a strategy reform plan for higher education

Vision Forum for Higher EducatioVision Forum for Higher Educationn

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Tertiary Education In Tertiary Education In Jordan:Jordan:

A Vision For The FutureA Vision For The Future

Ministry of Higher Ministry of Higher EducationEducation


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What does a vision What does a vision mean?mean?

““A statement detailing the desired A statement detailing the desired state of a sector at a future point state of a sector at a future point of time within a given of time within a given environmental setting”environmental setting”


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What does a vision What does a vision include?include?

The scope where the sector The scope where the sector should operateshould operate

The measured outcome and The measured outcome and competencies that the sector competencies that the sector wishes to achievewishes to achieve

The required resources for The required resources for achievement of goalsachievement of goals


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What happened to tertiary What happened to tertiary education in the last education in the last

decade?decade? Understanding the significant role of Understanding the significant role of

solid higher education in any economy solid higher education in any economy to sustain developmentto sustain development

The realization of the link between The realization of the link between economic development and the ability economic development and the ability to gain and apply knowledgeto gain and apply knowledge

Knowing that comparative advantages Knowing that comparative advantages come less and less from abundant come less and less from abundant natural resources or cheaper labor, natural resources or cheaper labor, and more and more from technical and more and more from technical innovation and the competitive use of innovation and the competitive use of knowledge knowledge (1)(1)


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Previous Strategies Or Previous Strategies Or Position PapersPosition Papers

Jordan higher education development projectJordan higher education development project Economic Consultative Council HRD papersEconomic Consultative Council HRD papers Vision 2020Vision 2020 The R.E.A.C.H initiativeThe R.E.A.C.H initiative YEA position paper on educationYEA position paper on education The social and economic transformation The social and economic transformation

programprogram Strategies for higher education 1997Strategies for higher education 1997 Higher education fora on quality and Higher education fora on quality and

relevance, research and finance 1998relevance, research and finance 1998 Financing higher education, Hauptman 1998Financing higher education, Hauptman 1998


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77


88


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Where do we stand?Where do we stand?

Eight public universities with 80.000 studentsEight public universities with 80.000 students Twelve private universities with 30.000 Twelve private universities with 30.000

studentsstudents Twenty one community colleges with 29.000 Twenty one community colleges with 29.000

studentsstudents 55% of students are females55% of students are females 25% of total recurrent costs are recovered in 25% of total recurrent costs are recovered in

the public sectorthe public sector Spending on education relative to GNP is Spending on education relative to GNP is

greatest in the Arab worldgreatest in the Arab world One third of educational expenditure is given One third of educational expenditure is given

to higher educationto higher education


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Current ProblemsCurrent Problems

Acute shortage of fundsAcute shortage of funds Low standards of graduatesLow standards of graduates Non-relevance of programsNon-relevance of programs Minimal accreditation standardsMinimal accreditation standards Lack of quality controlLack of quality control No emphasis on researchNo emphasis on research GovernanceGovernance


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University Finance (1)University Finance (1)

Re-structuring tuition fees to recover Re-structuring tuition fees to recover cost should start now over 5 yearscost should start now over 5 years

Scholarship funds should be Scholarship funds should be established to support needy established to support needy students, excelling students and students, excelling students and special groupsspecial groups

University debt should be wiped outUniversity debt should be wiped out Government should finance the Government should finance the

establishment of any public university establishment of any public university according to the master planaccording to the master plan


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University Finance (2)University Finance (2) Phasing out of government Phasing out of government

financial support to university financial support to university current expenditure must go current expenditure must go hand in hand with re-structuringhand in hand with re-structuring

Government financial incentive Government financial incentive should be given to universities :should be given to universities : Complying with accreditationComplying with accreditation Achieving excellenceAchieving excellence Demonstrating creativity and Demonstrating creativity and

innovationinnovation Supporting quality research Supporting quality research


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Admission Policies (1)Admission Policies (1)

Admission should be open to all who Admission should be open to all who are able to satisfy the requirementsare able to satisfy the requirements

A new national university admission A new national university admission test (NUAT) which could be created by test (NUAT) which could be created by a national testing center (NTC) should a national testing center (NTC) should be put in effect to replace the Tawjihi be put in effect to replace the Tawjihi as the tool for university admissionas the tool for university admission

The format of the Tawjihi should be The format of the Tawjihi should be changed to reflect the abovechanged to reflect the above


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Admission Policies (2)Admission Policies (2)

Admission should be on Admission should be on competitive basiscompetitive basis

Special groups could be dealt Special groups could be dealt with by offering financial aid with by offering financial aid rather than university seats.rather than university seats.

The National Unified Admission The National Unified Admission Office should be maintained.Office should be maintained.


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Universities and Universities and Programs (1)Programs (1)

Minimize the emphasis on Minimize the emphasis on university student input as long university student input as long as they satisfy admission criteriaas they satisfy admission criteria

Maximize the emphasis on Maximize the emphasis on university student output by:university student output by: tying it to university eligibility for tying it to university eligibility for

financial incentives and financial incentives and making it an integral part of the making it an integral part of the

accreditation criteriaaccreditation criteria


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Any restriction on establishing new Any restriction on establishing new private institutions of tertiary private institutions of tertiary education should be lifted in the education should be lifted in the presence of strong and active presence of strong and active accreditation policiesaccreditation policies

All students passing the Tawjihi or All students passing the Tawjihi or satisfying the criteria of university satisfying the criteria of university admission should be given the admission should be given the chance of tertiary educationchance of tertiary education


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The Council of Higher Education should The Council of Higher Education should review all existing university programs to review all existing university programs to abolish repetition and ensure excellence. abolish repetition and ensure excellence. New programs should be New programs should be examinedexamined before before licensinglicensing

A new national electronic test (NET) of A new national electronic test (NET) of university output should be introduceduniversity output should be introduced

Financial incentives and re-accreditation Financial incentives and re-accreditation should take into account the results of should take into account the results of individual universities in the NET individual universities in the NET


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Curricula and Instruction Curricula and Instruction (1)(1)

Curricula must be revised to ensure:Curricula must be revised to ensure: ModernityModernity RelevanceRelevance Critical thinkingCritical thinking Self learningSelf learning Practical skillsPractical skills

The revision must be completed in The revision must be completed in one year and repeated every five one year and repeated every five yearsyears


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Curricula and Instruction Curricula and Instruction (2)(2)

Instructional methods should ensure:Instructional methods should ensure: The use of new technologiesThe use of new technologies The emphasis on self learningThe emphasis on self learning Critical thinkingCritical thinking

Mechanisms of students evaluation Mechanisms of students evaluation should be changed to reflect the should be changed to reflect the ability to measure achievement of ability to measure achievement of objectivesobjectives

An exit evaluation of programs should An exit evaluation of programs should be completed by graduating studentsbe completed by graduating students


2020

Faculty and StaffFaculty and Staff A stringent policy of appointment A stringent policy of appointment

according to merit and with according to merit and with transparency should be applied. In-transparency should be applied. In-breeding should be stoppedbreeding should be stopped

A major scholarship program should be A major scholarship program should be instituted in all universitiesinstituted in all universities

In-house programs for rehabilitation of In-house programs for rehabilitation of staff should be activated or createdstaff should be activated or created

Promotion should be linked to Promotion should be linked to performanceperformance

Tenure should be replaced by contractsTenure should be replaced by contracts


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AccreditationAccreditation

The accreditation council should be The accreditation council should be strengthened and its formation changed strengthened and its formation changed to incorporate ALL stake holders:to incorporate ALL stake holders: UniversitiesUniversities GovernmentGovernment EmployersEmployers Professional bodiesProfessional bodies

Accreditation should apply to ALL Accreditation should apply to ALL institutions of tertiary higher educationinstitutions of tertiary higher education

Financial aid to public universities should Financial aid to public universities should be tied to compliance with accreditation be tied to compliance with accreditation standardsstandards


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Quality ControlQuality Control

The Higher Education Quality Assurance The Higher Education Quality Assurance Council of Jordan (HEQACJ) as an Council of Jordan (HEQACJ) as an independent national quality assurance independent national quality assurance body should be createdbody should be created

All programs must be evaluated in-All programs must be evaluated in-house and externallyhouse and externally

All programs and universities should be All programs and universities should be ranked, this ranking should be made ranked, this ranking should be made publicpublic

Financial aid should be tied to excellenceFinancial aid should be tied to excellence


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Scientific ResearchScientific Research Funds available for research should be Funds available for research should be

increased through the activation of increased through the activation of collection of the 1% allocated by the collection of the 1% allocated by the companies lawcompanies law

Research should be directed to serve Research should be directed to serve development plans and solve national development plans and solve national problemsproblems

University scientific journals should be University scientific journals should be unifiedunified

Quality research only should be Quality research only should be considered for promotion of staff considered for promotion of staff

Universities should be rewarded for Universities should be rewarded for quality research and its relevancequality research and its relevance


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Governance (1)Governance (1)

University high officers in public University high officers in public universities should be selected universities should be selected through search committeesthrough search committees

Accountability should go hand in Accountability should go hand in hand with responsibilityhand with responsibility

The ratio of administrative staff The ratio of administrative staff should conform to international should conform to international standardsstandards


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University budgets and annual University budgets and annual reports should be made publicreports should be made public

The CHE should appoint an The CHE should appoint an external audit to look at external audit to look at university finances annuallyuniversity finances annually

Students should be given more Students should be given more role in university councils and role in university councils and committees dealing with committees dealing with students’ affairsstudents’ affairs


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Laws must ensure complete Laws must ensure complete separation between private separation between private university ownership and university ownership and administrationadministration

Non-profit tertiary education Non-profit tertiary education institutions should be given institutions should be given preference and incentivepreference and incentive


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LegislationLegislation Laws to establish the following should be Laws to establish the following should be

enacted:enacted: The NUATThe NUAT The HEQACJThe HEQACJ A law to regulate the establishment of non-profit entitiesA law to regulate the establishment of non-profit entities

The temporary laws of higher education and The temporary laws of higher education and public universities should be amended to reflect public universities should be amended to reflect the changesthe changes

The temporary law of private universities should The temporary law of private universities should be amended to reflect: be amended to reflect: complete separation between university ownership and complete separation between university ownership and

administration administration defining new rules for licensing of universities and other defining new rules for licensing of universities and other

tertiary education institutionstertiary education institutions


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University ProgramsUniversity Programs

A committee should be set up to A committee should be set up to review all existing programs. review all existing programs. New programs should be New programs should be subjected to a process to ensure subjected to a process to ensure need, feasibility, job need, feasibility, job opportunities for graduatesopportunities for graduates

The committee should be The committee should be composed of all stake holderscomposed of all stake holders