Abstract:

The proposed research, to be presented at the conference, aims to critically evaluate the feasibility and potential implications of implementing a centralized university admission system in Romania. The study undertakes an in-depth examination of various perspectives associated with the proposal's initiation, including those of education beneficiaries, evaluation bodies, and implementers. It explores stakeholders' opinions about the introduction of a centralized system and identifies the main arguments in favor of and against this public policy. The study also examines the system's possible financial and administrative implications at a national level while focusing on principles of fair university admission.
To gather data, in-depth semi-structured interviews were conducted with 27 respondents during April-May 2021. The interviewees encompassed a variety of roles within the evaluation and implementation process, including experts from the Ministry of Education, the Romanian Agency for Quality Assurance in Higher Education (ARACIS), high school directors, teachers, university administrators, and students.
Key areas of investigation included the feasibility of using the baccalaureate as a method of evaluation in a centralized admission system and the potential for a digital platform to allocate students. The study also sought to identify preferred options for implementing a centralized system and gathered recommendations on introducing such a system.
The interview data was processed using NVivo software, with responses grouped into categories such as arguments for and against the centralized admission system, access to higher education, evaluation fidelity, financial advantages and disadvantages, and recommendations for introducing and implementing a new system.
This research provides a comprehensive overview of the proposed centralized university admission system from multiple angles. It will contribute to the discourse on university admission reform in Romania and possibly inspire similar studies in other educational contexts. By presenting the various stakeholders' perspectives, it will provide a deeper understanding of the complexities involved in educational policy change.

Keywords:

Higher Education Reform, Stakeholder Perspectives, Centralized University Admission System, Educational Policy Change, Qualitative Research, Romanian Higher Education.