Qualitätsmanagement
Quelle:
Dennis Welge
In 2012, RWU students, teachers and staff were invited to the "Qualitätswerkstatt" (quality workshop) for the first time. Since 2013, the university-wide feedback format has taken place every two years. The Prorectorate for Studies, Teaching and Quality Management has been the originator and the lead from the beginning.
Christine Reudanik, who is organising the Quality Workshop 2021 together with colleagues from Quality Management and University Didactics, spoke with Prorector Professor Dr. Sebastian Mauser:
Professor Mauser, since 2020 you have been Prorector for Studies, Teaching and Quality Management at RWU, and therefore responsible for the Quality Workshop. What exactly is it?
The „Qualitätswerkstatt“ is a workshop that we offer every two years. Students, professors and staff can use the format to make their suggestions for improvement, whether it is about the study structure, the administration services or even the parking situation. Whatever it is, we want to hear about it.
Where did the idea for this format originate?
The quality workshop was created to offer all university members a common forum in which they can express their ideas as well as praise and criticism. There was nothing comparable at RWU before. Over the years, the quality workshop has become a permanent institution that makes an important contribution to the further development of the university.
What do you mean by that?
Ultimately, it is about being successful as a university. We can only be successful if we offer good study and working conditions. So it makes sense to regularly ask those who can assess this: our students, teachers and staff.
What happens to the suggestions gathered during the quality workshop?
We evaluate all suggestions and pass them on to the departments and people responsible. They then decide what can be implemented.
Have you been able to implement all the proposed changes so far?
Unfortunately, that is just not doable. In addition, not every suggestion makes sense for the university on closer examination. In fact, however, the university has already implemented many proposals.
For example?
Exam registration and deregistration have been simplified for students, and more practical and project-oriented courses are offered. Since the Covid pandemic, Moodle has been used much more widely, and lectures are often recorded. These were among the most popular requests from our students.
The lecturers and staff can carry out significantly more work processes digitally, for example procurement or deputate accounting. You no longer have to go to the main building for public announcements from the committees, but can read them on the RWU website. There are many major and minor improvements.
How has the Covid pandemic affected the quality workshop?
The pandemic has accelerated some improvements, but unfortunately pushed others into the shadows. We had the Mensa Park redesigned, the Mensa was made available as a learning space, and we improved the opening hours of the Student Administration Office.
What does the future of the quality workshop look like?
The format continues to evolve as our understanding of quality management has changed. In the beginning, we focused primarily on the area of study and teaching. At the Chancellor's initiative, quality management is now also being established in the administration as part of a holistic approach.
In addition, we will not be strictly sticking to the face-to-face event, because there have often been requests for a more flexible format. We are happy to take up this suggestion, especially during the pandemic. However, the basic idea remains the same: we would like to offer all students, teachers and staff a platform to voice criticism and ideas. In that way, we can continue to develop RWU together.
The results of the Quality Workshop 2019 including the implementation status can be found as a presentation in the QM-Portal under Dokumente HRW > Qualitätsmanagement > Qualitätswerkstatt.