On 26 June 2023, the “Quality Dialogue” entered its fourth round. This time, the Accreditation Council focused on the topic of “Diversity at universities – challenges and design options for teaching”. With around 240 participants, the event was very well received.
The graphic recording, i.e. a visual accompaniment to the event, is available for download here. The presentations of the keynote speeches by Bettina Jorzik on “Diversity at German universities – what is being done, what is being discussed?” and by Martina Gaisch on “Perspectives on teaching ‘all inclusive‘” are also available.
Participants were able to collect topics and questions prior to the Quality Dialogues; you can view this digital pinboard (mural) here.
Contents
With the increasing diversity of students and teachers at universities, the topic is also gaining importance for the quality assurance of degree programs in Germany. Key questions here are how degree programs can be designed in such a way that they cater to a wide variety of students in different life situations, or how teaching can contribute to creating a diverse and inclusive study environment.
To discuss this, the Accreditation Council invited various stakeholders to the Quality Dialogues 2023: Higher education representatives, teaching staff, students, representatives of Professional Practice and accreditation agencies, Accreditation Council members and other interested parties discussed the importance of diversity for the quality development of study programmes and accreditation in Germany. The Accreditation Council had set up an internal working group to prepare this event. Together, they shed light on why diversity plays an important role in high-quality teaching at higher education institutions.
The event, which was accompanied by graphic recording, also provided space for the exchange of experiences and examples of good practice.
Program
Quality dialog “Diversity at universities – challenges and design options for teaching”, 26 June 2023, 10 a.m. to approx. 3:30 p.m.
Moderator:
Dr. Isabell Lisberg-Haag
10:00 am: Welcome talk
Dr. Isabell Lisberg-Haag and Prof. Dr. Carmen Leicht-Scholten (Deputy Member of the Accreditation Council and Head of the Diversity Working Group, RWTH Aachen University) in conversation about the development of the Diversity Working Group and the breadth of the topic
10:15 a.m.: The dilemma of the Accreditation Council in the assessment of accreditation applications
Prof. Dr.-Ing. Hans-Joachim Bargstädt, Chairman of the Accreditation Council, Bauhaus-Universität Weimar
10:30 a.m.: Impulse “Diversity at German higher education institutions – what is being done, what is being discussed?” followed by comprehension questions
Bettina Jorzik, Stifterverband
11:15 a.m.: Break
11:25 a.m.: Impulse “Perspectives on teaching ‘all inclusive'” followed by comprehension questions
Dr. Martina Gaisch, Scientific Director Diversity Management, University of Applied Sciences Upper Austria
12:10 p.m.: “Panel pitch”
All panel leaders explain in about one minute what will be discussed in the respective panels. The participants then decide which panel they would like to join.
12:20 p.m.: Lunch break
13:00: Parallel panel
- Diversity from a student perspective, Leonie Ackermann (fey/feys), University of Bamberg
- Diversity from the teachers’ perspective, Zeynep Demir (M. Sc.), Bielefeld University
- Diversity from an administrative perspective, Felix Schaap (M. A.), RWTH Aachen University, Department 6.2 – Teaching
- Diversity from the perspective of the university management, Prof. Dr.-Ing. Josef Rosenkranz, Vice-Rector for Studies, Teaching and International Affairs at FH Aachen
- Diversity from the perspective of Agencies, Dr. Aletta Hinsken, Foundation Director at evalag
- Diversity from the perspective of Professional Practice, Dr. Katharina Höhn, Member of the Accreditation Council, Member of the Board of the German Insurance Industry Education Association (BWV e.V.) and Managing Director of the German Insurance Academy (DVA) GmbH
13:45: Break
14:00: Results of the panels are presented
14:20: Panel discussion “Designing degree programs – diversity-sensitive and realistic”
- Prof. Dr. Angela Ittel, President of the TU Braunschweig, TU9 President
- Prof. Dr. Carmen Leicht-Scholten, Deputy Member of the Accreditation Council and Head of the Diversity Working Group, RWTH Aachen University
- Prof. Dr. Martin Ullrich, Member of the Accreditation Council, Nuremberg University of Music
- Dr. Aletta Hinsken, Foundation Director at evalag
15:00: Presentation of Graphic Recording
15:15: Feedback and end