3-day workshop co-leaded and hosted by Evalag on the implementation of the Diploma Supplement principles and form within Higher Education Institutions in Lebanon

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Guidelines and further notes for the implementation of diploma supplement (DS) at a
higher education institution
(Draft June 7, 2022).
I. Structure
The DS addresses 8 thematic categories that are directly connected with graduation:
- Personal information of the graduate
- Formal Information on the qualification
- Information on the graduation level
- Information on the study results
- Information on the function of the qualification and the professional competence attested
- Additional information
- Formal certification
- Explanatory information on the national higher education system
The first seven categories are to be filled in with the existing data at each single university, whereas the
eighth category is a common documentation that all Lebanese universities should use and that must be of-
ficially approved by the Ministry of Education and Higher Education.
For a broad nationwide introduction of the DS, it seems necessary to adapt the data structures at each
university accordingly so that the issuing of a DS can take place automatically with the issuing of the cer-
tificate. The following notes are intended to facilitate the implementation. No claim is made to complete-
ness; the document should be reviewed and supplemented on an ongoing basis.
II. Detailed notes on the individual categories
1. Information identifying the holder of the qualification
This category contains all personal data of the graduate: name, first name, father's name, place and date
of birth, student identification number/code.
It can be assumed that each higher education institution has a central student register that records stu-
dents at the time of enrolment and keeps the data up to date. In addition, students may also be registered
Figure 1: The structure of the DS

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separately at faculty/department level and/or at the examination office. In this case, the different data-
bases should be able to communicate with each other (=common data exchange format) and the con-
sistency of data must be guaranteed.
It would be even better if the data from the central register could be accessed directly from the faculties/de-
partments to avoid erroneous data.
For the implementation of the DS, it must be clarified who issues the document: This might differ be-
tween universities: e.g., faculty/department, examination office, central student administration. It is crucial
for a smooth processing that the student data can be transferred directly and that they are consistent.
Key questions:
- Who is responsible for issuing the DS?
- Where does the data come from, is there a main database?
- What has to be changed so that an automatic data transfer into the DS document would be possi-
ble in the future?
2. Information identifying the qualification
This category describes the qualification in detail. The exact name of the qualification and the field(s) of
study have to be mentioned, if applicable with all majors and minors.
The institution awarding the degree and its status (private/public) must be named, together with the lan-
guage(s) of instruction/examination, in which more than 50% of the courses are offered.
All these information should be present at least at faculty level, e.g., in the regulations of studies and/or in
the examination rule. It must be possible to transfer these data automatically into the DS document.
Key questions:
- Where does the data come from, is there a main database?
- What has to be changed so that an automatic data transfer into the DS document would be possi-
ble in the future?
3. Information on the level and duration of the qualification
The third category contains all formal information on the qualification awarded:
- Level of the qualification (e.g., undergraduate, graduate, post-graduate, further education, etc.)
- Duration of the programme in academic years or semesters (if applicable: full-time mode/part-time
mode)
- Duration of the programme in credit hours (if applicable: full-time mode/part-time mode)
- Number of achieved credits following the ECTS system (or else)
- Admission requirement(s)
The basis would be the existing regulations of study and/or the regulations for admission/inscription.
The level of qualification and the credits are regulated by the curriculum/syllabus, the admission require-
ments are either part of the curriculum or centrally defined. The achieved number of credits are reported in
the student’s personal data entry, together with all assessments and examinations passed during the stud-
ies.
It must be clarified where a person’s study record is stored – whether in the central register or whether
there are further databases at the level of the faculties and/or examination offices. In the latter case, har-
monisation of the existing databases is necessary. In general, the central database should contain all
these information and keep it up-to-date during throughout the study period.
Key questions:

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- Where is the graduate’s study record stored (centralised od decentralised?) and what has to be
done to get partly access to the database?
- If more than one data source is involved: how should harmonisation between the different data-
bases being regulated?
- What has to be changed so that an automatic data transfer into the DS document would be possi-
ble in the future?
4. Information on the programme completed and the results obtained
The fourth category lists all programme related information. These are defined and regulated at faculty
level by curriculum/syllabus and the module descriptions. The DS should contain the following descrip-
tions:
- Mode of study (full-time, part-time, blended, e-learning, distance, ...)
- Programme learning outcomes
- General programme description (credits in general education, credits in major, …)
- Programme description in terms of individual credits gained and grades/marks obtained (=tran-
script of records)
- Transfer of credits policy and transfer credits earned
- Grading system and, if available, grade distribution table
- Overall classification of the qualification (in original language) (e.g., with distinction, honors, etc.
…)
The first three bullet points refer directly to the programme description as specified in the curriculum. This is
in the responsibility of the faculty/department/dean's office.
The fourth bullet point relates to the individual’s study record (which in most cases will be stored centrally).
The fifth and sixth bullet points contain information that should be regulated in the official examination regu-
lations (in most cases the responsibility of the examination office). The last point is directly taken from the
examination record.
Both the examination office and the faculty/study programme management would to have to con-
tribute data to the DS. Access to the curricula as well as to the student’s study record would be neces-
sary.
Key questions:
- Are the curricula already digitized and accessible, especially in view of learning outcomes of pro-
grammes and modules?
- Where is the graduate’s study record stored (centralised od decentralised?) and what has to be
done to get partly access to the database?
- Is there any examination data outside the study record that has to be referred to?
5. Information on the function of the qualification
The function of the achieved qualification should be regulated in the description of the study programme. In
most cases, this would be written in the general introduction to the curriculum/syllabus.
Information in this context has to be formal in the sense that the professional qualification obtained with
the studies should be named (e.g., teacher, architect, translator, etc. …). Besides, further study opportu-
nities (e.g., a subsequent Master’s programme or a doctorate) have to be mentioned. If there are infor-
mation on an approved recognition of the study programme (e.g., international accreditation), it should be
mentioned here, too.
This part of the DS is of importance in view of further mobility opportunities of graduates.
Key questions:

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- What information does the university have on the occupational careers of former graduates (e.g.,
from contact with alumni)? Would some general information be possible to list?
- Is there an international accreditation which would mean a formal recognition of the graduation?
- Where could these information be stored (and regularly updated) and later accessed when issuing
the DS?
6. Additional information
All additional information – beyond the study regulations mentioned above – should be listed in the DS:
- If there is any official recognition (with the link to the source!)
- URL-links to the university, the faculty’s website, the programme’s website, the ministry, and to
special regulations published (if applicable)
7. Certification
The formal certification approval should contain
- Date (dd/mm/yyyy)
- Signature
- Capacity
- Official seal or stamp
The document should be signed by the same authority that signed the degree certificate. In most cases,
this will be the president or the head of the examination office, or the dean.
8. Information on the national higher education system
This would be a common definition document agreed upon by all partners & DGHE and directly added to
the DS without any individual changings.
III. The implementation process
Figure 2: Suggested procedure to implement the DS at an HEI

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The picture above should illustrate a possible procedure for the implementation. It was used in the prepara-
tory online-workshops conducted by evalag during Summer 2022.
The key to a successful implementation lies with the preparatory phase, in which the following decisions
have to be made:
- Which study programme(s) to begin with?
- Which university bodies/stakeholders have to be involved? Why?
-> Possible reasons: data responsibilities, regulatory responsibilities, programme responsibilities,
examination responsibilities, …
- How is the process to be organized? There should be a central coordination who would be respon-
sible for the single steps. It appears to make sense if this coordinating body is situated as close as
possible near the president’s office or at least at dean’s level.
- The project team or project task force should be built with clear and transparent responsibilities.
The second step has to be the analysis of the existing data structure. The inventory must be clear. Each
category of the DS has to be checked against the existing databases. Here, the close collaboration with IT
and administration is crucial. At the end of this process, it has to be outlined what further structural chang-
ings have to be made, and the future data model has to be decided on.
It should be mentioned that in the course of this process, a general update or even change in the data
model of the university might become necessary.
The implementation phase builds on the two preceding steps: The final project group has to constituted
and time planning has to be made. It seems reasonable to define milestones as well as progress reports,
and it is recommended that the project group would give regular public reports to the university groups out-
side the actual departments/faculties involved. This would prepare a positive and supportive setting for the
later university-wide implementation.
The evaluation phase would bring together the different experiences with the first implementation: How
difficult has it been, to bring the existing databases together? Was it necessary to change something – and
what? Did the existing date prove itself consistent? Can the issuing of the DS be integrated simply into the
normal certification process? Do procedures have to be changed, are there delays or uncertainties in con-
nection with the new DS?
It is recommended to conduct a formal needs analysis before the final decision on the regular operation –
especially if the decision on the final responsibilities has to be made: The work of the implementation pro-
ject group should eventually be completed and regular operation should then (at least) be the responsibility
of the examination office.
If all the past processes are reviewed and the responsibilities are clear, the dissemination into the whole
institution might start …