U niversity education is a complex process. The quality of the outcome is measured based on graduates' success in the profession. That depends on different stakeholders inside and outside the university, and they should all be involved in the design, control and operation of this process (Fig 5).
At the start of the process of higher education, there is a student with a certain entry qualification profile and level. In first cycle courses the students level and qualifications have been acquired through the general secondary education up to the age of 18 years. Second cycle courses will normally build on a first cycle degree. The university must clearly define the required entry qualification for each program they offer, specifying the knowledge, skills and abilities the students are expected to have.
The entry requirements or expectations, where they exist, should reflect the university policy and the goals of the program, but they should also take into account the real performance of the secondary education process, which precedes the university education process. The main stakeholders here are university professors, primary and secondary school teachers, and ministries for education, pupils and their parents.
The Career Space Consortium suggests that university professors organise a permanent communication between the stakeholders especially with primary and secondary schools, to increase the ability of first year students to respond well to the university curriculum objectives.
