In the reporting period, the following measures were taken with a focus on increasing/stabilizing student numbers, adhering to the standard period of study, ensuring student success, the attractive further development of degree programmes and teaching as well as the further development of facilities (not exhaustive):
Increase/stabilization of student numbers
- (Further) development of degree programs: Design and introduction of new degree programs (e.g. Bachelor "International Business Communication", Bachelor "Green Engineering", Bachelor "Sustainable Business Administration", Bachelor "European Business", Bachelor "Applied Nursing Science"), merging degree courses, specifically the Master's degree courses "Integrated Management and "Integrated Management Systems", the Bachelor's degree courses "Business Administration" and "Business Administration for Program Students"), revising the curricula of existing degree courses, opening up the diploma degree course "Industrial Engineering" as a KIA degree course, updating the content of the modules including adapting the module descriptions
- Cooperation & networks: maintaining and expanding cooperation with national and international partner universities (e.g. German-Kazakh University, TU Liberec, Opole University, Wroclaw University) and companies (KIA partners) for course development and practical integration
- Course advertising & public relations: Use and further expansion of marketing measures, e.g. social media communication, podcasts, course videos, blog articles, trade fairs, press releases
- Participation in trade fairs & events: Presence at regional and national trade fairs, conferences and information events to attract students
- Student & parent counseling: University taster events, parents' evenings, individual counseling sessions, etc.
- Alumni & academic events: Lectures by graduates, e.g. at DIES ACADEMICUS, organization of science events (e.g. OHA! Adventure Science) and specialist conferences
- Support & advice for prospective students: university information days online and in person, subject-specific study advice, early personal contact after admission for optimal study integration, also via newsletter
- Online presence & print media: Regular updating of the HSZG homepage, course flyers, presence on online study portals (StudyCheck, studieren.de)
- Student projects & internships: Taster lectures, lab tours, experimental lectures, multi-day student internships, Chemistry Olympiad, Neisse Electro Olympiad, etc.
- Increasing attractiveness through unique selling points: Emphasis on specialized study content (e.g. diploma degree, introduction and renaming of specializations)
- International programs & exchange: development of internationally compatible degree programs, strengthening/maintaining cooperation with foreign partner universities, expansion of English-language modules to better appeal to international students, increased advertising for Erasmus programs to increase mobility figures
- Company contacts & practical integration: maintaining and expanding cooperation with companies, attractive additional offers for students (e.g. TIMS breakfasts)
Promoting compliance with the standard period of study
- Effective organization of examinations: use of late and repeat examination periods, individual solutions within the framework of examination regulations, timely planning of thesis defense dates
- Advice and support services: Consultations and individual coaching by lecturers, personal counseling sessions for students with particular challenges
- Programme structure & organization: review and adaptation of study and examination regulations to improve studyability, increase in the standard period of study to 7 semesters in the Bachelor's degree in Culture and Management
- Optimized introductory phase: organization of come-in weeks with optional preliminary courses in mathematics, chemistry, physics, etc. to prepare students for their studies, introductory days of the faculties with presentation of degree course concepts and study organization
- Individual support for special life situations: adaptation of timetables and study schedules for students, e.g. with children, with care responsibilities and/or in employment
- Tutorials & mentoring: recruitment of student tutors, wide range of subject-specific tutorials (e.g. mathematics, physics, chemistry), special tutorials for international students, students from higher semesters advise students from younger semesters
- Support with final theses: Support in finding partners and topics for final theses, early supervision by lecturers, individual advice on structuring the final phase of studies
- Supervision by course coordinators: Personal counseling sessions with students, especially in the case of below-average academic performance.
- Information about elective options: Information events on the choice of specializations and compulsory elective modules
- Flexibilization & adjustments: Specific measures for part-time students, module adaptations to take account of heterogeneous levels of knowledge
- Promotion of community and integration: introductory offers at the start of studies (e.g. team building in the Ecology and Environmental Protection degree program), stronger networking among students
- Comprehensive special regulations during the coronavirus phase: temporary adjustments to examination regulations due to the coronavirus pandemic (enactment and amendment of flexible regulations), support for students affected by the pandemic (e.g. hybrid courses)
- Promotion of study continuity: Individual mediation and advice from deans of studies, study scouts and students in higher semesters
- Improvement of study information: Updating information materials, targeted advice on degree programs/modules/practical phases
- Improving the organization of studies: optimizing the organization of courses to reduce delays in awarding grades
Increasing/securing the success of studies
- Tutorials & exam preparation: offering student tutorials in basic subjects and specifically for difficult modules, including exam preparation
- Early orientation & preliminary courses: Come-in weeks with preliminary courses in mathematics, chemistry, etc. to avoid excessive demands during studies
- Team building & social integration: introductory offers at the start of studies to strengthen cohesion among students
- Individual advice & support: personal advice from study scouts, course coordinators and lecturers, especially for students with difficulties, individual support from lecturers to prevent students from dropping out and postponing exams
- Psychosocial support: referral of students to counseling centers, e.g. the psychosocial counseling center of Studentenwerk Dresden
- Support for international students: Additional modules such as "Academic writing", integration into the student council, support from the study scout, specific tutorials
- Extended study counseling: individual support for long-term students and targeted offers of help for continuing studies
- Monitoring & analysis of dropouts: Continuous evaluation of dropout rates and problematic modules with measures for improvement
- Improvement of the study structure: analysis and adaptation of module content to improve studyability and reduce obstacles
- Practical orientation & corporate cooperation: Closer cooperation with practice partners to strengthen the practical relevance of teaching
- Support for final theses: Support in finding partners, early planning of defense dates to avoid delays
- Flexibility in examinations & catch-up dates: Use of make-up and repeat examination periods, individual solutions within the framework of the examination regulations
- Advice on elective options: Information events on the choice of compulsory elective modules and specializations
Further development of teaching and degree programs
- Expansion of the range of courses: first-time enrolment in new courses such as "International Business Communication", "Engineering Education in Mechanical Engineering", "Green Engineering", design and development of new courses such as "Applied Nursing Science", "Sustainable Business Administration" and "European Business"
- Optimization of degree programs: merging "Integrated Management" and "Integrated Management Systems" with adjustments to modules, credit points, etc.,
merging the degree programs "Business Administration" and "Business Administration for Program Students",
revision of the curricula of existing degree programs in terms of introducing new modules/compulsory elective modules, changing modules between semesters, adjusting the awarding of credit points, changes to examination forms, etc. - Strategic further development & synergies: start of a strategy development process to modernize the degree programmes and use synergies in the Faculty of Social Sciences, cooperation between faculties to develop new degree programmes, e.g. "Teaching degree for secondary schools with special education" with the University of Leipzig,
Suspension of enrolment to cancel the "Applied Natural Sciences" degree programme (full-time, dual) - Use of modern teaching methods: use of live streams and course recordings, use of interdisciplinary case studies to improve theory-practice transfer, etc.
- Digitalization & modern examination formats: Introduction of online examinations (thesis defense), testing of hybrid exams (SoTL project) and e-assessments (LernSMART project), conversion of written exams to alternative examination formats
- Focus on practical teaching: introduction of new practical courses (e.g. Fluid Mechanics I), close cooperation with companies (e.g. guest lecturers), increased integration of company projects into teaching
- Quality assurance & adjustments based on student feedback: external assessment of degree programs (initial and re-accreditations/certifications) and regular evaluation of courses and modules with impulses for adapting module content, teaching methods and examination formats, etc.
- Modernization of teaching content & materials: updating module descriptions and teaching materials (slides, scripts, etc.), integrating new topics into specialist modules, increasing software licenses (e.g. T*SOL)
- Introduction of optimal entry models: introduction of preparatory courses in the Master's in Culture and Management and the Master's in Integrated Management Systems
- Retention of optional additional qualifications: Continuation of certificate courses (e.g. with TÜV, AUKOM e. V.) and specialist excursions for the further education of students
Further development of human, material and financial resources
- Personnel development & recruitment of new specialists: filling new professorships and other teaching positions, targeted measures for personnel development and recruitment of external lecturers
- Further training & qualifications: participation of teaching staff in university didactic and specialist further and advanced training, e.g. AUKOM, e-learning DIN EN ISO and 3D technologies, English courses for teaching staff and administrative staff
- Integration of external expertise: greater integration of external teachers with practical experience to improve teaching quality
- Overcoming staff shortages: Identifying critical staffing situations in individual degree programs and compensating for them by recruiting external lecturers, etc.
- Increasing faculty funding: increasing the budget for studies/teaching to improve equipment and study conditions via external sources of funding
- Modernization of teaching infrastructure: equipping teaching/learning rooms with modern presentation technology for hybrid and online teaching, replacement of outdated projectors, modernization of lecture halls and measures to improve sound absorption
- Improvement of laboratory and experimental facilities: modernization of measurement data acquisition, sensor technology and technical equipment for practical teaching
- IT and software investments: Renewal of hardware and software in the computer lab, investment in digital infrastructure for hybrid teaching
- Expansion of learning and work spaces: renting additional rooms, redesigning the public PC pool into a multifunctional learning space
- Refurbishment measures: Urgent renovations in laboratories, corridors and basement rooms (e.g. flood damage from 2010)
- Adaptation of the campus infrastructure: Talks with the Studentenwerk Dresden to adapt the canteen opening hours and extend the lunch break
- Expansion of the literature stock: continuous updating and expansion of the university library stock through new literature acquisitions
