the different aspects covered in the explanatory note on each term.
This fifth volume is the result of very close cooperation between the Eurydice National Units and the
Eurydice European Unit (EEU). The National Units provided the list of terms by country together with
their explanatory notes, in accordance with a Guide to content. The material was then analysed by the
EEU in consultation with individual National Units to improve the consistency and clarity of all terms
and definitions.
By making this Glossary available to all who attempt to compare, understand or translate terms specific
to the field of education, the Eurydice Network hopes to make a further contribution to the greater
transparency of education systems in Europe.
Patricia Wastiau-Schlüter
Head of the Eurydice European Unit
February 2007
Decision-making, Advisory, Operational and Regulatory Bodies in Higher Education 

Contents
Preface 3
Introduction 7
User’s guide 9
Part I – Glossary 13
Part II – Summary tables 203
European Union
• Belgium 205
• French Community 205
• German-speaking Community 206
• Flemish Community 207
• Bulgaria 208
• Czech Republic 209
• Denmark 211
• Germany 212
• Estonia 213
• Greece 214
• Spain 215
• France 216
• Italy 218
• Cyprus 220
• Latvia 222
• Lithuania 223
• Luxembourg 224
• Hungary 225
• Malta 226
• The Netherlands 227
• Austria 229
• Poland 230
• Portugal 231
• Romania 232
• Slovenia 233
• Slovakia 235
• Finland 236
• Sweden 237
• United Kingdom 238
EFTA/EEA countries
• Iceland 240
• Liechtenstein 241
Acknowledgements 243
Decision-making, Advisory, Operational and Regulatory Bodies in Higher Education 

Introduction
The fifth volume of the European Glossary on Education consists of a compilation of national
terms used to denote formal bodies whose remit relates primarily to higher education (ISCED 5
and 6) (1) in 28 education systems in Europe. It covers almost 770 national terms used during 2006.
This glossary covers bodies with responsibilities in the area of decision-making, advisory, oper-
ational or regulatory duties, or responsibilities concerned with quality assurance in higher
education.
Definition and scope of this Glossary
For the purposes of this glossary, a formal body is defined as a public or private entity recognised in
law by the public authorities. It has a specific role, responsibilities, functioning and constitution/mem-
bership. It may be known as a board, council, institution, agency, etc.
All bodies with responsibilities in fields directly linked to higher education (such as the curriculum,
evaluation, accreditation, the training and conditions of service of teachers), bodies responsible for
funding higher education including agencies for the award of financial support, and all course or
study programme information services come within the scope of this glossary.
Interest groups/unions constituted in formal bodies, such as teacher associations and unions, are
covered only if they have a central/regional area of responsibility and are mainly concerned with
higher education and consulted by policy-makers.
All types of higher education (academic, professional, artistic, etc.) including adult education and
distance education are covered.
National terms denoting the ministry of education (and in certain cases the department within
it responsible for higher education) or the ministry of higher education are the subject of separate
entries, as are other ministries if they are fully responsible for certain branches of study in higher edu-
cation (such as medicine, national defence and artistic studies).
On the other hand, the names of ministries that share certain responsibilities with the ministry of
education or of higher education (for example, the ministry of finance) do not appear as an entry in
the glossary. A list of all ministries involved in such partnerships is included under the summary table
in the second part of the publication.
The Glossary does not include terms that denote the following:
– bodies responsible for areas that have no direct link with educational activity and are instead
focused on social, logistic or cultural aspects of education (such as student health, the
organisation of transport, cultural life and sports activities);
− centres and offices carrying out research into education (even if this is commissioned by the
ministry);
− the national offices of ENIC/NARIC (with the exception of those that deal with tasks related to
higher education at national level in addition to their responsibilities linked to the network);
(1) The International Standard Classification of Education (ISCED 97) is an instrument geared to the collection of statistics on education at
international level. For further information on this classification, readers should visit http://portal.unesco.org
− ISCED 5: This comprises programmes with a more advanced educational content than those offered at ISCED levels 3 and 4. Admission
normally requires at least the satisfactory completion of ISCED level 3 or its equivalent. ISCED level 5 includes programmes with an
academic emphasis (ISCED 5A) that are largely theoretically based and intended to provide sufficient qualifications for gaining entry
into research programmes or professions with high skills requirements, and programmes of practical or technical training (ISCED 5B)
that are generally shorter than the former and prepare for entry to the labour market. This level may also include adult education
programmes. ISCED level 5 programmes correspond to studies leading to a first or second tertiary education degree.
− ISCED 6: This level relates to tertiary education programmes which lead to the award of an advanced research qualification. Such
programmes correspond to the second stage of tertiary education and, in most countries, to doctoral programmes.
Decision-making, Advisory, Operational and Regulatory Bodies in Higher Education 
− bodies in charge of providing statistical data in education;
− educational institutions (2);
− private foundations offering financial support;
− external or joint examination boards or (internal or external) examination supervisory
committees, even if constituted on the basis of state regulations;
− working groups which are set up for a limited period only to deal with a specific problem or
submit a report on a particular topic, and dissolved as soon as this activity comes to an end
(unless the terms designating these groups are permanent and are not suppressed or modified
even if the activity of a group and/or its composition changes).
***
In order to ensure that the information may be readily accessed by a very wide range of readers, terms
relating to formal bodies in higher education will be set out in two separate parts of the publication.
In the first part, readers will find a list of all terms in alphabetical order. Only national terms, common
acronyms and synonyms are included as entries in the alphabetical list. In addition to the explanatory
note for a term, the information contained in each entry specifies the country, the most widespread
grammatical variants of the term and the level of responsibility/area of the body concerned.
There are three categories of administrative level/area of responsibility: central, regional, and insti-
tutional.
The second part will contain summary tables by country. The terms are classified by administrative
level/area of responsibility of the body. English translations as well as the acronyms and synonyms
of the national terms are provided after the term in the original language.
A short description containing important details on specifically national characteristics is added
under the summary table wherever this is helpful for a proper understanding of circumstances in a
particular country. The list of ministries working in conjunction with the ministry of education as
well as a list of useful website references are included under the summary table.
The advantage of this dual structure is that it offers different routes of access to information. Readers
who know a term but do not know what it means can search in the alphabetical list to find the name
of the country, the administrative level/area of responsibility and the explanatory note. However,
if, for example, they need to search for all the terms used in a given country to refer to the different
formal bodies in higher education, they may consult the national summary table and can then return
to the first part of the glossary for a fuller definition of each of the terms.
(2) European Glossary on Education, volume 2, ‘Educational Institutions’ covers this subject.
 European Glossary on Education − Volume 5
User’s Guide
Comité National d’évaluation
Country: France
Level: Central
Explanatory note: Independent administrative authority set up by law in 1984 to evaluate all public higher
education institutions, including universities, ‘schools’ for higher education, and training institutes under
the minister responsible for higher education. Publicly funded, this committee examines and evaluates
all actions and means employed by institutions to implement their academic and educational policy in
the fields of initial and continuing education and training, scientific and technological research and
activity to publicise its findings, the promotion of culture and scientific and technical information, and
international cooperation. The activities of the committee are detailed in a report submitted annually
to the President of the Republic. Furthermore, it prepares a summary report on the state of higher
education every four years, which is also forwarded to the President of the Republic. The committee
consists of the following 25 members appointed by decree for a four-year non-renewable term:
19 French or foreign members representing the academic community; 4 French or foreign personalities
highly qualified in the fields of economics and research; a member of the Conseil d’État (State Council);
and a member of the Cour des Comptes (Court of Auditors). One of the members of the Comité National
d’Évaluation is appointed by decree to chair the committee. Acronym: CNE. (http://www.cne-evaluation.fr)
• National terms in the language of origin
Each term recognised at national level is given in the nominative singular grammatical form, unless
only the plural is used.
The term is written in the official language of the country. Greek and Bulgarian terms are transcribed
into the Roman alphabet with the term in the Greek or Cyrillic alphabet shown in brackets.
Familiar or conventional names are included if they are widely used and well known.
Common acronyms and synonyms of bodies have an entry of their own with a cross-reference to the
main term.
• Grammatical variants
This heading covers the grammatical variants of each term (declined and plural forms, with the
exception of those in English and French which involve only the addition of -s), indicating the main
forms that the term may take in a text. These associated terms make it possible to find entries and
the definition of a term even if the spelling is not identical with that of the generic term. In languages
which use a large number of grammatical forms, such as Finnish or Hungarian, only the root of the
word is indicated and marked with an asterisk (*), so that the reader can identify and recognise the
invariable part of the word. One or two examples of the main declensions may be indicated.
• Levels (area) of responsibility
This indicates a geographical and/or administrative level (central, regional, institutional) in the
case of public bodies and a geographical area of responsibility (central or regional) in the case of
associations and interest groups.
• Explanatory notes
The explanatory notes provide a definition of the body with a brief description of its main
characteristics (‘Legal and administrative framework’, ‘Functions and procedures’, ‘Constitution/internal
organisation’). Some specific terms needed to understand the context fully have been kept in the
original language with a translation into the language of the glossary.
Decision-making, Advisory, Operational and Regulatory Bodies in Higher Education