In publica commoda

Call for proposals 2012

“DIVERSITY? – PROMOTE PLURALITY!”

Dear Students,

“Dedicated to studying at Göttingen” is the concept behind the contest being promoted by the university for students to actively help shape study conditions.

With the theme “Diversity? – Promote Plurality!” we warmly invite you this year to submit your ideas on how different learning paths, different backgrounds, different motivations and different career plans can be incorporated into everyday studies.

So if you have great ideas on how the existing knowledge and experience of different students can enrich teaching and learning – for instance regarding teaching and learning concepts or practical issues relating to research – but did not know what to do about them, it’s quite simple: join in, take part and change things!
We are calling on all students to participate. You can win cash prizes and non-cash prizes worth a total of 3,000 euros!

The Ideas Competition is being held under the aegis of the Vice President for Teaching and Learning, Professor Dr. Wolfgang Lücke.



HAVE YOU GOT AN IDEA?

Both individuals and teams can submit proposals or approaches to teaching and learning which take as their theme how to benefit from the variety of students.
How can the university value student heterogeneity (individual positioning, family and socio-cultural background, previous learning path, diverse knowledge and experience, etc.) in teaching and learning?
This might involve for example the following areas:


  • How can diversity and equal opportunities be made real and experienced in everyday studies?
  • How can better use be made of the existing knowledge and abilities of all students?
  • How can the content of the university degree courses and the lectures support and encourage different students, e.g. with special courses and topics? What practical effects would this have for teaching, for instance, in the context of heterogeneous student backgrounds?
  • How could advice and support and other services be arranged more effectively or be improved (especially regarding content)?
  • What other equipment and infrastructure options should be offered? How could they be designed?



    • TERMS OF PARTICIPATION AND DEADLINE FOR ENTRIES

    To enter, send your ideas in by 6th July 2012 with a simple e-mail to ideenwettbewerb@uni-goettingen.de (Subject: Diversity? – Ideas Competition 2012, brief title of your proposal and your surname) or by post to: Representative for Academic Quality, Subject: Ideas Competition 2012, Georg-August-Universität Göttingen, Wilhelmsplatz 2, 37073 Göttingen.

    As well as your contact details (name, address, e-mail address, telephone (where available) and matriculation number) your proposal should include the following:
    a) brief description of the current situation,
    b) explanation of your suggestion (if an existing situation, why change is desirable) and possible ways of implementation,
    c) the improvements to be achieved.

    Notification of necessary repairs, criticism without realistic proposals for a solution and suggested improvements which are already being planned will not be accepted as contributions to the Ideas Competition.
    Ms Meike S. Gottschlich will be happy to help you with general questions or with your designs and sketches (Telephone: +49 (0)551 394414).

    Further information and the rules for the Ideas Competition can be found at www.uni-goettingen.de/ideenwettbewerb.



    JURY AND AWARDS

    Entries are evaluated once a year by an independent interdisciplinary jury and the best initiatives are awarded a prize. The prizewinners will be notified of their award.

    Following the competition, the prizewinning ideas, projects and solutions will be implemented, with the aim of sustainably securing and promoting academic quality (provided they can be realised).



    QUESTIONS OR OTHER TOPICS?

    You don’t have to wait for the Ideas Competition to contact the university with your proposal/ideas on the topic of teaching and learning (information and contact details can be found at www.uni-goettingen.de/studienqualitaet). We are glad to hear from you at any time with questions, suggestions or criticism and look forward to hearing your proposals!

    Contact
    Meike S. Gottschlich
    Representative for Academic Quality
    (Subject: Diversity? – Ideas Competition 2012)
    Georg-August-Universität Göttingen
    Wilhelmsplatz 2, 37073 Göttingen
    Phone: +49 (0)551 39-4414
    Email: ideenwettbewerb@uni-goettingen.de