Internationally recognised quality is something that the University strives for in every department and in every institute. When it comes to areas such as studying and teaching, specific methods of quality control are in place to ensure continued progress.
Thus students provide teachers with feedback about their courses. "This is not about sanctioning," explains Dieter Euler, Professor of Educational Management and President's Delegate for Quality Development at the HSG. "Rather, we'd like to show where and how we can improve."
At the programme level, individual curricula like currently the major in Business Administration are developed further in close cooperation with the programme directors. However, programmes and their learning objectives, teaching methods and examination forms are continually reviewed and adapted above and beyond any "general overhaul". At the level of the University as a whole, the Center for Learning and Teaching in Higher Education offers the CAS Learning and Teaching in Higher Education programme and a great number of executive education programmes for individual requirements.
"This tough feedback provides
us with important impulses"
For the HSG as an international business university, two accreditations are important, too: AACSB (The Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business) and EQUIS (European Quality Improvement System). The HSG was last re-accredited for both of them in 2013. In 2018, the applications for re-accreditation will have to be submitted again.
Unlike the rankings, accreditations are about examining whether the University's own objectives are appropriate and how they are achieved. "What is much more important than the reputable logos which we are able to adorn ourselves with is the honest feedback from peers on an equal footing," says Dieter Euler. "This tough feedback provides us with important impulses." Dealing with these indications rather than remedying all the critical points is crucial for re-accreditation. "One impulse was the question as to how we handle digital media," explains Dieter Euler. "In this context we tried out what matches our idea of up-to-date degree programmes at a traditional university in a number of pilot projects. What is important in this context is that this generates added didactic value."
Quality development is also underpinned by research at the HSG. The Competence Center for Educational Development and Research in Higher Education (CEDAR) enables the latest research findings to be integrated into practice at once. "We can be proud of this," says Dieter Euler, "this is unique in Switzerland's university landscape."