More Personal Responsibility  [05.12.19]

Students have long wanted more flexibility in their exams. The university is now fulfilling this wish: Those who do not pass an exam, are sick, or withdraw for no reason will no longer be automatically registered for the next possible exam date. "For the students, doing away with the compulsory registration means more freedom, but on the other hand also more personal responsibility," said Prof. Dr. Korinna Huber, Vice President for Academic Affairs.

 

The legal requirement that was the reason for introducing compulsory enrollment at the time of the Diplom has long ceased to exist. However, Hohenheim has so far stuck to this principle, partly for pedagogical reasons. Those who postpone examinations too long run the risk of coming under even greater pressure at the end of their studies.

However, the compulsory registration has been the cause of intensive discussions for quite some time now. After all, does it really make sense to "force" someone who has not passed an exam to take the next possible repeat exam, even if it takes place only a few weeks later? Shouldn't it at least be possible to attend the lecture or tutorial again?

Withdrawing without a reason was already possible. But only once for each exam. Afterwards, a medical certificate or a valid reason was the only way to escape the time pressure. Those who did not appear for an exam for which they were registered received 0 points and failed.

 

Studying at different speeds

"The student body at universities has become more diverse in recent years. There are increasingly students who are already working, have a family, or need more time for a variety of reasons. We are doing a great deal at the University of Hohenheim to meet these different needs and to make our studies more flexible. Therefore, the arguments in favor of abolishing the compulsory registration ultimately prevailed for us," stated Vice President for Academic Affairs, Prof. Dr. Korinna Huber.

For students, the new regulation means more freedom, but also more personal responsibility for their studies.

"Of course, the temptation is great to get some air at short notice by postponing exams. In the mid-term, however, this does not reduce stress - on the contrary," Huber said. "With the new regulation, students now have to keep an even more independent eye on their study and examination plans in the future. Those who feel overwhelmed should by no means shy away from seeking advice or support at an early stage. We have greatly expanded our services in this area in recent years, especially in the introductory phase."

New Intermediate Examination in the Faculties W and A

However, students will not be able to postpone the examinations as much as they like in the future, either. The Bachelor's degree programs already have a "preliminary examination." This is not an additional exam, but proof that a certain number of exams have been taken within the first three semesters.

In addition, the Faculties W and A are now introducing an "intermediate examination" in the 5th and 6th semesters, in which examination achievements from the basic study period must be proven. However, only students who have enrolled for the current winter semester or will enroll in the future must pass the new intermediate examination. Students in higher semesters are excluded from the regulation.

 

Number of withdrawals for health reasons sparked discussion

The Examinations Office was one of the main driving forces behind doing away with the compulsory registration. This is because the growing number of withdrawals for years has resulted in an enormous administrative burden. "We have to process every withdrawal manually. With around 29,000 examination registrations in the first examination period of the winter semester alone, we recently had a total of around 2,500 withdrawals - both with and without justification," said Christel Maier, Director of the Examinations Office.

In particular, the high number of withdrawals for health reasons was a major problem for the administration. That is because of the suspicion that some of these cases are medical certificates that were issued as a favor and not for a real medical reason.

This problem was discussed intensively after a mass withdrawal from an examination in a Hohenheim business administration exam in May 2018, which attracted media attention nationwide. The university had contested the medical certificates submitted by 148 examinees who had had a spontaneous disease confirmed after the examination had begun.

"The current reform is not directly related to the incident at that time, and I do not believe that the cause of this was the mandatory registration. Nevertheless, we hope of course that the new regulation will take pressure off students, so that even in the run-up to examinations no one has to see a doctor who does not actually feel ill," said Prof. Dr. Huber.

 

Quality management focuses on examinations

As part of its quality management, the University of Hohenheim also plans to push ahead with further reforms in the area of examinations in order to reduce the pressure on students.

"We want to examine each degree program to see whether the number of examinations can be reduced or whether there are alternative formats that test not so much the knowledge memorized as the skills acquired in the program. It is conceivable, for example, that in some modules final examinations may be replaced by coursework such as presentations, or that several modules that belong to a program may conclude with a joint examination," said Huber.

The new quality management system at the university provides for annual discussions on the further development of the degree programs in which the heads of the degree programs and faculties, lecturers, the Vice President for Academic Affairs, students, and members of the student counselling service take part. The effects of the abolition of the compulsory registration will also be observed here on the basis of key figures.

New series "New Era in Teaching": Important trademarks of the University of Hohenheim are its unique range of subjects and the beautiful campus with its short distances. At the same time, the university is also working to develop a "typical Hohenheim style" in teaching. The framework conditions for this are changing rapidly: digital teaching forms, new forms of financing that are linked to project proposals, and not least a student body that is more diverse than ever before. In a new series, the Online Courier reports on projects, innovative methods, developments, and challenges in teaching.

 

Text: Leonhardmair / Translation: Neudorfer