Council for Higher Education in Israel
Encyclopedia
The Council for Higher Education in Israel is a supervisory body for universities and colleges in Israel
. It is the only organization with the authority to give educational accreditation
. The head of the council is always the Minister of Education, and at least two-thirds of its members are academics.
In 1956 the government appointed a special committee, which was supposed to advise the government how to act, in order to assure that no ruling political party will be able to influence the academic institutions. The Governor of the Bank of Israel
, David Horowitz
, was the head of the committee, which advised the government to appoint a special apolitical and academic council which would supervise the functioning of the academic institutions and their relations with the government. Soon after, in 1958, the Knesset passed the Council for Higher Education Law, which established the organisation.
In December 2005 a new legislation came into force, which enlarged the student representation at the council from one to two members, one for university students and one for college stduents.
The most important body of the council is the committee for budget and planning, which deals with the division of funding between the various universities and colleges.
Israel
The State of Israel is a parliamentary republic located in the Middle East, along the eastern shore of the Mediterranean Sea...
. It is the only organization with the authority to give educational accreditation
Educational accreditation
Educational accreditation is a type of quality assurance process under which services and operations of educational institutions or programs are evaluated by an external body to determine if applicable standards are met...
. The head of the council is always the Minister of Education, and at least two-thirds of its members are academics.
History
The council was established in 1958, a time at which most of the academic institutions were dependent on the governmental budget, and there was a fear among academic personals that the government would politically influence higher education institutions.In 1956 the government appointed a special committee, which was supposed to advise the government how to act, in order to assure that no ruling political party will be able to influence the academic institutions. The Governor of the Bank of Israel
Bank of Israel
The Bank of Israel is the central bank of Israel. It is located in Kiryat HaMemshala in Israel's capital city of Jerusalem, with a branch office in Tel Aviv. The current governor is Stanley Fischer.-History:...
, David Horowitz
David Horowitz
David Joel Horowitz is an American conservative writer and policy advocate. Horowitz was raised by parents who were both members of the American Communist Party. Between 1956 and 1975, Horowitz was an outspoken adherent of the New Left before rejecting Marxism completely...
, was the head of the committee, which advised the government to appoint a special apolitical and academic council which would supervise the functioning of the academic institutions and their relations with the government. Soon after, in 1958, the Knesset passed the Council for Higher Education Law, which established the organisation.
In December 2005 a new legislation came into force, which enlarged the student representation at the council from one to two members, one for university students and one for college stduents.
Structure and responsibilities
The total budget of the council, which is funded by the government, is 6 billion NIS per year, which is then transferred to the public universities and colleges. Among its duties, the council is responsible for the establishment of new universities and the expansion of existing universities.The most important body of the council is the committee for budget and planning, which deals with the division of funding between the various universities and colleges.