The event was divided into two time slots. The first part was open to some members of the university community: in addition to the university management, deans and vice-deans, heads of departments, divisions, administrative offices, central institutions, members of the Senate Committee on Quality and Teaching, and student representatives from student councils and student bodies were also able to participate. In this part, Dr. Sibylle Jakubowicz from evalag gave an introduction to the kick-off event and guided participants through the topics of “legal foundations of system accreditation” and “differences between the old and new accreditation systems.” Examples of elements that will be part of the process were presented, such as the teaching mission statement and external participation in internal quality assurance. The latter will be ensured by a group of renowned experts who will review, analyze, and evaluate the quality-relevant processes, elements, and procedures at our University of Applied Sciences.

Milena Müller from evalag then led the second part of the event, which took place in a smaller group with the QM team, the university president, and the university management representative. The content-related tasks for the upcoming process were discussed. She outlined the university's to-do list, which must be initiated and implemented by the quality management team during the system accreditation process. Finally, she presented the further procedural schedule to provide an insight into the upcoming topics and implementation. The ultimate goal of the entire process is to submit an application to the Accreditation Council in September 2023 in order to once again receive the coveted seal for a system-accredited university.

There was a very constructive atmosphere throughout both phases of the kick-off workshop. The agency's positive feedback on the (interim) results already achieved suggests that the rest of the system re-accreditation process will be just as effective as the kick-off and that all of the goals set for the benefit of the university and, in particular, its students will ultimately be achieved. The moderation and organization of the day by the representatives of evalag was particularly conducive to the work results and beneficial to the course of the event – this also gives cause for hope with regard to a constructive, objective, and successful process.

Background information: System accreditation at the University of Applied Sciences KL

Since 2017, the University of Kaiserslautern has been system-accredited, which in short means that its internal quality assurance system has been examined in a complex procedure and found to be suitable for independently accrediting the university's own degree programs on the basis of an internal quality assessment. Since then, the university's individual bachelor's and master's degree programs no longer have to be “program accredited” by external agencies, but instead undergo a structured internal quality assurance process on a regular basis, coordinated by the Office for Quality in Studies and Teaching. The goal of ensuring and regularly improving the quality of studies and teaching is decisive for both newly introduced and existing degree programs.

As a system-accredited university, it is necessary to demonstrate after a certain period of time that the quality assurance system it uses still meets the requirements of the Accreditation Council, or has even been further developed and optimized in the meantime. For our university, this means that it has been awarded the seal of a system-accredited university until September 2023 and must successfully complete the so-called system re-accreditation process by that date.

The Quality Management website has been redesigned to provide more targeted information on topics such as (re)accreditation of degree programs, system accreditation, university didactics, and teaching evaluations. This gives interested parties a comprehensive overview and in-depth information on various areas of QM.

Information and contact persons at
https://www.hs-kl.de/hochschule/stabsstellen/qualitaetsmanagement

The teaching mission statement of the University of Applied Sciences Kaiserslautern at
https://www.hs-kl.de/hochschule/profil/leitbild/lehre