Surveys on studying and teaching

Starting with the enrollment survey of first-year students every winter semester, the regular survey on study and examination organization and the annual graduate survey, there are also special topic-related surveys (e.g. mental health during a pandemic).

The summarized results of all these surveys can be found online and in detail on the intranet and are made available to all relevant departments at KIT.

The results also have a direct influence on quality assurance and the further development of the degree programs, as well as on accreditation.

The summarized results of current surveys can be found on our website on Student Surveys at KIT.

Student Surveys at KIT

All compulsory courses are evaluated in the second half of the lecture period.

In the evaluation, you answer six key questions, including the overall grade, the structure and workload of the course, or how the teaching staff engaged with/with you. This results in the teaching quality index (LQI)

But what happens to the results?

There is a follow-up procedure:

First, the teacher receives the results and should discuss them with you respondents (if in doubt, talk to them about it together). Those responsible at the KIT faculties receive a semester report containing the LQI values of all evaluated courses. In the case of critical values, they then hold discussions with the relevant lecturers to discuss possible measures. In addition, Quality Management holds a meeting with all KIT faculties/teaching units every semester to discuss the results.

In a final step, the semester report for the entire KIT is submitted to the Vice President of Teaching and Academic Affairs and to the KIT Senate Commission for Studies and Teaching. This is accompanied by a meeting between the Vice President Teaching and Academic Affairs and Quality Management.

Teaching awards

Some KIT faculties use very good LQI results to award teaching prizes.

This may not seem so important to you at first, but it can be a very good push, especially for young and new lecturers, to think about their teaching and encourage other lecturers to develop their teaching further.

Elections

In the elections at KIT, you can use your vote to elect fellow students to important, decision-making committees and positions, as well as run for these yourself.

For example, the AStA is elected every year, but you also elect the student members of academic committees such as the KIT Senate.

Committees

With your enrollment, you are automatically a member of the student body (VS) and thus a member of a legally anchored part of KIT. This can be divided into different forms of committees; this list separates the possibilities of active involvement within and outside KIT.

Student committees 

Central/KIT-wide

• General Student Committee (AStA)
  • The AStA is the executive committee of the constituted student body, i.e. all registered students at KIT. Its work is divided into departments, which the student parliament (StuPa)elects or decides on annually, as well as their work plan.
• Student Council Conference (FSK)
  • The FSK brings together delegates from all student councils. Here they exchange ideas, plan joint projects and campaigns and coordinate cooperation with the AStA.
• Students’ Parliament (StuPa)
  • The StuPa is like the parliament of the KIT student body. It decides on all important matters that affect you students. It also elects the speakers, decides on the AStA's work program and fills the student positions on KIT-wide committees that are not filled by elections. For example, students are delegated to KIT Senate Commissions, the Council of Elders, the House of Competence (HoC) Advisory Board, the Studierendenwerk Karlsruhe, the Joint Commission for Teacher Training Karlsruhe (KLK) or the Alliance for Democracy & Human Rights.
• Council of Elders (ÄR)
  • The Council of Elders is the "court of arbitration" of the constituted student body (VS). Experienced students usually sit on this committee, as the ÄR is consulted on questions of arbitration and interpretation of the statutes and regulations of the VS and reviews changes to the statutes and regulations. For this reason, the members may not be active in any other committee of the VS at KIT.

Decentralized/KIT faculties/courses of study

• Student Council (FS)
  • Each degree program at KIT is assigned to one (or in a few special cases several) student council(s). All members of the student council are students themselves and are therefore usually best placed to help directly with problems relating to the degree program. The student council often also organizes parties, the O-Phase for new students and offers protocol collections and learning aids. Many student representatives on the KIT Faculty Council or the commissions are members of the student council and therefore very close to the degree program, but also in close contact with the KIT faculty.

University/academic committees with student participation

Central/KIT-wide

• KIT Senate
  • The KIT Senate comments on the structure and development plan, confirms the members of the Executive Board and decides on research, teaching, studies and continuing education. This often takes place in KIT Senate Commissions (SK) in which students are also represented and delegated via the StuPa. It also advises the Supervisory Board and the Executive Board on scientific and technical issues. It meets once a month and has four student members who are elected by the entire student body.
  • KIT Senate Commissions (SK) SK are commissioned by the KIT Senate to deal with a specific topic. Students are represented in all SK. Examples of SK are:
    • SK for Studies and Teaching (SKSL): It evaluates the study and teaching operations and prepares topics and needs for the KIT Senate in this regard.
    • SK for Equal Opportunities and Diversity (SKCHG): It evaluates KIT as an inclusive place for all students and employees and develops ideas and topics for continuous improvement.
    • SK for Examination Regulations, Selection and Admission (SKPOAZ): Changes and renewals of examination regulations, selection & admission statutes are prepared by this SK for the KIT Senate.
    • SK for Program Evaluation Teaching and Studies (KIT-PLUS): It is responsible for the initial accreditation and reaccreditation of all study programs at KIT.
    • Other SK include: Structure & Strategy Matters (SKSTR), Teacher Training (SKLehrer), Ethics Commission (SKEthik), Safeguarding Good Scientific Practice (SKGWP) and the Budget Commission.
• Commission for the distribution of quality assurance funds
  • DKIT receives funds from the state of Baden-Württemberg to ensure the quality of teaching and learning. There is always at least one student representative on these important committees.

Decentralized/KIT faculties/courses of study

• KIT Faculty Council (FR)
  • The KIT Faculty Council of a KIT faculty controls the facilities of a KIT faculty, is an important part of the creation of structure & development plans, takes a position on appointment proposals and (particularly important for you) develops and controls the study & examination regulations together with the responsible study commission. At least three students are members of the KIT Faculty Council, who are elected by all students of the KIT faculty in the elections.
• Study Commissions (StuKo)
  • Appointed by the KIT Faculty Council, the Study Commission consists of ten members, four of whom are students. It deals with all issues relating to the study and teaching of the associated degree program. It is therefore an important part of the development and implementation of the study and examination plans. However, if you have any concerns regarding your degree program, you can also inform your representatives on the Study Commission so that they can raise them with the relevant bodies. Occasionally there are inter-faculty StuKos at KIT, simply ask your student council which StuKo is responsible for your degree program.
• Examination boards (PA)
  • Partly also exercised by the study commission, the examination board/examination committee is responsible for many topics relevant to examinations. Among other things, it determines the examination schedule, is responsible for the recognition of work completed outside of the degree program (e.g. as part of an apprenticeship) as well as applications for deadline extensions, second repetitions or BAföG extensions.
• Selection committees (AK)
  • Selection committees are necessary for degree programs with admission restrictions as well as all Master's degree programs (which have admission restrictions per se) in order to decide whether applicants receive a study place. Depending on the degree program, different selection procedures are used in which the committee is involved. This committee always includes at least one student.
• Every new or vacant professorship is advertised and an appointment committee is set up. This consists of professors, academic staff and two student members.
• The student members should pay particular attention to the teaching skills of the applicants.
• As part of the procedure, the applicants hold a teaching rehearsal, which is usually open to the university public and in which as many students as possible take part in order to support the student members of the committee in reaching an opinion.

Divisional Council

The divisions of KIT are organized by discipline and bundle research, teaching and innovation of the institutes, KIT faculties and Helmholtz programs assigned to them. Each department reports to a department head, who is supported by a department council. A student representative sits on each of the divisional councils.

Studierendenwerk Karlsruhe (StuWe KA)

The StuWe is responsible for the canteens, for social counseling and support, as well as for some halls of residence in Karlsruhe (and Pforzheim). Students from Karlsruhe University & Colleges are represented on all committees.

• Representative Assembly of the Studierendenwerk (StuWe-VV):
  • It elects the StuWe Board of Directors and is informed about the work of the management. It communicates the demands of the Karlsruhe student bodies to the StuWe.
• Studierendenwerk Administrative Board (StuWe-VR):
  • The VR monitors the management of the StuWe and the annual financial statements and reviews and approves the business plan.
• Studierendenrat des Deutschen Studierendenwerks (DSW-SR):
• This is the networking body for all students involved in the student unions in Germany. The VR Karlsruhe usually sends a student member to the semi-annual meetings. Due to the nationwide networking, (similar to the student federal association fzs e.V.) (federal) political decisions can also be influenced.

All Information can be found on the websites of the Studierendenwerk Karlsruhe or the website of the DSW.

Karlsruhe Alliance for Democracy and Human Rights 

The members of the alliance are committed to the free and democratic basic order and its elements of human dignity, democracy, the rule of law and the welfare state. The overarching goal is to strengthen democracy in the Karlsruhe region in the long term. The constituted student body of the KIT is a member of the alliance and participates through student representatives.

You can find mor information on the website of the Alliance Karlsruhe 

LandesStudierendenVertretung (LaStuVe) & LandesAStenKonferenz (LAK)

The LAK is the legislative body of the LaStuVe. It represents the university-political, cross-university interests of all student bodies in Baden-Württemberg.

The member student bodies work on state-wide positions in departments and working groups (AK). Examples of AK or departments are:

• AK state-wide semester ticket
• Student services department
• Sustainability department
• Teacher training department
• Social Affairs Department
• Equal Opportunities Department

The positions adopted are recorded and published in statements and press releases.

The KIT student body is an active member and board and speaker positions are repeatedly taken over by KIT representatives.

You can find more information on the website of the LaStuVe 

• free association of student organizations (freier zusammenschluss von student*innenschaften - fzs e.V.)

The free association of student organizations (fzs) e.V. is the non-partisan umbrella organization of student representatives in Germany. With over 90 members, the fzs represents over one million students in Germany.

The fzs represents the social, cultural, political and economic interests of students nationwide vis-à-vis universities, politics and the public.

The KIT student body is currently not a member of the fzs e.V., but benefits from the association's work. The fzs offers a very good platform for exchange with other student bodies in Germany, but also maintains very good contacts with student representations abroad, as well as the European Students' Union (ESU), the umbrella organization of European student representations.

Important and well-known fzs projects include the BAföG50 campaign, the abolition of tuition fees for international students in Baden-Württemberg, good study conditions, the "Never again!" campaign and many more.

The fzs also partly finances the student accreditation pool and handles its finances and legal transactions (it is a "pool-supporting organization").

You can find more information on the fzs Website 

Student Accreditation Pool

The student accreditation pool is responsible for sending students to the quality assurance procedures at universities (accreditations).

Here you can take part in free training courses to become a reviewer and be sent to the pool by a "pool-bearing organization" (in addition to the fzs e.V. as a nationwide student representation, these are the state student representations and the federal student councils) in order to subsequently participate in accreditation procedures as a student reviewer.

What is special about it?

You gain an insight into study programs at other universities and get to know many new aspects, people and universities. These universities do not always have to be in Germany, as degree programs and universities are accredited throughout the European Higher Education Area (link https://ehea.info/page-full_members) and beyond. Indonesia, Japan, Canada, Kazakhstan, Oman and Switzerland are just a few examples of countries outside the European Union at whose universities accreditations have taken place with the participation of the pool, and where student pool members were on site as experts.

You can find all information on the website of the student accreditation pool 

European Students‘ Union (ESU)

The ESU is the European umbrella organization in which over 40 national student associations (including the fzs) are represented. It works very closely in political and social discourse with the European Commission, the Council of Europe, the European Youth Forum, UNESCO and other partner organizations, where it represents the views of European students. The ESU sets itself core objectives every two years, which are worked on in a European context. These often relate to student participation, inclusion, internationalization, sustainability and the quality of studying and teaching.

You can find all information on the website of the European Students‘ Union