Tarnow intends to be one of the first towns in Poland to create a vocational university college, and the municipal and voivodeship authorities have turned to Krakow Universities with a request for help with its organisation and supervision. The Jagiellonian University was asked to act as a coordinator for this project..

In 1996 the initial organisation of a Tarnow University College began. It will be a new kind of vocational university college, offering studies at the Bachelor of Science and Engineer of Science levels. It will function according to the new law on vocational Higher Educational Institutions (HEI), which was passed on the 28th of August. The Tarnow Municipal and Voivodeship authorities, as well as Krakow academics, are conducting various activities to ensure the College's inauguration on the 1st October 1998.

Towards this end, a committee called the Society of Sciences Promotion: The Organisation Committee of Tarnow University College was formed, with representatives of:

1) The Tarnow Municipal and Voivode authorities
2) Entrepeneurial enterprises, banks and other national and private institutions
3) Prominent Tarnow citizens

This committee also included representatives of Krakow universities, namely:

1) The Jagiellonian University (JU),
2) The Academy of Mining and Metallurgy (AMM),
3) The Academy of Economics (AE)
4) The Higher School of Pedagogics (HSP)
5) The Academy of Physical Education (APE)
6) The Academy of Agriculture (AA).

Krakow academics are paying attention to this initiative because it will allow the testing out of new programs for vocational education at a higher level, which could eventually provide a model for other schools of this type in Poland.

The Krakow universities are playing a special role in the process of curricula preparation, as well as in providing highly qualified staff for the college. The participation of academic staff in the preparation process is necessary in order to create curricula which will be practical but which also includes an effective backbone of courses taught in academic HEI..Thus the most able students will be enabled to continue their education at the Master of Science level at appropriate HEI.

Jagiellonian University academics have been involved for more than a year in the preparation of an organisational structure and curricula for the College. Academy of Mining and Metallurgy academics have also been involved. One of the results has been an application for TEMPUS Complementary Measures called Tarnow University College: A Feasibility Study, accepted for implementation from the 16th of September 1996 (contract no: CME-02083-96) and which is now in the process of being completed.

The EU partners in this project are:

1) The University of Pierre et Marie Curie, Paris (France),
2) The University of Bari (Italy)
3) Karlstad University College (Sweden).
The Polish partners in the project are;
1) JU (Coordinator/Contractor)
2) AMM
3) Tarnow Voivode
4) President of the town of Tarnow
5) The Tarnow Inspector's-General Office
6) The Ministry of National Education

The Ministry of National Education is keeping a watchful eye on the project and has publicly stated its intention to include the College in a pilot scheme for four similar schools in Poland, following the introduction of the law on vocational HEI.

Poland's EU partners have helped to adapt the structure and curricula in the planned school to western European standards for vocational studies, which may lead in the future to the equal recognition of Tarnow University College diplomas with those granted by EU university colleges.

A report outlining the College curriculum, the specializations (taking into account the local labour market needs), the organisation of the College and its needs with regard to premises, equipment, materials and finance, was distributed in June this year.

Preparation is being concentrated at present on the adaptation of buildings intended for the college.

Simultaneously, the following activities (implemented largely through the TEMPUS CME 0283-96 project) are being undertaken;

1) the development of a college organization office
2) on the basis of polling pupils of secondary schools, employers, and national and local government offices,
the selection of specialisation courses
3) the preparation of frame curricula for selected specialization courses
4) the development of an organizational, technical and staff structure
5) the preparation of a database regarding candidates for academic, technical
and administrative employment positions

According to preliminary assumptions, the school will have four faculties:

1) Humanities
2) Mathematics & Natural Sciences
3) Administration & Economics
4) Polytechnics.

Supervision of the first two faculties will be by the Jagiellonian University, with the participation of HSP and APE in Krakow (Faculty of Humanisties). Supervision of the last two faculties will be by AE with the participation of JU (College of Administration & Economics) and AMM (Polytechnics). In the first stage, 13 specialization fields are foreseen. It has provisionally been assumed that about 500 students will commence education during the first year. In the future, a further 5 specialisation fields are planned, so that the school will be able to educate students in 18 specialisation fields.

In order to prepare curricula for the specialisation fields, four teams have been selected, one for each college. Their aim is to prepare a thorough plan for the frame curricula for studies and detailed curricula for individual courses over 7 semesters (6 semesters of didactics and 1 semester of practice), to specify needs regarding lecture halls, laboratories and equipment, and to specify staff needs in the first and following years of the school's operation.

The preparation is proceeding under continuous consultation and cooperation with local authorities, representatives of local education, industry and business. The project has the support of Tarnow City Council and the Tarnow Voivodeship Self-governing Council. These organisations have publicly stated their support for the project..

New kinds of vocational education will undoubtedly enrich teaching in Poland. The appearance of higher vocational schools will also result in a redefining of the role of academic HEIs; while a significant part of "first level" studies will take place outside traditional universities, they will provide Master degree courses not only for their own students but also for the graduates of professional schools. It will certainly require a more flexible structure of university curricula and a more open, suitable educational policy, which should meet the needs of neighbouring regions.