Quality Development Legal Framework

The Landeshochschulgesetz - LHG § 5 (Federal State Higher Education law) stipulates the establishment of quality management systems and self-assessment measures in institutions of higher education (i.e. universities, colleges of applied sciences etc.). Heidelberg University's evaluation regulations establish the necessary legal basis for the use of numerous evaluation tools at the University.

Above all, these regulations specify legally binding principles for compliance with data protection measures and thus ensure that all personal information is treated confidentially. This applies to teaching staff, students and evaluation organisers.

In September 2010, the senate adopted evaluation regulations for Student Affairs, Teaching and Advanced Scientific training as well as services provided by Heidelberg University to support this division.

The Heidelberg QM system heiQUALITY is essentially based on a quality control loop that constitutes two evaluation cycles. During the internal evaluation cycle, the so-called Q+Ampel-Verfahren (a traffic-light rating system for quality assessment), Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) and information on evaluation units, e.g. an institute or a faculty, are analysed in two-year cycles. One of the main aspects under scrutiny are the formal guidelines for the new BA and MA degree programmes which were defined by the KMK (the Standing Conference of the Ministers of Education and Cultural Affairs of the Länder in the Federal Republic of Germany) and the Accreditation Council. In addition, the specific elaboration of these guidelines, which was determined by Heidelberg University itself, is also reviewed.