Active enrolment rather than compulsory registration

The basic element in the new rules is the demand for active enrolment. The transition to the new rules means that:

• Compulsory registration for subjects and exams without the option of deregistration (60 ECTS credits per year) will be discontinued. The rules don’t come into force until 1 September 2016, so students will still be registered automatically for courses and exams to be conducted this autumn. The first time the rules take effect is during registration for the spring semester of 2017, which takes place this autumn.
• Students will be required to be actively enrolled for 45 ECTS per academic year. This means that students cannot continue their studies unless they pass at least 45 ECTS credits out of 60 ECTS in a complete academic year.

There is one exception to the end of compulsory registration: registration for the Master’s thesis.

• Master’s students will be registered automatically for the thesis at the start of their final semester (normally their fourth semester). It will not be possible to withdraw from the thesis.

Maximum period of study

The maximum period of study will also be adjusted at the same time as introducing the demand for active enrolment.

• The maximum period of study for all Bachelor’s degree programmes at the Faculty of Arts will be the prescribed duration plus six months.
• The maximum period of study for all Master’s degree programmes at the Faculty of Arts will also be the prescribed duration plus six months.

First-year exams

The first-year exams will also be adjusted. In future the following rules apply:

• The first-year exam for Bachelor’s students is worth 45 ECTS credits and must have been passed by the end of the first year of study.

Registration and withdrawal

In connection with the new rules, it has also been decided to identify deadlines for registration for and withdrawal from courses and exams:

• All registration and withdrawals must take place in the period 1-7 May or 1-7 November.
• Students will be registered automatically for all compulsory courses, but may withdraw during these two periods.
• In other words, it will not be possible to withdraw from exams after final registration at the end of the registration periods.

Transitional rules

The new rules apply to all students. So it is necessary to make transitional rules for students who are already registered because they have been covered by the previous rules. The point of departure for these transitional rules involves calculating the individual maximum period of study based on how many ECTS credits individual students lack:

• Current Bachelor’s and Master’s students must complete their degree programmes in the remaining prescribed period of study plus six months. Outstanding ECTS credits are calculated in terms of whole semesters (5-30 ECTS = 1 semester, 35-60 ECTS = 2 semesters etc.). However, students who have a maximum period of study which ends earlier than it will do under the new rules must complete their degree programmes by their current deadline.
• The current rules regarding active enrolment (the so-called inactivity rules) will continue to apply until 1 September 2017.

Reasons for the new rules

“It hasn’t been easy to find the right balance,” says Niels Lehmann, the vice-dean for education. “We have adopted a model based on active enrolment with a view to giving students as much freedom as possible, allowing them to put together a programme that suits their individual needs. On the other hand, we are forced to insist that they complete their degree programmes faster because we are still liable to pay a huge fine if we fail to reach our targets. Which is why we are also tightening up in terms of the maximum period of study, the first-year exam and our registration deadlines.”

“The study progress reform rests on a new paradigm for university education under which the ability to complete your degree within the time available is an independent quality parameter,” explains Lehmann. And he continues:

“The ideal within this paradigm is that students should all aim to complete their studies within the prescribed period, and that any delays should be the exception rather than the rule. This is why we have chosen to link registration and withdrawals, for instance. Within the new paradigm students will have to finish each course they choose to take with an exam. Compulsory registration for the thesis is also being maintained with a view to completing our Master’s degree programmes on time, as well as making it possible to complete the thesis within the maximum period of study even though you are one of the unfortunate people who need a second and even a third exam attempt before they pass. Of course there will always be some students who are unable to study full time owing to exceptional circumstances, and who therefore need an extension of their study period. And naturally, maternity or paternity leave will also result in delays. In these cases it will be possible to gain dispensation.”

The faculty management team and studies administration office will keep an eye on developments. It has been decided that the maximum period of study on the Bachelor’s degree programme must be evaluated once the first year group has completed the entire process.

Students at the Faculty of Arts will be kept in the loop. The study portal will be updated on an ongoing basis, and the students will also be informed individually. “Before the end of August all the students will be informed individually about the new study progress rules by email or digital post. We’ll also be focusing on proactive study guidance for the students at our faculty to try and prevent people from dropping out because they are not actively enrolled or fail to observe the deadlines for completion,” explains Jesper Sølund, who is the head of the student guidance and information office.