A positive conclusion

The Quality Workshop is a format for continuous improvement at RWU that has been offered approximately every two years since 2012 and is aimed at all students, lecturers and staff. It is commissioned by the Head of Administration and the Prorector for Studies, Teaching and Quality Management, and implemented by Quality Management and Human Resources and Organisational Development.

At the end of 2021, the quality workshop was offered in an online format for the first time. Participation was huge: 535 students, 96 staff and 58 teachers took part, five times as many as in 2019. Over 2400 comments were received, including a very large number of suggestions for improvement.

After almost two years of implementation, the conclusion is largely positive.

The faculties and the administration have taken up many of the suggestions. For example, the introduction to the first semester will be expanded: From the winter semester 2023/24, new students will receive an introduction to the examination system. In the survey, students had criticised the lack of clarity about the examination process, especially at the beginning of their studies.

Several improvements to the examination system

The examination system has been a major concern for students. The Vice Rector for Studies, Teaching and Quality Management, Professor Dr. Sebastian Mauser, together with the Student Administration Office and many other contacts, have brought about improvements: the provisional examination schedule is now published two weeks earlier, giving students and examiners a high degree of planning security.

Communication about exams has been intensified: every semester, students receive two e-mails reminding them of the exam registration period. Once a semester, students and examiners also receive an email with all the important information about the exams.

Other improvements: It is generally no longer necessary to withdraw from exams, and registration for a third attempt is no longer subject to a hardship decision. The sometimes confusing automatic registration for resits has been removed, as has the deadline for resits. Exam registration has been simplified. Examiners will be relieved by having multiple exams in the same room. A more rigorous exam process, with pre-identification checks and seat allocation, will ensure fewer delays and disruptions during exams.

Further development of study programs

The students expressed a number of wishes for the development of their study programs. Here too, something has happened. In the Energy and Environmental Technology program, for example, the lecture "High-voltage vehicles" was added as a new elective, and the programme's core curriculum was revised. In the Digital Business program, the workload has been adjusted.

Making systems more user-friendly

Proposals have been and are being implemented not only in the area of study and teaching, but also in the area of academic administration: The LSF is gradually being migrated to a new system that is more user-friendly and offers more functions. An important step in this direction was the introduction of "myCampus" at the beginning of 2022.

The QM portal and the QM engine have been updated and given completely new interfaces. The search function in the QM portal has also been significantly optimised. The desire to improve existing digital processes is being met step by step by Quality Management. For example, the procurement process and the deputy invoicing process have been revised. New digital processes are also planned. For example, the process for registering project work is currently in the test phase.

Gradual improvement of the learning environment

The winter semester 2023/24 will see the realization of a long-standing student wish: water dispensers will be installed in both the Main Building and Building L. The student body also lobbied for this. Seating groups have been purchased for the foyer of the Main Building, and students have been very receptive to them.

One important issue still needs to be addressed

Most of the comments and suggestions for improvement were on the topic of online versus face-to-face teaching. The 2021 Quality Workshop was heavily influenced by the Corona period and the changes it brought. The transition to online teaching during the lockdown period, the return to predominantly face-to-face courses, and the establishment of a meaningful mix was a learning process for everyone. While some issues have now been resolved, an important task remains: Developing a sustainable, university-wide approach to the interplay of online and face-to-face instruction.

Although the faculties have reflected on and adapted their models, a cross-faculty framework that specifies certain key points is still missing. Therefore, the Central Study Committee will develop a concept based on the suggestions of the Senate members. In addition, the topic will be included in the university-wide development.

Next Quality Workshop on the horizon

Following the mainly positive results of the 2021 Quality Workshop, the next round is now on the agenda. The Quality Workshop 2023 will take place at the end of November this year and will again be conducted as an online survey. Once again, all students, faculty and staff are invited to participate in the continuous improvement of RWU.

A presentation on the implementation status of the Quality Workshop 2021 is available on the QM Portal.