58
January 2012
OPINION
- The importance of public information on recognised programmes offered at Catalan universities
The fact that compulsory secondary education and even upper secondary education (batxillerat) are multidisciplinary and rigid can lead to uncertainty in students regarding the subject area they want to specialise in: the presence of an extensive and inelastic curriculum in secondary education leads to prospective students being unaware of what it means to study something they enjoy (or rather something they think they enjoy: the level at which an individual studies a particular subject can vastly change a student's perception of this, and some university disciplines are also not studied at all at the secondary education level). For this reason it is very important for universities to provide public information on the contents of their degree programmes.
Royal Decree 1393/2007 established that quality assurance agencies must undertake the "monitoring of registered degrees, on the basis of the available public information". Following our experience in the monitoring programme, we are of the opinion that the analysis of degree programmes using this programme's guidebook is a good instrument for detecting shortcomings and implementing relevant enhancement proposals and to contribute to the quality of university studies.
Gemma Espigares and Rosa del Hoyo - AQU Catalunya Student Commission
Via Laietana, 28, 5a planta 08003 Barcelona. Spain. Tel.: +34 93 268 89 50
© 2011 AQU Catalunya - Legal number B-21.910-2008
