Field of action university management

The leadership module is intended to demonstrate the link between top management and the individual structural units on the topic of sustainability. Politics should present the framework conditions from the outside, what guidelines or efforts there are for sustainability, especially at a national level, and what conditions would be necessary to promote sustainable development.

The Human Resources Development module encompasses not only the traditional processes of workforce planning, employee recruitment, hiring, and time tracking, but also on-the-job training and continuing education. It is important to take into account the diverse needs of all stakeholders—such as trainees, entry-level employees, specialists, managers, research assistants, and faculty members—in human resources development. Furthermore, strategic aspects of organizational development—such as Workplace Health Management, the promotion of gender equality, and work-life balance—are key priorities in the context of life-cycle-oriented human resources development, particularly in light of demographic change and societal upheavals.

The Health Management module is intended to enable institutions of higher education—beyond the requirements of the law—to maintain and improve the health of their employees through curative and preventive measures; it should be understood as workplace health management. Particularly at small and medium-sized universities, the topics of human resources development and health are closely intertwined, making it possible to integrate the content of both modules. We recommend addressing both modules, especially with a view to expanding the offerings for employees, students, and external target groups.

Many EHBs have addressed the issue of quality in research and teaching, as well as in institutional processes, and have approached the topic in very different ways. As with other modules, there are structures here that cannot be readily transferred to the “modular system” as a sustainability management system. For this reason, this module has been deferred for the time being. Addressing its content will require further refinement and development of the modular system in order to identify synergies and assess its implementation.

The Environmental Management module brings together and coordinates optimization processes related to waste, energy, greenhouse gas emissions, water, and mobility. The module addresses both internal and external issues affecting EHB, as well as stakeholder requirements.

The Risk management module coordinates the identification, assessment, mitigation, and control of risks and is being introduced as an integral part of the EHB’s existing risk management system. It emphasizes risks and opportunities in the context of sustainable development.

The Diversity module aims to consider objectives, offers and measures for university members who require support as members of SFIVET. Equality, family friendliness, age-appropriate working, equal opportunities and inclusion are important focal points of the module.

The internationality module is intended to take into account the diversity of SFIVET members. Not only the different cultures, ethnicities and beliefs play an important role here, but also the social background.

In the “Controlling” module, environmental, social, societal, political, and ethical aspects are integrated into the planning, management, and oversight of university departments. Similar to Quality management, many universities of applied sciences (EHB) already have existing structures in place, which is why transferring these to the BNC cannot be accomplished easily. The goal is to develop the content of this module.