News

19. November 2024

New questionnaires and processes

The processes and questionnaires for teaching evaluation at the HSCG have been reviewed and adapted. The changes will take effect from the winter semester 2024/25.

In the past academic year, the existing processes and questionnaires for evaluating the quality of teaching and studies at the HSCG were reviewed and adapted. The changes will take effect from the winter semester 2024/25.

As part of the quality assurance of its degree programs and teaching, the HSZG attaches great importance to the opinions of its students. To this end, the university has been conducting student surveys every semester for many years. Since 2021, this has been done exclusively online. The university's evaluation regulations form the basis for such student evaluations.

It is very important to the HSZG that the evaluation process for teaching staff and students is goal-oriented and time-efficient. Work on this is ongoing. New questionnaires will therefore be used from the current academic year onwards. This is the result of an intensive dialog between the faculties, the Student Council, the Vice-Rector Education/International Affairs Professor Keil and the two staff units Education and University Development/Communication with subsequent test runs in the past academic year. The samples of the new questionnaires can be viewed here.

Over the past few months, we have significantly improved the questionnaires and processes for assessing studies and teaching in a participatory process. I am very satisfied with the results. It was important to me to keep the evaluation effort for everyone involved within reasonable limits while at the same time ensuring the best possible individual assessment and evaluation of the quality of teaching and studies by our students. I would like to thank everyone involved, especially the deans of studies and evaluation officers from the faculties and staff units for their support.
Prof. Dr. rer. pol. Sophia Keil, Vice Rector Education and International Affairs
What has changed in the questionnaires?
  • There is now a combined questionnaire for evaluating the various forms of teaching, such as lectures, seminars and tutorials, which were previously carried out separately. This is available in two versions - as a compact questionnaire with a series of checkbox questions and sufficient space for text-based comments and as an ultra-short questionnaire with a focus on text-based feedback. This enables very specific and individual feedback from our students. A separate questionnaire can still be used for the laboratory practicals teaching format.
  • The request for personal data was reduced to a minimum in all questionnaires; for example, the question about biological sex was removed. Data economy and preserving the anonymity of participants is and remains an important concern for us.
It is important to me that our students can take a critical look at their studies through the regular anonymous surveys and thus provide us as a university with valuable suggestions for the further development of the degree courses and the organization of studies. I am convinced that the new questionnaires form a good basis for this.
Dr. rer. pol. Peggy Sommer, Quality Management
Are there any other changes?

In the university-wide exchange rounds, the processes of teaching evaluation, which are regulated in the evaluation regulations, were also scrutinized. The evaluation regulations were revised accordingly. The new requirements for the publication of evaluation results in accordance with the Saxon Higher Education Act were also anchored in these regulations. The HSZG Senate unanimously approved the revised evaluation regulations at its meeting on November 18, 2024, with effect from the 2024/25 academic year. They will soon be published in the official announcements.

Photo: Prof. Dr. rer. pol. Sophia Keil
Ihre Ansprechperson
Prof. Dr. rer. pol.
Sophia Keil
Rectorate
02763 Zittau
Theodor-Körner-Allee 16
Building Z I, Room 1.51.3
1st floor
+49 3583 612-3010
Photo: Dr. rer. pol. Peggy Sommer
Ihre Ansprechperson
Dr. rer. pol.
Peggy Sommer
Office of University Development and Communication
02763 Zittau
Theodor-Körner-Allee 16
Building Z I, Room 1.60
1st floor
+49 3583 612-4725