An important component of quality assurance is to gather (doctoral) student experience, suggestions, and criticism. For this reason, the staff unit QM regularly carries out surveys during all phases of the course of studies, from the start to the conclusion.
The survey results, along with other performance indicators, feature in the monitoring reports that inform the University of Konstanz’s accreditation of study programmes and their further development by the individual departments.
Published results are available to download below.
Student survey “We want your opinion!”
The University of Konstanz carries out the student survey “We want your opinion!” every year during the winter semester. It measures how satisfied the students are with the study conditions, furnishings and equipment, and the services at the university. It focuses on difficulties and critical phases during the course of studies, e.g. the transition between bachelor and master’s studies, or the one leading to doctoral studies.
The thematic focus changes every year, as does the focus on the departments, which depends on their selection during the Rectorate cycle or the peer review cycle of the monitoring process.
Objectives
- To improve the study conditions.
- To determine the need for additional services (e.g. advice etc.).
- To assure the quality of study and teaching.
- To determine the weaknesses in individual study programmes in order to remedy them.
Results:
Exmatriculated students' survey
A few days after being exmatriculated, former students of the University of Konstanz receive an invitation to participate in an online survey. The survey is designed for all former students, whether they successfully completed a study programme or not. This allows for a comparison of both groups of students. However, different topics are addressed in the survey depending on whether a former student completed or discontinued the study programme.
Objectives
- To assess the study conditions for former students from two different perspectives.
- To determine the level of satisfaction of former students with university services.
- To identify reasons for discontinuing studies or transferring to another school.
Results:
Graduate survey
Since the winter semester of 2014/15, the University of Konstanz participates in the project "Bade-Württembergische Absolventenstudie" that in conducted in cooperation with other universities in the federal state Baden-Württemberg. All graduates (BA, MA, Lehramt (teaching major), Diplom, Magister, State Examinations) are surveyed approximately two years after graduation in regards to their current situation. A separate questionnaire was sent out to doctoral graduates, levying information on their professional situation two years after obtaining their doctorate. The survey results are evaluated along with those of the doctoral students' survey.
Up until the year 2014, the University of Konstanz participated in the INCHER Graduate Survey.
Objectives
- Gain insights into the acquisition of skills, professional situation and labour market prospects of alumni
- Draw conclusions about the design of study programmes
Results:
PhD student survey
In the winter semester 2021/22, the University of Konstanz conducted a survey among all registered doctoral students for the third time. The Rectorate commissioned the Office of Quality Management and Academic Staff Development to conduct the survey. The questionnaire was coordinated with various offices such as graduate schools, doctoral student conventions as well as departments. Topics included the funding of doctoral students, the progress of the doctorate, and satisfaction with the supervision situation.
Goals
- To gain insights into the situation of all doctoral students at the University of Konstanz with regard to financing, the course of doctoral studies, and supervision.
- To improve the supervision as well as various service and counseling offers
- To ensure the quality of the doctoral phase
Results
Postdoc survey
In the winter semester of 2022/23, the University of Konstanz conducted a survey of all academic staff at the university who had completed a doctorate below the professorship level. The Rectorate commissioned the Quality Management Office and Academic Staff Development to conduct the survey. The survey is part of several excellence projects and serves the purpose of identifying challenges and difficulties in this employment group as well as training and offer needs for them in order to (further) develop future support for the status group of postdocs in a targeted manner. Topics were the employment situation, employment and financing (incl. fixed-term contracts), satisfaction with the work situation and superiors, workload and health aspects, past and future career development, qualification needs, career/family situation and overall satisfaction.
Goals
- To gain insights into the situation of all postdocs at the University of Konstanz
- To improve the conditions for postdoctoral researchers at the University of Konstanz.
Results
will be published here as soon as they are available
Placement Records for Advanced Postdocs
The University of Konstanz is conducting a study on the placement of all post-doctoral researchers, junior professors and junior research group leaders at the University. This study serves the purpose of mapping the career goals and career paths of the University’s researchers. The data obtained complements the quality management in the promotion of young researchers. The findings from the study also serve the further development of personnel development and provide data to answer questions in the areas of equality and diversity, among others.
The placement data of academics are collected annually by means of recherche in intervals of 0, 3, 6 and 9 years after they completed their qualification or left the university. In this way, the data set, which includes degrees and academics since the year 2000, is continuously supplemented with data on the academic career paths of habilitated / habilitation-equivalent qualified academics of the University of Konstanz. The Rectorate commissioned the Quality Management Office and Academic Staff Development to conduct the study. The survey is part of several excellence projects.
Results
will be published here as soon as they are available
Teachers' survey teach&tell
The teacher's survey teach&tell has supplemented the University of Konstanz's survey portfolio in summer 2023. The survey adresses all teaching staff at the university and is carried out every two to three years. In the survey, teachers are asked for feedback on teaching conditions, their own teaching activities and the future direction of teaching at the University of Konstanz. The results of the survey are incorporated into the general reporting system at the University of Konstanz (monitoring of the departments, general monitoring in the area of teaching).
Goals
- Insights into the situation of teaching and learning conditions at the University of Konstanz
Results
will be published here as soon as they are available