Quality Management Concept in FB2

Quality management (QM) in the Faculty serves to

• ensure the quality of study programs and academic teaching as well as to reveal deficiencies in quality
• advance the development of study programs and academic teaching
• provide the leadership of the Faculty with identification parameters
• make organization processes concerning study programs and academic teaching in the Faculty more effective and transparent

QM in FB2 bases on the following elements of a QM loop:

• QM assurance and further development: Monitoring and communication
• Interpretation: Identifying problems
• Failure and root-cause analysis
• Identifying need for change
• Implementation and review of effectiveness

All members of the Faculty are concerned with quality management in the course of carrying out their various duties.

The most important actors remain the Office of the Dean and the Office of the Study Dean* as well as a QM Commission appointed by the Faculty. The QM Commission is to be seen as the lead body in matters of quality management and through which matters concerning processes and communication channels relating to the study programs are discussed.

In respect of concrete measures of quality management, the QM Commission networks with the other actors and responsible bodies concerned in FB2:

• The examination boards,
• study program coordinators,
• the academic teaching committees (bachelor’s program) and
• the student representatives.

On February 1, 2012, the Faculty Council in FB 2 passed a resolution to establish an advisory body with defined tasks concerning quality management in respect of academic teaching and degree programs (the QM Commission) in Faculty 2. On 21.10.2015 the Faculty Council passed a resolution to change the composition of the QM Commission; and on 25.11.2015 it elected the members of the QM Commission for 2-year periods of office.

The QM Commission consists of

• Study Program Coordinator Bachelor Biology
• Study Program Coordinator Bachelor Chemistry
• 2 Student representatives Biology (StugA)
• 2 Student representatives Chemistry (StugO)
• 1 Study Program Coordinator of a Master's Program Biology
• 1 Study Program Coordinator of a Master's Program Chemistry
• 1 Professor Biology
• 1 Professor Chemistry
• 2 Research Assistants

 QM in FB2 is managed by the Studienbüro [Study office].

The QM Commission meets at least two times a year, with a minimum of seven members.

Members of the commission (01/2019)

• Prof. Uwe Nehls (Study Dean, Study Program Coordinator Bachelor Biology)
• Dr. Enno Lork (Study Program Coordinator Bachelor Chemistry)
• Prof. Ralf Dringen (Professor Chemie)
• Prof. Michael Koch (Professor Biology)
• Prof. Soerge Kelm (coordinator master's program BMB)
• Prof. Martin Diekmann (coordinator master's program Ecology)
• Dr. Andrea Krause
• Dr. Uwe Schüssler
• Fenja Murken (Chemistry student)
• Tergite Zequiri (Chemistry student)
• Juliane Niewar (Biology student)
• Rafaela Schmidtke (Biology student)

Studienbüro:

• Dr. Ute Meyer
• Corinna Müller-Wiegmann

In case they are hindered from attending meetings, members may appoint deputies.

• The QM Commission develops QM objectives concerning the academic teaching and studies in FB2 in collaboration with the Office of the Dean.
• It formulates minimum standards for carrying out Faculty-intern questionnaires and for the generation of data and key figures pertaining to the Faculty.
• Under the guidance of the Studienbüro and in cooperation with the persons responsible for the study programs and modules, it initiates questionnaires referring to the study programs and student evaluations as well as related topics such as student workloads.
• Under the guidsance of the Studienbüro, it collects the results of the questionnaires and surveys in order to identify problem areas and discrepancies with the QM objectives.
• It submits proposals to the Office of the Dean aimed at resolving such problems and monitors their implementation.
• In collaboration with the persons responsible for the modules, it makes sure that the results of questionnaires are communicated to the students and the teaching staff.
• Under the guidance of the Studienbüro it organizes the documentation of QM activities.
• Under the guidance of the Office of the Dean and in cooperation with the Studienbüro, every two years it compiles a QM report.

The quality objectives formulated by FB2 apply across all its study programs.

• Adequate provision of student advisory services, information events, and information media (e.g. up-to-date module manual, clearly understandable examination rules and regulations, web pages, and mailing list) for prospective students and enrolled students in all phases of their studies
• Willingness to talk things over and find solutions to serious problems
• Integration of students in planning processes and decision making
• Fostering mobility (international exchange programs and internships)
• Enabling students to develop profile, i.e. specialties (where possible, already in undergraduate studies)
• Building competences
• Adding value to academic work, close connection to research groups, research-based learning
• Fostering awareness of diversity and enabling inclusive studies – responsiveness regarding individual issues and problem areas

Always taking into account cross-faculty quality objectives, the individual study programs develop their own quality concepts (program objectives as well as concepts for procedures to evaluate teaching and programs).

The topics surrounding quality evaluation are among others:

• The parameters of studying and learning
• The organization of studies, teaching, and examinations, workloads, material facilities, students‘ information levels, offers of advice and counseling, formal prerequisites for study, financing of studies, and family situation
• The process of studying and learning
• Didactical and professional quality of teaching, its relation to practice and proximity to research, study requirements, internships, and stays abroad
• Studying and learning outcomes
• Students’ satisfaction with studies, academic success, competence acquisition, career success
• Motives of students who drop out or transfer
• Career success of graduates
• Evaluation of study conditions in retrospect
• Evaluation of competence acquisition
• Support for young researchers

The QM control measures relating to studies and teaching can include

administrative aspects (e.g. change of examination dates or times) or

strategic/conceptional aspects (composition of modules, examination forms, Examination Regulations) or

personal aspects (change of lecturer or different teaching faculty on same course),

all of which must be clearly documented and transparent  processes

The cornerstones of the quality related control measures in FB2 are a broad offer of information and counseling services oriented to potential problem areas, a willingness to talk things over when something goes wrong, and to include the persons affected in decision making processe