External surveys

Rankings

In the last 10 years, the importance of university rankings has increased significantly - even if they are controversial with regard to the informative value and reliability of the data. After all, prospective students use the rankings when choosing a course of study, and ranking results also offer universities support in developing the quality of their studies and teaching. Many rankings - especially those carried out by journals - are carried out without the participation of students and universities. These rankings are often the subject of strong criticism in terms of content. In Germany, the university ranking of the Center for Higher Education Development (CHE) is probably the most methodologically mature procedure. The CHE ranking is based on surveys of students and professors on their assessments of studies, research and facilities. In addition, facts about the duration of studies, personnel and financial resources or the amount of research funds are included in the ranking. The data collection at the University of Kassel is coordinated by the Department of Studies and Teaching The results for the individual ranked subjects can be read at: https://ranking.zeit.de

Surveys

The experiences of students at our university are used for nationwide or internal university surveys. For example, departments conduct surveys of students at different stages of their studies to provide feedback on strengths and weaknesses. Since 2008, graduates of the University of Kassel have been systematically surveyed(UNIKAB project). In addition, research institutions in Germany conduct surveys of students in order to draw conclusions about the motives behind their choice of studies, the quality of their studies, their social situation or reasons for dropping out. Some of these surveys are supported organizationally by the Department of Studies and Teaching. The results are a basis for improving the quality of studying and teaching.