Funding for Teaching

It is vital that university-based systems of knowledge generation and teaching keep pace with current changes in communication and cognition in our increasingly digitalized knowledge society.  Curricula require adequate preparation and design in terms of contents, structure and teaching forms. The rapid changes experienced in these areas necessitate expanded provision of continuing professional development to ensure congruence between needs and abilities. In view of changing education policy frameworks, ethical issues and social challenges, flexible forms of teaching and learning are acquiring ever-greater significance, and the number of young people with a university entrance qualification has increased by over 10% since 2005. The number of students registering for a course in higher education increased by over 20% in this period. This increase has been accompanied by changes in the composition of the student body; one example is the increasing number of entrants admitted on the strength of vocational training and the increasing requirement for programs of continual professional development. The increasing diversity in the student body – of which admissions qualifications is but one metric – and the absence of an inclusive university system means a pressing demand for increased flexibilization of university study. It is imperative that these changes manifest themselves in both the curriculum and the various forms of teaching and learning provided in order to meet the requirement for target group-oriented, time and location-independent and efficient learning processes combined in the concept of a learning-centered university concept.

The University seeks to support the commitment of its teaching staff in their response to these challenges through the continual development of their teaching and curricular concepts. To this end, the University organizes a number of competitive award procedures through which to award internal funding and works actively to support its staff in the procurement of external funding.  Seeking to capitalize on the achievements of the “Together for More Quality in Studying and Teaching” initiative (Quality Pact for Teaching), the University has developed its “Guiding Principles in Studying and Teaching” to act as guidelines in the realization of its aims in the area of studying and teaching.