One of the fundamental mechanisms in the construction of the European Higher Education Area is ECTAS – the European System of Transfer and Accumulation of Points, which enables national systems across Europe to efficiently move students and teachers at the European level. The European area of higher education was proclaimed in 2010 at the ministerial conference in Budapest and Vienna.
European Credit Transfer and Accumulation System, ECTAS – the European system of transfer and accumulation of points is designed as a unique system that enables easier recognition and comparability of different educational programs at universities and other higher education institutions in European countries. The system is based on points that express the student’s “load” in mastering a certain study program. For one academic year, it is necessary to obtain 60 ECTS points, 30 for a semester, or 20 for a trimester. Application of the ECTS system in university practice enables the mobility of students in the European area of higher education, with the possibility of transfer and accumulation of points acquired at different higher education institutions, which fulfills the prerequisites for high-quality inter-university cooperation of both students and teachers.
Credits – credits are a key element of ECTS. They are assigned to individual subjects (courses, modules), as well as to other forms of mastering the planned study program (exams, consultations, projects, seminars, studies, experimental work, field work, master’s thesis, dissertations…). ECTS are a quantitative measure of the student’s total work effort and are awarded to the student after the successful completion of a specific program, i.e. passing the exam.
The verification of compliance of ECTAS points, i.e. student workload, is carried out periodically through interviews, surveys or other forms of data collection, and especially after the adoption and application of the new or revised curriculum.
Faculty ECTAS coordinators are appointed by the faculty’s scientific and teaching councils for a period of 4 (four) years, on the proposal of the faculty dean. The coordinator for ECTAS of the faculty reports to the dean of the faculty and the ECTAS coordinator of the University. At the Faculty of Engineering and Natural Sciences, the Scientific and Teaching Council elected prof. ScD. Nadira Bušatlić for ECTAS faculty coordinator.
Faculty ECTAS coordinators, as contact persons for all students and academic staff of the faculty, perform the following tasks:
- encourage and develop the overall implementation of the principles and organization of ECTAS, as well as the mechanisms for the transfer and accumulation of points at the faculty;
- take care of the correct and consistent way of transferring and accumulating ECTAS points at the University faculty;
- provide all kinds of assistance to potential mobile students, especially the necessary information and applications from other educational institutions;
- ensure the issuance of grade transcripts for all mobile students after the end of their study stay or when leaving for a study stay at another educational institution;
- assist students in the practical details of ECTAS (help students complete student applications, clarify academic recognition and document procedures, guide students how to design a program combining academic requirements with individual interests, etc.)
- monitor the process of creating diploma supplements;
- participate in the development of new and revision of existing curricula;
- are responsible for communication between faculties and foreign institutions regarding ECTAS;
- prepare the necessary information regarding ECTAS at their faculty;
- are responsible for the smooth integration of visiting students at their faculty;
- provide students of their faculty who go to other educational institutions with all the necessary help and maintain regular contact with them;
- if necessary, participate in the work of the quality committee of the organizational unit;
- participate in the preparation of self-evaluation reports;
- participate in preparatory activities for certain accreditations of the organizational unit and the University;
- participate in the work of the commission for teaching – recognition of passed exams, and
- they perform other tasks by order of the ECTAS coordinator of the University.