All students: ESE introduces ‘Nominal is Normal’ in 2012-2013

After having received a positive advice from the School Council, the executive team has decided in mid-April to partake in the second round of the EUR pilot of ‘Nominal is normal’ (‘N=N’). Are you curious of the consequences of the introduction of N=N?

The ESE has been working on measures to ensure that students complete their studies in the thereto allocated time (‘nominally’) for a couple of years now, among others to prevent fines for study delays. These measures are mainly aimed at improving the quality of the education, but also at providing the right incentives to students to help them devote enough time to their studies. One of these measures is the Binding Study Advice (BSA). Earlier, students were required to obtain a minimum of 40 ECTS out of the total of 60 within their first year, and were obliged to complete the entire first year within two years. As from oncoming academic year, all students are required to obtain the full 60 ECTS in one year. The currently existing compensation rule will remain in place.

What is going to change?

Many plans that are part of the N=N education system have already been implemented at ESE for a while now. Examples are the possibility to compensate subjects within clusters, the limitation of the number of re-examination possibilities, small scale education in workgroups, using blocks with only two or three subjects simultaneously and the mentor programme in the first Bachelor year. The augmentation of the BSA is thus more of a logical consequence of the above measures to improve upon the quality of the current educational system, rather than a radical change in the education system.

New to the policy is the Go/No-Go measure. Research has shown that an increasing number of first year students have succeeded in obtaining the full 60 ECTS of their first Bachelor year in one go. With the right assistance, activating education, the use of ICT and high quality examinations, ESE expects that also the group of students that now obtain between 40 and 60 ECTS should meet the new BSA requirements without significant problems. It goes without saying that proper regulations will be made to prevent that students unjustly have to abandon their studies as a result of personal circumstances.

Evaluation

At the request of a.o. the School Council, the pilot will be evaluated meticulously. Additionally, multiple instruments will be used to properly monitor the student’s results to allow for the early detection and solution of possible problems, preventing unnecessary impediments to proceeding to the second Bachelor year.

Who is affected by the introduction of N=N?

The new system will apply to all students that start their Bachelor programme at the ESE in September 2012. If you started your Bachelor programme in the current academic year, then you are studying according to the TER 2011-2012, and are thus not affected by the introduction of N=N.