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Objectives(1999-2010)

TheoriginalobjectivessetoutintheBolognadeclaration

wereto:

promoteasystemofcredits,suchasECTS; adoptasystemofeasilycomparableand

compatibledegrees,basedinitiallyonathreecycle

framework:bachelor,master,doctorate;

promotemobilityofstudentsandstaff; promoteEuropeanco-operationinQuality

Assurance;

promoteaEuropeanHigherEducationArea.Thesewouldbeaidedby theimplementationofanumber

of tools some of which were already in use in some

institutions,suchaslearningoutcomesandECTS.Sincethe

declaration was first signed in 1999, the number of

signatorieshasincreasedto47,27ofwhichareEUmember

states.TheHEministersofsignatorycountriesmeetevery

two years at ministerial conferences, organised by the

BolognaFollow-upGroup,totakestockofprogress,revise

priorities and action lines. The original declaration was

focused towards a completion date of 2010, and manyBolognarelatedreformshavealreadybeenimplementedin

signatorycountries.

Post2010

At the 2009 ministerial meeting attention was firmly

focused on taking stock of progress to date and setting

objectivesforthenextdecadeup to2020.Becausenot all

of the original objectives have been fully achieved, the

original objectives and policies developed since 1999 are

stillvalid.Anumberofprioritieshavebeendefinedforthe

comingdecade:

social dimension: equitable access andcompletion;

lifelonglearning; employability; student-centred learning and the teaching

missionofhighereducation;

education,researchandinnovation; internationalopenness; mobility; datacollection; multidimensionaltransparencytools; funding.

Objectives(2010-2012)

The Bologna Follow-up Group prepared a work plan to

address the priorities from 2010 to 2012, and seven

working groups were established to focus on: Social

Dimension; Qualifications Frameworks; International

Openness; Mobility; Recognition; Reporting on the

ImplementationoftheBolognaProcess;andTransparency

Mechanisms.

TheBolognaProcessinIreland

AtanOctober2010conferencefocusingontheimpactof

the Bologna Process to date in Ireland and the

challenges/priorities for Irish Higher Education for the

coming years it was noted that while many reforms are

underway,specificallyimplementationofthetoolsofthe

Bologna Process, many have not yet been fully

implemented:

widespreadandinformeduseofECTS; introductionofprogrammelevelandmodulelevel

learningoutcomes;

automatic issue of the Diploma Supplement forgraduates;

commitmentsto therecognitionof prior learning(RPL);

commitmentstolifelonglearning.However,two Bologna Processobjectives have beenfully

implemented and in fact Ireland are among the early

leaders in terms of the establishment of a National

FrameworkofQualifications(NFQ)andwidespreadQuality

Assurancesystems.

FuturePracticesinIreland

InordertofocusontheprioritiesoftheBolognaProcess,

we must ensure the tools to aid implementation are in

place.Focuscanthenshifttothewiderissuesofmobility,

employability,socialinclusionetc.

Areas requiringattentionto ensure IrelandsHEsystemis

morefullyBolognacompliantinclude,forexample:

learningoutcomeswrittenforallprogrammesandmodules, and fully aligned to the National

FrameworkofQualifications;

an ECTS system based on student workload andlearningoutcomes;

issueoftheDiplomaSupplementtoallgraduates,automaticallyandfreeofcharge;

BolognaProcessTheBolognaProcessisareformprocessinitiatedin1999whenHigherEducationministersof29countriesgatheredin

BolognaandsignedtheBolognadeclaration,withtheoverarchingaimofcreatinga EuropeanHigherEducationArea

(EHEA)basedoninternationalcooperationandacademicexchange.ThisEHEAwouldbeattractivetoandpromote

mobilityofstaffandstudentsonaEuropeanandinternationalscale.

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jointdegreeprogrammes.

Workplan(2012-2015)

A detailed implementation report was compiled for the

2012communique.Atthatcommunique,itwasconcluded

thatthevisionofanintegratedEHEAiswithinreach,but

effortwasneededtoconsolidateandbuildontheprogress

todate.Inparticular,itwasagreedthatthereneedstobemore coherence between policies, especially concerning

ECTS, theDiplomaSupplement, qualifications frameworks

andthedefinitionandevaluationoflearningoutcomes.

A workplan isnow inplace for the 3-year period 2012

2015.Themainobjectiveforthisperiodisto increasethe

transparency,visibilityandeffectivenessoftheprocess,as

well as ensure coherence between the priority areas

outlinedinBucharestcommuniqu(2012).

Thosepriorityareasare:

wideningaccess;

qualityassurance; enhancingemployability; strengtheningmobilityforbetterlearning.

Thenationallevelprioritiesidentifiedinclude:

strengthingpoliciesofwideningoverallaccessandraising completion rates, including targeting of

underrepresentedgroups;

establishingconditionsthatfosterstudent-centredlearning, innotative teaching methods and a

supportinglearningenvironment;

enhancing employability, lifelong learning,problem-solving, and entrepreneurial skillsthrough improved cooperation with employers,

andensuring that qualification frameworks, ECTS

and Diploma Supplement implementation are

basedonlearningoutcomes;

workingtowardsfullportabilityof national grantsandloansacrossEHEA;

promoting the use of the European Areas ofRecognition (EAR)manual toadvancerecognition

practices;

encourageknowledge-basedalliancesintheEHEAfocusingonresearchandtechnology.

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Glossary

BolognaFollow-upGroup:TheBolognaFollow-upgroupis

composed of representatives from each of the Bologna

signatory countries, the European Commission, and eight

consultative members including representatives from

Europeanquality,student,university,andhighereducation

associations.Thegroupmeetsevery6monthstooversee

progress on work programmes designed to meet theBolognaactionlines.

Diploma Supplement: A document that accompanies

students transcripts outlining the nature, level, context,

contentandstatusofthestudiescompleted.Itshouldbe

free of charge and issued automatically to students

graduatingwithahighereducationaward.

ECTS (European Credit Transfer and Accumulation

System):ECTSpriortoBolognawereusedsolelyasacredit

transfer systemaspartof theERASMUSprogramme. Due

to their widespread implementation as part of the

ERASMUSprogramme,ECTSwereadoptedastheBologna

creditsystem, forboth transferand accumulation. Thosesignatory countries whose credit system differs to ECTS,

have agreed to ensure compatibility between their credit

systemsandECTS.

National Framework of Qualifications (NFQ): A

qualif ications framework that was set up to aid the

development, recognition and awarding of qualifications.

TheNFQisasingleframeworkthatencompassesallawards

made in the State by bodies such as the Department of

Education and Science, FETAC, HETAC, DIT and the

universities.

TheFrameworkcomprisestenlevels,witheachlevelbased

onspecifiedstandardsofknowledge,skillandcompetence.

These standards define the outcomes to be achieved by

learners seeking to gain awards at each level, and are

expressedintermsoflearningoutcomes.

AdditionalresourcesandsupportareavailablefromCELT.