Guaranteed High-Quality Teaching
Students at the University of Bayreuth can rely on the high quality of their education. This has once again been confirmed by a decision of the Accreditation Council Foundation.
Ensuring the quality of studies at the University of Bayreuth is not only the responsibility of dedicated lecturers and university administration but also of the university’s own quality assurance system. This has now been reaffirmed by the Accreditation Council Foundation, which has once again granted the university the right to independently ensure compliance with high national standards in higher education. This means that the University of Bayreuth is authorised to assess the quality of its degree programmes through its own internal procedures. The award of the quality seal for teaching and learning also recognises the work of the Vice President for Teaching and Students, Professor Dr. Martin Huber, along with his team from the Quality Assurance Service Centre for Teaching and Learning (QS).
The University of Bayreuth was first system-accredited in 2016 for a period of six years—making it one of the first universities in Bavaria to achieve this status. The motivation behind this early commitment was to uphold nationwide standards while maintaining the university’s unique profile and continuously improving teaching and study conditions.
The multi-stage reaccreditation process began in 2021 and was overseen by ACQUIN, an agency approved by the Accreditation Council. In 2022, an external panel of experts conducted discussions over four days with representatives of the university, including programme coordinators, members of various committees and service departments, as well as numerous students. "We really appreciated that so many students from all faculties and the student parliament were heard by the external panel," agreed Lena-Maria Härtl, a business administration student and a member of the QS Advisory Board in 2022, and Anna-Lena Peter, a teacher training student and a member of the Presidential Commission for Teaching and Studies in 2022.
In autumn 2023, the expert report—including a recommendation for a decision—was submitted to the Accreditation Council Foundation. The positive accreditation decision was made in December 2024, with the accreditation valid until 2030.
Opportunities for Student Participation
No one benefits more directly from high-quality education than students themselves. That is why their voices carry significant weight in quality assurance. Every two years, they have the opportunity to anonymously share their experiences and wishes regarding their studies through the degree programme evaluation. Additionally, feedback on individual courses is collected as part of teaching evaluations and analysed in close collaboration between the QS Service Centre and PULS (Process Support and Assistance for Teaching and Students). These evaluations are then compiled and shared with lecturers and programme directors.
"A high response rate to evaluation questionnaires provides a solid data basis for meaningful assessments of degree programmes and potential improvements," confirms Yannick Nahak, a current student member of the QS Service Centre Advisory Board.
"In recent years, a collegial process of quality assurance has developed across the entire campus, thanks to constructive engagement and valuable feedback," says Vice President Huber. "A key element in this is the active participation of our students. The further development of degree programmes is most successful when a large number of students actively contribute to these processes."