Evaluation of the Swiss Virtual Campus - Schweizerische ...
Evaluation of the Swiss Virtual Campus - Schweizerische ...
Evaluation of the Swiss Virtual Campus - Schweizerische ...
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SVC Final <strong>Evaluation</strong>. Background Report Lepori and Probst<br />
16000<br />
14000<br />
12000<br />
10000<br />
8000<br />
6000<br />
4000<br />
2000<br />
0<br />
UNIBAS<br />
UNIBE<br />
UNIFR<br />
UNIGE<br />
UNIL<br />
Figure 4. CCSP funding 2004-2007 (CHF per FTE <strong>of</strong> teachers)<br />
UNILU<br />
UNINE<br />
Source: SVC data and data from <strong>the</strong> <strong>Swiss</strong> federal statistical <strong>of</strong>fice (FTE for 2006).<br />
Personnel categories: pr<strong>of</strong>essors and o<strong>the</strong>r teachers.<br />
UNISG<br />
If we put this in a larger perspective, <strong>the</strong> role <strong>of</strong> SVC funding was relatively limited for <strong>the</strong> larger<br />
<strong>Swiss</strong> HEIs: CCSPs like those in Basel, Lausanne and Zurich have a yearly budget exceeding 1<br />
mio. CHF. Thus amounts in <strong>the</strong> order <strong>of</strong> 200,000–300,000 CHF per year – <strong>the</strong> funding received<br />
by <strong>the</strong> large universities from SVC – allowed <strong>the</strong> financing <strong>of</strong> some additional positions, but did<br />
not constitute <strong>the</strong> majority <strong>of</strong> funding <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> whole CCSP. On <strong>the</strong> contrary, SVC funding was<br />
essential as seed money for <strong>the</strong> institutions which did not have a CCSP at <strong>the</strong> beginning <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong><br />
consolidation phase, since for example it allowed <strong>the</strong> funding <strong>of</strong> a coordinator who <strong>the</strong>n<br />
developed <strong>the</strong> whole structure; federal funding was also quite important in proportion for USI-<br />
SUPSI and for UNIFR, whose centre also hosted <strong>the</strong> Edutech mandate.<br />
The interviews showed that <strong>the</strong> end <strong>of</strong> federal funding will not raise major problems where <strong>the</strong><br />
CCSP has been well established: in all <strong>the</strong>se cases, <strong>the</strong> institutions have guaranteed <strong>the</strong> funds<br />
for <strong>the</strong> next years and most <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> CCSP employees have been integrated in <strong>the</strong> permanent<br />
staff <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> university. Some <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> respondents clearly stated that, also for developing internal<br />
projects, money will not be a major problem if <strong>the</strong> applications <strong>of</strong> elearning are clearly useful to<br />
education. Also, <strong>the</strong>re was a fairly shared view that for <strong>the</strong> development <strong>of</strong> elearning inside <strong>the</strong><br />
universities <strong>the</strong>re will be, in <strong>the</strong> future, no major need for external funding schemes like SVC<br />
projects: many universities have introduced <strong>the</strong>ir own small-scale scheme for seed money for<br />
projects; this seems to be a preferred way. However, some <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> respondents indicated that if<br />
<strong>the</strong>re is need and will to have broader elearning cooperation at national level in some specific<br />
domains, national funding would be required; it was also pointed out that some instruments<br />
already exist, like SUC cooperation projects and European projects (see chapter five for<br />
additional information).<br />
The situation concerning funding is much more difficult where <strong>the</strong> CCSP has not been<br />
established and supported actively by <strong>the</strong> rectorate, since CCSP leaders had to ask for money<br />
to replace SVC funding and had much larger difficulties; some decisions have been taken just in<br />
time for <strong>the</strong> end <strong>of</strong> federal funding (like at UNIBE), while in a few o<strong>the</strong>r cases <strong>the</strong> rectorate has<br />
yet to decide and <strong>the</strong>re is a risk that <strong>the</strong> activities will be discontinued during 2008. In <strong>the</strong>se<br />
26<br />
UZH<br />
USI<br />
SUPSI<br />
BFH<br />
FHNW<br />
FHO<br />
HSLU<br />
HES-SO<br />
ZFH