About QuiS

QuiS is a program run by the Hessian state government to promote quality in teaching and studies and for targeted teaching development. Teaching at universities is currently influenced by various factors: the diversity of students, changes as a result of the corona pandemic, the interaction of analogue and digital teaching offerings, the integration of AI and the flexibility of studies.

QuiS supports Hessian universities in working conceptually on these – but also other – topics and promotes pilot models and implementation steps. Increasing the permeability in the education system, enabling students to study with equal opportunities and leading them to successfully complete their studies are the main goals of the program.

QuiS stands for “High quality in studying and teaching, good study conditions”. The program will be financed over five years with more than 130 million euros from funds from the future contract “Strengthening Study and Teaching”.

The QuiS program (“High quality in studying and teaching, good study conditions”)

• promotes equal opportunities and equality in studies
• wants to facilitate the transition from school to university and between vocational and academic education
• promotes study orientation and helps to improve study success
• strengthens the introductory phase and the advising of students
• contributes to improving study conditions and making studies more flexible
• promotes the internationalization of studies and student mobility
• focuses on the quality of teaching and supports its further development

Even school students can benefit from QuiS and get to know universities and subjects through specially developed projects. For those interested in studying, there are offers for orientation and choosing the right field of study. Teachers also receive information and contacts so that they can support their students in choosing a course of study.

The main target group are students . The study and teaching formats as well as advice and coaching offers developed in the QuiS programs are based on different requirements, living circumstances and interests and thus help students to successfully complete their studies.

the for teachers and staff at universities in which they can test new teaching and support concepts or combine digital formats with face-to-face teaching and intensive discussion. At the same time, QuiS promotes further training in university didactics as well as cross-university collaboration between teachers and employees.

example, universities have the opportunity to adapt their study structures more flexibly to the learning progress of their students, their experiences and everyday life. The continuous development of studies and teaching - the so-called quality assurance - as well as university-wide centers where students acquire interdisciplinary skills (such as key skills, academic writing or use of methods) are also supported. Finally, QuiS promotes exchange between the Hessian universities and particularly supports cooperation projects.

QuiS21

The central funding line of QuiS enables programs for teaching and studying that are based on the specific interests and needs of students and make the teaching profiles of the individual universities visible. Among other things, projects on diversity and variety, equality in MINT subjects, study orientation and entry into studies as well as internationalization are supported.

A particular focus is on university collaborations. This promotes studying at adapted speeds, which all Hessian universities of applied sciences offer. The (regional) cooperation between universities in study orientation is supported and the development of e-learning settings is financed.

As part of the QuiS21 funding line, universities can also test hybrid concepts that combine face-to-face teaching and digital events. In this way, the experiences from the corona pandemic should be usable for the future. A good 14 million euros are available for this purpose.

The funding was allocated competitively: the project applications were evaluated by the six external scientists from the Student Success Commission.

The total duration of QuiS21 extends from mid-2021 to the end of 2025. During this period, the program line is funded with around 100 million euros.

QuiS_Flex

29 percent of students spend less than 25 hours a week on their studies, 26 percent have completed vocational training, 11 percent have health problems - diverse educational biographies and living circumstances show that studying and teaching need to be made more flexible. In several respects: in terms of content, method, time and space. In order to achieve improvements on all of these levels, the different groups of students must be examined and their exact needs analyzed, concepts and pilot courses developed and new formats for organization, teaching and support tested. For this purpose, QuiS_Flex is making a good 14 million euros available to universities over three years.

This sum also includes an inter-university budget that is intended to promote exchange between universities and enable them to organize joint workshops, develop new instruments for course development or commission studies.

The QuiS_Flex funding program was developed in two workshops by the “Study Success Commission” – together with university management, students, external experts and the HMWK.

QuiSDuaL

Those who study dual combine a university degree with practical phases in a company. This not only brings financial advantages and intensive practice, but also gives young people outside the big cities the opportunity to learn and work in their home region. QuiSDuaL supports dual studies, especially in rural areas, with 2.5 million euros annually. During the term of the Hessian University Pact 2021-2025, funding will be based on parameters based on the number of dual students in rural areas.

QuiS_Plus

During the Corona pandemic, many students needed special care, coaching or psychological support - for example because they became more sensitive to stress during the pandemic, were less able to motivate themselves or even thought about dropping out of their studies. In 2021, around 1 million euros were made available to universities as part of QuiS_Plus for additional advice and support services as well as measures that promote social networking and interaction among students.

As a result of social changes, both the demands on university teaching and the opportunities to contribute to greater permeability and equal opportunities in the education system through good teaching and study conditions are increasing.

In order to adequately address the multiple requirements and changes in the university system, QuiS relies on a cooperative approach in which both the 14 Hessian universities and the Hessian Ministry of Science and Research, Art and Culture work intensively together. Current developments and needs are analyzed together in order to design funding programs on this basis. In addition to the perspective of university management and scientists, that of students and external experts is also taken into account in the development of funding programs.

The Study Success Commission is the most important forum for cooperation between universities and the Ministry of Science in the QuiS program. It serves the exchange and discussion of current issues in university teaching, participates in the design of the QuiS funding lines and thus provides impetus for the further development of studies and teaching.

What will university teaching look like after Corona? How can studies be made more flexible? What impact does AI have on higher education? The forum has so far been dedicated to these and similar topics. With the Study Success Commission, the Hessian Ministry for Science and Research, Art and Culture focuses on the quality of teaching and studies and their further development.

The commission includes:

• the vice presidents for studying and teaching at the 14 Hessian universities,
• Students from different types of universities,
• a representative of the state conference of Hessian university women and equal opportunities representatives
• six external teaching experts
• Representatives of the Hessian Ministry of Science and Art

The members of the external expert committee that has accompanied QuiS since 2021 are:

• Prof. Dr. Karin Donhauser (HU Berlin), chairwoman
• Prof. Dr. Andrea Bührmann (University of Göttingen)
• Prof. Dr. Sylvia Heuchemer (TH Cologne)
• Prof. Dr. Ansgar Kirsch (FH Aachen)
• Dr. Peter Salden (Ruhr University Bochum)

All universities sponsored by the state of Hesse are involved in one or more QuiS funding programs. These are the Technical University Of Darmstadt , the Goethe University of Frankfurt am Main, the Justus Liebig University of Gießen, the University of Kassel, the Philipps University of Marburg, the Darmstadt University of Applied Sciences, the Frankfurt University of Applied Sciences, the Fulda University of Applied Sciences, the Technische Hochschule Mittelhessen , the RheinMain University of Applied Sciences, the Offenbach am Main University of Design, the Frankfurt am Main University of Music and Performing Arts, the Frankfurt am Main University of Fine Arts - Städelschule and the Geisenheim University of Applied Sciences.