Teacher's Manual

fakultaetenservicestelle@uibk.ac.at

Prologue »

Organisational Structure of the University of Innsbruck »

Studying at the University of Innsbruck »

Prologue

Translation

Dear colleagues,

writing a foreword for a teacher’s manual after more than a year of pandemic-dominated teaching can and must address this particular situation. Never before - besides all other aspects of our lives - have teachers and their teaching been challenged so broadly challenged. Within a very short time, a central element of teaching was missing: the direct exchange with the students. From one day to the next, almost all courses had to be converted to digital formats, readjustments were necessary in order to handle these factual changes in a legally compliant manner, and both personnel and technical support had to be provided. Once the first problems had been resolved and a “daily routine” had been established, the next challenge was waiting: digital exams! In fact, the subject of testing still represents the greatest challenge, since satisfactory alternatives and methods of handling the system could not be found for every case.

But the preface to the teacher’s manual is not intended to report on difficulties and provide a stage for complaining; rather, I would like to thank all of you for what you have done during this time, for the high degree of creativity that became apparent, and for the way in which our university succeeded in leading students to positive examination results.

The teacher’s manual was written before this pandemic, but it will incorporate the lessons learned and thus, with your help, will continue to evolve for the benefit of all of us.

Together with enthusiasm for academic teaching, your Bernhard Fügenschuh

Vizerektor für Lehre und Studierende

(since 2016-03-01)

Translation

Dear Colleagues,

Teaching is a rewarding endeavour! It makes, however, a difference whether you are in front of 500 students who are trying to selected their “proper” study, to correct 30 bachelor theses until tomorrow or to sit in a round of graduate students, thirsty for knowledge and willing to present their newest findings.

You can call all that “teaching” and my aspiration is that students are longing for knowledge and teachers are working with joy and satisfaction. The University of Innsbruck is one of the leading research universities in Austria and among the top 250 in the world. Regarding internationality, we are ranked 7^th in the world, thanks to our publications, staff and – first of all – students. I have always argued that the quality of present day research is the base of excellent teaching for tomorrow, thus I regard research and teaching as unity.

Even if you yearn, sometimes, to work in solitude, I ask you to consider the words of Sir Robert May who wrote in a Science article in 1997: The nonhierarchical structure of most North American and northern European universities, coupled with the pervasive presence of irreverent young undergraduate and postgraduate students, could be the best environment for productive research. The peace and quiet to focus on a mission in a research institute, undistracted by teaching or other responsibilities, may be a questionable blessing. And the U.S. physicist John Archibald Wheeler argued: We all know that the real reason why universities have students is in order to educate professors!

To help all professors and teachers in their effort and to offer a guideline through the complex structures and requirement of Austrian laws, university statutes and local peculiarities, my co-workers have created this handbook. I guess you may need it from time to time.

O. Univ. - Prof. Dr. Roland Psenner

Vizerektor für Lehre und Studierende

(2012-03-01 to 2016-02-29)

Innsbruck, March 2012

Organisational Structure of the University of Innsbruck

The University of Innsbruck is governed by the University Council, the Rectorate and the Senate. The University is comprised of 16 faculties and 83 departments.

http://www.uibk.ac.at/universitaet/

Studying at the University of Innsbruck

The University of Innsbruck is a public university. The University was founded in 1669 and is the biggest and most important research and education institution in western Austria, today comprised of approximately 28.000 students and more than 4.500 staff and faculty members. At the 16 faculties, scientists teach and research in the diverse scientific fields of humanities, natural sciences, social sciences and economics, theology, law, as well as structural engineering sciences and architecture. The University offers a very broad spectrum of programs and comprehensive continuing education courses and employs excellent scientists – training and education at the highest level.

The students benefit especially from the excellent knowledge and expertise of the faculty members. Since the University of Innsbruck offers all fields of study, it provides the advantage of collaboration between the diverse disciplines, resulting in comprehensive course choices.

The University of Innsbruck offers Bachelor, Diploma, master and Teacher Training programmes. After finishing a Diploma, master or Teacher Training programme, students can enrol in Doctoral programmes to deepen their scientific knowledge.

The learning objectives specified in the respective curricula are realised with the courses offered.

For further information to all study programmes visit our website.

Responsible Authorities for Teaching and Studying

Director of Studies / Vice-Rector for Student Affairs and Teaching

In accordance with section 19, para 2 no. 2 of the Universities Act 2002 a monocratic body must be established to hear appeals in the first instance in matters concerning the enforcement of study-law regulations. The body responsible for study-law regulations carries the title Director of Studies. The duties of the Director of Studies of the University of Innsbruck are performed by the Vice-Rector for Student Affairs and Teaching. The University Head of Studies authorizes Deans of Studies and Associate Deans of Studies for certain issues. The names of the appointed Deans of Studies and Associate Deans of Studies and their duties are published in the University’s notification bulletin.

Deans of Studies and Associate Deans of Studies

Deans of Studies are appointed for organising the study programmes, as well as the teaching and the examinations on faculty level. Should a faculty offer more than one study programme, additionally Associate Deans of Studies can be appointed if required. These university lecturers are authorized by the Director of Studies to decide numerous tasks in their name in compliance with the guidelines decreed for that purpose. The Deans of Studies are responsible for the offering of courses corresponding to the curricula, while adhering to legal regulations, the actual demand based on the number of students and the available budget.

All information on the tasks can be found https://www.uibk.ac.at/rektorenteam/lehre/vizerektor/

Departments

The departments enter the courses that have to be offered within the scope of the curricula. Moreover, in the area of teaching the departments are responsible for recording course examinations in the VIS administration portal, distributing the required documents for the course analysis and (besides of the College Service Center) for booking of course dates.

You can find all institutes at https://www.uibk.ac.at/fakultaeten/institute/

College Service Center

The College Service Center is a central administration unit responsible for an optimal and standardised administration in the field of teaching for the 16 faculties. Among other tasks are e.g. the ensuring of correct entry in the course catalogue (implementation of the relevant and effective employment agreement for the field of teaching, collective contract regulations) by the departments and thus ensuring that all fields of study have an appropriate offer of courses. All of this is carried out in close cooperation with the respective Deans of Studies. The College Service Centre is the point of contact for external lecturers for signing their contracts. Other tasks in the field of the administration of the lecture and seminar rooms, the electronic evaluation of multiple choice examinations and the administration of Admission Procedures.

You can find the locations of the College Service Center at http://www.uibk.ac.at/fakultaeten-servicestelle/standorte/

Examination Office

The Examination Office is the central point of contact for students and lecturers for all matters relating to examinations. Besides of a high level of information and customer management, the most important tasks include the processing of examination protocols for the issuing of certificates and notices at the end of study programmes, the examination of registration requirements for subject exams, module exams and final degree exams, the processing of applications for recognition and VIS:online data management.

The locations of the Examination Offices can be found at http://www.uibk.ac.at/fakultaeten-servicestelle/standorte/

Digital Media and Learning Technologies contact persons

Each faculty has a faculty contact person for digital media and learning technologies nominated by the dean, the dean of studies and the chairperson of the Curriculum Commission. This contact person works strategically, operationally and in an advisory capacity on the topic of digitalisation in teaching and learning, administers a portion of the faculty budget earmarked for this purpose and is in regular contact with the Vice-Rector for Teaching and Students. You can find the contact person for your faculty here: https://www.uibk.ac.at/de/rektorenteam/lehre/digitalisierung-in-der-lehre/

IT-Support

Course Catalogue

The courses that have to be offered within the scope of all active study programmes or curricula of the University of Innsbruck are listed in the course catalogue which can be accessed by all lecturers and students. The departments enter all courses that have to be offered according to the curricula in the course catalogue via the VIS:online portal, a portal which provides all administrative applications of the University of Innsbruck. Besides of the departments employees responsible for teaching, also the lecturers with an active user account (Application) of the University of Innsbruck have access to check, change or add to their courses in the course catalogue (e.g. objectives and contents, type of examination for the course).

VIS:online

The VIS:online web portal provides all administrative applications of the University of Innsbruck. You can access the portal with the web address http://vis.uibk.ac.at. For registration you need an active user account of the Information Technology Services (ZID). Please take your personal user name (“c-name”) and your basic validation password (“mail password”).

eCampus/OpenOlat

The eCampus (https://www.uibk.ac.at/ecampus/) is the portal for digital teaching at the University of Innsbruck. On this portal you will find best pracitce examples from the community, training offers, FAQs, instructions, tips and tricks on didactics, services and tools on how you can design your teaching digitally. You can also find the link to our OpenOlat learning management system and detailed helf documents on this portal.

User Account

The services of the Information Technology Services (ZID) can be used free of charge for teaching, research and study purposes, but a user application must be made for all services.

The following groups of persons can apply for use:

Employees of the University of Innsbruck

External lecturers, who exclusively use OLAT

You can find more information on this at http://www.uibk.ac.at/zid/antrag/

e-Assessments

There are several tools for creating, organizing and evaluating your e-assessments, self-tests and questionnaires. All of them are supported by ZID – New Media and Learning Technologies.

Prüfungsserver: paper & pencil tests with automated scanner-evaluation
OLAT: organizing online tests, online self-tests and questionnaires
Particify: mobile audience response service, for interactive lectures and seminars

Detailed information: https://www.uibk.ac.at/de/ecampus/digitale-lehre/edidaktik-pruefen-und-bewerten/

Assignment of Lecturers

Definition Internal Teaching

Persons, who have a fix employment contract with the Leopold-Franzens-University the job description of which includes lecturing as one of their duties, are ranked among the so-called internal teaching staff.

Depending on their employment contract they are not entitled to additional payment for their internal teaching courses. Basically it can be said that in employment contracts that were made prior to 1 October 2009, an additional payment for teaching (referred to as “Kollegiengeld”, “Lehrzulage”, “erhöhter Lehrebezug” depending on the employee group) is allowed for, while for employment contracts that were made from 1 October 2009 onwards employees receive an “all-in” salary.

Definition External Teaching

External lecturers are lecturers that hold contracts that are limited to a semester or even shorter periods of time. They are employed exclusively for tasks related to teaching and supporting the teaching operation.

Contract Categories for External Teaching

The following types of contract are provided for external teaching at the LFUI:

Free service contract for part-time lecturers [requirements: teaching assignment for a maximum of four semester hours. A part-time assignment is an assignment where the lecturer has an average monthly income of at least 60 % of the maximum contribution basis (amount 2023: € 3,510) outside of the university and social insurance coverage.]

Employment contract as lector or guest professor

Employment contract as Venia lecturer for retired persons or habilitated lecturers with teaching qualification

Multiple-use employment contract as lector for project employees, general university personnel

Part-time employment as lector or guest professor for public officials in case of active federal civil servant contract

Employment contract as student employee in teaching

Employment contracts as assistant course lecturer

Information of the Personnel Department

The Personnel Department continuously provides updated information sheets for external lecturers. These are available on request when signing the contract at the respective location of the College Service Center or can be retrieved from the homepage of the Personnel Department.

Assignation of Lectureships

Lectureships are planned by the respective department. The head of the department or the responsible Associate Dean of Study resp. assigns the department’s courses of a curriculum and its groups to internal lecturers according to their Venia (for professors) or compulsory teaching (for associate professors and university assistants).

Information on the Collective Contract

Since 1 October 2009 the collective contract for employees has been in effect. This contract defines a minimum standard. No agreements that are worse for the employee are thus allowed in business and employment contracts.

Structure of the Collective Contract

General Part
Service regulations: 4 parts (All, Scientific, General, Medical)
Salary regulations
Pension Scheme: Pension Fund Commitment

The general section of the collective contract includes all regulations for employees (trial period, obligation to confidentiality, holidays, rights and duties of the employee and the like). The official regulations govern the employment categories at a university in a more detailed way. The payment regulations, based on different employment categories, assign to the respective employment group. The salaries are then classified based on that.

The following areas of employment and the ranking in the employment groups are provided by the collective contract for scientific personnel:

Student Staff – C
Lecturers – B2
Project Assistants – B1
Senior Lecturers – B1
Senior Scientists – B1
Assistant Professors – B1
Senior Assistant Professors – A2
Associate Professors – A2
University Professors §§ 98, 99 UG – A1

Collective Contract and External Teaching

The collective contract is valid to the full extent for the employment of lecturers with assigned teaching tasks that are not public servants. Since 1 October 2009 they have been referred to as lectors.

Teaching is the only task of lectors and they get an employment contract for a duration of six months. Shorter-term contracts for e.g. covering or if requested by the lector are possible. Lectors exclusively work part-time. If an employment reaches ten semester hours, the job must be advertised. Payment of lectors is related to the salary of university assistants (7.7 % of B1).

Payment depends on the work load for the respective course and based on the collective contract 100 % or 50 % are fixed. Other course categories can be lined out in the business contract.

Lectors are entitled to two time-related advancements. After three years and another eight years they advance to the next salary level.

Collective Contract and Internal Teaching

The Collective Contracts regulates the regular (= regular teaching) and maximum (= maximum teaching) teaching time for scientific personnel depending on their employment group. The business regulations for forming course categories (BV-LVK) offer more precise information. University assistants and senior scientists that hold dissertation posts are only allowed to independently hold lectures in their first year of employment after having passed the multi-day base qualification in university didactics offered by personnel development, unless they have 3 years of related teaching experience.

Information on the Business Regulations in the Area of Teaching

At the same time as the collective contract, 1 October 2009, the new version on May 17^th, 2013 resp., the Business Agreement on Forming of Course Categories - Supplementary agreement to the Business Agreement on Forming of Course Categories (BV-LVK) came into force. Based on the workload of the respective courses a work time factor is allocated in the BV-LVK. The course category is among other things significant for the applicable salary rate and the crediting of teaching activities on teaching assignments for the scientific personnel.

How to plan Courses

Course Catalogue

The courses that have to be offered within the scope of all active study programmes or curricula of the University of Innsbruck are listed in the course catalogue (http://orawww.uibk.ac.at/public/lfuonline_lv.home), which can be accessed by all teachers and students. All course-relevant information of the respective courses (title, course lecturer, content, time etc.) are accessible.

Structure of the Academic Year / Recess Period

The academic year commences on October 1 and ends on September 30 of the following year. It consists of the winter semester and the summer semester and the recess period.The senate shall enact detailed regulations on the commencement and end of semesters and the periods during which courses are not Held (§ 52 para 1 UG 2002).

Dates of Courses/Reservation of Rooms

Dates for the resp. curricula courses are booked within the scope of the opening of the course catalogue (se Entry in the Course Data Administration). To do so, the University of Innsbruck provides the VIS application of Date Administration - Termin Verwaltung für Ressourcen (TVR).

The courses for each field of study / curriculum must be offered in a manner that has no disadvantages for the students. That is why many faculties offer already “time tables” or requirements, based on which the course dates must be booked. More information on this is available at your department or on the relevant College Service Center.

Reservation of course dates for lecture rooms and seminar rooms is made by the department’s employees or the College Service Center resp. Should the room booked for your course be too small/too big or not be suitable for the requirements of your course, please contact your department or College Service Centre immediately. All course dates can be accessed online at the respective course in the online course catalogue. Please check regularly if there have been changes (e.g. change of room).

Course Types according to the Statute

The course type (e.g. lecture, tutorial, introductory seminar, excursion…) is regulated by the statutes or the respective curriculum resp. Basically there are courses with non-continuous performance assessment and courses with continuous performance assessment. Courses without continuous performance assessment (e.g. lectures) are evaluated by a single examination at the end of the course. Courses with continuous performance assessment (e.g. seminars) are evaluated by obligatory attendance and regular written and/or oral contributions of the students. The curricula also regulate the respective examination regulations.

Legal basis: the “Study-Law Regulations” part of the statutes in the current version of the University of Innsbruck, § 7. Methods and Types of Examinations

Programmes of Study in a Foreign Language

When the subject of the programme of study is a foreign language, the curriculum may require that courses and examinations be held in that foreign language, including writing diploma, Magister and master's theses as well as doctoral dissertations. When the subject of a course is a foreign language, the curriculum may require that the course and the examination be held in that foreign language.

Courses and examinations may, assuming appropriate language proficiency, be held in a foreign language when the foreign language makes up a significant part of the technical language of the courses. For such examinations, mastery of the course material, not the language proficiency level, is to be the criterion for assessment.

Degree students are entitled to submit diploma, Magister and master's theses as well as doctoral dissertations in a foreign language with the agreement of their supervisor.

Courses and examinations in continuing education programmes may, assuming appropriate language proficiency, be held in a foreign language. For such examinations, mastery of the course material, not language proficiency, is to be the criterion for assessment.

The curricula of master's and doctoral programmes may stipulate that a programme be offered exclusively in a foreign language to be specified. It is not permitted to prescribe the number of students to participate in such a programme.

Legal basis: “Study-Law Regulations” part of the statutes in the current version of the University of Innsbruck, § 3. Study Programmes in a Foreign Language

Planning/Going on an Excursion

Excursions that are made within the scope of the offered study programmes must also be listed in the course catalogue and be approved of by the respective Deans of Studies. One the excursion has been approved the head of the excursion must file an application for an official trip in VIS:online (https://www.uibk.ac.at/personalabteilung/reisemanagement/).

For more information on how to apply for an excursion as well as subsidies for students, please visit https://www.uibk.ac.at/fakultaeten-servicestelle/exkursionen/

Courses of the Studies Induction and Orientation Period

From the beginning of the winter semester 2011/2012, students have to pass a certain number of course examinations within the framework of the Studies Induction and Orientation Phase (STEOP), depending on the respective study plan or curriculum. The only exception is the Bachelor's Programme in Psychology; this programme will also not include a STEOP in the future.

Students who have failed the last permissible repetition of a STEOP course examination will lose their admission to the respective Bachelor's or Diploma programme in Innsbruck. Students who are excluded from the study programme due to failing a STEOP course examination can apply for a new admission to the study programme for the third semester at the earliest. (This is possible twice in total.) Section 78 UG 2002 (Recognition of examinations) also applies to STEOP course examinations.

You can find more information on the STEOP at http://www.uibk.ac.at/studium/organisation/studienbeginn/steop/

ECTS-Credits according to the Curriculum

The academic performances students have to provide in a study programme are expressed in ECTS-credits. ECTS stands for European Credit Transfer (and Accumulation) System. Each module or course resp. is allocated a number of credits corresponding to the workload for the students. A workload of 25 hours corresponds to 1 ECTS-credit. ECTS-credits facilitate the comparability of study programmes and also mark the different foci within a study programme.

Entry in the Course Data Administration

Planning and application for all (internal and external) lectures for a whole academic year takes always place during a given period in spring (April/May). During that period (= opening of the course catalogue) the departments or the College Service Center resp. enter all courses that have to be offered within the scope of the curricula in the VIS application for course administration and book the rooms for the upcoming winter semester. In November course administration is opened for a second time for corrections (e.g. changes of lecturers) and for booking the dates of the upcoming summer semester.

The following fields are obligatory and must be entered by the respective lecturer (the persons of the department responsible for course administration may enter the information on behalf) in the VIS application for course administration:

Title	The course name must be entered in German as well as in English. The quality of this data immediately affects the issuing of transcripts of records for students in English. English courses titles from former semesters can be accessed directly in the online course catalogue.
Type	The course type as specified in the curriculum must be entered here. E.g. lecture, introductory seminar, seminar… English terms of the course types can be found at http://www.uibk.ac.at/fakultaeten-servicestelle/englische-bezeichnung.html or in the Term Data Base of the Department of Translation Studies.
Hours	The number of semester hours of the course according to the curriculum must be entered here.
ECTS-Credits	ECTS-Credits (ECTS-AP) (= European Credit Transfer System = ECTS): Here the number of ECTS-credits corresponding to the curriculum must be entered. Missing entries in this field immediately affect the issuing of transcripts of records for students.
Study Programmes	Here the curricula within the scope of which the course is offered must be given.
Period	Here the interval in which the course is held must be specified: weekly 14-days block not specified (to be avoided if possible)
Start	Here the date on which the course is scheduled to start should be entered. Attention: The entry for the start must be in accordance with the booked dates (see VIS:online course catalogue “Time/Location”
Mode of Repetition	Does this course take place every semester or only in the winter or summer semester? semestral annual 2-year cycle every 3 semesters not specified: blank field; to be avoided if possible.
Language of Instruction	Here the main language in which the course is held is given (e.g. German, English, French, Italian, Spanish, Russian). If a course is e.g. bilingual, the dominating language is entered.
Learning outcome	The learning outcome of the course must be in accordance with the learning objectives formulated in the curriculum. Contents and methods can and should be individually entered by the course lecturer. Per pro this entry can also be made by the department's course data administrator. Entries are made in German and English.
Contents
Methods
Assessment	Here you have to specify the type of evaluation for the course (e.g. written exam, oral exam, combined). This must be announced before the start or at the latest at the first date of the course in any case. Entries are made in German and English.
Literature	The course lecturer specifies which literature is discussed, dealt with or required for the course.
Prerequsites	Specification of the prerequisites for attending this course.

In the additional field called “Remarks” you can enter further useful information on the course.

In the “Weblink” field lecturers can e.g. enter their own link or refer to further information on the course.

To hold a Course

Course Registration (Checking of Requirements)

Via the VIS:online module called “Teilnehmerveraltung” (participation administration) course lecturers or the department’s employees responsible for teaching fix the dates for course application. Usually there is a standard application period for a department or the faculty resp. Besides of the periods, special course requirements can be activated for the students. E.g. if the successfully having passed a certain course is a precondition for being admitted to a continuing course. Students apply for the course they want to attend via the LFU:online student portal during the given time periods.

The module can be used with all the prevalent operating systems and internet browsers (preferably Mozilla Firefox) and offers the following possibilities:

Fixing an application date

Activating the checking of requirements

Administration of lists of participants

Contacting of the students

More detailed information can be found in the detailed descriptions of the VIS:online help: http://orawww.uibk.ac.at/uivis/gui_methods.help

Allowed Number of Participants according to the Curriculum

The respective curricula give a maximum number of participants for different types of courses. This maximum numbers must be adhered to.

For external teaching the contracts specify a minimum number of participants required for the course to take place. For compulsory courses the participation of at least five students and for other courses – subject to exceptional regulations by the member of the Rectorate responsible for teaching – the participation of at least 15 students is required.

The payment for the respective day on which a teaching unit is scheduled that does not take place because the minimum number of students has not been reached or if the unit is carried out despite of the course not having reached the minimum number of participants, is cut in relation to the total hours of work (aliquot payment).

Change of Dates

Students have to be informed of changes of dates immediately (e.g. via OLAT, e-mail lists). The responsible employees of the departments or the College Service Center help you with booking seminar and lecture rooms. Room bookings that are no longer required must be deleted from the room booking programme (TVR).

Compulsory Attendance for Students

Course lecturers have to announce before the start of a course if the course is subject to compulsory attendance or not.

Lectures (course type without continuous performance assessment) are generally courses without compulsory attendance. This means that the courses are evaluated by a single examination at the end of course.
Courses with continuous performance assessment (e.g. introductory seminars, seminars) are subject to compulsory attendance. These courses are evaluated by regular written or oral contributions of the students. The course lecturer has to announce before the start of courses with continuous performance assessment how often participants may be excused without it having effect on the evaluation. Repeated and unexcused missing of lessons may have the consequence of negative course evaluation.

Grading Criteria

The principal course lecturers shall, at the start of each semester, inform students appropriately of the objectives, contents and methods of their courses, and of the contents, methods and criteria of course assessment and examinations.

Legal basis: Universities Act 2002 in the current version, § 59. Rights and Duties of Students

Availability of the Lecturer

The lecturer has to announce when he/she is available for office hours or can be contacted in a suitable way (e.g. e-mail, phone).

Access to the Buildings/Lecture Rooms/Conference Rooms

During the semester the buildings of the university are normally open from Monday to Friday from 7:00 a.m. to 10:00 p.m. On Saturdays the buildings are closed at 2:00 p.m. There are different opening times for holiday times. More information (also on possible different opening times of single buildings) is available on the homepage of the Buildings and Infrastructure department.

For information on the access to lecture and seminar rooms, please contact the responsible location of the College Service Center.

Problems with Lecture Rooms/Conference Rooms

Should the number of students attending a course exceed the maximum number of allowed persons of a lecture or seminar room, the course lecturer has to contact the responsible department or the responsible location of the College Service Center so that an adequate room can be found.

In case of technical problems (e.g. beamer, PC) the employees of the Information Technology Services (ZID) can be contacted at the hotline +43 512 507 23999.

The course lecturers are asked to inform on the equipment of the room ahead of the course (responsible department or College Service Center resp.) and to request possible required teaching materials.

Course Analysis

At the University of Innsbruck, all courses of eight faculties are subjected to a compulsory course analysis (LVA) per academic year; teachers of the remaining eight faculties can evaluate their courses on a voluntary basis. A detailed description and further information on the evaluation of courses can be found on the homepage of the Office for Quality Assurance in Teaching.

https://www.uibk.ac.at/qs-lehre/

Examination Structures and Procedures

Methods and Types of Examination

The following methods of examination are used:

Oral examinations are examinations that require responding to questions verbally.
Written examinations are examinations that require responding to questions in written form.
Project examinations require practical, experimental and theoretical written work as well as constructions that are completed as part of examinations.

The followong types of examination are used:

Single examinations are examinations held by a single examiner.
Board examinations are examinations held by an examination board.
Diploma examinations are examinations required to complete the individual sections of diploma programmes. When all parts of a diploma examination have been completed successfully, the corresponding section of the diploma programme is completed. When all diploma examinations and the diploma thesis have been completed successfully, the diploma programme is concluded.
The final doctoral examination, consisting of the oral defence of the dissertation, concludes the doctoral programme.
Module examinations are examinations that assess the knowledge and skills acquired in a module. When all parts of a module examination have been completed successfully, the module is concluded.

Course examinations are:

Exminations that assess the knowledge and skills covered in an individual course in which course assessment is based on a single examination at the end of the course.

Courses with continuous assessment, for which course assessment is based on regular written and/or oral contribution by participants.

Subject examinations are examinations that assess the knowledge and skills acquired in a subject.

Comprehensive examinations are examinations that assess knowledge and skills acquired in more than one subject or in more than one course of a module.

Supplementary examinations are examinations that are used to achieve university admission eligibility or to demonstrate knowledge of the German language or physical and motor competence.

Legal basis: “Study-Law Regulations” in the current version, § 7. Methods and types of examination

Exam Registration

Registration for course examinations

Registration is to occur within the specified registration period via the central registration system as specified by the Director of Studies. Decisions concerning registration are the responsibility of the course instructor. Permission to take an examination is to be granted if the student has met the requirements for registration specified in the curriculum and has provided proof that he/she is registered to continue the programme of study. A student may not register to take an examination for a course held in a semester during which he/she was on leave or not registered.

If registration is not granted, official notification thereof may, upon request, be issued by the Director of Studies following consultation with the course instructor.

If a continuous assessment course is offered in several parallel groups, students may register for only one of these course groups. Multiple registrations are not permitted. The final allocation of courses is determined by the Director of Studies.

Student Union representatives, as defined in the 1998 Students Union Act, are entitled to take board examinations instead of single examinations.

Legal basis: “Study-Law Regulations” in the current version, § 18. Registration for class examinations

Registration for subject examinations, module examinations and borad examinations

Registration is to occur within the specified registration period. Permission to take the examination is to be granted if the student has met the requirements for registration specified in the curriculum and has provided proof that he/she is registered to continue the programme of study.

Students are entitled during registration to express preference for a particular examiner. From the second repetition of an examination onward, the request for a particular examiner at the University of Innsbruck is to be granted.

If registration or a request for a particular examiner, as per Para. 2, is not granted, official notification thereof is, upon request, to be issued by the Director of Studies.

Names of examiners and dates of examination are to be announced to students in an appropriate manner at least two weeks before an examination is held.

Should an examiner not be able to attend, the Director of Studies is to appoint another appropriately qualified examiner.

Legal basis: “Study-Law Regulations” in the current version , § 19. Registration for subject examinations, module examinations and board examinations

Examination Boards

For board examinations, the Director of Studies is responsible for establishing examination boards.

An examination board is to consist of at least three persons. An examiner is to be appointed for each examination subject or part thereof. At least one member of the examination board is to have “venia docendi” (university teaching authorization). Usually, a member with “venia docendi” (university teaching authorization) is appointed as the chairperson of the board.

Legal basis: “Study-Law Regulations” in the current version, § 20. Examination boards

Practice

Registration must take place via the central registration system LFU:online or with the department or with the course instructor.

Registration for subject examinatins, module examinations

Registration must take place via the central registration system LFU:online or with the department.

Registration for Examinations Held in front of Examination Boards

Once the date for an examination in front of an examination board has been fixed, the student must obtain or download an application form for an exam in front of a board at the responsible exams office or the website of the exam office resp. Students have to fill in the form, get the signatures of the board of examiners or attach printouts of possible confirmations of the date received by mail and hand it in at the responsible examination office. The exams office informs the student by mail on the effected registration for the examination in front of the examination board. The examination records are sent to the head of the board of examiners.

Having passed the exam the head of the examination board sends the filled in examination record to the examination office. There the result of the examination is entered in
VIS:online.

Legal basis:“Study-Law Regulations” of the statues in the current version, § 20. Boards of Examiners

Examination Scheduling

The Director of Studies is responsible for determining examination schedules and publishing these in an appropriate manner, with the exception of course examinations that take place at the end of the respective course. The Director of Studies is entitled to approve individual agreements between students and examiners concerning the scheduling of examinations.

The course instructor is responsible for determining examination schedules for course

examinations held at the end of the respective course and announcing these schedules in an appropriate manner. Individual agreements between students and assessors concerning the scheduling of examinations are permitted.

In all cases, examinations are to be scheduled for the start, middle and end of every semester. If necessary, examinations can also be scheduled at the start and end of the course-free periods.

The registration period for examinations is to be scheduled appropriately and to last at least one week.

Legal basis: “Study-Law Regulations” in the current version, § 16. Examination Dates

Conducting and Announcement of Examinations

Examinations are to provide students the opportunity to demonstrate their level of acquired knowledge and skills, taking into consideration learning objectives and workload.

Oral examinations are open to the public. The number of persons permitted to attend the examination may be limited by space restrictions. For board examinations, all members of the board are be present for the entire duration of the examination.

The examiners or the examination board chairperson is to ensure that the examination is carried out in an orderly fashion and that examination records are made. These examination records are to contain the subject of the examination, the time and place of the examination, the names of the examiners or the names of the members of the examination board, the name of the student, the questions posed, the grade awarded, reasons for failure and any other relevant details. On request, reasons for failure are to be provided to students in writing. Examination records are to be kept for at least one year following notification of the result.

The examination record information required in order to issue certificates is to be forwarded promptly to the relevant body.

The members of an examination board are to discuss and agree on the result of an examination – in the case of several examination subjects and/or courses, for each individual subject and/or course – behind closed doors. Decisions made by the examination board are to be reached through majority voting; the chairperson has the same voting right as the other members but is to vote last. When voting to determine the result in individual subjects or individual courses, each member of the examination board is to also consider the candidate's overall performance in the examination.

Should the examination board not reach a decision about the grading of a subject or course, the grades proposed by the members of the examination board are to be added together, divided by the number of members and rounded to the nearest grade. Five tenths should be rounded down.

The result of an oral examination is to be communicated to the student immediately following the examination. In the case of failure, the reasons are to be explained to the student.

The result of a written examination is to be announced via the online database LFU:online no later than four weeks following the examination. Students are to be informed when results will be available.

Legal basis: “Study-Law Regulations” in the current version, § 20. Conducting Examinations

Repitition of positive completion Examinations

Students are entitled to repeat positively assessed examinations once up to twelve months after taking them, but no longer than until completion of the relevant study section or until completion of the relevant degree programme. The positively assessed examination shall become null and void upon taking the repeat examination.

According to UG 2002 § 77 (2), students are entitled to repeat negatively assessed examinations three times. All attempts for the same examination subject in all relevant studies at the same university shall be counted towards the number of examinations permitted. The statutes shall determine whether and how many further examination repetitions are permissible.
At the University of Innsbruck, one further repetition (= 5 examination attempts) is permitted in addition to the three examination repetitions.

The third and fourth repetition of an examination shall be held on a board basis if the examination is held in the form of a single examination. At the request of the student, this also applies to the second repetition.

The setting of deadlines and the obligation to take course examinations as a prerequisite for repeating examinations are not permitted.

Commission examinations must be repeated in their entirety if a subject has been assessed negatively.

Negatively assessed courses with immanent examinations must be repeated in their entirety.

If an examination consists of several subjects or courses, but is not held in the form of an overall examination by a board, only the subject or course that was assessed negatively shall be repeated.

The third repetition of a subject examination or module examination shall be held in the form of a board examination. At the request of the student, this also applies to the second repetition.

For examinations of courses of the introductory and orientation phase (see UG 2002 § 66), a further examination repetition is possible in addition to the examination repetition regulated in the UG 2002 according to the statutes (§ 17 (2)).

The supplementary examination for the proof of physical-motor aptitude can be repeated without limitation.

Legal basis: Universities Act 2002 in the current version, § 77. Repetition of Examinations; “Study-Law Regulations” in the current version, § 17. Repetition of Examinations

Academic Assessment/Examination Records

Passes of examinations and positive assessments of academic papers or art diploma or master’s submissions shall be graded as “excellent” (1), “good” (2), “satisfactory” (3) or “sufficient” (4); fails shall be graded as “insufficient” (5). Intermediate assessments are impermissible. If this form of assessment is impossible or inexpedient the form of words for a pass shall be “successfully completed” and that for a fail shall be “unsuccessfully completed”.

Passes for examinations consisting of a number of subjects or parts shall only be awarded if each subject or part has been passed.

Legal basis: Universities Act 2002 in the current version, § 72. Academic Assessment

Practical Implementation

If students have registered for an examination via LFU:online, the registration list can be used as examination records by the lecturer (It is also possible to create separate examination records). The examination records must in any case contain the course number, the course title, the examination date, the matriculation number and the name and grade of the students. After evaluation the examination records are sent to the responsible department’s office. There the data is entered in VIS:online and a comprehensive certificate is issued. The comprehensive certificate is then signed by the course lecturer. The certificate is then sent to the responsible examinations office. There the grades are “cleared” and can be accessed by the students via LFU:online.

The course lecturer can also enter the grades directly in VIS:online and issue the comprehensive certificate himself/herself.

Cheating

The course lecturer can inform the students on the consequences for using forbidden means (e.g. mobile phones, laptop, written materials). If cheating is discovered, the course lecturer has the following possibilities:

A grade of “insufficient” is given when, after an examination has begun, a student withdraws from the examination without valid reason or uses prohibited means or aids. An examination begins as soon as examination tasks have been distributed or the first question has been posed.

Legal basis: “Study-Law Regulations” in the current version, § 23. Cancellation and Withdrawal from Examination, Failure to appear

Annulment of Admission to Degree Programmes

Admission to a programme of study shall lapse if a student:

deregisters from the programme;
fails the last permissible repetition of an examination prescribed for his/her degree programme, whereby the permissible number of repetitions shall be calculated on the basis of the examinations taken in the relevant subjects at the respective university;
has lost the right to direct admission to the respective programme of studies or continuation of studies in the country of issue of the certificate providing proof of general eligibility for university entrance because he/she has failed to take an examination required therefor within the appointed period;
in the case of temporary admission, has completed the respective programme component in the appointed period; or
has completed his/her studies by passing the last prescribed examination.
A documentary record shall be made of the expiry of the admission. Particularly in the case of expiry under d) the Rectorate shall, on application, issue a declaratory notification on that.
has received a negative evaluation for the last possible repetition for a teaching practice during the pedagogical-practical studies as specified in the curriculum, whereby a reprimand by the practice school is deemed to be a negative evaluation, or
is excluded from the study programme by decision of the rectorate due to an act or actions that constitute or represent a permanent or serious threat to other members of the university or third parties during the course of study, more details of which are to be found in the statutes.

For registration for a third or fourth attempt at a course examination the students have to get a form at the responsible examinations office as soon as the date has been fixed. Students have to fill in the form. It must then be signed by the members of the board of examiners.

Afterwards the students return the application form to the responsible examinations office. There the signature of the Dean of Study is obtained. The examination office sends the examination records to the head of the board of examiners (see “Study-Law Regulations” part of the statutes § 20 Boards of Examiners) and the examinant and the student are informed by e-mail on the date of the examination.

Having passed the examination the head of the board of examiners sends the filled in examination records to the examination office. There the results are entered in VIS:online.

If the last permitted repetition of the examination has been failed, admission to the study programme lapses. The Dean of Study issues a decision of the annulment of the admission for the study programme.

Legal basis: Universities Act 2002 in the current version, § 68 Annulment of the Admission for Regular Study Programmes

Remuneration for Examinations

No remunerations for examinations are paid at the University of Innsbruck (abolition with the coming out of force of the Universities Remuneration Law 01. 01.2004).

Recommendations for supporting students with obligation to look after others

In courses with compulsory attendance, students with proven obligation to look after others, should be treated considerate. It is possible – in accordance with the course lecturer – to compensate for not being present to the required extent due to their obligation to look after others, by an alternative achievement. It must be ensured that contents and requirements of the course are not compromised by the alternative achievement.
Proven, urgent obligation to look after others constitutes also an important reason for cancelling, withdrawing from or missing an exam in the sense of § 23 of the Study Law Regulations.

Moreover, lecturers can of course refer to the offers provided by University of Innsbruck, which are aimed at facilitating the reconciliation of studying and working.

Bachelor, Diploma, master and Doctoral Theses

The respective curriculum determines which type of final thesis must be written for degree study programmes (bachelor, diploma, master or doctoral study programmes). Diploma and master theses as well as dissertations are scientific papers according to the Universities Act 2002, § 51.

Bachelor's Theses

Bachelor’s theses shall be prepared as part of bachelor degree programmes. Detailed regulations for bachelor’s theses shall be established by the respective curricula.

Diploma and master Theses

Diploma and master theses that have to be written within the scope of diploma or master study programmes are scientific papers that proof the student’s ability to deal with scientific topics independently and in an appropriate way with regards to methodology and contents. Detailed regulations for the supervision and assessment of diploma and master’s theses shall be established by the statute, and those governing the topics by the respective curricula.

Doctoral Theses

Dissertations that have to be written within the scope of doctoral study programmes are scientific papers that proof the student’s ability to independently deal with scientific tasks. Detailed regulations for the supervision and assessment of doctoral theses shall be established by the statute, and those governing the topics by the respective curricula.

Assessment Fees

Personaldatenblatt/Personal data record for external/new assessors and supervisors

As of the 2013/2014 academic year, the previously voluntary remuneration of evaluations was discontinued for budgetary reasons.

Scientific Integrity

Guidlines for “Ensuring Good Scientific Pracitce”

The Rectorate has issued guidelines for ensuring good scientific practice (see University of Innsbruck bulletin, July 21^st, 2023, Issue 60, No. 737) that apply to all members of the university within the scope of their university employment. Scientific malpractice or infringements against the rules of good scientific practice are subject to employment law/public services law, study-law, criminal law or civil law according to the respective legal regulations in force.

Use of Plagiarism Software

Information on plagiarism checks at the University of Innsbruck can be found at https://www.uibk.ac.at/fakultaeten-servicestelle/pruefungsreferate/plagiat/

Usage of E-Books in educational material

More information to the usage of E-Books can be found at https://www.uibk.ac.at/de/ulb/medien-suchen-und-nutzen/literatursuche/

Quality Development/Continuing Education for Lecturers

Quality Assurance (Instruments)

At the University of Innsbruck, the important task of quality assurance in teaching is coordinated by an office of the Vice-Rector for Teaching and Students. The main starting point of the quality assurance measures in the field of teaching is the aim to enable students of the University of Innsbruck (1) a good transition to the university (suitable choice of study and well-organised study entry phases), (2) a highly qualified education within the framework of the chosen study programme (best possible teaching and supervision) and (3) a good transition into the profession or into further studies.

In recent years, various quality assurance instruments have been introduced, further developed and continuously supplemented and adapted by new measures and concepts. The focus is primarily on meeting the quality management concept by increasingly closing the quality circle Plan-Do-Check-Act. More information on the task, concept and implementation can be found on the website of the Unit of Quality Assurance for Student Affairs and Teaching.

One of the most essential quality assurance instruments in the area of teaching is the survey and reporting on student satisfaction with teaching (LV analysis). Using questionnaires developed under the scientific supervision of ETH Zurich, student satisfaction is surveyed on various topics (structure and delivery of course material, fairness, technical equipment, infrastructure, etc.). The results of the surveys primarily have a feedback function for the course instructors, but also serve the various levels of responsibility in the course of the differentiated reporting system (heads of institutes, deans of studies, study officers, also administrative areas such as infrastructure).

All courses are regularly evaluated at the University of Innsbruck. The questions on the survey forms have to cover in any case the professional competence, the teaching of the subject matter, the content, structure and scope of the course, the framework conditions as well as the study behaviour and the student interest.

As part of quality assurance, more and more faculties are developing and publishing criteria for writing and assessing Bachelor's, master's and PhD theses. More detailed information can be found under the respective degree programme.

A detailed description and further information on the evaluation of courses can be found on the homepage of the Office for Quality Assurance in Teaching at https://www.uibk.ac.at/qs-lehre/.

Higher Education Didactics

At the University of Innsbruck supporting offers and measures are taken – based on higher education didactic research results – that are realised by organisation units (like for example human resources development, the staff units of the office of the Vice-Rector for Student Affairs and Teaching, quality management of teaching, Bologna Process and Teacher Education or relating offices like the Office for Equality and Gender Studies or the Department for Digital Media and Learning Technologies and also cross-institutional centres). The programming of the offer and measures are based on the following understanding of higher education didactics:

Higher education didactics deal with all subject areas that concern the “interaction of teachers and students”. These interactions take place within the scope of an education situation under the specific conditions of a higher education institution.

(compare Ludwig, Huber: An- und Aussichten der Hochschuldidaktik. In Zeitschrift für Pädagogik 45 (1999), p. 25-44).

Offers Supporting Higher Education Didactics

“Teaching Competence” Certificate

Within the scope of the “Teaching Competence” certificate the persons producing knowledge develop and expand competences related to teaching in a focused way. With the work at practical research questions, the professional advancement of one’s teaching abilities is encouraged. The results reached are communicated in an exchange with the scientific community.

More information can be found at https://www.uibk.ac.at/de/personalentwicklung/wissenschaftliches-personal/lehrkompetenz/zertifikat-lehrkompetenz/

Higher Education Didactical Base Qualification

This two-day workshop specifically prepares upcoming scientists for their first teaching activities.

Didactical and Methodical Tips

This series of methodical-didactical tips supports interested university teachers in planning their teaching lessons in the course of a semester. The course covers the spectrum from subjects that are relevant from the start of course planning to dialogue with students to the conclusion of the course including self-evaluation.

More information can be found at https://www.uibk.ac.at/de/rektorenteam/lehre/hochschuldidaktik/

Internal Education Programme

The internal education programme offers a wide range of courses. Besides of introductory courses, teachers can also solve specific problems in “One-to-one Consultations for Teaching Matters”.

More information can be found at https://www.uibk.ac.at/de/personalentwicklung/

The imparting of gender aspects is a fundamental aspect of the profile of the University of Innsbruck:

The field of “Gender Studies” strives towards a comprehensive transmission of theoretical-reflective as well as political realistic contents in all of the teachings at the LFU.

Linking and publishing gender-related research and teaching:

Researchers of different disciplines link on the “Gender Research” interfaculty research platform and make these fertile synergies accessible to students and other interested persons in the “Gender Lectures” that take place semestrally.

More information can be found at https://www.uibk.ac.at/geschlechterforschung/

Higher Education Didactics I & Higher Education Didactics II

These are courses for young academics (PhD-students) which are offered within the scope of the generic competences. Participants deal with the fundamental subjects of higher education didactics. They are able to design and assess teaching units based on higher education didactic criteria.

Schaufenster Lehre

This is a publication venue for projects from the course of “Learning Teaching” of the University of Innsbruck. Young academics may add these publications to their list of publications and this is a plus factor for the increasingly demanded didactical aptitude. It is a platform for publishing scientific publications. For being qualified as e-publication for the Schaufenster Lehre the work must be based on the criteria for practical research and must have passed a peer review process. Practical research is understood as research in the context of one’s own teaching practice with the aim of further developing the quality of the activities of one’s teaching.

More information can be found at https://www.uibk.ac.at/rektorenteam/lehre/die-lehre-seite/schaufenster/

Meine Lehre - service for the personal teaching portfolio

At the beginning of July 2013 the VIS-application “Meine Lehre” was opened to all lecturers. After a test period, in which technological refinements were made and contents altered because of data protection aspects, the application is now accessible to all lecturers. The database tool was developed by the VIS-department in cooperation with the Unit of Quality Assurance for Student Affairs and Teaching. In VIS:Online, in the “Persönliche Daten/Meine Lehre” menu item all data concerning the lecturers’ teaching are united and provided to the lecturers.

The “Meine Lehre” database tool is a service for the lecturers of the University of Innsbruck. The data documents the activities of the lecturers on the one hand, and also gives the opportunity to document initiatives and activities in the area of teaching and to disclose the basic teaching concepts on the other hand.

Data on teaching is always needed by the lecturers. Possible areas of application are the documentation of personal evaluations, applications or habilitation procedures. Moreover the database tool also gives information on past and current events, e.g. the number of examinations made or supervisions.

The data input is only for personal documentation and not used for any other purpose by the university. The data can only be accessed with a personal VIS account of lecturers and there is no obligation to add own entries to the data.

There is also the possibility to print out input data, self-documentation and teaching concepts. Data that has been provided by the university features the logo or corporate design resp. of the university. Entries made by the lecturers themselves include a reference on the independent documentation.

Measures at the University of Innsbruck

E-Tutor Training

Within the scope of two courses e-tutors are trained at the University of Innsbruck. In these courses technical fundamentals of the Internet, functions of modern LMS systems, different functions for making multi-media contributions, basics of e-learning didactics for use of an e-portfolio and for e-moderation and important aspects of copyright and barrier-free accessibility are imparted. To conclude this training successfully the participants must pass a practical semester, during which the participants are e-tutors for a course at the University of Innsbruck (amount of work: 2 semester hours), make a reflection portfolio, write a work documentation and take actively part in the “kollegialen Gruppe” group and the 2-hour coaching course.

Further information is available on request: please write to elearning@uibk.ac.at

Lehreplus!

Lehreplus! is an initiative of the Office of the Vice-Rector for Student Affairs and Teaching, which offers the possibility to highlight excellent achievements in the area of teaching.

More information can be found at https://www.uibk.ac.at/de/qs-lehre/lehrende/lehrepreise/

ProLehre

Projects designed to test new or refine existing teaching concepts or teaching projects may qualify for subsidies. They can be applied for and financially supported as part of an annual call for proposals. Eligible teaching projects, for instance, promote the quality of teaching and studies, make use of state-of-the-art teaching technologies or provide administrative support for lecturers.

You can find more information at https://www.uibk.ac.at/de/rektorenteam/lehre/lehre/pro-lehre/

Contakt
Fakultäten Servicestelle
phone +43 (0) 512 / 507-37002
mail fakultaetenservicestelle@uibk.ac.at

Office of the Vice-Rector for Student Affairs and Teaching
Tel: +43 (0) 512 / 507-20302
E-Mail: Lehre-Studierende@uibk.ac.at

Interdisciplinary and generic competences (IGK)

To promote interdisciplinarity between individual studies, many curricula include the module "Interdisciplinary or Generic Competences". Course concepts that correspond to this module can be applied for and funded twice per academic year.

You can find more information at https://www.uibk.ac.at/de/rektorenteam/lehre/lehre/interdisziplinare-und-generische-kompetenzen/

Contact
College Service Center
phone +43 (0) 512 / 507-37006
mail fakultaetenservicestelle@uibk.ac.at

Continuing Education Offer offered by Staff Development

The internal continuing education programme offers a wide range of introductory events and the possibility to take advantage of specific “individual support for teaching design”. Moreover, the professional further development of one’s teaching can be individually directed by dealing with practical research questions within the scope of the “Teaching Competence” certificate. Allowances for self-organised activities complete the continuing education offer.

Contact: +43 (0) 512 507 20440; Isabella.Goeschl@uibk.ac.at

Continuing Education

The Coordination Office for Postgraduate Continuing Education is a service institution of the University of Innsbruck. Within the concept of lifelong learning the Coordination Office for Postgraduate Education offers continuing education courses and trainings. These offers are aimed at graduates of a higher education study programme or specialists. Within the scope of uni.com the university in cooperation with the VHS Tirol also fulfils its educational task of sharing knowledge with society. Lectures, guided tours, courses, the “wissen für kids” series and last but not least the “stadium generale” introduce people to research-based knowledge. As a partner of the regions, weekly course are streamed live into rural regions of the Tyrol, supported by the ZID Department for New Media. The data is then edited into iTunes for future use.

Contact: +43 (0) 512 507 39401 or 39402; Weiterbildung@uibk.ac.at

Habilitation

The Rectorate shall, on application, be entitled to award an authorisation to teach (venia docendi) for an entire academic or artistic subject. The authorisation applied for must fall under a subject taught at the university, or represent a worthwhile addition thereto. The authorisation to teach shall confer the right to the free exercise thereof at the university in question, using its facilities, and to the supervision and assessment of academic dissertations or art submissions (sections 81–83 and 124).

More information can be found in the Universities Act 2002 in the current version § 103 and at https://www.uibk.ac.at/rektorenteam/forschung/habilitationsverfahren

Representation & Service Institutions

Work Council I

The works council for scientific personnel acc. to the Universities Act 2002 § 94 para. 2 and representative body as office committee for the lecturers and scientific staff assigned to the authority of the university acc. to UniAbgG § 6 does its best to represent the interests of above-mentioned persons not only in individual cases but also by generally improving the working conditions (e.g. negotiating and making of employment agreements).

Contact: +43 (0) 512 507 34001; betriebsrat-1@uibk.ac.at

More information can be found at http://www.uibk.ac.at/betriebsrat/wissenschaftlich/sekretariat

Equal Opportunities Working Party

It is the task of the Equal Opportunities Working Party to counteract discrimination by university institutions because of sex and to advise and support institutions of the university in questions of equal opportunities for women and men and of advancement for women.

Contact: +43 (0) 512 507 9045

More information can be found at http://www.uibk.ac.at/gleichbehandlung

Office for Equal Opportunities and Gender Studies

The Office for Equal Opportunities and Gender Studies is an organisation unit for coordinating the tasks of equal opportunities, advancement of women and gender research acc. to § 19 para. 2 no. 7 of the Universities Act 2002. The “equal opportunities” field also deals with the task of the office of the Equal Opportunities Working Party. The “Gender Studies” field includes the mentoring of the optional subject study programme of “Feministic Social and Cultural Sciences, Interdisciplinary Women’s Research and Gender Studies” and the further development of the field of Gender Studies.

Contact: +43 (0) 512 507 9046

More information can be found at http://www.uibk.ac.at/leopoldine

Family Services

Familiy Services is a service institution of the University of Innsbruck and is point of contact for all employees and students with care responsibilities. The Family Services team is available to assist you with questions regarding children, childcare and the care of relatives, informs you about legal aspects and aids and provides you various child-care options.

Contact: +43 (0) 512 507 35251; familienservice@uibk.ac.at

Safety at Work and Health

The employee protection law regulates the safety and occupational health at the workplace. At the University of Innsbruck a Unit of Safety and Health was set up for this purpose. The employees of this unit advise you in the area of work safety and human work(place) design; they introduce measures for avoiding dangers, set up instruction measures for avoiding work accidents and work-related diseases and offer guided tours.

Contact: +43 (0) 512 507 21099; arbeitnehmerinnenschutz@uibk.ac.at

Representative for Disabled Persons/Liaison Officers for Disabled Persons

The Office for Disabled Persons which acts based on the concept of peer counselling sets the course for a comprehensive access to and participation in university life and equal opportunities that are also put into practice for disabled and/or chronically ill students.

The Office for Disabled Persons is the point of contact for students with disablements and/or chronic diseases as well as for lecturers of the University of Innsbruck, especially what concerns information on modified examination regulations acc. to § 59 (1) no. 12 Universities Law 02.

Information on barrier-free access to courses and preparation of teaching and learning materials are also available at the UNIABILITY website (study group at Austria’s universities and higher education colleges for equal opportunities for persons with disabilities and chronic diseases.

Contact: +43 (0) 512 507 8887 or 8889; behindertenbeauftragte@uibk.ac.at

Personnel Department

The Personnel Department as a service and customer-oriented service unit is the point of contact for all employees of the university and the employment authority of first instance for all personnel matters of civil servants. Main tasks are the legally correct, efficient and uniform enforcement of the employment, payment and work law as well as the support and advice of leading organs, executives and employees with regards to employment law matters and questions of personnel management. Questions on the payment of the monthly salary, accident, health and pension insurance etc. are answered in the personnel department.

Contact: +43 (0) 512 507 22001; Personalabteilung@uibk.ac.at

Finance Department

The Finance Department informs on and supports the organisational units as well as the management with regards to the financial situation of the university. Main focus is on the annual accounts. Everyday work also includes the entries of all cases in the accounts payable (deliverers) and accounts receivable (customers). Among the main tasks of accountancy are daily payment runs, paying of advances and booking of cash-on-hand, the registration of capital assets by assets accounting etc. The Financial Department is also responsible for taxes and charges, as well as the annual tax declaration of the university. Payroll accounting, the department responsible for the payment of the salaries together with the accounting department, is also an important field.

Contact: +43 (0) 512 507 22501; Finanzabteilung@uibk.ac.at

Legal Department

The Legal Department of the central services advises the organs, authorities and organisation units of the university especially in the areas of organisation law, study-law, contract law, insurance and cases of damages and matters of the Students’ Union. The Legal Department issues the University of Innsbruck bulletin, in which legally important notices are published. The Legal Department also supports the office of the University Council.

Individual responsibilities and the respective contacts can be accessed at the website of the Legal Department.

Contact: +43 (0) 512 507 22801; Zentraler-Rechtsdienst@uibk.ac.at

Information Technology Services

The Information Technology Services (ZID) of the University of Innsbruck is an internal service operation of the university for the provision and operation of the entire IT-infrastructure (communication network incl. telephones, computers and software infrastructure) and the respective IT-services for research, teaching, studying and administration.

For using the services of ZID you need a user authorisation that you can apply for here together with your VIS-online access and an application for a PIN-code (telephone).

In case of questions you can contact the Information Technology Services hotline, which will then refer you to the responsible ZID-employee or directly to the next user service. In the ZID computer rooms student tutors are available for information.

ZID-Service-Hotline: +43 (0) 512 507 23999; zid-service@uibk.ac.at
Helpdesk e-campus/OLAT - Digital Media and Learning Technologies: +43 (0) 512 507 23555; e-campus@uibk.ac.at

Information on the individual ZID services can be found at https://www.uibk.ac.at/zid/servicekatalog/

Department for Buildings and Infrastructure

Among the most important tasks of the Department for Buildings and Infrastructure are building projects of all kind (new buildings, adaptations, renovation and maintenance projects), the realisation of mechanical tasks and relocations by the in-house personnel and outside companies, the servicing of all buildings of the LFUI in all areas of Facility Management (rent / energy / waste / surveillance / locking systems / parking space management etc.) as well as the drawing of CAD-maps and the keeping of a room database of all objects.

Contact: +43 (0) 512 507 30501; gebauede-infrastruktur@uibk.ac.at

Innsbruck University Library (ULB)

The University Library is a service institution of the University of Innsbruck, Innsbruck Medical University, the Management Center Innsbruck and the province of the Tyrol. It consists of a main library, special and faculty libraries. With a total stock of more than 3.5 million books, numerous magazines (print and online) and databases, as well as precious special collections, the ULB is the third biggest library of Austria. An overview of the offer, current user, borrower and budget statistics can available at www.uibk.ac.at/ulb (Menu item: “Über uns”).

Contact: +43 (0) 512 507 2410; ulb-kundenservice@uibk.ac.at

University Sports Institute (USI)

The University Sports Institute (USI) offers a sports programme primarily for the students and employees of the University of Innsbruck. The offer covers more than 150 sports disciplines. More than 400 courses and free trainings units covering all classic sports disciplines, modern fitness training, different dance types, judo sports, play and relaxation exercises, sports courses for seniors, children and disabled persons take place. Outdoor offers range from golf to tennis to mountain bike, from sports climbing to ski courses to tours in the western Alps and cater to all needs. The respective semester and holiday programme, current information and organisational notes (registration, dates etc.) can be found at http://usi.uibk.ac.at/

Contact: +43 (0) 512 507 45624; usi@uibk.ac.at

Language Centre

The Language Centre is a service institution of the University of Innsbruck and offers a varied and good-value language course offer to all students and employees as well as external interested persons. 20 different foreign languages at different levels can be learned at isi.

With the start of the academic year of 2009/2010 the Language Centre commenced its programme of country emphasis: Each academic year a country (a region), its culture(s) and language(s) are introduced. Language and intercultural courses, lectures, readings, films etc. offer different ways to get to know the country in focus, its people and special features.

Contact: +43 (0) 512 507 36401 or 36404; sprachenzentrum@uibk.ac.at

More information can be found at https://www.uibk.ac.at/sprachenzentrum/

Legal Foundation/Decrees/Guidelines

Universities Act 2002

The Universities Act 2002 (UG) is the legal basis for the organisation of universities and their study programmes.

Legal basis: https://www.uibk.ac.at/fakultaeten-servicestelle/pruefungsreferate/recht/

Development Plan of the University of Innsbruck

With the development plan the University Council, the Rectorate and the Senate have created a comprehensive basis for a sustainable development of the University of Innsbruck. Research foci, future study programmes, the establishment and replacement of professorships have been linked to a budget programme to 2024. The strategic objectives (development objectives) of the university are based on two major ideas.

Strengthening the top ranking in research
and excellent teaching

Development Plan of the University of Innsbruck

Management and Internal Organisation of the University of Innsbruck

The Rectorate shall, having received the opinion of the senate, prepare an organisation plan which shall require the approval of the university council. When establishing organisational units (departments, faculties, institutes or other organisational units) attention shall be paid to combining units in the interests of efficient research (and advancement and appreciation of the arts), teaching, study and administration. The Rectorate shall ensure that sufficient resources are allocated to such organisational units to enable them to fulfil their responsibilities.

The organisation plan basically differentiates between organisation units with research and teaching tasks and administrative organisation units.

Current version of the Organisation Plan: https://www.uibk.ac.at/zentraler-rechtsdienst/richtlinien-und-verordnungen-des-rektorats/organisationsrecht/organisationsplan.html

Statute Section on “Study-Law Regulations”

Each university issues decrees (statutes) on the required internal rules within the scope of the laws and decrees themselves. The statutes are to be agreed on and changed by a simple majority of the Senate as suggested by the Rectorate. The statutes regulate e.g. the following matters:

Election regulations for electing the members of the University Council, the senate and other organs
Setting up of a monocratic authority for executing study-law regulations of first instance
General guidelines for making, publishing and implementing evaluations
Study-law regulations based on Universities Act 2002 (Study-Law Regulations section)
Formation of the Equal Opportunities workgroup
Advancement plan for women
etc.

Current complete version of the “Study-Law Regulations” section of the statutes

Curriculum

The Curriculum is according to Universities Act 2002 § 51 para. 2 no. 24 a decree outlining the qualification profile, contents and design of a study programme and its examination regulations.

Evaluation part of the Statutes

See Course Analysis

“Evaluation” part of the statutes acc. to Universities Act 2002 § 19 para. 2 no. 3

(published in the University of Innsbruck bulletin of 15 June 2011, Issue 30, No. 480)

Statute Section Validation

“Validation” part of the statutes acc. to Universities Act 2002 § 25 para. 1 no. 1

(published in the University of Innsbruck bulletin of 20 October 2023, Issue 4, No. 80)

Information on the Bologna Process (an Overview)

The Bologna Process is the instrument for realising a European Higher Education Area. Seen from an Austrian perspective this process promotes the Europeanization and Internationalization of the tertiary education sector and strengthens its competitiveness. The striving of the Austrian higher education system towards internationalization has been given new impetus in the present implementation phase (Source: BMBWF).

With the signing of the Bologna Declaration by the government representatives of 29 European countries in May 1999 the fundamental reform process was launched.

More information can be found at https://www.uibk.ac.at/bologna/index.html.en

Data Protection

The Data Protection Coordinator of the University of Innsbruck is the primary contact person for all questions relating to data protection for all university members and organisational units (IT security is the responsibility of the Central Information Technology Services and the IT Security Officer resp.). She is responsible for the management of the processing directory as well as the central data protection management at the University of Innsbruck.

Information and templates for data protection in teaching can be found at https://www.uibk.ac.at/intranet/datenschutz/

Contact: +43 (0) 512 507 20420; Datenschutzkoordination@uibk.ac.at

If you have got questions on data security please contact: +43 (0) 512 507-23006, Datensicherheit@uibk.ac.at

University of Innsbruck Bulletin

Every university shall publish a bulletin and provide public access to the same on its website. The university bulletin shall, in particular, be used to publish:

1. the statute, the development plan and an organisation plan including the assignments of personnel;

2. an opening balance sheet;

3. the performance agreement, financial statements, performance report and intellectual capital report;

4. orders enacted by, and rules of procedure of governing bodies;

5. regulations issued by management bodies:

6. curricula;

7. academic titles to be awarded by the university;

8. announcements to students and other announcements of general interest;

9. notice and results of elections;

10. advertisements of senior and other positions;

11. the membership of the management bodies;

12. the award of authorisations to teach;

13. authorisations;

14. the application of university fees.

Legal basis: Universities Act 2002, § 68 Annulment of the Admission for Regular Study Programmes.

Useful Information

Parking Permit

All employees of the university that are part of the permanent staff may apply for a parking permit if the distance from the home to the work place exceeds 2km. Among the permanent staff are clerks, contract employees, project workers and collective contract employees. The contingency for external teaching staff is limited and the application must be renewed annually.

Information on this matter can be found at http://www.uibk.ac.at/gebaeude-technik/parkplatzbewirtschaftung_2009/parkraumbewirtschaftung_lehrbeauftragte.html of the Department for Buildings and Infrastructure.

General information on parking space management can be found at http://www.uibk.ac.at/gebaeude-technik/parkplatzbewirtschaftung_2009/parkplatzbewirtschaftung_info.html

Teacher's Manual

Prologue »

Organisational Structure of the University of Innsbruck »

Studying at the University of Innsbruck »

Responsible Authorities for Teaching and Studying »

IT-Support »

Assignment of Lecturers »

How to plan Courses »

To hold a Course »

Examination Structures and Procedures »

Bachelor, Diploma, master and Doctoral Theses »

Scientific Integrity »

Quality Development/Continuing Education for Lecturers »

Representation & Service Institutions »

Legal Foundations/Decrees/Guidlines »

Useful Information »

Prologue

Organisational Structure of the University of Innsbruck

Studying at the University of Innsbruck

Responsible Authorities for Teaching and Studying

Director of Studies / Vice-Rector for Student Affairs and Teaching

Deans of Studies and Associate Deans of Studies

Departments

College Service Center

Examination Office

Digital Media and Learning Technologies contact persons

IT-Support

Course Catalogue

VIS:online

eCampus/OpenOlat

User Account

e-Assessments

Assignment of Lecturers

Definition Internal Teaching

Definition External Teaching

Contract Categories for External Teaching

Information of the Personnel Department

Assignation of Lectureships

Information on the Collective Contract

Structure of the Collective Contract

Information on the Business Regulations in the Area of Teaching

How to plan Courses

Course Catalogue

Structure of the Academic Year / Recess Period

Dates of Courses/Reservation of Rooms

Course Types according to the Statute

Programmes of Study in a Foreign Language

Planning/Going on an Excursion

Courses of the Studies Induction and Orientation Period

ECTS-Credits according to the Curriculum

Entry in the Course Data Administration

To hold a Course

Course Registration (Checking of Requirements)

Allowed Number of Participants according to the Curriculum

Change of Dates

Compulsory Attendance for Students

Grading Criteria

Availability of the Lecturer

Access to the Buildings/Lecture Rooms/Conference Rooms

Problems with Lecture Rooms/Conference Rooms

Course Analysis

Examination Structures and Procedures

Methods and Types of Examination

Exam Registration

Registration for course examinations

Registration for subject examinations, module examinations and borad examinations

Examination Boards

Practice

Registration for subject examinatins, module examinations

Registration for Examinations Held in front of Examination Boards

Examination Scheduling

Conducting and Announcement of Examinations

Repitition of positive completion Examinations

Academic Assessment/Examination Records

Cheating

Annulment of Admission to Degree Programmes

Remuneration for Examinations

Recommendations for supporting students with obligation to look after others

Bachelor, Diploma, master and Doctoral Theses

Bachelor's Theses