Accreditation and quality development
Quality is evident at ZHdK in the outstanding performance of its people and teams, in the high regard for their artistic and design work, in the way that students and staff interact with each other, and in the framework conditions that promote teaching, learning and research at ZHdK.
Quality assurance system
The Accreditation and Quality Development Office (AQO) helps the employees of ZHdK to reflect on and develop their work. The quality standards stem from the logic of the various fields and contexts. They are continually negotiated and questioned. This open discourse takes place at the university and together with specialist communities, the public, the working world, research and society.
The quality assurance system of ZHdK consists of various activities, processes and instruments.
They ensure quality in the dimensions of study and teaching quality, research quality and institutional quality to guarantee the quality of the working processes and performance in the arts, design and education.
The quality assurance system is development-oriented. It provides the actors with creative freedom so that they can develop the arts, design and education in all their diversity and intrinsic logic.
Institutional accreditation
The Federal Act on Funding and Coordination of the Higher Education Sector (HFKG) requires all Swiss universities to be institutionally accredited by 2022. The procedure includes a written self-assessment from the University and discussions with reviewers on five audit areas:
– Quality assurance strategy
– Governance
– Teaching, research and services
– Resources
– Internal and external communication
On 17 December 2021, the Swiss Accreditation Council independently accredited the ZHdK as the first art university in Switzerland. The accreditation is valid for 7 years until 16 December 2028.
Quality committee
The quality committee consists of quality managers of the departments, representatives of the Services and of the Office of the President, and a student representative. During its monthly meetings, it discusses the topics of quality development, implementation of the quality assurance system, and best practice examples. The Accreditation and Quality Development Office in the Office of the President is responsible for managing the quality committee.
The quality committee is a key interface between the organizational units. It promotes exchange between the fields of study and ensures that students, mid-tier staff, lecturers as well as administrative and technical personnel play a part in developing the quality assurance system. It advises the University Board on performing its tasks in the area of quality assurance and quality development.