News Overview

Didactic workshop series “Didaktik-Werkstatt” (in German)

The series of didactic workshops presented by the Steirische Hochschulkonferenz will start again in January and go until June 2019. Participants can complete workshops in the following areas:

• Oral exams
• Written exams
• Multiple-Choice-exams
• Feedback
• Consultancy
• Alternative exam forms
• Supervision and Grading of papers

The programme is aimed at all teachers working in higher education in Styria and can be completed with a certificate (specific requirements).

• Registration for workshops starts December 4, 2018. Please note that there are a limited number of participants!

More information about the programme, registration and the certificate can be found on the Science Space Styria website (in German).

Workshop: Conflict Management (in German)

Have you ever been confronted with group dynamic-related challenges or conflict situations in your classes? Interested teachers are invited to a two-day workshop, where they will develop strategies for the constructive handling of conflicts in teaching under the supervision of an experienced expert.

• Event: “Über den konstruktiven Umgang mit Konflikten in der Lehre“ (About the constructive handling of conflicts in the field of teaching), supervisor: Dipl.-Math. Wolf Hertlein
• When: Wednesday, January 30, and Thursday, January 31, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. each day
• Where: FH Joanneum, Eggenberger Allee 11, 8010 Graz, ground floor, seminar room 014

Registration is open until January 25. Details about the workshop and registration can be found (in German) at FH JOANNEUM.

TEL Marketplace – show and tell

Within the strategic project “Digital TU Graz”, a first measurement will be implemented in the field of teaching to introduce research results and findings of Technology-Enhanced Learning (TEL) to the practical area of higher education. To grant innovation transfer, strengthen the exchange between researchers and teachers and to increase teaching quality, a “TEL Marketplace” is organised in March 2019 in the Grand Hall of TU Graz. The Marketplace shall provide the opportunity to form teams and create projects which afterwards are realised within the daily teaching practice.

Apply now under elearningnoSpam@tugraz.at with specific TEL concepts or prototypes until January 21^st 2019 with a one-sided abstract to receive an exhibition stand at the Marketplace.

More details can be found under tugraz.at/go/digitalisierung.

LLT Breakfast on 12 December 2019

On 12 December, the new dialogue format "LLT Breakfast" will take place for the first time. During a small breakfast of the organizational unit Educational Technology, you will have the opportunity to learn new things about the use of digital media in teaching and then to exchange ideas with colleagues and the LLT team in a relaxed atmosphere. Our topic this time is interactive videos.

LLT Breakfast
When: Wednesday, 12 December 2018, 08:00 to 09:00 o'clock
Where: Office of the organizational unit Educational Technology, Münzgrabenstraße 36/I, 8010 Graz
Topic: Interactive Videos

Please register at elearningnoSpam@tugraz.at.

Prize for Excellence in Teaching: Prizewinners

On November 15^th, once again the “Prize for Excellence in Teaching at TU Graz” was awarded. The prize honours those teachers of TU Graz who impress through excellent didactic concepts, outstanding dedication and equivalent motivation in the field of teaching. This time five prizewinners were awarded during a ceremony in the Great Hall:

• Category “Prize for Excellence in Teaching”: Werner Lienhart
• Category “Young Teachers”: Carlo Alberto Boano, Daniel Gruss and Patrick Wurm
• alumniTUGraz 1887 special prize: Gernot Pottlacher (Christmas lecture)

More detailed information about the prizewinners, the prize itself and the multilevel selection procedure can be found in a current news article of TU Graz.

Studo App: Campus licences for TU Graz

The successful story of the Studo App started at TU Graz and as of winter semester 2018/19, a stronger cooperation between TU Graz and Studo begins. That is, campus-wide licences for the full version will be available from December on!

The app facilitates the personal organisation of students’ daily life and offers a wide range of useful features: synchronised calendar (incl. timetable for university), access on curricula, search of rooms, access on your University-Mail-account and many more.

With the full version the students receive an extended calendar preview, advertising banners are removed and colour settings can be made. In addition technical improvements were made, that will make the app even more efficient, battery-saving and faster in the future.

The app was developed by TU Graz-students who founded their software development startup during the course Gründungsgarage.

Website of Studo (in German)

End of the additional period

The additional period ends by 30 November. This date marks the latest point of time for exceptional cases of admission for the winter semester 2018/19 at TU Graz. Moreover,

• the Austrian Students’ Union fee and possible tuition fees have to be paid within this period to grant the continuation of your studies.
• the application for an interruption of studies in exceptional cases has to be handed in until this date.

More detailed information:

• Exceptional cases in the additional period
• Interruption of studies (Intranet TU4U)

Website of the Registration Office

Review on the Students‘ Discussion Group

The Student’s Discussion Group has been taking place regularly since winter semester 2016. In a casual atmosphere, the team of the Vice rectorate for Academic Affairs gets in contact with students directly to discuss topics concerining learning and teaching. The last Discussion Group on 29 October focused on the question: What information do first-year students need to successfully start their studies at TU Graz?

The Vice rectorate for Academic Affairs, in cooperation with the Student’s Union of TU Graz, is currently working on a reference book for new students. The focus on the needs of students should provide an additional source of information to develop a well-rounded brochure.

Information about and outputs of the past Discussion Groups can be found on the Intranet TU4U.

Route 63: A link between computer science and economy

With the cooperation Route 63 the TU Graz and the University of Graz further intensify their successful collaboration. Beginning with summer semester 2019, the universities open their range of studies in the fields economy, sociology, psychology and computer science to prepare students for the labour market.

While students of University of Graz get the option to acquire Know-How in computer science (such as programming simple web-based and non-web-based applications), students of TU Graz receive the possibility to adopt useful knowledge for establishing businesses or marketing software. The Faculty of Computer Science and Biomedical Engineering provides information for TU students about specific contents, learning goals and possible courses.

Exclusive MATLAB sessions by a Math-Works-Expert at TU Graz

On 16 October, 2018 teaching staff and students of TU Graz have the opportunity to participate in expert sessions on MATLAB provided by Loren Shure from MathWorks, USA.

Demystifying deep learning: A practical approach in MATLAB

• When: Tuesday, 16 October 2018, 10 to 12 am
• Where: Lecture Room i2 (HFEG038J), Inffeldgasse 12, ground floor

Advanced Programming Techniques in MATLAB

• When: Tuesday, 16 October 2018, 2 to 4 pm
• Where: Lecture Room L (NA01010), Lessingstraße 25, 1^st floor

For detailed insight into the session and the presenter Loren Shure please see: info MATLAB sessions

PLEASE NOTE: Due to organisational reasons, please register for each session: register for MATLAB. The number of participants is limited.

Information about the winter semester 2018/19 for teaching staff

Winter semester 18/19 starts next week. Vice rector Detlef Heck would like to draw your attention on some news, dates and events in the field of teaching:

• Various changes to the statute chapter on Legal Regulations for Academic Affairs
• Award ceremony of the Prize for Excellence in Teaching
• In-house training in the field of teaching
• eEducation Breakfast
• Study@TU Graz (Facebook)

Summarised information and further links to the topics listed can be found here in English and German.

Degree completion scholarship for working students

From the winter semester 2018/19 on, employed or self-employed students are required to pay tuition fee to Austrian universities. To promote and support their graduation, Graz University of Technology awards a graduation scholarship to working students as soon as they are obliged to pay tuition fee.

Further informationen: Degree completion scholarship

5.000 Euro prizes for gender and diversity

From8  March to 30 September it is possible to apply for the Prize for Gender and Diversity in Engineering and Science. Five prizes with a total value of 5.000 Euro will be awarded. In this way, Graz University of Technology supports studies of topics related to gender and diversity in engineering and science and helps to raise their visibility.

Students, teachers and researchers can apply for one of the five prizes. The following submissions will be considered:

• Theses
• Scientific publications
• Contents of taught courses
• Participation in completed or ongoing continuing education activities, workshops, conference contributions

The entries are evaluated in terms of the quality with which they discuss, consider and/or integrate gender and diversity aspects.

• Application period: 8 March until 30 September to akgnoSpam@tugraz.at
• Application form and further information in the intranet TU4U (in German)

Statute chapter “Legal Regulations for Academic Affairs”: various changes

On 1 October 2018 various changes of the statute chapter Legal Regulations for Academic Affairs will come into force. On the one hand, some references to the Universities Act had to be corrected due to the amendment of 2017, and on the other hand, a number of paragraphs were changed in content. For instance:

• new terms such as module instead of subject,
• new regulation for the repetition of partial course requirements in courses with continual assessment,
• new regulation if the examiner fails to meet the deadline for the assessment,
• new regulation for oral exams via video telephony and much more.

Further information:

• Statute chapter Legal Regulations for Academic Affairs (in German)
• Summary of the changes (in German)

No “bypassing” of examinations at TU Graz

As of now, “bypassing” examinations at TU Graz will be stopped. This was decided at the meeting of the Dean of Studies on June 21, 2018 and announced as an instruction by the Vice Rector for Academic Affairs. “Bypassing” examinations means taking an examination at another Austrian university in order to deliberately avoid an equivalent examination at the home university. From winter semester 2018/19 on, applications for recognition of examinations will be handled in accordance with the instruction of the Vice Rector for Academic Affairs.

The following document explains details on the future handling of applications for recognition of examinations: Stop of bypassing examinations and instruction for handling applications for recognition of examinations (in German)

The instruction is based on the Austrian Universities Act (UG):

• § 63 Abs. 9 UG in the version of BGBI. I Nr. 8/2018
• § 78 Abs. 2 UG in the version of BGBI. I Nr. 129/2017

English and accessible version of Booklet: Teaching at TU Graz

The booklet “Teaching at TU Graz - Questions and answers about legal matters related to teaching at TU Graz” answers 80 questions about the following topics:

• Organisational structure in the area of teaching and legal framework
• Planning and administering courses
• Examining and grading
• Supervising (academic) theses
• Information and services

A list of links at the end of the booklet presents further resources. The booklet is now available in English and in a barrier-free version:

• German: Booklet: Lehre an der TU Graz – Studienrechtliche Fragen und Antworten
• English: Booklet: Teaching at TU Graz – Questions and answers about legal matters related to teaching at TU Graz
• Accessible version (in German)

Further information: Handbuch Lehre (in German)

STEM-MOOC “Mechanik” starts on 4 August

On 4 August, the free STEM course “Mechanics” starts on iMooX.at. The free MOOC (Massive Open Online Course) is specially designed for pupils and first-year students to prepare for a course of study at a technical University in Austria.

With the start of the course, new content will be released every week. All learning material will remain online after the end of the course.

The STEM-MOOCs are provided by TU Austria (TU Vienna, TU Graz and Montanuniversität Leoben) and are open to the public on iMooX.at. All courses are held in German.

Further information:

• iMoox.at
• Course “Grundbegriffe der Mechanik für technische Anwendungen”

Update of the guideline for programme planning, course administration and teaching assignments

The update concerns the following aspects:

• Aliquoting of teaching capacities for all part-time contracts.
• No weighing of SSt. of A2 university collective contract. After fulfilment of the qualification agreement 10 SSt (unweighed) are assumed.
• For university assistants according to the contractual employees act for an indefinite period 4 SSt. (weighed) are assumed, if up until 4 SSt. (weighed) have been held. Each assignment over 4 SSt. is assumed as 100% of teaching capacity.
• Integration of the new Basismodul Didaktik of the In-House-Training-Programme.
• Integration of a section about the use of course rooms.

You can find the guideline (in German) in the intranet TU4U: Richtlinie zur Lehrplanung, Lehrerhebung und Lehrbeauftragung