Folkwang

 

Accreditation and other methods and instruments accompanying the quality related works

The accreditation procedures as well as the process- and evaluation-oriented instruments, methods and measures of quality work are accompanied at Folkwang University of the Arts by advisory services, information, support and development for students, teachers and employees. Some of the these methods, instruments and measures have been in place at the Folkwang University of the Arts for many years. They were not just created as part of the "Excellently advised" project or the quest to professionalise the advisory services and quality-related work. Nevertheless, they have often developed further in terms of content and structure during the duration of the Quality Pact, have been interlinked with other components of the quality work and currently form an indispensable accompanying framework for the dialogue-oriented quality work, the further development of which will continue even the project has finished.

With the reform of the German accreditation system, the content and structural requirements in the study courses subject to accreditation have changed significantly since 2017. As a result, the interaction between the continuously effective quality work and the programme accreditation procedure at Folkwang has become increasingly important.

Further information on accreditation procedures and the other accompanying procedures/instruments of quality work will be added successively.

Accreditation

In the Art Colleges Act of the State of North Rhine-Westphalia, § 7 (1) regulates the accreditation obligation for study courses at art and music colleges:

 

"The special features of art colleges require exceptions to the principle of accreditation in artistic study courses. In principle, the study courses shall be accredited and re-accredited in accordance with the State Treaty on the Accreditation of Study courses of 12 June 2017 (GV. NRW. p. 806) and the regulations issued on its basis, taking into account the special tasks of the universities of the arts. The commencement of study operations requires the successful completion of accreditation; the conditions resulting from the accreditation procedure shall be implemented. Exceptions to sentences 2 and 3 are permissible in accordance with agreements between the Ministry and the art college...".

 

This means that the artistic study courses at the Folkwang University of the Arts are not subject to the statutory accreditation requirement. Their teaching and study quality is assured and developed through internal university quality work. The academic degree courses in Musicology and Teacher Training in Faculty 2, the cooperative degree course with the SAE Institute 'Professional Media Creation' in Faculty 3 and the degree courses 'Product Design', 'Design Futures' and 'Communication Design' in Faculty 4 are currently subject to statutory accreditation.

 

Information on the status of accreditations and reaccreditations of Folkwang study courses can be found in the database of the Accreditation Council: https://antrag.akkreditierungsrat.de/akkrstudiengaenge/?hochschule=abf6bce3-2ef2-d598-6fb7-dd85c18c33e4&akkreditiert=Ja&ordering=ordering_name&limit=100&offset=0

 

Accreditation procedures are carried out at Folkwang within the framework of programme accreditation (https://akkreditierungsrat.de/de/akkreditierungssystem/programmakkreditierung/programmakkreditierung) and are subject to the legal foundation of the German accreditation system. This consists of the ‘Staatsvertrag’ on the Organisation of a Joint Accreditation System for Quality Assurance in Study and Teaching at German Universities, the ‘Musterrechtsverordnung’ of 07.12.2017 and the Law on the Foundation Accreditation Council (Akkreditierungsratsgesetz).

 

In addition, the ‘Studienakkreditierungsverordnung’ applies to accreditation in NRW for all study courses: https://recht.nrw.de/lmi/owa/br_vbl_detail_text?anw_nr=6&vd_id=16844

 

Since spring 2023, the Quality Development Department has been responsible for coordinating and supporting the accreditation and re-accreditation procedures of study programmes at Folkwang University of the Arts that require accreditation.

 

For questions and support in connection with programme accreditations, please contact the Quality Development Department.

Teaching guide and Mission statement teaching

The TEACHING GUIDE have been assisting Folkwang teachers in their daily work since the 2017/18 winter semester. They provide helpful tips and suggestions on how to plan teaching, lessons and examinations and how to deal with a number of ‘Folkwang particularities’.

All information contained in the TEACHING GUIDE is prepared specially for teachers, and assists them in their daily work in teaching and as examiners at the Folkwang University of the Arts. For the summer semester 2023, the TEACHER’S GUIDE has been extensively revised and is available in an updated 2nd edition:

 

Teacher’s Guide

 

 

If you have any queries or suggestions about the TEACHING GUIDE, you are welcome to contact the Quality Development division at any time.

 

Since autumn 2022, Folkwang University of the Arts has had a mission statement teaching that is reflected in the curricula of the Folkwang study courses.


It is based on the Folkwang idea and reflects the general self-image of studying and teaching at the Folkwang. It serves to fulfil the requirements of the StudakVO NRW and at the same time as a basis for a lively discourse on “good” teaching. The present version is open to adjustments and changes at any time. The initiation and implementation of university-wide exchange formats for the further development of the mission statement is recommended by the QE department and will be implemented soon.

 

Advisory network

A central objective of the ‘Excellently advised’ quality-pact project was to connect internal advisory bodies at Folkwang (e.g. the International Office, central student advisory service, aid programmes and finance counselling etc.) and external advisory bodies (e.g. the student union, ombudsperson) in an

advisory network. The project team has been setting up an advisory network since 2016, expanding it according to needs, and adapting it to the specific concerns of members of colleges of art and music. The network’s setup procedure was accompanied by process-development activities (see above) and systematically combined with the quality-development activities for studies and teaching.

 

Statistical data

In addition to university-wide statistics throughout the student life cycle (such as student, applicant and graduate statistics), the case-based and area-specific statistics of organisational units support systematic quality assurance in studies and teaching.

One example: Advisory statistics, which record contacts made with advisory services, can enable the respective advisory service to optimally adapt their service offering to university-wide needs and draw any applicable conclusions for further development with a view to continuously improving Folkwang’s advisory services and other areas.

 

An overview summary on the use of descriptive data in student counselling can be read here:
Lorz & Lückert (2021): Statistische Erfassung in der Studienberatung – Nur Mittel zum Zweck oder wichtiges Qualitätsinstrument?! In: Zeitschrift für Beratung und Studium (ZBS), Ausgabe 1+2/2021, S. 35-39 (in German only)