Based on ZViS, Official Gazette of the Republic of Slovenia, No. 67/1993, and the amendment, the official consolidated text: Official Gazette of the Republic of Slovenia, No. 119/2006, the Criteria for credit assignment to study programmes, Official Gazette of the Republic of Slovenia, No. 124/2004, the Criteria on accreditation of higher education institutions and study programmes, Official Gazette of the Republic of Slovenia, No. 101/2004, and the provisions of the University of Ljubljana Statute, Official Gazette of the Republic of Slovenia, No. 8/2005, and the amendment, the University of Ljubljana Senate, at its 15th session dated 29 May 2007, adopted the following

Rules on the procedure and criteria on the recognition of the knowledge and skills obtained through informal learning

Article 1
Contents
These Rules govern the procedure of establishing, assessing, confirming and recognising knowledge, and the criteria on the recognition of knowledge and skills obtained by the candidates through informal learning prior to enrolment and while studying at a University of Ljubljana member (hereinafter: “UL member”). 

Informal learning is an intentional educational activity carried out as part of or outside of educational institutions. Educational activities, programmes, courses and other types of informal education do not provide students with a state-approved education degree or qualification.
The category of knowledge obtained through informal learning includes the knowledge obtained as part of work experience, knowledge obtained through self-learning or as part of amateur activities, as well as knowledge obtained through experiential learning. 

Article 2
Recognising the knowledge and skills obtained through informal learning
The procedure of establishing, assessing, confirming and recognising the knowledge and skills obtained through informal learning is the same for the candidates who intend to enrol in a UL member as for students who are already enrolled in a UL member. 

Candidates who want their informally obtained knowledge and skills to be recognised as admission requirements or as a part of the obligations of the study programme in which they are already enrolled can apply for the recognition procedure. 

The term “candidate” also logically applies to students. 

Article 3
The principles applied in the process of recognising informal knowledge and skills 

A UL member recognises and attributes to candidates the informally obtained knowledge and skills whose content, volume and difficulty level comply, fully or in part, to the general or subject-specific competencies determined relevant to the study programme that the candidate wishes to enrol in. 

Article 4
Basis for recognition 
The recognition is based on a certificate or another document, where the date and the institution, the number of ECTS (if determined) and the programme  with its contents are specified, proving that the candidate has completed the programme
Any certificates or other documents which can serve as proof for the candidate’s knowledge obtained through informal educational programmes include: 

  • A certificate from the education and training instructors about the successfully completed educational programme;
  • A certificate on informal education;
  • A certificate issued by a company on internship, project implementation, etc.;
  • The submission of products, publications and other types of independent work prepared by candidates.

Article 5
Credit assignment 
If informally obtained knowledge and skills are recognised as a completed study obligation, they must be evaluated in accordance with the criteria for credit assignment to study programmes according to ECTS.

Article 6
The body appointed for the implementation of the procedure to recognise the knowledge and skills obtained through informal learning
The knowledge and skills obtained by the candidates through informal learning is established, verified, confirmed and recognised by the competent body of a UL member. 

Article 7
The criteria applied in the recognition procedure
The following criteria are applied in the recognition procedure: 

  • The assessment of the achieved competencies must be based primarily on the educational objectives or admission requirements of the study programme the candidate wishes to enrol in;
  • The candidate’s obtained competencies, supported with evidence, properly documented and relevant, are recognised regardless of where and how the candidate has obtained them.

Article 8
Special cases needing proof of knowledge and skills obtained through informal learning
Special cases needing proof of knowledge and skills obtained through informal learning include the following:

  • The candidate submits a certificate or another document that only proves their attendance at an education course but not also that their knowledge was assessed;
  • The candidate is unable to submit a certificate or another document because the relevant education provider did not issue such a document;
  • Either the candidate cannot get the printed material of the relevant educational programme or such material is insufficient to the point that the comparison cannot be made.

Article 9
Recognising knowledge and skills obtained at work, through self-learning and informal learning 
A candidate can apply for the recognition of the knowledge and skills obtained at work, through self-learning and informal learning.
The process of establishing, assessing, confirming and recognising such knowledge is different because there are usually no certificates or other documents to support the acquired knowledge or descriptions of an educational programme to enable comparison. 

In the process of establishing, assessing, confirming and recognising the informally obtained knowledge and skills, the competent body of a UL member decides: 

a) whether or not to assess the informally obtained knowledge or skills;
b) whether or not to assess the products and services submitted by the candidate as proof of mastering certain knowledge or skills.

a) Assessing the informally obtained knowledge and skills with knowledge and skills assessments:
In order to verify the informally obtained knowledge and skills, the competent body of a UL member selects the method which is the most suitable in terms of the objectives and standards of knowledge that are to be assessed. 
Knowledge can be assessed in the following ways: 

  • With an interview, discussion or defence;
  • By defending a seminar paper or project prepared for this purpose, or by evaluating a product;
  • With an oral or written exam.
  • By evaluating the procedures carried out by a candidate during a practical test (work, task, etc.), demonstration, presentation or simulation; 

b) Establishing, assessing and confirming the knowledge and skills obtained through informal knowledge by assessing resulting products and services
A candidate may already have prepared a product proving they master a part of the study programme (module, course) that they are enrolling in. The committee can use such a product as the basis for the preparation of the assessment about the learning outcomes and competencies achieved by the candidate.
By assessing such products and services, the following can be established, verified and confirmed:

  • The performed practical work;
  • A written paper;
  • A performed service at work (the implementation of a project, etc.).

Article 10
Application
The recognition procedure starts on request by the candidate who submits an application on the proper form, which is an integral part of these Rules, at the Student Affairs Office.
If the application is incomplete, the Office shall ask the candidate to complete it and set a deadline for the completion thereof. 

Article 11
Mandatory components of the application for the recognition of the knowledge and skills obtained through informal learning
The application for the recognition of the knowledge and skills obtained through informal learning (hereinafter: “application”) must include: 

  • certificates;
  • other documents (various documents, which are issued by the employer and serve as evidence of experience, certificates of attendance at seminars and trainings, etc.);
  • a portfolio in which candidates prepare their CVs with information about education, jobs and other previously obtained experience and knowledge;
  • other evidence (products, services, publications and other independent work prepared by candidates; projects, inventions, patents, etc.).

Article 12
The procedure of recognising the knowledge and skills obtained through informal learning
Outlined below is the procedure of recognising the knowledge and skills obtained through informal learning:

  • submission of the application;
  • supplementing the application;
  • processing the application by the committee;
  • issuing the decision;
  • the candidate’s complaint.

The entire procedure from the receipt of the complete application to the issue of the decision to the candidate must be completed within two months from the date of the submission of the candidate’s complete application.


Article 13
Processing the application at the competent body of a UL member 
If a candidate submits certificates or other documents which can be used to establish that in terms of the content, volume and difficulty level the knowledge and skills obtained through informal learning are found to comply, fully or in part, with the competencies that are based on the educational objectives of the study programme, the competent body of a UL member can decide to recognise the competencies obtained by the candidate.

If the competent body of a UL member cannot decide whether or not to recognise the candidate’s knowledge and skills obtained through informal learning, it can ask a relevant higher education teacher for an opinion or appoint an assessment committee to give its opinion. 

Article 14
The assessment of knowledge and skills for special cases
The candidate’s success in the assessment of knowledge and skills is given a descriptive grade of “passed” or “failed”. 

Upon forwarding the grade to the competent body of the UL member, the body discusses the report at its next session and adopts a decision on the recognition of the knowledge and skills obtained through informal learning. 

Article 15
The issue of a decision 
In its decision, the competent body of a UL member concretely indicates which knowledge and skills or which competencies the candidate shall be granted recognition. If this is used to recognise a study obligation, it must be evaluated in the decision in accordance with the criteria for credit assignment to study programmes according to ECTS. 

If the competent body of a UL member does not recognise an application fully or in part, it shall provide reasons in the explanation. 

Article 16
A complaint filed by the candidate
The candidate can file a complaint against the decision of the competent body of a UL member to the Senate of the UL member within 15 days after having received the decision.
The decision of the Senate of a UL member regarding the candidate’s complaint is final. 

Article 17
Entering a recognised study obligation into the records
If a candidate enrols in a UL member, the Office enters the recognised study obligation (the number of ECTS) into the records and at the end of the study into the diploma supplement, based on the issued decision. 

The records of the received applications with appendices are kept in accordance with the relevant regulations on keeping documented and archived materials, while the record of the issued decisions is kept permanently. 

Article 18
Costs of the procedure
The costs of the procedure to recognise the study obligations shall be paid by the candidate based on the University of Ljubljana price list. 

Article 19
Final provisions 
Any amendments and supplements to these rules shall be adopted by the UL Senate.

Article 20
These Rules shall become effective on the date they are adopted by the UL Senate.

 

Article 21
The Rules shall be published on the websites of the UL members and on the website of the University of Ljubljana.

 

RECTOR
Prof. Dr. Andreja Kocijančič

Appendix:
Form – Application for recognising the knowledge and skills obtained through informal learning