This section contains answers to frequently asked questions relating to data protection and privacy in the case of surveys of current and former students.

If this section does not fully answer your questions, please feel free to contact Arbeitsstelle Lehr- und Studienqualität (LSQ) via email at lsq@fu-berlin.de or by phone at +49 30 838-57562.

How does Freie Universität Berlin guarantee data protection and privacy for survey participants?

In accordance with the evaluation guidelines of Freie Universität Berlin, Arbeitsstelle Lehr- und Studienqualität uses the university-wide evaluation software Unizensus, from Blubbsoft, for all data collection activities taking place as part of surveys of current and former students. This means that the survey of students who withdrew from their study programs is subject to the provisions and rules on data protection and privacy described in the description of the IT process for the Unizensus software. This is subject to stringent requirements with regard to data protection and privacy law as set out in the Datenschutzgesetz (Data Protection Act) for the State of Berlin.

Furthermore, the evaluation processes used by LSQ were coordinated with the data protection officer of Freie Universität Berlin.

All employees of LSQ who are involved in central evaluation processes received comprehensive information regarding the legal provisions on data protection and privacy and are obligated to comply with them.

The evaluation takes place anonymously. The security of personal information is ensured since no analyses or reports that permit inferences regarding individuals are prepared.

Why is personal information collected?

To be able to take the diversity of the student body at Freie Universität Berlin adequately into account, the survey collects information not only on the reasons for the student’s withdrawal and value judgments regarding various aspects of the study conditions, but also personal information (e.g., age, sex, number of children, immigration and educational background, professional activity). This information helps to formulate statements regarding certain groups of people and identify areas where particular support is needed by specific groups of students.

What happens to the data and responses?

The responses provided by survey participants are stored on a central server of Freie Universität Berlin and undergo statistical analysis by Arbeitsstelle Lehr- und Studienqualität (LSQ). Exclusively the employees of Arbeitsstelle Lehr- und Studienqualität have access to the survey raw data.

LSQ prepares a university-wide overall report and – if there are sufficient responses – anonymized result reports on specific disciplines for the departments and study programs.

Freie Universität Berlin does not share the survey data with third parties, and they are used exclusively for purposes of internal quality development within the university and to answer scientific and research questions associated with this.

How are the data protection and privacy requirements of employees of Freie Universität Berlin taken into account?

When the survey was created, any and all questions that could result in value judgments regarding individuals or permit inferences regarding individuals were eliminated. If the names of individual employees or instructors are mentioned in respondents’ answers to open-ended questions, these items are anonymized during the analysis.

Raffle participation

The four tablets are raffled off at the end of the survey period, with the raffle performed at random by the software. If you wish to be entered in the raffle, you will be asked after you submit the survey to state an email address where we can contact you if you are among the winners. The email address is stored without any reference to your survey data, of course. The raffle process was reviewed and safeguards were put in place with regard to the university's data protection and privacy guidelines.