News Archive

During the last few weeks, HEIs have been and continue to be faced with special challenges in their operational processes. This also applies to recruitment and appointment procedures when these cannot take place locally. Various digital formats are now being tested. However, digitally mediated discussions and appointment processes may develop their own dynamics. Technical, organisational as well as psychological aspects must be taken into account. These aspects were discussed by around 45 interested parties in the second online dialogue of CHE Consult.

In cooperation with the non-profit CHE, CHE Consult has presented the CHECK Numerus Clausus for the Wintersemester 2020/21. It shows that those who want to start studying in the coming winter semester still have a good chance of being accepted. The quota of admission restricted study programmes has again fallen slightly. Only around 40 percent have a so-called Numerus Clausus, or NC for short.

CHE Consult is taking the current situation as an opportunity to investigate, via an online survey, whether and how higher education institutions (HEI) enable their academic staff and their technical and administrative personnel to work outside the office. The study looks at different types of work outside the office and focuses on home office particularly. As a result, we differentiate various procedures and regulations depending on the type and size of the Higher Education Institution. The results of the study will be available for download on our website www.che-consult.de during the summer.

"Home office and Higher Education Institutions - more risk than reward?" This question was discussed by 59 people from 39 universities in an online dialogue organised by CHE Consult on 6th May 2020, which is the start of a series of dialogues. At present, the topic "home office" is more relevant than ever for Higher Education Institutions members. While working from home was previously rather an exception, this form of work has become a lived practice in the face of the Corona Pandemic.

The management of ETH Zurich has adopted a new "Collections and Archives Strategy 2021 to 2024". This marked the completion of a project lasting more than one year, which was supported by CHE Consult in cooperation with the foresight company Z_punkt. The project was commissioned by the Vice President for Infrastructure Prof. Dr. Ulrich Weidmann, who has now also been commissioned by the Executive Board of ETH Zurich to implement the strategy.

On behalf of the CHE Centre for Higher Education Development, CHE Consult has analysed the websites of universities. For this purpose, personas were developed for five ideal-typical prospective students who were interested in studying business administration. With reference to the personas, a questionnaire consisting of 69 individual questions was created, with which a sample of 32 university websites could be tested. The publication "Hochschulwebsites für heterogene Zielgruppen – Mit Personas Websites strategisch gestalten" contains eight central recommendations for action in addition to the analysis.

CHE Consult has conducted market and potential analyses for eight courses of study at the Technical University OWL. The recently established Bachelor's degree courses in Open Space Management and Precision Farming as well as the planned Bachelor's and Master's degree courses in the fields of mechanical engineering and mechatronics, production and wood technology as well as energy and climate protection were examined.

Together with the Austrian Institute for Economic Research and on behalf of the "Academy of Sciences Hamburg", CHE Consult has developed a study that shows how Hamburg can become the "Science Metropolis of the North". Science is increasingly an important factor in ensuring economic prosperity. What has Hamburg achieved so far and how does the Hamburg metropolitan region compare with other metropolitan regions? The results were presented in Hamburg.

On behalf of the CHE Centre for Higher Education Development, CHE Consult analysed the development of part-time study programmes in Germany. It covers the range of courses offered by HEIs and the demand from students. It turns out that part-time courses are still the exception at HEIs. Only every 14th student in Germany officially completes his studies part-time. Anyone looking for an alternative to full-time study has only a limited choice.

On behalf of the CHE Centre for Higher Education Development, CHE Consult has analysed the orientation, information and advisory services for first-year students in the introductory phase of their studies at German HEIs. The study includs offers from the following areas: orientation, competence alignment and development, flexibilisation and personal support. Every year, half a million first-semester students start their "adventure of studying". The current study examines how personally and intensively they are accompanied and supported by their universities.