Projects

Current Projects

EUniQ – Developing a European Approach to Comprehensive Quality Assurance of European Universities

UNITE! was one of four European university alliances to participate in the EUniQ pilot evaluation. Following a two-day virtual inspection, the EUniQ Commission has now published its evaluation report: UNITE! received positive and helpful feedback and has already started to implement the recommendations made by the commission.

Task Force 2 – Quality Management (QM), coordinated by Matthias Adam and Miglena Amirpur from TU Darmstadt, has been working on a joint quality management system for UNITE! since early 2020. The UNITE! quality management links closely the overarching strategic goals with the specific activities. It makes use of the member universities’ existing quality management systems and makes sure that UNITE! creates added value for all partners:“The quality management helps to achieve our ambitious goals in UNITE! as we aim to build a European University alliance of a new quality.” (Matthias Adam)

UNITE! was also selected as one of four European university alliances (alongside EUTOPIA, Una Europa and YUFE) for the EUniQ pilot evaluation. The aim of the EUniQ project is to develop and test a Framework for the Quality Assurance of European Universities. Three independent experts, supported by process coordinators from two European quality assurance agencies, carried out the pilot evaluation and have now published their evaluation report following a two-day virtual inspection in November last year. The report stated:

“During the visit the panel could observe a strong commitment to the idea, objectives and activities of the future, fully developed UNITE!. The activities that will lead to the compliance with the criteria of a fully developed European University have started to develop. Because the partners of UNITE! have a long‐standing co‐operation in education, research and student exchange and partnerships in numerous EU research projects, the panel is of an opinion that UNITE! ambitious goals and plans, if materialised through various action lines, will create an added value and take this co‐operation to a new level.” Read the full UNITE! Quality Assurance evaluation.

UNITE! is encouraged that it is on the right path and is already implementing the recommendations made by the commission: The QM Manual (QMM) that has been developed will now be introduced into the UNITE! Community and the other Task Forces (TFs), where it will be discussed and examined to check its feasibility. “The aim is for the QMM to be general enough yet at the same time applicable, understandable and compatible for all areas. This will require feedback from the individual TFs”, according to Miglena Amirpur. In addition, the quality objectives within the TFs will be operationalised and QM processes will be set up as soon as any activities are developed. “This is important so that we can develop our joint vision of an inter-university campus across the seven partner universities that comprises numerous individual programmes and activities that are not disconnected from the quality standards established by our partners.”

The results of the pilot and the lessons learned for its implementation will be presented at the EUniQ webinar on 9 March 2021.

The next milestone is to adopt the QMM as an official document and present it as such at the fourth UNITE! Dialogue in Autumn 2021.

UNITE! – one of four prominent pilots in the EUniQ project

EUniQ – Project (“Developing a European Approach for Comprehensive Quality Assurance of (European) University Networks”)
(Duration: May 2019 – April 2021)

What ist EUniQ?

In the EUniQ project QA agencies, ministries, European Universities and European stakeholders organisations cooperate to develop and trial an assessment methodology for European Universities resulting in a development roadmap for QA agencies, from a needs analysis to a developed QA methodology. The objectives of the project are to explore various approaches to assess the quality of European Universities, to demonstrate the feasibility of organising assessments of European Universities, to develop an assessment methodology that takes into account supra-institutional policies, to undertake four pilot assessments of European Universities, and to, as a result, produce a development roadmap for QA agencies.

What are the advantages of EUniQ for European Universities and thus for UNITE! ?

The European Universities will undergo an assessment of their “shared, integrated, long-term joint strategy for education with, where possible, links to research and innovation and society at large” (Erasmus Plus Programme Guide 2019, p. 125). This includes some of their “new joint and flexible curricula” (ibid., p. 126). The deliverable 'European Approach for Comprehensive QA of European Universities' will help these alliances to both define and self-assess their quality in the future. QA agencies will be able to use this 'European Approach for QA of European Universities' to fully assess and accredit European Universities in the future. This means that this European Approach should be able to replace national QA procedures.

UNITE! as a Pilot in EUniQ?

Out of the 17 European Universities, four pilot alliances were selected to act out the assessment methodology within EUniQ: UNITE!, Una Europa, EUTOPIA and YUFE. The EUniQ project has therefore given the development of a quality management system for UNITE! as an alliance a decisive impetus. A task force consisting of experts in the field of quality management from all UNITE! partners is working intensively on this novel endeavor, e.g. by the development of a quality management manual. The evaluation of UNITE! as a pilot in the EUniQ project took place from 30.9-01.10 in virtual form.

TU Darmstadt increases further efficiency of institutional evaluation

HMWK supports the project Efficiency Enhancement of Institutional Evaluation, especially in the field of studying and teaching, as part of the Study Structure Program (SSP).
(Duration: 01.01.2019-31.12.2020, cost-neutral term extension to 31.05.2021)

The aim of the project is to analyze and optimize TU Darmstadt’s Institutional Evaluation – including the quality assurance of degree programmes – with regard to the workload for the participating actors and the efficiency of processes.

A process management software with a high potential for professionalisation is used in this process to enable an more efficient collaboration of the involved parties.

The project is in charge advance by Directorate Strategic Development (Directorate I), Unit Quality Management and Administrative Bodies (project management ) and Directorate Study and Teaching, University Law (Directorate II), Unit Study Programs and Quality Assurance. However, the responsible units integrate for specific topics also representatives of departments, central services and central administration.

Finished projects

The preparation and implementation of the system accreditation at TU Darmstadt was supported by project funding from central QSL funds and by HMWK, as part of the Study Structure Program (SSP).

You can find more information here.

The project was funded from central QSL funds of the TU Darmstadt (duration: 01.10.2012 – 30.09.2014; cost-neutral postponement until winter semester 2015/16).

The QSL project “Surveys – Potentials for Quality Assurance” was successfully completed in winter semester 2015/16 after two years of work. The aim of the project was to increase the quality of surveys, which are carried out regularly at TU Darmstadt for quality assurance in the field of study and teaching and to integrate them even more effectively and systematically into integrated quality management in the future as an instrument for the quality assurance of studies and teaching.

Beyond the duration of the project, the results of the project will be used for further developments in this area. For example, they formed the basis for the establishment of a coordination office for surveys in the field of study and teaching and for the conception and implementation of the first general TU Darmstadt student survey. The results were incorporated into the system accreditation.

Following the completion of the project, the subject of surveys for quality assurance accomplished by the Quality Management Unit will again be dealt by the Centre for Educational Development (HDA). There will continue to be close cooperation with the Quality Management Unit, the Study Programmes and Quality Assurance Unit and the scientific departments. Further information can be found on the HDA website.