University adopts mission statement for teaching

"The University of Kassel has been working continuously for many years to improve the quality of study and teaching," says Prof. Dr. Matzdorf. "Our positions with regard to science and practice, digitization or lifelong learning must be constantly rebalanced in the process - the new mission statement provides orientation for everyone involved here."

The mission statement also addresses the increasingly individualized life courses of students - for example, it explicitly strives for leeway in studying at different speeds and the university sets itself the goal of offering students more individualized options for shaping their educational paths. In this regard, Prof. Matzdorf says: "In our mission statement, we emphasize that, in addition to the professional aspects, the formation of personality is also very important to us in our studies. Our graduates should develop an awareness of sustainability, justice, participation and the needs of a constantly changing society and be aware of their responsibilities in their later careers."

Under the heading "Open University", the University of Kassel explicitly commits itself in its new mission statement on teaching to promoting the various access options to the university: "It is a matter of concern to us to enable as many people as possible with university entrance qualifications to have the opportunity for university education in the subject of their choice. We therefore welcome the fact that Hessen's higher education law provides for other access options to university in addition to the general university entrance qualification," says Prof. Matzdorf.

"Another core issue is internationalization," explains Prof. Dr. Matzdorf. "By also offering English-language degree programs, we create an international atmosphere that benefits local students as well as international students. Our goal is to prepare all students to work in the international scientific community and in a global workplace."

In the further development of the study programs, the teaching mission statement will provide important guidelines in the future, which will then gradually find their way into the examination regulations and change everyday teaching. "The new teaching mission statement will also provide valuable impetus when it comes to designing new study programs," Prof. Dr. Matzdorf is certain.

Contact:

Markus Zens
University of Kassel
Communications, Press and Public Relations
Tel.: +49 561 804-1961
E-mail: presse[at]uni-kassel[dot]de
www.uni-kassel.de