Self-Image

Fachhochschule Osnabrueck sees itself as a University of the modern services society. As a University of Applied Sciences with established international study programmes and co-operation projects, it sees its education mission in serving the applied sciences in teaching, study and research.

Located in the west of Lower Saxony, it is the university’s task and duty to offer a broad range of education, which is practically oriented, flexible and effectively harmonised with the changing educational needs of society. To promote life-long learning the Fachhochschule Osnabrueck places emphasis on a wide range of offers in continuing education.

The employees of Fachhochschule Osnabrueck form a community, which serves job-oriented teaching, scientific and technical innovation and the artistic enrichment of society. The needs and expectations of students, the region and society are at the centre of our thinking and actions.

The mission statement of Fachhochschule Osnabrueck serves as a guideline for actions and behaviour of all members of Fachhochschule Osnabrueck.

The goals and principles derived from this mission statement make up the necessary preconditions for acting on one’s own responsibility while considering the rights and interests of all members. These goals and principles are the basis for the motivation of the members and their identification with the Fachhochschule as a whole.

The mission statement marks the way for the development and implementation of programmes and projects in teaching  and research and commits the members of the university to compliance with norms. It serves as a quality standard for internal and external evaluations as well as the basis for controlling.

Initial Position

Fachhochschule Osnabrueck is in a good starting position for successfully coping with future challenges in a university system which is more and more characterised by national and international competition.

Fachhochschule Osnabrueck has:

- a balanced and standardised range of study programmes in Engineering Sciences, Economic Sciences, Agricultural Sciences as well as in Healthcare and Nursing Sciences and expandable offers in Architecture, Communication Sciences and in the area of Music Education and Teaching of Theatre.

- established international Study programmes, which also enable students to obtain the degree of the respective partner university.

- an education offer and a range of subjects, which sensibly extends the traditional range of subjects and which also, especially in the area of ecology, open up lots of synergy effects.

- manifold research activities - the extent of these, their interdisciplinary nature and the breadth of co-operation with partners from industry can be regarded as exemplary.

- lecturers who have both academic qualifications and practical experience.

- an efficient network of scientific and technical service activities

- a high level of acceptance of the University’s graduates in the regional and national employment system

- infrastructure and technical equipment which is appropriate to the tasks

- a  large catchment area with a good economic structure and a mix of industrial sectors

- tested and established international co-operation projects in teaching, study and research in all academic areas

- good preconditions for the development of an effective university management with efficient cost accounting and results-oriented controlling

Strategic Goals

Fachhochschule Osnabrueck sets itself the following goals to fulfil its tasks in teaching, study and research:

- educating students so that they become responsible, academic people for industry and society by practically oriented education and activity-oriented studies

- constant update of its programme offer, measured by the status of the scientific findings and practical requirements

- offering of flexible study conditions for full-time, part-time and in-service (dual) study programmes by modularisation and credits

- qualification of the teaching staff on the basis of modern didactic principles

- specialisation in applied research and development to achieve a strong profile and orientation to international norms

- transfer of scientific findings into practice for the advancement of regional location factors

- offering and development of practical and demand-oriented further education programmes

- maintenance and development of contacts with graduates

- maintenance and development of lasting international co-operation projects in teaching, study and research

- emancipated participation of women at all levels and fields of activity according to their competence and specific potential

- commitment to open opinion forming and decision-making which is orientated towards a democratic code of practice and team mentality

- promotion of sustainable developments in all fields of activity taking the Guidelines for Sustainability of Fachhochschule Osnabrueck into account

Policies and Principles

When executing procedures for achieving the strategic goals, the members of Fachhochschule Osnabrueck act according to the following principles:

Fachhochschule Osnabrueck aims for a high quality of its teaching by:

- constant checking of its teaching and learning methods

- orientation of teaching content to requirements of the occupational fields, as they arise from the development status of science and practice

- supporting the students by means of straight-forward teaching and learning content

Fachhochschule Osnabrueck conveys expertise as well as social and communicative competencies to its students:

- openness and intellectual curiosity

- communicative ability and team skills

- motivation

- motivation for lifelong learning

- critical awareness

- encouragement to meet other cultures

Fachhochschule Osnabrueck subscribes to the principles of sustaining action with economic, ecological and social aspects.

Furthermore, it maintains and develops its relations to the employment system. Its members are aware that practically oriented teaching and research is only practicable by a constant interaction between companies, administrations and public authorities, associations and unions as well as the institutions of education and culture.

Fachhochschule Osnabrueck also professes its own duty to the region when realising its tasks in teaching, studies and research and it works in an interdisciplinary and team-oriented way. Fachhochschule Osnabrueck strives towards co-operation which is based on trust with other universities and scientific institutions.

The members of Fachhochschule Osnabrueck are aware of their role as representatives of their academic department and the university as an institution. They see themselves as responsible ambassadors of the University in the region and the academic community.

Fachhochschule Osnabrueck is committed to the principles of democracy in university life. It is anxious to develop the processes of opinion forming and decision making by creating adequate structures and courses of action and promoting active participation of the university community in these processes, especially by disseminating information adequately and  punctually.

Fachhochschule Osnabrueck sees its function and task of university administration as a service for a result-oriented management at a centralised and decentralised level to support all members of the university in fulfilling their main responsibilities and tasks in teaching, studies and research. This  means, in particular, that personnel and other resources are used efficiently and effectively.