BOKU's Quality Management System

Quality Perception

BOKU's quality perception follows the goals "fitness of purpose" and "fitness for purpose". 

We understand the approach "fitness of purpose" as BOKU setting adequate targets, which means targets that correspond with high academic standards, and quality in academic studies and teaching that is geared towards the labor market's needs and suited for the interest groups (for example, students, staff members in research, teaching and administration). 

Quality at BOKU is also understood as "fitness for purpose - fulfilling the mission". Our university's mission includes a variety of tasks that have been brought to our attention from society (see "core tasks"). At university they are specified based on their objectives ("Mission Statement"). The ability to fulfill these objectives is understood as quality.

Quality is constantly achieved by all members of the university and at all levels through concrete measures. BOKU's "quality culture" is based on existing quality consciousness and on the quality oriented carrying out the goals of the entire university. It is achieved by actively including all employees and students at the University of Natural Resources and Life Sciences. 

Requirements for the QMS at University

BOKU intends to follow a university quality management system defined by Nickel (2007).

This now means that BOKU wishes to …

• Offer orientation patterns which allow BOKU to systematize its QM elements for its quality-relevant core and cross-sectional tasks in a way to fulfill its intended performance quality objectives than has been the case previously,
• Connect QM elements that have already been established so that a university-wide closed quality control loop can be developed. Similar to peer review this establishes a relationship between the objectives, processes and results so as to allow for regular feedback, learning effects and an increase in quality,
• Pool the financial and human resources currently used by BOKU's QM by establishing connections so as to make them more effective,
• Offer managers meaningful decision making tools, especially for strategic steering measures and development of the university,
• Integrate external requirements to be fulfilled by research and teaching quality and thus strategically supporting BOKU's success,
• Further develop the organization of the university as a whole. Thanks to QM measures, BOKU ensures that the work load is as low as possible and that there is enough freedom for individual interests of departments, disciplines, and individual scientists as well as staff members.

Guiding Principles of Quality Management at BOKU

Objectives of the Quality Management System

With BOKU's QMS we want to …

• Support BOKU in reaching its (strategic) objectives,
• Support the structuring of central processes and methods,
• Offer BOKU employees and students a quick orientation of central processes and methods thanks to transparent documentation and illustration,
• Contribute to the optimization of central performance processes and internal organization and decision structures with the objective to reduce the work loads, and
• Establish and expand a sustainable quality culture.

Furthermore, BOKU's QMS should …

• Solicit feedback systematically as foundation for reflection, decision and change processes,
• Support the development of a profile and organizational development, and
• Enhance the ability to face processes of change.

By implementing these objectives a significant contribution is made to strengthening the BOKU's competitiveness and implementing autonomy.

Principles

Essential principles of BOKU's quality management system are …

• Inclusion of internal and external interest groups,
• Equal opportunities regarding the possibility to participate,
• Clearly defined indicators and use of data as basis for decision,
• Focus on sustainable implementation of measures,
• Work towards the development of the QMS so that it is compatible with others in the national and international communities,
• Gearing towards communication and dialogue, and
• Continuous development and optimization of evaluation processes and quality assurance tools.

Standards

As institutional member of DeGEval, BOKU commits itself to the compliance of its standards when realizing and evaluating:

• Utility
• Feasibility
• Fairness
• Accuracy

Furthermore, the "European Standards and Guidelines for Quality Assurance in Higher Education" provided by ENQA are applied.