Curricula of major universities under scrutiny

Photo: www.ebs.ee

According to EKKA Quality Assessment Council head Heli Mattisen, institutional accreditation will be performed on all major universities in 2014–2015. Among other things it will be assessed how universities have considered results of former assessments and how they are guaranteeing international competitiveness in their specialties.

Among others, law faculties’ curricula at Tallinn University and Tallinn University of Technology will be assessed. Even so, the law curriculum quality of Tallinn University will only be assessed in 2017 – seven years after being awarded timeless study rights.

In 2010, Nord Academy’s law curriculum was integrated into that of Tallinn University.

«Each assessment shall consider admonitions made during previous assessments and whether or not these have been considered. In case it is found that quality has substantially deteriorated, or lack of resources detected for provision of education, the Ministry of Education and Research may initiate state supervision,» said the ministry’s higher education department deputy head Helen Põllo.

Earlier assessment suggested

According to Arno Almann, EBS rector and head of expert committee praising Nord Academy’s law curriculum in 2010, quality of curricula ought to be assessed quite soon after being granted timeless study rights.

«In other words – do the papers hold true?» he added. «In our higher education, some things remain half baked.»

According to Mr Almann, Nord Academia’s curriculum is quite hard to assess: when one university’s curriculum is transferred to another, the latter has the right to take over all teachers and complement the curriculum.

«Back then, we were presented the Nord Academia and Tallinn University merger agreement, but the definite results were hard to foresee,» said Mr Almann.

In Nord Academy’s Master’s level law curriculum, sustainability and resources were assessed in addition to quality of studies. The curriculum was awarded timeless study rights, at the same year of 2010 Nord Academy and Tallinn University merged both Bachelor’s and Master’s curricula.

Ms Mattisen said that the ministry considered it necessary, in terms of sustainability, for Nord Academy to integrate with a public law university.

Time to get things settled

According to Ms Mattisen, quality requirements laid down by higher education standards are satisfied by curricula both of Tallinn University and University of Tartu, as also confirmed by EKKA and Government of the Republic.

Quality requirements met, early assessments are not required, according to her.

«The University of Tartu law faculty, with its honourable history, is doubtless considerably ahead of the others; even so, let us give the others also a chance to prove themselves. In this regard, law studies differ not of all others specialties – overall, Estonian higher education is short of resources and internationally competitive teachers are lacking in other faculties as well,» said Ms Mattisen.

In an opinion article in Postimees, on July 8^th, University of Tartu law faculty dean Jaan Ginter criticised quality of law studies, underlining faults in the law curriculum of Nord Academy now integrated into that of Tallinn University.

«At the moment, this resembles a tussle between two universities, both beating about the bush,» said Mr Almann, commenting on University of Tartu and Tallinn University arguing over law curricula.