JKU Rector Meinhard Lukas emphasized, “We are particularly pleased that our quality management has been certified without additional conditions.”  This is very rarely the case: In general, conditions are given that have to be met within a two-year period. “The strong results are by no means a reason to just rest on our laurels – on the contrary: In order to maintain a high level of performance at the JKU, an ongoing process is needed to ensure the highest quality of education, research and service. Our employees are our guarantee as they have unconditional quality standards.”

The Path to Certification
The quality management auditing process began at the end of 2016 with an opening event, followed by creating an auditing and project group, “Audit QMS”, to coordinate and prepare the groundwork and ultimately a self-assessment report. The report about the JKU’s quality assurance system critically reflects on the AAQ standards and the University Quality Assurance Act (HS-QSG).

In addition to the group’s regular meetings, one-to-one interviews were held to provide feedback for the report. Five external experts came to the JKU in November 2017 and the ensuing discussions were characterized as appreciative and constructive. 13 roundtable discussions were held with over 100 university employees (such as the Rectorate, Senate representatives, University Council members, faculty members, studies commissions, works council, working group for equal opportunity, service staff and students) about the quality standards and quality assurance measures.

The certification confirms that the JKU fulfills the Universities Act (UG 2002) and the HS-QSG requirements as well as the obligations outlined in the 2016-2018 performance agreement.

The report is available at: www.aaq.ch/verfahrensberichte, opens an external URL in a new window à Quality Audit