News Overview

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