Description
The discriminatory provisions and unlawful recruitment resolutions at universities and other institutions providing higher education have not been the subject of interrvention of neither public institutions nor NGOs so far. The project will lead to: Disclosure of most forms of discrimination in recruitment for level II and III university courses; Eradication of all mechanisms defined in rules and internal regulations at universities and other academic institutions that are breach of higher level legislation (laws and regulations); Increase transparency of recruitment processes for level II and III academic courses in public institutions. The main short-term objective is to remove discriminatory provisions from recruitment resolutions. The main long-term goal is to prevent the adoption of discriminatory provisions in the future and to ensure equal access to MA and PhD level university courses for all citizens. This project will cover 60 institutions that offer academic courses. We will look closely at 140 recruitment processes to a diverse spectrum of courses. The change effect will occur not only in monitored institutions but will have a broader impact.
Summary of project results
The Project was prepared as a result of complains concerning the recruitment process for academic studies of the II and III degree. At the same time, the project constituted the fourth stage of a long-term research programme of law-abidance and the use of public money by Polish academic and research institutions. Each year in Poland 170 thousand II degree students and 10 thousand Ph.D. students are entitled to free academic education. The recruitment committees decide about spending PLN 4,7 million of taxpayers' money. The project's long-term objectives were: to eliminate illegal internal regulations in academic institutions conducting Ph.D. courses; to improve the recruitment procedures for studies of the II and III degree; to increase transparency of recruitment procedures and to amend public recruitment regulations. The monitoring included 140 recruitment processes conducted by 58 public institutions entitled to teach courses of the II and III degree. The project controlled whether the recruitment was fair, the recruitment criteria were transparent and whether the procedures complied with the law. 58 sets of recommendations were prepared (for each of the researched institutions), as well as 7 propositions of amendments to the act and the regulation concerning academic recruitment. 14 academic schools introduced significant changes into their recruitment regulations. The changes mainly concerned facilities for students with disabilities, and the manner in which administrative decisions are issued. Several institutions declared they would prepare more detailed minutes from the sessions of recruitment committees. A report was issued on the recruitment for the II and III degree studies, and a number of analyses were prepared. Master's and Ph.D. students, authorities of the monitored institutions and members of recruitment committees received the first concise collection of information on academic recruitment in Poland, as well as practical advice on solving recruitment-related problems. Recommendations of desirable legal changes were addressed to the Ministry of Science and Higher Education, MPs and senators from chosen parliamentary commissions, as well as 24 key academic institutions.
Summary of bilateral results