Press release: Quality Pact for Teaching: Göttingen University repeats success

Nr. 265/2015 - 06.11.2015

Federal and State Government fund Göttingen Campus QPLUS project for another four years

(pug) Programmes for better study conditions and better quality in teaching at Göttingen University will be supported by further grants from the Quality Pact for Teaching. The University was able to repeat its success with its grant renewal application for the project Göttingen Campus QPLUS. It applied for a continuation to the tune of around 15 million euros for the grant, to last up to 2020. This funding injection will reinforce the successes in the first funding phase from 2011 to 2016 and support new projects.

"The project Göttingen Campus QPLUS has been a major contribution to visibly strengthening teaching at Göttingen University and we are delighted that the initiated measures can now be continued," states University President Professor Ulrike Beisiegel. The project encompasses a number of individual measures and grants. One aim is to establish additional professorships in high-demand degree programmes in the fields of eLearning and higher education teaching methodology; another is related to calls for proposals like the programme entitled "Latitude for teaching staff to develop innovative teaching and learning concept". Further offers like mentoring by study ambassadors, additional preliminary courses and virtual study orientation all help potential students and freshers take academic decisions and make their studies more prosperous.

"We are thrilled that we will now be able to continue the work of the last few years, setting the tone with new topics for studies and teaching alongside the demonstrably successful projects of the past," adds Professor Andrea D. Bührmann, Vice President for Studies and Teaching and Göttingen Campus QPLUS Project Leader. "In the second project phase, we will include current requirements like the internationalization of teaching, reinforcing a diversity culture and fostering digital competencies in students." The aim is to continue with key topics of the Göttingen Campus QPLUS project, some of which have already become permanent fixtures, beyond 2020 as well.

Dr. Gabriele Heinen-Kljajić, Minister for Science and Culture of Lower Saxony, explains: "I’m delighted with the success of the universities in Lower Saxony, which have been granted a total of 68 million euros within these competitive awards proceedings. This constitutes an important building block in our road to cultural change at the universities, to strengthening the value of studying and teaching and promoting systematic quality development."

With the Quality Pact for Teaching, the Federal and State Governments aim to improve student support services and teaching quality at universities. The Federal Government is providing nearly two billion euros between 2011 and 2020 for this. The Göttingen Campus QPLUS project accompanies five fields of action within study programmes, starting with the student orientation process until students have completed their degree. These include the initial orientation phase, setting up additional professorships, quality management in academia, further qualifications in higher education teaching methodology and innovative teaching methods at university. For more information, go to www.uni-goettingen.de/campusqplus.

Contact address:
Professor Andrea D. Bührmann, Ph.D.
Georg-August-Universität Göttingen
Vice President for Studies and Teaching
Wilhelmsplatz 1, 37073 Göttingen, Germany
Phone +49 (0)551 39-10903
E-mail: andrea-dorothea.buehrmann@zvw.uni-goettingen.de
Website: www.uni-goettingen.de/de/vizepr%C3%A4sidentin-prof-dr-andrea-d-b%C3%BChrmann/523322.html