A semester in an hour? Rector after the “Newsweek” text: We operate in accordance with the law

The ability to complete the semester in one hour was due to a glitch. The university operates in accordance with the law, its students must meet all requirements, and recruitment is ongoing, the rector of WSKZ in Wrocław told PAP. This is a reaction to the Newsweek article. According to the Ministry of Science, the case confirms the need to change the regulations.

The weekly's journalists, based on disturbing signals “from various sides”, decided to check how postgraduate studies at the Higher School of Vocational Education in Wrocław are going.

“Michał signed up for the studies, chose the postgraduate course in human capital management. The formalities took a few minutes: he paid the tuition fee (PLN 430) and paid a one-time registration fee (PLN 499). He chose the more expensive option because he wanted to join the group that had started studying four months earlier. And then he got access to the student panel, where teaching materials were waiting for him. It seemed that he would have to listen to the recorded lectures or view subsequent pages of the presentation, but “all you had to do was check them off in the system and you could start solving the partial tests,” it was described.

The Rector of the University of Vocational Education based in Wrocław, Dr. Henryk Fedewicz, responded to PAP's questions in response to these allegations. He assured that his university has “one of the most advanced IT systems on the market”, but “no system is completely immune to technical incidents or attempted unauthorized activities.”

“In the analyzed case described in the article, after updating the system, a technical glitch occurred regarding the listener's account (…) the platform allowed access to some of the teaching materials without the required time required for the implementation of this content,” Dr. Fedewicz told PAP.

He assured that the fault had been removed and the platform was now working properly. He also said that control and security mechanisms have been implemented to reduce the risk of such incidents in the future.

The university also assured that incidental technical events do not affect the possibility of shortening the study period.

Newsweek also wrote that taking the partial tests was stress-free “because it turned out that you can take them many times until you pass.” The scheme of operation of such tests was described and it was indicated that after solving the last one, the student “received congratulations from the system and a reminder that he had to submit a bachelor's degree diploma. He had not done it before, and yet he had just reached the halfway point of postgraduate studies at the Higher School of Vocational Education in Wrocław. It took him exactly an hour,” it was emphasized.

The university authorities also commented on these allegations, emphasizing that the partial tests serve to constantly verify the progress and level of mastery of the material by postgraduate students.

“It should be emphasized that they are not a form of testing knowledge directly required or imposed by applicable law,” wrote the rector of WSKZ, adding that the university introduced them on its own initiative and are a beneficial solution because they allow students to monitor their own progress.

In response to PAP's questions, the university authorities assured that they were conducting recruitment proceedings and requiring candidates to submit legally required documents.

It was emphasized that, in accordance with the regulations, postgraduate studies last no less than two semesters, and their programs are consistent with the provisions of the Act on Higher Education. However, the student is obliged to meet all the requirements provided for in the program of a given field of study and to achieve the results provided for in it. If he does not do this, he will not receive a certificate.

In the case of the studies described by the newspaper, which concerned human capital management, the rector assured that they were carried out using distance learning methods and techniques to the extent and extent consistent with the law. He also stated that the current wording of the regulations allows their implementation entirely remotely and this is practiced both in Poland and around the world.

It was also added that the regulations do not prohibit a student from pursuing two or more areas of postgraduate studies in parallel.

The Newsweek article shows that the university was checked by inspectors from the Ministry of Science and Higher Education. It was estimated that the report turned out to be “devastating for WSKZ”. “It showed, among other things, that the university offered courses that it had no right to offer, and misled candidates with an incomplete or misleading educational offer. There was no evidence that full-time classes were actually taking place, because the meeting schedules did not match the invoices for the room rental. The documentation that should have shown the course of studies was incomplete or contained contradictory data,” it was revealed.

Information about the inspection results was confirmed by the Ministry of Science and Higher Education in a statement provided to PAP on Monday.

As reported, in August 2024, a comprehensive audit of the university's activities was initiated within the limits of competences assigned to the Ministry of Science by the Law on Higher Education and Science (PSWN). “The inspection at the university ended with a post-inspection report on June 25, 2025 (…) revealing a number of irregularities. The activities of WSKZ in Wrocław in the scope of the inspection were clearly assessed negatively. The university was given ten precise post-inspection recommendations, and their implementation is constantly monitored by the Ministry. Currently, 8 out of 10 recommendations have been considered implemented, while the remaining two – due to their nature – are in the process of implementation” – we read.

The ministry emphasized that every signal from students – including those regarding the university's practices, recruitment or communication rules – was included in the supervision and used in planning inspections and risk assessment, and the minister called on the university to provide explanations, demanding to present relevant documents and positions in accordance with Art. 427 of the Law on Higher Education.

According to the ministry, the experience from this case “confirms the need to change the regulations on postgraduate studies, in particular in the areas of quality of education and conducting education using distance learning methods and techniques.” (PAP)

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