Amendment of the quality statutes, the quality criteria catalog and the process manual for teaching and learning
The amendment of the quality statutes, the quality criteria catalog and the process manual for teaching and learning is the result of a multi-layered participatory process lasting several months to evaluate and further develop the OVGU's quality development system. Findings from university-wide discussion rounds, committees and participation processes were taken into account, as well as personal feedback and feedback from the faculty and student surveys and external experts. Considering the faculty-specific processes within the framework of the legal requirements, the practicability for course development and quality assurance in the complexity of the university, processes and structures is increased.
Amendment of the Statute concerning the assurance and development of quality in teaching and learning
Significant changes in the amendment to the quality statutes include
- A concretization and expansion of the roles and responsibilities of the actors in the QES.
For example, for the first time, the role of the professor responsible for the study program, who is entrusted with the quality dialogues and the quality periodic reports as well as the overall quality development of the degree program, was defined.
- Revision of the process for reviewing the QTB.
Above all, a quality loop was anchored in the statutes, thereby increasing the scope for communication desired by the faculties. In addition, the ZQB reminds the faculty twelve months before the end of the quality cycle that the cycle is coming to an end.
- Deadline management has been differentiated.
Deadlines are now specified and more binding. The deadlines for submitting QTBs are four months before the end of the quality cycle for newly introduced study programs and nine months before the end of the quality cycle for all others. Study programs that are closed also conclude with a quality cycle report.
- Additional escalation stages involving the Rectorate have been established.
If it becomes apparent that the fulfillment of the quality criteria and/or the preparation of the quality cycle report within the set deadline is not foreseeable, a newly introduced planning meeting is held between the faculty and the ZQB. If this does not take place, the ZQB will inform the Rectorate, which will then enter into further discussions with the faculty.
- The handling of complaints regarding decisions within the QES has been revised.
Faculties have four weeks to submit a justified complaint against Senate decisions with a request for a new referral to the Senate. The complaint must be dealt with in the second regular meeting of the Senate after receipt at the latest.
- The cycle of study program meetings was extended to at least two years. This adjustment was made primarily at the suggestion of the faculties. This provides more opportunity, particularly in the case of the large number of interdisciplinary degree programs, to take greater account of the quality of teaching exports and to pay more attention to the implementation and monitoring of quality measures.
- The so-called cycle meeting, which the ZQB conducts with the person responsible for the study program and the FQB, SQB and FSQB if applicable, as well as other internal university persons, e.g. degree program advisors, has been newly introduced. The regular meeting takes place at least three months before the study program conference. In this meeting, the status quo of the study program is discussed, including an evaluation of the study program documents and data. If deadlines are not met, it is now possible to initiate the aforementioned planning meeting, including the escalation stages.
- An English translation is now available.
Amended version of the quality statute and its English version:
https://www.bekanntmachungen.ovgu.de/media/-p-21246.pdf
https://www.bekanntmachungen.ovgu.de/media/-p-21678.pdf
Catalog of quality criteria in teaching and learning
Feedback from the faculty quality officers in particular revealed potential for improvement in the catalog of quality criteria. The catalog was marginally redesigned and adapted to current regulations and laws. Criteria were reformulated to make them easier to understand. In order to increase practicability and consistency of content, some criteria were moved from Part B (technical and content-related criteria) to Part A (formal criteria) and procedural criteria were added. Furthermore, a differentiation was made between criteria for the university-wide and course-specific conception and application of the QES. An English translation is now also available. All quality cycles from winter semester 2024/25 (01.10.2024) use the new catalog.
Current version of the catalog of quality criteria and its English version:
https://www.bekanntmachungen.ovgu.de/media/-p-21608.pdf
https://www.bekanntmachungen.ovgu.de/media/-p-21676.pdf
Revision of study and teaching processes
In addition, the process maps for studying and teaching were revised in close, iterative cooperation with the faculties' quality officers and approved by the Senate. Existing processes were transferred to a modern notation system and fundamentally revised in order to meet the requirements of the amended quality statutes. These can be viewed in the process portal
https://prozess-portal.ovgu.de/p/portal#home
You can find the manual at
Further information can be found at:
https://www.qualitaet.ovgu.de/en/Processes.html
In the course of these activities, documents were also adapted to current legal requirements and guidelines. Numerous guidelines and handouts were fundamentally revised or newly created. In addition to content updates, the layout was adapted to ensure greater user-friendliness. Checklists for the introduction, modification and closure of study programs were also created. Furthermore, checklists for the preparation and review of the quality cycle report are now available along with a completion aid with guiding questions to facilitate the preparation of the QTB. The documents can be viewed at https://www.verwaltungshandbuch.ovgu.de/-media_id-11532-p-76.html [only accessible from the Uninetz] The revised templates for study and examination regulations as well as for statutes for the closure of study programs are to be used with immediate effect (https://www.verwaltungshandbuch.ovgu.de/-p-76.html [only accessible from the Uninetz]).