The National Council for Higher Education was founded by the Croatian Parliament (Sabor) in 1993, as an advisory body to the Ministry of Science and Technology and to the Croatian universities and other institutions for higher education studies. The National Council is composed of 19 members representing all branches of higher education and all regions of Croatia. They are appointed by the Parliament for a four year term upon proposals from the Rectors Conference of the University senates. The president of the National Council is responsible for the implementation of all acts of the National Council. It is controlled by the National Council itself and by the Parliament through the yearly report of the National Council to this body. The National Council is an expert advisory body for higher education system in Croatia financed through the Ministry of Science, Education and Sport by a specific budget line determined by the Parliament.
In Croatia, there are five universities: University of Zagreb (29 faculties and 3 academies), University of Split (11 faculties, 3 polytechnics schools, 2 departments), University of Rijeka (10 faculties and 3 polytechnics schools) and University of J.J. Strossmayer in Osijek (9 faculties, 1 polytechnics school and 1 department) and University of Zadar (16 departments). In October of the 2003 year the Parliament was elected the Law of establishing the University of Dubrovnik which will be starting its activities in the year 2004/05.
In 1996 the “polytechnics schools” (veleuèilišta in Croatian) were separated from the universities and in 2001 the Ministry gives possibilities to have polytechnics study at the University and to keep polytechnics as independent institutions. At the moment in the Croatia work 6 schools and 13 private schools for higher education.
The 1993 Higher Education Act amended in 1996 (the Law) defines the national quality assurance system and the respective roles of the Ministry of Sciences, Education and Sport, the National Council for Higher Education and the higher education institutions themselves. Following the recommendations of the advisory missions on quality assurance of the legislative reform programmed for higher education of the Council of Europe, which visited Croatia in October 1994 and March 1995 (and till 2001, four times more), the original law was amended in order to separate clearly the Accreditation and Quality Assessment procedures. In Accreditation the leading role is given to the Ministry, which initiates and terminates the accreditation procedure, while National Council proposes the composition of the expert committees and on the basis of their reports recommends that Ministry issues (or not) «Letter of Credibility».
The first step in the reorganisation of higher education in sense of quality assurance was self-evaluation of the faculties and universities as a base for institutional evaluation. The National Council makes recommendations regarding the needs for the higher education system. The restructuring of higher education is independent from quality assessment.
The National Council published an evaluation outline, which is distributed to the higher education institutions, indicating the framework of the questionnaire, duties of the faculties and universities, and purpose of those reviews. Also, the National Council established guidelines for self-analysis reports and collected the responses in view of preparing the peer review (external teams) and final reports.
The Minister, based on the proposal of the National Council, appoints the evaluation procedures carried out by Expert Commissions of the Ministry, and their members. Expert Commissions base their assessment on the Institutions self-analysis, the opinion of professional societies and reputable international experts.
All faculties completed the self-analysis questionnaire, and sent it to the National Council. The reviewers will visit all faculties and universities and give a final report to the National Council. Special attention is paid to the following: the programme being up to date, relevant and internationally comparable; the intensity and quality of scientific and professional work; the quality of teaching staff relative to the mission of the institution (research and teaching, or teaching); the relationship with students; pacing of studies; employment; fulfilment of elementary standards in equipment and organisation; the general atmosphere at the institution and relations among the teachers; the attitude of the whole staff to the institution’s mission and to the improvement of its activities; the opinion of the students. In the final proposal, position of the institution has to be clear, relative to local circumstances and world standards. One of the following options should be proposed:
a) the status of institution is adequate;
b) the institution may keep its present status if it implements the changes proposed within a given period of time;
c) the status of the institution needs to be changed and
d) the institution needs to be abolished. After this final report with recommendations of Advisory team, the National Council will give proposal for “credibility” of institution to the Ministry of Sciences, Education and Sport.
Until 2003 National Council has completed and evaluated about 45% faculties. The peer review groups (3-5 experts) were designed to include experts from abroad, first of all from that part of Croatian Diaspora working at universities or research institutes in Europe, United States, and Australia. They visited institutions every faculty for 1 to 2 days, gave separate reports, and then the president of the Advisory team made final report to the National Council for Higher Education.
In 2004 National Council for Higher Education continues with evaluation of universities, faculties and polytechnics. Co-ordinators and sub co-ordinators are nominated in major scientific fields, to provide continual care about quality assessment and quality assurance of higher education in Croatia.
The experience of the other countries shows that a full round of assessment, including self-evaluations and external evaluations, and assessments covering the entire higher education sector, will take several years.
The National Council gives its opinions, proposals and recommendations to Institutions, to the Ministry and to other state bodies with the aim of ensuring the qualitative and successful functioning of the higher education system. The National Council particularly:
The National Council’s role is to promote the quality of the higher education systems and this must be accomplished with the full trust and partnership of both the institutions and the government.
The National Council for Higher Education in Croatia is a member of the consortium of 5 Croatian universities, 5 west European universities, 3 national councils (Catalonia, Belgium, Finland) in Tempus project “Development of Quality Assurance System in Higher Education in Croatia”. President of the National Council for Higher Education (Professor Jasmina Havranek) is the co-ordinator of the project.
2) In the last year the Parliament was elected a new Law of Scientific activities and Higher education which changes the number of members of the National Council and its status. The new Council will have a president and 12 members.
The 7 members will be elect from the universities professors, 2 members will be Scientists who are working in the other institutions and 2 members from the industry.
In this year will be establish the Agency for the Science and Higher Education which with aim of ensuring the qualitative and successful functioning of the higher education system.
The Agency will be make evaluation of universities, faculties and polytechnics and will be support to the National Council.