The quality management system at Ruhr University Bochum is an evolved system. Since the introduction of the Student Monitor with its study entry and study progress survey and joining the Cooperation Project Graduate Studies (KOAB), these core instruments have increasingly grown together with the teaching report as a self-report by the faculties.
The survey results in the form of data reports are now an integral part of teaching reporting. In the data reports, the results of all surveys and university statistics are summarized by topic and supplemented with comparative subject values. Results from the past three years are included; in the case of degree programs with a small number of cases, cohorts are evaluated together if necessary. The questions to be answered in the teaching report refer specifically to survey results and thus explicitly incorporate these into the teaching report.
The process of teaching reporting at RUB is a data-based development dialog. Faculties, the central University Commission for Teaching and the Rectorate enter into a dialog, classify results, development goals, strengths and weaknesses of the faculties and develop joint goals from this, which are given a binding character within the framework of target agreements.
Ruhr University is particularly proud of the fact that this process is generally conducted in an extremely collegial atmosphere and with great openness - also and especially with regard to weaknesses. At the same time, each teaching report round represents a collection of good and transferable problem-solving approaches. In this way, "best practices" are identified as part of the teaching report and immediately passed on to other faculties, often across subject group boundaries.
Various survey instruments are used at Ruhr University. These regularly include the student monitor (with a study entrance survey and study progress survey) and the graduate survey. Alumni surveys and topic-specific surveys are also conducted at irregular intervals.
The results of this data are always included in the data report for the teaching reports.
Data from the regular surveys, together with data from university statistics (including ECTS data), is prepared for a faculty-specific data report. This forms the basis for the teaching reports that are compiled every three years.
The teaching reports are a self-report in which the faculties give an account of the quality of their teaching. This is always data-based.
Every three years, the faculties prepare a self-report (teaching report). In this report, key questions on the development of teaching in the faculties are answered. This is done on the basis of the data report (see above).
In the University Commission for Teaching, the faculties' teaching reports are first discussed internally and then together with faculty representatives. Best practices are identified and made known to other faculties. Weaknesses are also addressed.
At the end of the discussion, proposals are made for future agreements between the faculties and the Rectorate.
Important preparatory work is already being carried out within the framework of teaching reporting. Goals for the further development of teaching are already being discussed there. On this basis, faculties and the Rectorate conclude perspective agreements. The achievement of these goals is reviewed as part of the monitoring of the university development plan.
Measures to achieve the goals agreed with the Rectorate are implemented. As a rule, there is time for this until the next teaching report round. In the case of larger goals, the next teaching report round can also be used to evaluate interim goals.
