All Freie Universität members were welcome to contribute to the “Teaching and Education in 2030” process at various points along the way and through different means. Each person had the opportunity to add their unique perspective and ideas about how to further develop teaching and education at Freie Universität. The process was designed to ensure that people could join in at any point along the way. It was also possible to participate in English if your German skills weren’t strong.

Why get involved?

• The future of education at Freie Universität Berlin will be shaped by the outcomes achieved during the strategic planning process.

• In addition to finalizing the mission statement for teaching and learning, the process is also serving to develop an educational strategy that will take on sharper contours as we work specifically on different issues and interrelated topics.

• Your involvement has helped strengthen the educational community at Freie Universität and increase people’s appreciation of teaching and learning at our university.

Digital Event “A Semester Like No Other: Challenges and Experiences in Studying and Teaching during the 2020 Summer Semester”

Freie Universität held a digital world café event on June 22, 2020. Anyone who was interested was welcome to attend – instructors, students, research assistants, laboratory staff members, library employees, as well as departmental or administrative staff members. It was an opportunity to discuss the challenges and successes of the digital summer semester and to share creative solutions with each other. The insights gained from the event will serve as a valuable basis for the strategic planning process and the kick-off event this fall.

Kick Of

The kickoff for our mission statement and strategic planning process took place on November 16, 2020, online via Webex. Holding the event online meant that we were able to include as many participants as possible while adhering to the safety and hygiene measures in place at the time. All university members were welcome to attend. The participants were able to contribute their ideas, expertise, and unique perspectives on different aspects of teaching and learning. At the kickoff, participants also identified topics that the focus groups then worked on intensively over the following weeks.

Work on Special Issues in the Focus Groups

Between November 2020 and February 2021, the focus groups met to discuss the topics identified at the kickoff, how to incorporate them into the mission statement, and the goals and measures to be included in the university’s education strategy

Wrapping it Up

The results of the focus groups were published and discussed in the course of two wrap-up phases. Wrap-up Phase 1 in March 2021 focused on the mission statement for teaching and learning, while Wrap-up Phase 2 in June 2021 looked at the ideas for an educational strategy.

Feedback campaign

In the 2021 summer semester, a targeted feedback campaign gave all the relevant stakeholders a chance to offer their feedback, comments and criticism, and ideas for the first draft of the mission statement for teaching and learning.

Approval by the committees

The finalized mission statement for teaching and learning was then submitted to the relevant university committees for consideration. The mission statement was approved by the Academic Senate on July 14, 2021.