AU’s study progress reform: Out with enforced registration – in with first-year exam and control

AU needs to get its students to complete their study programmes faster, as otherwise it will end up receiving a fine in 2020 of up to DKK 240 million. 

AU's Education Committee has just submitted a proposal for the implementation of the study progress reform for consultation. A proposal which, in short, provides a strict framework for the students during the first academic year, but also a relaxation of other requirements including the abolition of enforced registration for courses and exams.

All Bachelor's degree programmes to introduce first-year exams

In future, students on the Bachelor's degree programmes can be a maximum of one year delayed in their studies. The university will ensure the progress of the students already from the beginning of their degree programme by introducing a first-year exam for all degree programmes. This means that the students must pass courses corresponding to 45 ECTS credits on all degree programmes. Students get two attempts to pass the courses included in the exam and students who fail to do this will be withdrawn from the degree programme.

ECTS requirements for Master’s degree programmes

Apart from the first-year exam, the proposal does not contain any requirements for the undergraduate students to attain a particular number of ECTS credits each year. However, there are requirements when they get to their Master’s. Students are typically delayed during the final part of the degree programme, so the committee proposes the introduction of a requirement for students at AU to pass courses corresponding to 45 ECTS credits per academic year. At this stage of their studies, students will have three attempts to pass exams before they are withdrawn from the degree programme.

READ MORE:  Pro-rector: "Things will be less bewildering once the reform actually comes into force"

Ongoing control

The committee also proposes introducing ongoing control of the progress being made by the students on their degree programme. Under the proposal, at the beginning of the third semester AU will check whether a student has passed the first-year exam. Following this, both a ‘delay check’ and an ‘inactivity check’ would be carried out by AU. Any students who are delayed will then be offered student guidance or an interview.
Control of the progress being made by the students would also continue on the Master’s degree programme.

Study barometer to help students

To help students maintain an overview of their study progress, the Education Committee has allocated funds to develop what will be known as a study barometer, which graphically represents the individual student's progress in relation to both the prescribed period of study and the relevant deadlines for delayed students. The committee hopes that this can help students to complete their degree programmes within the prescribed time when combined with offers of student guidance.

Transitional period

The new rules will come into force for all students after this year’s summer holidays. However, for students who began studying at AU before that date, the Education Committee proposes transitional provisions. In addition, it will always be possible to apply for dispensation from the rules in special situations.

New rules also apply to professional Bachelor's degrees

The university's professional Bachelor’s degree programmes are also covered by the new rules. The requirement to pass a first-year exam of 45 ECTS credits within the first academic year will therefore also apply to the professional Bachelor's degree programmes. The committee also proposes that the professional Bachelor's degree students should be obliged to earn 45 ECTS credits per year, as is the case for Master’s degree students. Their study progress will also be checked on an ongoing basis. They will, however, be allowed up to three and a half years in addition to the prescribed time to complete their degree programmes.

Decision time in May

The draft proposal has been submitted to the student organisations, boards of studies and faculties for consultation. The senior management team is expected to make a final decision on the new model for the implementation of the study progress reform at AU on 4 May.

In November 2015, the Danish government entered into a settlement with the Social Democratic Party, the Social Liberal Party, the Socialist People's Party and the Conservative Party to adjust the study progress reform. The aim was to give the universities a more flexible framework in relation to implementation of the reform.

However, the politicians stood by the financial part of the reform, which means that the universities will be punishable by fines in the form of reduced revenues if they fail to fulfil the requirement to get the students to complete their degree programmes in a shorter period of time.

Read more about the study progress reform and the bill on the adjustment of the reform
http://ufm.dk/uddannelse-og-institutioner/indsatsomrader/fremdriftsreformen (in Danish).