Based on the decision by the Minister of Education, Research and Religious Affairs that is published in the Government Gazette that is accompanied by a relevant Senate proposal, it becomes imperative that all Higher Education Institutions have to establish a Training and Lifelong Learning Center (T.L.L.C.). The Senate proposal sets out the broader framework of strategy and activities within which the educational or training programs of the Center are organized.
The Training and Lifelong Learning Center is a unit of the Foundation that ensures coordination and interdisciplinary cooperation in the development of training, continuing education, training and lifelong learning programs. The educational or training programs can also be implemented in cooperation with other Higher Education Institutions or research centers of the country as well as foreign institutions that have been recognized as peer institutions by decision of the Rector's Council and upon recommendation by the Council of the Center. The scientific director for each project is responsible for the design, organization and implementation of each project and program of training, continuing education and lifelong learning.
The Institutes of Lifelong Education and Centres of Vocational Training that current in Higher Education Institutions are abolished. For their abolishment, a confirmatory act is issued by the Minister of Education, Research and Religious Affairs that is further published in the Government Gazette. The provision of all programs of training, continuing education, vocational training and lifelong learning that is carried out in a face-to-face mode or in distance, i.e. studies beyond the first, second or third cycle, without prejudice to paragraph 4, article 1 and with the exception to the programs organized according to paragraph 3, article 5, Law 4250/2014 (A 74) is made exclusively by the Training and Lifelong Learning Center. The responsibility for the compliance of the provision of previous paragraphs is held by the Senate of the Institution.
The bodies of the Training and Lifelong Learning Center are:
- The President
- The Council of the Center
The Vice-Rector of Research and Life-long Learning is assigned to act as the President of the Center upon Rector’s proposal and Senate’s approval.
The President of the Center has the following responsibilities:
- convenes the Council of the Center, draws up the agenda, nominates a member of the Council as the rapporteur, chairs its meetings and introduces matters for discussion for which no other Council member has been appointed as a rapporteur,
- oversees the implementation of the Center's policy and compliance with its Rules of Procedure,
- ensures that the decisions of the Council are implemented,
- is responsible for the services of the Center and co-signs with the SARF President the staff contracts and the supply and service contracts concluded by the Center for its general needs
- signs payment orders for the Center's general expenses. For the payment orders of the teaching staff in specific, prior certification of the adequate implementation of the program by the scientific supervisor is required,
- appoints, where appropriate, upon the opinion of the Council of the Center, the trainee selection committees
- establish committees to study or deal with specific issues falling within its remit,
- recommends to the Senate, following the opinion of the Council, the appointment of the Director of Training and Lifelong Learning,
- signs the certificates of non-formal education awarded by the Center for within the meaning of Article 4 (2) of Law 3879/2010 (A '163)
- compiles an annual report of the Centre's work, which is approved by the Senate and communicated to the Minister of Education, Research and Religions after its approval
The Council of the Center consists of:
- the President of the Center
- delegates from all Faculties of the Institution, appointed upon Dean’s proposal in every Faculty,
- the Director of Training and Lifelong Learning (without having the right to vote)
The Center has the following responsibilities and many others that are prescribed by its Rules of Procedure:
- it formulates, in the context of Senate decisions, the policy of the Center for the development of projects, programs of continuing education, training and lifelong learning,
- it oversees the operation of training programs, continuing education, training and lifelong learning,
- it recommends to the Rector's Council the projects and educational programs to be approved, which after their approval are notified to the Ministry of Education, Research and Religions,
- it assigns the implementation of the Center's projects and educational programs to the scientific supervisors,
- it cooperates with the Deans of Schools for the support of the implementation of the Centre's educational programs,
- it specifies the type of certificates awarded by the Center,
- it expresses its opinion to the Senate on the Center's four-year development planning,
- it gives its opinion to the Senate on the Rules of Procedure and the organizational structure of the Center's services,
- it appoints teams for the internal evaluation of the Centre's educational programs,
- it sets the level of fees for each training program of the Center and the rate of withholding of such fees as a resource to cover the Center's general expenditure, which submits to the Rector's Council for approval in order for it to decide in accordance with what it is prescribed in paragraph 10,
- it recommends to the SARG Research Committee on the conclusion of personnel, supply and service contracts, concluded by the Center for its educational and other operational needs,
- it expresses its opinion to the Senate on the election of the Director of the Center.
The Director of Training and Lifelong Learning monitors the implementation of the Center's development program, coordinates the implementation of projects and of training, continuing education and lifelong learning programs, and is responsible for the qualitative upgrade. It monitors and supports the implementation of Council decisions and is responsible for the trainer register.
The scientific supervisors for the Centre's programs are determined by decision of its Council. They submit to the Center’s Council the curriculum, the organizational details, the budget of the educational programs and the level of fees for approval to the Center Council, and certify that the program is well executed. The decision of the Council of the Training and Lifelong Learning Center is sent to the Rector's Council for approval. The decision is deemed to have been approved after ten (10) working days of inactivity.
The resources of the Center are the following:
- funding from operational or other programs co-financed by the European Union,
- funding from public or private bodies and the European Union and other international organizations, as well as donations and sponsorships to the Center,
- income from trainees if the program is not funded under (a) and (b),
- income from the development, production and utilization of educational and other materials, from the undertaking of studies, from the provision of services and from the execution of educational projects related to lifelong learning,
- following a decision by the Senate, resources from the Special Account for Research Grants (S.A.R.G.) and proceeds from the Foundation's assets for the development of the Center may be available. The Research Committee of the Special Research Account for Research Grants manages the resources of the Center. To this end, it withholds up to twenty percent (20%) of the Centre's project revenue, while up to twenty percent (20%) of project funding and revenue from the Centre's training programs are deposited in a special code to cover its general expenditures. The exact rate of SARG retention for each type of work is determined by the Senate. The activities of the Center are carried out in the form of research projects by SARG.
At the end of each academic year, the Council draws up a report on the activities of T.L.L.C., which is notified without delay to the Senate, to the Unit of Quality Assurance and the Ministry of Education, Research and Religions. T.L.L.C. is subject to a two-yearly internal quality assurance assessment procedure as established in accordance with Article 14 (3) of Law 4009/2011. The external evaluation and certification of the quality of the educational or training programs offered by T.L.L.C. is carried out by the Hellenic Quality Assurance and Accreditation Agency (HQA) pursuant to subparagraph (b) of indent a) of Article 66 (1), Law 4009/2011.
By decision of the Senate, which is issued on the opinion of the Council of the Center, the Rules of Procedure of the Center are published in the Government Gazette, which regulates all matters concerning its organization, operation and administration and is not prescribed by this Act.
Training and Lifelong Learning Centers (T.L.L.C.) can organize lifelong learning programs using distance learning methods, taking into account the needs of people with disabilities and/or with special educational needs and ensuring online accessibility of the programs to these individuals.