The quality assurance system of the Vienna-based university of applied sciences was audited by independent experts and certified for another seven years without any conditions.
Vienna, September 1, 2021 — Normally, students take exams at FHWien der WKW. In March 2021, however, the university of applied sciences, which specializes in management and communication, was itself put to the test. As is mandatory for Austria’s universities every seven years, an external specialist agency put quality management through its paces. The expert group of evalag — Evaluation Agency Baden-Württemberg came to a very positive result for FHWien der WKW and certified its internal quality management for another seven years.
“A lively and learning university of applied sciences”
According to the evalag report, FHWien der WKW has developed “a very well structured and accepted quality management system for all service areas of the FH”. In their report, the auditors declare to have experienced “a lively and learning university of applied sciences” in the audit process, “whose employees are committed to the further development of the quality of their university”. The expert panel is impressed by the broad acceptance of quality management (QM) at FHWien. It sees this as “a living quality culture and proof of the functioning of QM”.
The expert group included experts from Germany, Austria and Switzerland as well as a student. Since the planned on-site inspection of the campus was not possible due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the experts took a look at the quality management of FHWien der WKW via video conference. They spoke with management, heads of study programs, faculty, students, graduates and administrative staff.
Comprehensive quality assurance system for the entire university of applied sciences
“Offering our students a practical academic education that meets the highest quality standards and opens up the best career opportunities for them is our primary goal,” explains Michael Heritsch, the CEO of FHWien der WKW. “To ensure this, we have set up a comprehensive quality assurance system for all fields of activity at our university of applied sciences. The fact that this internal quality management system passed the audit by independent experts with flying colors makes us happy and proud,” continues Heritsch, who expresses his gratitude to the entire FHWien der WKW team: “This success is a joint effort by employees from all areas of our FH, who work continuously on the quality of teaching, research and services.”
Law obliges universities to audit their quality management
The Higher Education Quality Assurance Act (HS-QSG) of 2011 obliges Austrian universities to establish a quality management system. Every seven years, external experts review this system as part of an audit. All processes and areas of the respective university are scrutinized — from teaching and research to services. FHWien der WKW was one of the first universities in Austria to have its quality management system audited in 2014. As a result of the second audit, the quality management was certified for another seven years. The certification was granted without any conditions or restrictions.
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FHWien der WKW’s quality management system passed the audit by an external agency with excellence and was certified for another seven years.
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Copyright: Andreas Hofer
“The fact that our internal quality management passed the audit by independent experts with flying colors makes us happy and proud,” explains Michael Heritsch, the CEO of FHWien der WKW.
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Copyright: feelimage | Matern
FHWien der WKW
University of Applied Sciences for Management & Communication
FHWien der WKW has been Austria’s leading university of applied sciences for management & communication for over 25 years. Working in close contact with Austrian corporations, FHWien der WKW offers comprehensive and practice-oriented academic programs to over 2,800 Bachelor’s and Master’s students. Two thirds of our teaching staff have a background in business. Our programs are tailored to the needs of companies, optimally preparing our graduates – around 12,700 to date – for their future careers.
Contact
Bernhard Witzeling
Head of Corporate Communication, Marketing and Alumni & Career Services, Press Officer
Tel.: +43 (1) 476 77-5733
presse@fh-wien.ac.at