Quality Assurance System of Zeppelin University

At ZU, the term Attitude stands for a fundamental understanding of the crucial determinants of the university's actions regarding individual and institutional character and impact, independent of the period and the programs on offer. Through its approach ZU sets an operational and attitudinal framework for administrative and academic business which is continually refined, value-driven, and universal. The aim here is to initially come at every idea from a point of view of facilitation. Following the principle of participative decision making, these standards of ZU are openly discussed, critically evaluated, and defined and interpreted in a solution-oriented way. The guidelines which are set in this way are documented and then conveyed and communicated through the intra-university communications channels. 

Here, quality is defined as a canon of values and requirements shared by everyone affiliated with the university, from which collective responsibility and obligation are transformed into participatively-developed and institutionally-defined standards (so-called "mixed planning" as an iterative hybrid of bottom-up and top-down approaches).

With increasing organizational maturity and experience, these values will be gradually refined and copper-fastened. Hence they blueprint the vision of the university on the one hand in terms of a mutual self-image concerning the operational variety of roles and tasks in science and administration, and on the other hand in terms of the positioning and distinction of its own academic aspirations in the national and international college environment.

Attitude is defined and documented in ZU's 5 Year Strategy.

Quality Assurance has always been viewed by ZU as one of the essential determinants for the mid- and long-term establishment of the university. As far back as 2003, as part of ZU's first strategic plan, it was defined as such in the framework of the then mid-term strategy entitled "6 vor 8" ("6 before 8") (six core projects which were the focus before 2008 – the year of institutional accreditation). Of the groups which, even back then, were designated for strategy implementation analysis, the vast majority (Teacher Evaluation, Activity Reports, and Service Quality among others) are, though not quite in the same form as before, still a focus of Quality Assurance. 

As part of the formulation of the second university strategy ZUzwölf (2008 – 2012), the knowledge gained during the university's early days was also reviewed, conceptually revised, and fine-tuned with regard to the efficiency of ZU's qualitative, structural, and content-related measures. Along with the aforementioned points, this meant the further systemic integration of Quality Assurance in the organization through a performance indicator-oriented, integral, and transparent structuring of internal processes and an expansion of the institutionalized involvement of external expertise.

In the strategy "z7z" (2013 – 2017) the university focused on vehicles of social responsibility and their scientific impact. Key dimensions and issues were Education, Research, Trade, Facilities,  Leadership and Quality.

At the beginning of 2017, the Zeppelin University (ZU) adopted its current new Structure and Development Plan (Struktur- und Entwicklungsplan, STEP) (2017-2020). STEP demonstrates the strategic and operative measures that are intended when working together to arrive at a consistent and well-differentiated raising of the ZU profile in a structured, systematic and targeted manner. In the section “Mission Statement & Target Structure” (Leitbild & Zielstruktur) the following is said on this topic (abbreviated):

| The fundamental cultural approach is set out in the mission of the ZU. [Extract from the Mission: “The ZU follows the pioneering spirit of the man who gave it its name and from the beginning has stood for an interdisciplinary approach involving the economy, culture and politics. Because in a dynamic and complex society that in many ways is trying to find a way of restructuring itself, more and more problem situations can no longer be pinned down by a clear disciplinary location.”]

| The ZU sees itself as a research-oriented university with strong disciplinary anchoring und interdisciplinary ways of thinking and working.

| Research in the ZU is systematically involved in didactically innovative and personal

teaching in small study groups.

| Teaching conveys a professional subject approach and responsibility, well-founded education and a cooperative, constructive way of thinking.

| The reinforcement of clear and transparent structures in academic self-administration with its professional linking of academic concerns and private economic business management (checks & balances) will be continued.

| Quality assurance will continue to be developed to a high standard in teaching, research and administration.

According to the "Prinzip der kurzen Wege" ("principle of short distances"), the implementation and refinement of Quality Assurance takes place within the framework of an institutionalized mechanism for co-ordination and reflection. Direct and regular contact between the key figures on the Board of Directors, in Teaching Administration and in Program Direction is the main catalyst for an efficient and effective culture of communication with regard to the full realization of potential. In addition, the university places great value on the structural involvement of the accompanying expertise from the fields of politics, science, and culture in the academic, entrepreneurial and organizational issues which concern ZU (see also Quality Assurance Responsibilities Matrix in the downloads section below).

The embedding of the previously described "quality" is therefore not a peripheral job, nor is it seen as something outside of day-to-day business. Rather it is a self-evident and equal aspect of the normal scheduling, completion, and reviewing of work, from both a personal and institutional point of view. Alongside the direct, problem-oriented solutions for "ordinary workflow" in the areas of teaching, research, and services, the quality-promoting and consolidating interaction between people in authority and employees (as part of decision-making bodies and discussion forums) generates important questions regarding the adaptation of the university's Attitude and Strategy – the very things by which it defines itself and its range of programs. Additional Quality Assurance mechanisms are introduced, depending on quality criteria and systemic necessity.

Here, special emphasis is placed on the definition, documentation, communication, and continual optimization of intra-organizational processes. The process mapping is not a bureaucratic end in itself, but rather it is aimed at resolving the apparent discrepancy between a standardization-oriented process structure and the vision of a reflection-friendly, innovation-friendly system through regular scrutinization of ZU's own work management systems.

Since the awarding of System Accreditation (the highest level of national Quality Accreditation) in September 2013, ZU is responsible for the Quality Assurance of its own programs. Program Accreditation (Program Accreditations) through external accreditation agencies are no longer necessary as long as all program changes and developments go through the internal Quality Assurance system methodically and verifiably. ZU has introduced "Quality Assurance Tracks" in order to classify, standardize, and systematize the developmental process. The tracks define the form and rigor of the procedure in an already existing program structure (in study programs which are already up and running) or the originality of the proposal (where the establishment of a new course is concerned) and all of the associated Quality Assurance steps and responsibilities. In this way it is ensured that all programs on offer are in line with internal strategic, academic, and commercial parameters while also complying with national and international guidelines.
In the "Downloads" section you will find a limited selection of key documents relating to ZU's quality standards in teaching, research, and administration.