Zeppelin Universität | Mid-Term Strategy 2013 – 2017: “z7z”

mid-term strategy 2013 – 2017 Zeppelin University twenty7teen

Zeppelin University | Am Seemooser Horn 20, 88045 Friedrichshafen | +49 7541 6009 1000 | info@zu.de | zu.de/en/strategy

What is likely to be the idea of the university of the 21st century –

and what will be its impact?

In 2003, Zeppelin University (ZU) was founded out of the civil society and for society. It is the only private university in Germany without any kind of government funding. Therefore, it considers the establishment of a close relationship to society its most important responsibility. With its seven disciplines from social sciences, business sciences, and the humanities, ZU is a player within the civil society for “social innovations” that is responsible, competent, and maintains close relationships. This is achieved by socially relevant research, student projects and start-ups, as well as by artistic, medial, and political(ly consulting) interventions. Following the economic miracle of technology in the 20th century, we will now see the century of “socialized technology” and reform politics.

Following the strategies of the first (6before8) and the second five years (zuzwölf), focusing on the founding of academic teaching and organization, as well as on research and accreditation, in the years 2013 – 2017 the rectorate – in the sense of a strategy of self-commitment – will occupy themselves with vehicles of social responsibility and their academic impact. Our aim: We will have to be better to the same extent as we are more expensive.

“We will have to be better, more different, and more effective to the same extent as we are more expensive and more valuable.�

Zeppelin University, 2013

SOCIA I N N O AT I O N zeppelin university bridging business culture politics

AL OV NS

Mission 6

Education 16 Which contribution in which form do universities make to future responsible managers?

Research 20 How do we open new research areas with our ability to maintain close relationships?

Commitment 24 How do we become effective beyond teaching and research – in the region, in industry and ministries, in cultural institutions and the media?

Quality 28 How do we as a university measure our impact on innovations?

Funding 32 How do we organize and finance a culture of facilitation for social innovations by ZU students?

Leadership 36 With which social innovations do we enhance employer attractiveness and personnel diversity?

MISSION

RESPONS IBILITY QUESTION ABLE FOR THAT WHICH IS

Zeppelin University – out of social responsibility and in social responsibility.

6

Mission? Humboldt 2.0!

Strategy? The catamaran of excellence and experiment!

What kind of place can and should a university be in the 21st

research, and implementation of social innovations – together

century – considering the challenges? What are the functions,

with scholars, students, administration, partners, and sponsors.

freedoms, and responsibilities of universities that have to be maintained, rediscovered, and invented anew?

ZU is dedicated more to current issues than to past answers, to probability rather than to truth, to interdisciplinary perspectives

Since its foundation in 2003, Zeppelin University has been

on society rather than to business ethics, to questioning the

searching for answers to these questions. It sees itself as a

in-between rather than to providing ready-made answers.

place of responsibility, of questionableness, and thus of the categorical question, of pioneering curiosity and uncompromisingyet-constructive criticism.

While keeping its distance to society, ZU is still committed to it. It considers its privilege of freedom the responsibility to work more effectively and meaningfully for society. It sees the responsibility

We consider ourselves committed to the unity of teaching, re-

to question the university itself. That is why, in 2011, it won the

search, and academic services for social innovations – with

national competition of the most committed universities, ”More

insistent joy.

than research and teaching” by the Association for the Promotion of Science and Humanities in Germany.

ZU – triggered by the social responsibility of many sponsors, foundations, and citizens of the civil society – also sees itself

“z7z”, by now the third mid-term strategy from 2013 to 2017, is a

as a player in civil society for society – beyond pure research

catamaran strategy with a hull of excellent substance on the one

and teaching. It attempts contributions to the identification,

hand and one of experimental avant-garde on the other.

7

MISSION

for so innov cial a t i o by m n s ea ac adem ns of med i ial, p c, artisti entre olitical, c, pren a euria nd inter venti l on

MISSION

Social innovation and the logic of inclusion

Social innovation and the logic of hybridization

In modern societies, sociologists talk about functional differen-

Original organizations and sectors require clear boundaries to

tiation – no group in the fore, but many fringe groups. This ex-

their environment. Yet the clear separation of state, civil society,

plains the demand: inclusion. Player-related inclusion strategies

and families reaches its own limits: the issues are now clever, i.e.

are making social innovations more likely due to new arenas of

in their way separated, hybridizations. Hybrid institutions due to

interaction – between citizens and the state, business and civil

trans-sectoral cooperations between states, markets, civil soci-

society, migrants and natives, companies and employees, dis-

eties, and the sciences. Hybrid value-added due to the solution

abled and non-disabled people, remedial and university students,

of social problems for economic value-added chains – either in

seniors and infants, elites and and and. Inclusion – i.e. the use of

non-markets or developing countries.

diversity – could thus become a source of innovation of and by the university.

Social innovation and the logic of systemization Innovations take place close to or at boundaries. That is what is being said. Germany’s competitiveness regarding state, market, and cultural issues will no longer be decided only by innovations in technology and services, but by the management of complex systems of technological, service, cultural, and social innovations. These can be intermodal traffic systems, decentral energy systems with intelligent grids, multi-infrastructural city development, preventive and supportive caring.

11

MISSION

soc But what is the

aspect of social innovation?

cial Collective creativity or charitable capital?

MISSION

14

Social innovation and Zeppelin University A university’s strategy should be clear: excellent teaching and excellent research and up and up in the rankings.

Why not? We have been trying this as well. And it works – sometimes even impressively.

Zeppelin University acts in the gaps existing between business, culture, and politics and their theories and methods.

And here the experiment comes before excellence.

Zeppelin University is dedicated to social innovations using the means of teaching, research, and other forms of expression. That is what it has always done – only now it does so in a more disciplined way. For a lack of discipline and innovation itself needs a strategy, a discipline, a routine, and a clarification how far this guiding principle of social innovation can go.

Zeppelin University will live its strategic focus of social innovation with experiments – in the areas of “education”, of “research”, of “mission”, of “quality assurance”, as well as of “funding” and of “equipment” together with “organiza-

So are we!

tional and personnel development”. And in doing this it will also fail from time to time. As is the case with airships.

But it is also always a matter of disciplined, passionate comebacks.

15

SO CI A L I N N OVAT IO N S T H ROU G H ED U C AT IO N

a

all k now l

e l

Wha t ca n yo u st ill le arn if

From the first semester on and in small groups – individualized research on theoretical, methodical, and empirical approaches to questions of our society. Research-based interventions for society from social, cultural, and politically-entrepreneurial reality – instead of exams that can be plagiarized.

v a

i l

ledg e se ems

to a ll?

17

a b

SO CI A L I N N OVAT IO N S T H ROU G H ED U C AT IO N

Project orientation: learning as service

Lesson formats: gaining explicit and implicit knowledge

The phenomena-related orientation towards challenges and

ZU has won many prizes, awards, and impressive ranking po-

projects has the purpose of learning confusedly, exploring cu-

sitions for its didactics. It will also venture experiments in new

riously, experimenting courageously, observing precisely, argu-

structural and didactic concepts in the coming years and for that

ing analytically, and implementing carefully (“challenge-based

aim also strengthen the rectorate accordingly. The research fo-

learning”). The dichotomy between project-orientation and ac-

cus in the bachelor (“undergraduate research” in the “Zeppelin

ademic standards is made possible by the close interconnection

Year” and the “Humboldt Year”) are examples of such exper-

with the curricula. This connection is implemented in various

imental innovations. Even with a four-year bachelor program

forms and formats. In addition to the contents of the disciplines,

we believe in maintaining a two-year master structure.

the curricula also reflect social phenomena. Social commitment and social innovations are closely connected with subject-specific learning (“service learning”).

The emphasis is on theory-focused, literature-based seminars in small groups where roles between teachers and those being taught change. Method-based classes are always taught in ref-

Mission: education through insistent presence

erence to problem areas (“splashy transfer of dry methods”).

At ZU, university education also means questioning the in-be-

“Instant Lectures”, “StudentStudies”, issue-driven or country-

tween and finding in-between solutions for social challenges.

specific conference study programs and further didactic ideas

Seminars emphasize discursive presence of lecturers and stu-

by colleagues and students are supported actively.

dents instead of unidirectional presentations. “Reading in advance” saves you the lectures. Learning from peers outside the

External as well as internal lecturers are to exchange their expe-

box allows for self-development and self-correction. Digitiliza-

rience and reflection using appropriate didactic concepts and are

tion allows for cognitively differentiated preparation. Teaching

closely connected to ZU by quality partnerships.

based on direct exchange will be remembered only when it covers that which cannot be documented digitally. Our challenge for the social innovations of education: working in digital presence and developing implicit knowledge.  For everything else the following applies: Position Paper “Quality of Research-oriented Teaching”.

18

Maybe creative accessibility

– bold & independent.

19

SO CI A L I N N OVAT IO N S T H ROU G H ED U C AT IO N

Internationalization: research-based program partners instead of exchange-dequalification Internationalization is more than just exchange. The “Humboldt Year” with its partnerships with selected and ZU-specific research universities such as Berkeley, Copenhagen, and Goldsmiths, or the master program with Cambridge was the beginning of the end – of the end of purely exchange-based partner universities. Until 2017, both in the bachelor and the master programs, four research-based double-degree- and perspectively also joint-degree programs – will be developed.

Creativity & value-added entrepreneurship: paradoxes of compulsory creativity The role model of the decision-maker and creative shaper is part of the mission in founding. Academia deals with that which can be known and making it explicit. But more is at stake. The focus is on the development of one’s own – even implicit – forms of creativity, their performance, and reflection – artistic, entrepreneurial, and academic, specifically implemented in the obligatory class “Creative Performance”, the “arts program” and the seminar “Value-Added Entrepreneurship” bridging business, politics, and civil society. Creativity and entrepreneurship are actively supported and promoted by ZU – by itself and permanently!

Feedback and feedforward instead of “voting by feet” Achievement is an obligation. Our far-reaching quality assurance system starts with something that is not a matter of course: an open 360 degree feedback culture. At ZU, clarity in the objectives of seminars, transparency regarding grading, and individual feedback on performance are resources of an ongoing improvement process and the start of explaining communication. .

Forms of examinations: pioneering constructions instead of plagiarism-sensitive reconstructions A clear commitment to socially relevant research requires the compliance with the principles of good academic practice. This includes, among other things, the consistent check of plagiarism.

Examinations are more focused on knowledge that cannot be known and thus are less susceptible to plagiarism.

The university of the 21st century under the condition of the digital availability of knowledge: presence in distance The next university will be digital – beyond time and space. Digital education, however, will have to be more than the pure information logistics of the last decades. Our understanding of education therefore applies in the same way to the digital world: projectoriented, research-based, learning outside the box. To make this possible ZU is working on the development of completely new digital learning designs – cooperating with partners from technology and blended learning contexts, international in its approach, and individual in its work with the participants. Further aims are the reflexive accompanying research and the responsibility for the mobilization of new target groups for tertiary education that thus becomes possible.

SO CI A L IN N OVAT IO N S T HROU G H RES E A RC H

Relevan RReessoonn

De-infantilization of research.

Making graduate school less school.

Experimental excellence.

nce. naannccee.

21

SO CI A L IN N OVAT IO N S T HROU G H RES E A RC H

ns tio olu ns a ee en tw n be o om in- sed en ble ocu ph ina e f ary sta o b lin su ed t scip ne erdi int

p i c s i Prolifi d cally un

22

d e il n p

Rigorousness, risk, relevance, and resonance | expansion of “Zeppelin University Graduate School | ZUGS” | opening up of research areas | DFG-membership and research rankings Responsibility: “community-based research” | research for the region and its interest groups | 2 – 3 projects per year both in and beyond the region Publications: maximization of audiences, i.e. the public | plurality of publication media | “intelligent trivialization” | academic political consulting | A-journal numbers, use of own publications and channels Third-party funds: proof of relevance by promotion without fetish | third-party funds by competitions or foundations between 30,000 and 100,000 EUR per year/per professor Young academics: balance of autonomy and promotion | cooperative promotion by supervision agreements and partly-structured program | continuity in academia & areas close to academia Interdisciplinary experiments yet disciplinary excellence | questions instead of subjects | university bridging business, culture, and politics | high percentage of interdisciplinary work Alternative mainstreams: emergence for idiosyncracies | expansion of cross-departmental research centers 23

SO CI A L IN N OVAT IO N S T HROU G H RES E A RC H

Rigorousness, risk, relevance, and resonance ZU, and especially the “Zeppelin University Graduate School ZUGS” is committed to the methodical rigorousness, the thesesrelated risks, the subject-related relevance, and the target-group related resonance of its research.

Responsibility through research: “community-based research” Every scholar, as well as the ethics commission, is responsible for research. Yet the responsibility through research as a university – e.g. for the region or other target groups – is just as central.

ZU is further expanding its approach towards research orientation as its responsibility for its environment.

Publications: maximization of audiences, i.e. many public spheres Research also means publications. Zeppelin University does not only try to serve the narrow specialist audience in narrow specialist journals, but encourages repeat publications for various audiences. The plurality of publication media, as well as the intelligent trivialization in the sense of a translation, is appreciated, for the academic world is a public one.

Third-party funds: proof of relevance by promotion yet avoiding fetishization Sometimes the quality of research is measured according to quantities that only seem to be objective, such as the raising of third-party funds awarded in competitions. If you have no better idea, you should draw on research. It clearly shows that thirdparty funds also create counter-productive self-perpetuating dynamics, dependencies on size, as well as on areas: those who already have will get even more. As a smaller university ZU tries to

develop individual research projects through a research support system (FUSY). ZU welcomes the procurement of third-party funds also as one possible proof of the relevance of its work.

It sees no need to dramatize, yet the need to re-evaluate the appreciation even of non-state granted research funding by the civil society.

Young academics: balance of autonomy and cooperative promotion The quality of this phase of the professional qualification of young academics is determined by the balance between the autonomy of their independent work and the cooperative promotion by their supervisors specified in the supervision agreement. Additional factors are the partly-structured program as well as the academic environment of the ZUGS and its partners. The focus is on developing the competence to transmit academic contents.

Interdisciplinary experiments yet disciplinary excellence: questions instead of subjects Since its foundation, ZU as a university that bridges business, culture, and politics has been following an interdisciplinary approach. The “Zeppelin University Graduate School | ZUGS� is committed to a solid disciplinary basis combined with the willingness of all researchers to deal with research issues and perspectives of different disciplines.

Alternative mainstreams: emergence for idiosyncracies The funding of the cross-disciplinary research centers of ZU will be expanded. The research associations developing in academic self-organization, and the accredited research clusters of ZU are the basis of the identification of interdisciplinary research issues, also for doctoral projects.

SO CI A L I N N OVAT IO N S T H ROU G H CO M M I T M EN T

No beacon that only warns of itself.

ZU as a university maintaining close relationships within society.

RESP

NESS

I S V E N O

25

SO CI A L I N N OVAT IO N S T H ROU G H CO M M I T M EN T

ZU

Projects and relationships – out of egoistic emp

– pathy!

Responsiveness: 48 h response, 7 days for project assessment | primary response to external project inquiries within 48 hours | pre-assessment of projects within 7 days: feasibility and modalities | 7 – 10 new projects per year resulting from 100 inquiries Public university: agora for the citizens | events for the region beyond the academic sphere | civic involvement – platform/regional conference | 100 events and one regional conference per year

Lifelong learning: the multi-generational university | “Zeppelin University Professional School” | children’s, teenagers’, and seniors’ university | six executive programs and diversity Regional integration: service-oriented learning | 20% of all seminars have a “service-learning” orientation | demand-oriented sparring partners | social work placement even before the beginning of studies Cooperation organization & holding company | ZU Micro Equity GmbH & Co. KG and a university-student consulting organization | Strategic Policy Unit for University Innovation (SAUI) | TalentCenter including “Post Placement” services | “Social Venture & Research Team” for social innovation Reporting: do good and talk about it | documentation and evaluation | academic impact report 27

SO CI A L I N N OVAT IO N S T H ROU G H CO M M I T M EN T

Responsiveness: external project inquiries with a 48 h commitment to respond External project inquiries receive a response within 48 hours, including an evaluation of their potential, possible first ideas on structures, as well as implementation processes and a scheduled proposal for the further specification of the process details.

Public university: agora for the citizens The university is a place of provocation, i.e. a place for sustainable and resonating debates and discourses. In approximately 100 events per academic year, pressing current issues are offered to all interested citizens and the academic public. At least one third of all external speakers are female.

Lifelong learning: the multi-generational university At German universities, the youth cult rules. We have younger and younger students, yet they are basically more and more experienced. All curricular offers of lifelong learning are combined in the “Zeppelin University Professional School�. Six executive master programs, each of them with a clearly determined focus and a specific target group. The questions of the participants are the starting point for the research-based work in the seminars.

Regional and curricular integration: every fifth series of seminars service-oriented learning ZU has a system for integrating social issues into the curriculum in service-oriented learning concepts together with external project partners. At least 20% of all ZU events integrate aspects of service-oriented learning. This builds on the social work placements before the beginning of studies, as well as on the real-life case studies in our selection process. Â Extra-curricular projects and start-up initiatives: promoted self-interest Study-accompanying projects and start-up initiatives by students are supported by an institutionalized promotion system that is directly linked to the rectorate. Here, at least 30 student projects and 10 start-up initiatives are promoted per year. Many of them have a local-regional reference. Â Â Reporting: do good and talk about it The documentation and evaluation of all activities and projects of the university is self-evident for ZU: the yearly published academic impact report summarizes everything comprehensibly.

SO CI A L I N N OVAT IO N S T H ROU G H Q UA L I T Y

The ability to maintain close relationships requires

Integrated interface: ZU Scientific Services GmbH

Support structures:

As a university which is able to maintain close relationships

companies and centers of ZU

ZU integrates elements of academic consulting, continuing

We are further expanding our holding company ZU Micro

education, and of contract research, and thus operates in a de-

Equity GmbH & Co. KG, are founding a consulting firm run by

mand-oriented way as a sparring partner for institutions from business, culture, and politics. These offers are combined in the

the university and students, and are strengthening the “Strategic Policy Unit for University Innovation | SAUI”, the center

Scientific Services GmbH.

for university development, as well as the center for strategic partnerships, the TalentCenter and the alumni office, which among others co-manage the student career fair “ZUtaten”.

28

to the union.

e s

e s s

t n

g a

e d z

O r W i

n i

But how does this work at universities?

Two levels of integration: “group of project developers” and

Reporting: do good and talk about it

“social venture research team”

The projects and initiatives are evaluated together with external

All those involved in projects communicate with and inform the

partners. Documentation and evaluation are published once a

other relationship managers – always hoping for a connection.

year in the “Social & Economic Impact Report” of ZU. You can

The mentioned centers, researchers, the Civil Society Center,

find the current report at: zu.de/zutun

as well as students and additional staff members are integrated into the “Social Venture & Research Team”, which supports and evaluates the development and implementation of social innovations.

29

due to

Qualification of the organization

SO CI A L I N N OVAT IO N S T H ROU G H Q UA L I T Y

Why do students learn in universities but the universities do not learn from them?

30

Organization of quality. the

Quality management beyond mere staging | learning university: systematic quality assurance and process optimization in all service areas | quality assurance = university development | successful system re-accreditation System of overall quality responsibility | vice-presidency, quality council, and daily implementation | annual quality report to the senate | academic impact report Quality-oriented systemic process design quality assurance and quality development due to: | establishing appropriate systemic framework conditions with the introduction of a key-figure oriented, integrated, transparent quality assurance system | further developing and rooting of the quality concept in panels connected to the senate (program boards, councils) | system accreditation of the service area of “teaching�

Innovation due to development/quality drivers of criticism | open dealing with criticism in regular panel work | open participation formats of the university (critical reflection) | participation before decision-making

31

SO CI A L I N N OVAT IO N S T H ROU G H Q UA L I T Y

Quality management beyond mere staging: learning university A private university has to be better to the same extent as it is more expensive for sponsors and students than state universities. A systematic quality assurance and process optimization in all service areas (teaching, research, academic and administrative services) and the positive re-accreditation in the accreditation processes of the institution itself and its right to confer doctorate degrees by the Science Council are top priority at ZU. As a learning university quality assurance is also university development, since quality requires procedural assurance, as well as dynamic generation by both standardized and ad hoc structures of participation.

Overall responsibility quality: vice-presidency, quality council, and daily implementation Quality management has its own position of vice president in the rectorate. The quality concept of the university means the aggregation of “learning entities” and becomes manifest in the contributions by those teaching, by staff members, and students, the culture and structure of the organization, and its development and decision-making processes. The “quality council” provides a senate-related evaluation of the quality management and thus wins support for the daily implementation of quality.

Quality-oriented process design in a systemic context ZU’s strategic quality assurance has its effects regarding the establishment and process organization in (1) the creation of appropriate systemic framework conditions by introducing a key-figure oriented, integrated, transparent quality assurance system, (2) the further development and rooting of the quality concept in the organizational structure, the panels connected to the senate (boards, councils), and in the leadership and participation instruments of ZU, (3) the system accreditation for the service area of “teaching”.

Innovativeness due to development and quality drivers of criticism The task-related regular panels of the university, and especially also its open formats of participation (e.g. development day, zones, boards etc.) constitute forums of critical reflection and generators of ideas for the strategic and operative further development of the university as a whole and its processes in particular.

AT TEN TIVE NESS

SO CI A L I N N OVAT IO N S T H ROU G H FU N DI N G

32

THRO

ALL OC AT ION

OUGH

friends and patrons facilitate the culture of facilitation at ZU

33

SO CI A L I N N OVAT IO N S T H ROU G H FU N DI N G

[Sense endowing university]

For a society with its seven senses.

34

Attentiveness through allocation: funding of our 7 senses | of our senses of feeling, hearing, direction, justice, symbols, orientation, and freedom | endowment funds grow by eight-figure sums Three-pillar model: funding mix of an independent ZU | sustainable basic funding | tuition that can be financed in a socially acceptable way | sponsoring and third-party funding Social innovations: university/student funding | socially fair financing offers for students | business models of university funding | expansion of scholarship offers and funds for hardship cases Location: magnetic presence of a flexible university | campuses Seemooser Horn and Fallenbrunnen as memorable places | hospitality: teaching, research, art, place of critical analysis of and within society

MainCampus Fallenbrunnen and urban development: creative quarters are closing ranks | urban infrastructure, public transport, housing market, and day care facilties

Social innovation on-site: ZU’s container outposts | CapitalCampus in Berlin and possibility of additional locations | “ContainerUni” and “Humboldt-Container – zu|mobile” Services and infrastructures: flexibility during growth | library, IT, and cafeteria Upper-Swabian use of resources and long-term financing | liquidity protection eight years in advance 35

SO CI A L I N N OVAT IO N S T H ROU G H FU N DI N G

Attentiveness through allocation: funding of our 7 senses ZU’s endowment funds are being expanded by an additional eight-figure funding by our patrons. For the different senses of a university – from feeling and hearing to orientation – everything is promoted by those who endow sense.

3-pillar model: funding mix of an independent ZU Independence is not cheap. At ZU, 1. sustainable sponsorships, 2. socially acceptable financed tuition, and 3. project-generated gains and grants will guarantee the university’s funding and financial independence of the influence of third parties. The supporting ZU foundation guarantees the governance-related independence of research and teaching.

Social innovations in funding the university and the students ZU permanently tries new forms of financing a private university, and socially fair student funding. We are developing new models of both university and parent-independent student funding. ZU supports students in financing questions, e.g. scholarship offers, qualified financial advice, and hardship case funds to be expanded with students, alumni, and sponsors.

Location: magnetic presence of a flexible university Our campuses Seemooser Horn and Fallenbrunnen are memorable sites of the unknown, of successful communication, cooperation, hospitality: teaching, research, art, protected and yet public places of the critical analysis of and within society.

MainCampus Fallenbrunnen and urban development: creative quarters are closing ranks The development from former military barracks to creative quarters works together with the city and those who love culture and education. ZU and its partners focus on the joint further development of urban infrastructure, the connection to public transport, sustainable and affordable housing for students, and day care facilities to combine work or studies and family life.

Social innovation on-site: ZU’s container outposts ZU develops permanent and temporary locations on-site and is trying to expand the CapitalCampus in Berlin, and in selected national and international cities – with our partners. We are considering an inner-city presence in Friedrichshafen, and the realization of the “Humboldt-Container – zu|mobile” idea to provide students e.g. in the Humboldt Year or the master program with a mobile research laboratory for field research even in unusual regions or crisis areas.

Central services and infrastructures: flexibility during growth ZU is growing, and the central services feel this most. The library, IT, and the cafeteria are growing in size and equipment and continuously developing their offers corresponding to ZU’s profile and the social framework conditions. Flexibility in work-related and catering issues is proven by a further development of collaborative campus management systems and catering facilities at the different campuses.

Economical use of resources: Upper-Swabian Efficiency of structural costs and effective handling of sponsorships are typical of the Upper-Swabian Zeppelin University. This includes the consistent procurement of percentages of general costs in case of project financing – for project infrastructures have to be financed.

Funding 2017: long-term liquidity and broad assets A progressively thinking university capable of projects requires a sustainable, fundable endowment. Liquidity has been guaranteed for 8 years in advance due to rolling basic agreement to provide funds and deficit guarantees against Baden-Württemberg.

SO CI A L I N N OVAT IO N S T H ROU G H L E A D ERS HIP

ZU

cultures of facilitation through standard stars and turbulent teams.

Process stability to allow for flexibility: capacities,

Routines are just as important as innovations:

division of labor, and cross-sectoral processes

routinized innovations as well

Process stability to allow for flexibility: capacities, division

Efficiency in processes, panels, and decision-making are the

of labor, and cross-sectoral processes. ZU lives a culture

pre-conditions for a flexible organization capable of projects. In

of “yes-persons” – until a no is justified. We called this

this sense we are developing the establishment and process

“culture of facilitation” in our last strategy and in its growth

organization of the university – continuously and with a focus

it is getting more and more demanding. Together with the

on quality assurance. A central idea is the division of labor in the

leadership circle of ZU the conditions for the possibility of

staff-related development, professionalization, communication

a culture of facilitation have been defined, and they will

and training of standards (“standard star”) on the one hand and

be developed further until 2017. Considering the available

a structure of dealing with ad hoc requests and projects on the

capacity and its economical handling we consider it our

other (“turbulent teams”). In the sense of “job rotations” or “job

responsibility to facilitate research, teaching, services

enrichment” the employee has the chance to discuss their con-

and social innovations, and projects that integrate all of

tribution to the standard and to the turbulent situations actively

these. A culture of facilitation requires lean administrative

with their line managers.

and fast, decentral decision-making processes, direct communication, as

Decentralization of responsibility:

well as a high degree of self-responsi-

growth means alertness on all fronts

bility and capacity to act by both staff

As a consequence of the university’s growth and the division

members and students. We pay spe-

of labor, the rectorate will decentralize many tasks with clear

cial attention to the coordination and

activities, competences, and responsibilities (also concerning

reliability at interfaces which are further

budgets) – e.g. in the area of curricular responsibility, of quality

intensified by service commitments

management, of subject group organization, of the qualification

that are evaluated every two years and

of young academics, etc. To do so, new administrative and aca-

by ad hoc meetings to cross-sectoral

demic forms of self-organization will have to be tried out.

processes (IAPs).

37

SO CI A L I N N OVAT IO N S T H ROU G H L E A D ERS HIP

Universes

38

Working at universities is universal, but how do we support uniqueness?

For more diversity of the university!

es for

Staff recruiting/development: innovative employer | thirst for knowledge, commitment, and colleagueship | social innovations for work-relevant, spatial, and temporal individualization of work | dual career options in cooperation with regional employers Incentive, leadership, and participation structures | more profound development than money: feedback, flexibility, education | “social office for staff” and leadership self-image

Support of social commitment of staff members | responsibility and the willingness to accept it | reference to existing ZU projects and the region welcome | four hours of work per month

39

SO CI A L I N N OVAT IO N S T H ROU G H L E A D ERS HIP

Staff recruitment and development: ZU as an innovatively individualizing employer Our academic and administrative members of staff are the university’s most important asset – together with our students, sponsors, and partners. The work environment is characterized by thirst for knowledge, commitment, and colleagueship. Mutual trust, honesty, passion for the matters at hand, care of and respect for the colleagues, the tasks and the expectations of our target groups – these are the values guiding our actions. The work-related, spatial, and temporal individualization of our work based on different competences, as well as the possibilities of participation beyond rituals, are attractive aspects.

Incentive, leadership, and participation structures: more profound development than merely money ZU does not believe in purely monetary incentive structures, but rather in regular, attentive, appreciative, and respectfully open feedbacks, in varied standardized, as well as individual qualification opportunities and development possibilities of job profiles,

flexible working hours, support structures for the audited compatibility of family and career, including the development of a dual career pool together with regional employers, optional company benefits, and innovative support offers such as our “social office for staff”. Our leadership self-image is re-evaluated openly every two years to check for discrepancies. As a result of the university’s growth, the participation arenas of the leadership circle (FKK), the extended management circle (EMK) or extended scholars’ circle (EWK) are cultivated as events of collectivization, development, and correction.

Support of the social commitment of staff members: impact somewhere else for a change Zeppelin University considers it its responsibility to support its staff members’ readiness to take on responsibility for society. We especially welcome those initiatives referring to existing projects by students or academics of ZU, projects supporting the advancement of education in the region, as well as further social commitments. Four hours of work per month can be granted for this.

HISTORY AND REVIEW

December 2007 ZU becomes an endowment university. The future strategy “zuzwölf” is passed May 2006 Grand opening of the 3rd department “Public Management & Governance”

September 2007 Grand opening of the Dr. Manfred Bischoff Institute for Innovation Management of EADS

June 2003 Founding of Zeppelin University, provision of financing by Zeppelin GmbH, appointment of Prof. Dr. Stephan A. Jansen as Founding President

June 2006 Presentation of the innovative place in the “Land of Ideas” award by German Federal President Dr. Horst Köhler

September 2003 Start of two bachelor degree programs in business studies and communication and cultural studies

December 2006 Founders’ meeting of the Zeppelin University Association ZU|G

September 2003 19 students 15 members of staff 1 partner university

October 2005 151 students 36 members of staff 16 partner universities

Founding 2003 – 2007

January 2007 347 students 53 members of staff 30 partner universities

2008

2007

2006

2005

2004

2003

November 2004 Start of the Citizens’ University series with guests such as Thomas Gottschalk and Dr. Norbert Lammert

August 2010 Grand opening of ZU Professional School, start of the part-time Master of Family Entrepreneurship

February 2011 Success in “Germany’s most Committed University” competition Prize money 200,000 €

October 2009 Grand opening of the facilities in FAB 18 as interim solution

October 2008 Grand opening of the Deutsche Telekom Institute for Connected Cities

June 2012 20 million donated by ZF Friedrichshafen AG for the new MainCampus and 10.5 million donated by the Karl Schlecht Foundation

May 2011 All study programs among the top 6 in the CHE ranking; Science Council recommends autonomous entitlement to award doctoral degrees for ZU

February 2010 More than 100 start-ups by ZU students

September 2011 Conferral of the right to award doctoral and post-doctoral degrees and start of four-year bachelor degrees

2011

2010

February 2009 First institutional accreditation of a Southern German private university by the Science Council

2009

January 2012 The ZU Graduate School is founded

2012

May 2008 First listing in the CHE university ranking with top grades across all three departments

January 2011 ZU has 65 partner universities worldwide. New partner: Sciences Po in Paris

June 2013 Ground-breaking for the new ZU MainCampus

September 2009 620 students 135 members of staff 58 partner universities

May 2011 773 students 157 members of staff 65 partner universities

Expansion 2008 – 2012

July 2012 Ernst Susanek hands over the presidency of the ZU|Foundation to Thomas Sattelberger

October 2012 Grand opening of the ContainerUni in Fallenbrunnen

2013

January 2008 Inauguration of the new building at Seemooser Horn campus

September 2012 1008 students 201 members of staff 70 partner universities

Social Innovation 2013 – 2017

p

u

b

l

i

a

t

i

o

n

e

c

t

i

d

e

o

v

e

c

d

m

e o

b

n

c

o

l

o

p s

t

e

i

n

n

l

s

i

e

t

u

y

m

e

n

i

p

s

n

c

i

a

m c

r

t

s

c

i

t

i

o

n

f

i

n

t

e

c

t

u

r

e

s

o

i

e

t

y

e

d

l

t

u

r

e

p

o

l

i

t

t

i

t

i

o

m

i

g

r

a

t

i

a

b

i

l

i

l

u

e

s

m

n t

y

v

a

u i

m

m

u

n

i

c

a

t

e

p

r

o

t

c

y

u

r

b

a

n

t

a

t

e

u

p

i a

l

s

u

r

i

t

y

c

o

r

r

l

m

a

r

k

e

t

a

r

c

o

g

r

a

p

h

a

t

i

o

n

a

c

c

o

m

o

e

e

i

l

d

d

l

c

o

a

s

y

p

e

a

e

g c

e

m h

r

l

c

r

b

s

s

y

s o a

i

c s

s s

c e

i t

h

i

i

l

v s

c

u

t

e

m

c

o

m

p

e

n

s

u

s

t

a

i

n

n

a

g

e

m

e

n

t

m e d i a e t h i c s r e f o r m c o m m u n i c a t i o n p o l i t i c s p r o c e s s p r o t e s t a

n

d

w

h

a

t

s

h

a

l

l

u

n

i

s

d

o

n

o

w

?

Publisher: Zeppelin Universit채t, Rectorate | Art Direction: Philipp N. Hertel