Governance of Higher Education System

National Commission for Higher Education Coordination

  1. Mission and Powers

The National Commission for Higher Education Coordination (NCHEC) is a regulatory body established by law N° 01-00 organizing Higher Education (Article 81).

The NCHEC is responsible for:

  • To advise on the establishment of universities and/or any other public or private higher education institution ;
  • to advise on applications for accreditation of training courses;
  • To fix the criteria and mechanisms for the mutual validation of study programs and their accreditation;
  • To coordinate the criteria for admission and registration of students in the different cycles, as well as the standards of continuous assessment, examinations, defense and acceptance of scientific research ;
  • To create and set up useful computer networks for these purposes;
  • To promote scientific research and encouragement of excellence;
  • To suggest studies and examinations regimes;
  • To boost solidarity and mutual financial assistance.
  1. Composition

The composition of the CNCES is governed by a decree (June 4, 2002). It consists of 20 members divided into 6 ex officio members and 14 appointed members:

Ex-officio members:

  • The government authority responsible for higher education or its representative, President ;
  • The governmental authority responsible for executive education or its representative;
  • The governmental authority in charge of scientific research or its representative;
  • The governmental authority in charge of secondary education or its representative;
  • The governmental authority in charge of habous and Islamic affairs or its representative;
  • The Permanent Secretary of the Hassan Il Academy of Science and Technology or his representative.

Designated Members:

  • 05 university presidents ;
  • 02 directors of non-university higher education establishments
  • 02 directors of private higher education establishments ;
  • 02 directors of research establishments, one public, and the other private.
  • 01 representative of the most representative national union of higher education teacher-researchers.
  • 02 figures from the socio-economic sectors

Members are appointed for a 3-year period, renewable once.

NCHEC is chaired by the Minister of Higher Education, Scientific Research and Executive’s Training.

The secretariat of the NCHEC is provided by the Directorate of Higher Education.

  • Organization :

NCHEC counts 4 permanent sub-commissions:

  • Pedagogical Affairs;
  • Institutions of non-university higher education;
  • Private higher education;
  • Openness to the economic and research and development environment.
  1. Laws and regulations
  • Dahir (Royal decree) N° 1-00-199 of May 19, 2000 (corresponding to 15 Safar 1421 Anno Hegirae) enacting law N° 01-00 organizing Higher Education.
  • Decree N° 2-01-2330 of June 4, 2002 (corresponding to 22 Rabii I 1423 Anno Hegirae) establishing the composition and the functioning of National Commission for Higher Education Coordination as well as  the terms of appointment of its members.
  • Decision of the Minister of National Education, Higher Education, Executives’ Trainins and Scientific Research N° 01-04 dated June 20, 2004 (corresponding to 12 Joumada I 1425 Anno Hegirae) adopting the Rules of Procedure of the National Commission for Higher Education Coordination.

Coordination Council

  1. Mission and Powers

The coordination Council is a regulatory body which provides an advisory opinion on all the pedagogical and organizational issues related to non-university higher education establishments.

The Coordinating Council shall have the following main powers:

  • It shall draw up its rules of procedure and submit them to the government authority responsible for executives’ training for approval;
  • It shall provide its opinion on the rules of procedure of each establishment prior to approval by the government authority responsible for the establishment or to which the establishment belongs;
  • It shall examine the annual proposals submitted to it by the establishments concerning the number of available places for the enrolment of students and shall submit them to the government authority responsible for the training of executives for approval;
  • It shall provide its opinion on accreditation applications submitted by establishments;
  • It shall provide its opinion on projects for the creation of training and/or research programs;
  • It shall suggest and provide its opinion on the creation of any new non-university higher education institution;
  • It shall work towards the creation of synergies between non-university higher education institutions in order to encourage the emergence of polytechnic poles, organized as multidisciplinary public institutions;
  • It shall appoint the members of the Standing Committee on Staff Management and shall approve the rules of procedure of the said Committee;
  • It shall recommend measures to promote the professional integration of the graduates;
  • It shall provide its opinion on educational and research structures of each institution and their organization;
  • It shall give its opinion on the introduction of institutional diplomas, particularly in continuous training;
  • It shall give its opinion on the admission conditions to cycles and training courses, the study systems and the procedures for institutional assessment;
  • It shall give its opinion on the methods of organization of the competitive examination for hiring higher education professors as well as assistant professors;

Overall, the coordinating council deals with any question aiming at improving the training provided by the establishments and any project for the creation of a new establishment.

  1. Composition

Pursuant to the provisions of Article 28 of Law 01.00, the Coordinating Council is made up of:

  • The government authority responsible for executives’ training; chairperson ;
  • The Government Authority for Scientific Research or its representative;
  • The Government authority in charge of secondary education or its representative;
  • The Government Authority in charge of Civil Service and Administrative Reform or its representative;
  • Government supervisory authorities or authorities to which belong the concerned institutions or their representatives;
  • Directors of higher education institutions attached to the various ministerial departments;
  • A teacher-researcher representing each training field;
  • Three figures from the economic sector:
  • A leading figure in the economic and financial sector managing a public company ;
  • A leading figure from the economic and financial world running a private company;
  • A figure from the private higher education sector.

III. Organization:                                                                                               

Pursuant to the provisions of law N° 01-00 organizing Higher Education, the coordination council consists of the following committees:

  • The follow-up committee ;
  • The standing committee for the management of educational staff;
  • The standing committee in charge of pedagogical affairs;
  • The standing committee in charge of legal affairs.

Coordination Committee for Private Higher Education:

  1. Mission and Powers

The coordination committee for Private Higher Education aims at:

  • To provide its opinion on authorizations for opening private higher education institutions as well as on their applications for accreditation;
  • To establish quality standards for private higher education and ensure their dissemination and application;
  • Establishing, promoting, adapting and enforcing a code of ethics;
  • Implement monitoring mechanisms and develop strategies and action plans for the development of the sector ;
  • Promote cooperation between private higher education institutions and their various public and private partners;
  • Contribute to ensuring the functioning of any private higher education institution which is failing or placed in temporary or permanent incapacity to continue to function by its own means.
  1. Composition

In virtue of the provisions of Article 62 of law N° 01.00, the coordination commission for private higher education is chaired by the government authority in charge of higher education or its representative and it consists of:

Ex-officio members:

  • The Director in charge of Private Higher Education or his representative;
  • The Director in charge of Higher Education or his representative;

Elected members:

  • Six legal representatives of private higher education establishments elected by their peers.

Appointed members:

  • Two university presidents ;
  • A Dean of a faculty of legal, economic and social sciences;
  • A Dean of a of Medicine and Pharmacy or a faculty of Dental medicine;
  • A Dean of a faculty of Sciences and Technologies;
  • A director of an engineering training establishment affiliated to a university;
  • A Director of a Non-university higher education establishment;
  • Two figures from the socio-economic sector;

The commission chairperson

The Committee Chairperson may invite any qualified person whose presence he or she deems useful.

The secretariat of the commission is provided by the Directorate of Private Higher Education.

 III. Organization:

The coordination commission for private higher education shall establish standing committees and ad hoc committees.

It can also call upon expertise services outside the commission for consultancy on specific issues or for reports on matters related to its mission.