Evaluation and Development: Degree Programs Need Regular Check-ups Too!
Universities have to ensure that their students receive a strong education that will be recognized internationally. In Germany, bachelor and master’s degree programs are legally subject to quality controls and must therefore be accredited. The Berlin Higher Education Act requires degree programs in Berlin to be regularly evaluated for quality.
Independent accreditation agencies are responsible for performing these evaluations. Rather than having individual degree programs evaluated by external organizations, universities can request a “system accreditation.” Both the central university administration and the departments are in charge of the review process. That is why there are quality assurance measures that apply centrally to the whole university and individually to the departments. The Quality Management Office provides the departments with assistance when preparing for the accreditation process.
In order to make quality management as transparent as possible, the Department of Biology, Chemistry, Pharmacy uses supporting documentation, which applies university-wide, for the process.
The documentation describes specific steps that are required standards for areas such as appointing professors, establishing benchmarks, or even teaching and teacher evaluations. The various quality management measures help the department to grow and improve continuously as well as adapt to new developments.
In this case, the university can then assess the merits of their degree programs internally by following a rigorously regulated process that itself must be evaluated and approved beforehand. Freie Universität Berlin has been a “system accredited” university since 2016.
The evaluation team follows the decisions made by the dean’s office and the department council. We want to keep a lively conversation going about the quality of teaching by conducting evaluations and holding informational events. Students, instructors, and staff within the department are warmly encouraged to join in and have their say.
The evaluation team follows the decisions made by the dean’s office and the department council. We want to keep a lively conversation going about the quality of teaching by conducting evaluations and holding informational events. Students, instructors, and staff within the department are warmly encouraged to join in and have their say.
Team
Dr. Thorsten Grospietsch, officer for teaching and learning
Phone: +49 30 838 58693, Email: referent-sl@bcp.fu-berlin.de
Denis Zaimi, student assistant for teaching evaluations
Email: evaluation@bcp.fu-berlin.de
