"Diversity as strength" enters the second round

The central goal of the BMBF-funded project - to increase the academic success of all students regardless of their background, educational history and social environment - has remained the same. Now, in the second phase of the project, which will run until December 2020, successful measures from the first phase are to be continued and offers that can be expanded are to be improved and extended. There are also some changes to the project structure.

Prof. Dr. rer. nat. Christa Maria Heidger will take over the project management in the second phase in her role as Vice President Education and International Affairs. Diplom-Kaufmann Stefan Nowack is responsible for the management and the associated coordination of the project offers in this phase.

The structural areas and fields of action of "Diversity as a strength"

- The basis and success control of the development of measures to promote student success is the monitoring anchored in the project, which is carried out by Sebastian Riedel. In addition to the central evaluation of classes / courses and modules, surveys are conducted on student satisfaction and reasons for early disenrolment (from university). Thanks to the implementation and analysis of these evaluations, problems can be identified and measures and recommendations for action can be derived for all other project areas.

- The STEM Centre, headed by Christiane Matthieu, coordinates and organizes all offers designed to increase pupils' interest in technology and science, facilitate the start of their studies and support successful study. Specifically, the STEM Center deals with the demand-oriented expansion of the range of tutorials, the planning of the Come In Weeks, the expansion of the STEM Trail and the expansion of the virtual internship park.

- The International Affairs field of action has two major areas of work: Katrin Schubert takes on the supervision and support of international students from the introductory phase of their studies through to their departure into professional life. Michaela Heidig offers specialist English courses for lecturers and supports them in developing English-language teaching modules. The aim is to promote the international orientation of the university and the possibility of student exchanges by giving our students a better preparation for stays abroad, but also to provide INCOMER with appropriate module offerings in English.

- Since the start of the second project phase, diversity as a strength has also been staffed by the study scouts in the faculties. The scouts act as a link between the project interests, their respective faculty and the students. In addition to their advisory function, they have the task of establishing and further developing successfully launched measures such as tutorials and students advising students (SbS) in the faculties and organizing new tutorials as required. In addition, the scouts are the contact persons for specific offers at schools that serve to attract new students to the HSZG.

The study scouts

Further information can be found here.