System accreditation successfully completed
Zittau/Görlitz University of Applied Sciences has been awarded the Accreditation Council's seal of approval without any conditions or recommendations.
On October 11, 2019, the Accreditation Commission for Quality Management Systems of the ASIIN e. V. Accreditation Agency granted system accreditation to Zittau/Görlitz University of Applied Sciences (HSZG). In addition, this meant that Section 2.4, “Improving Quality in Teaching” (a target for system accreditation to be met by the end of 2020), of the agreement on objectives between HSZG and the Saxon State Ministry of Science and the Arts was fulfilled ahead of schedule.
What makes this particularly noteworthy is that the accreditation was granted without conditions—that is, without any deficiencies. Conditions refer to identified deficiencies in the university’s structure, processes, or tools that must be addressed by a defined deadline and whose implementation must be demonstrated to the accrediting agency in order to obtain full, multi-year accreditation. Accreditation without conditions is rather the exception in system accreditation practice.
System accreditation is a national seal of quality awarded by the German Accreditation Council . The seal initially confirms, for a limited period until September 30, 2026, the effectiveness of the HSZG’s existing quality management system in the areas of academic programs and teaching, as well as its tools, which include, for example, internal and external evaluation.
“Receiving the accreditation certificate is a major success for Zittau/Görlitz University of Applied Sciences,” says the Vice President for Education and International Affairs, Prof. Dr. rer. nat. Christa Maria Heidger, who served as project director throughout the entire duration of the project. “With this successful institutional accreditation, the HSZG is authorized to apply its own procedure for accreditation and certification of its degree programmes according to standards it has defined itself. This strengthens the university’s autonomy and self-governance.”
”The university administration made the decision to establish an accreditation-eligible quality management system and to pursue system accreditation as early as July 2016. The agency ASIIN e. V. was then selected and commissioned in the fall of 2017. This allowed the multi-stage process to begin. Members of the HSZG from all areas—including university and faculty leadership, directors and staff from University Administration and central departments, and students—were involved and contributed to this tremendous success. In particular, the quality management team for academic programs and teaching at our university did an outstanding job. Approximately 80 university members participated in the first on-site visit by an ASIIN e. V. review panel at the Zittau campus, and approximately 30 university members participated in the second on-site visit at the Görlitz campus.
The evaluation team consisted of three external university faculty members with leadership or international experience, a representative from the professional field, and a student representative. The evaluators were accompanied by two representatives from the ASIIN e. V. office.
In the concluding discussion and report, the evaluators provided valuable suggestions for the further development of the university’s quality management system, most of which have already been implemented as part of the ongoing process. The HSZG feels validated in its journey toward a vibrant and inclusive culture of quality.
