Strategy paper of supervisory board approved
Klagenfurt – Final decision in the strategic process of FH Kärnten (Carinthia University of Applied Sciences – CUAS): Engineering and IT study programs move to Villach. From 2015 on, Feldkirchen is no longer a FH-site.In autumn last year, a strategy process began, based on a study of the Institute of Higher Studies (IHS). A concentration of thematically fitting study courses and hence a reduction of FH-sites was also demanded from the Fachhochschulrat (council of Universities of Applied Sciences in Austria), which is responsible for the license and quality assurance of FH-programs.
The aim of the strategy process is to create the conditions for the long-term development of Carinthia as an education and innovation location, to further increase the quality of research & development as well as teaching of CUAS and to lower the expenses. Diverse concepts, worked out by the university management, were already discussed with the supervisory board in March and May.
After exact examination, the supervisory board agreed in the meeting on the 22nd of June on the development strategy of CUAS. Central aspect of the new structure is the focus on 4 schools rather than currently 9 schools, namely:
- Engineering & IT (Villach)
- Wirtschaft & Management / Economy & Management (Villach)
- Gesundheit & Soziales / Health Care & Social Sciences (Klagenfurt am Wörthersee)
- Bauingenieurwesen & Architektur / Civil Engineering & Architecture (Spittal a.d. Drau)
Effects of the new organizational structure
The new organizational structure guarantees the maintenance of the existing study programs to full extent and enables the creation of main focuses on specific FH-sites, lifts efficiency potentials, further lowers the expenses per student and assures a constant quality development in teaching and R&D. The Engineering & IT programs will be centralized in Villach. The FH-site in Villach has positioned itself as an engineering, IT and technology location in the last couple of years. All developments, such as the construction of the “Science and Energy Labs”, have taken place in Villach.
The Health Care Management and Social Work courses from Feldkirchen will be bundled with the existing courses of Allied Health Professions and Midwifery in the surroundings of the clinical centre in Klagenfurt (LKH Klinikum Klagenfurt). Therefore a clear educational profile arises, which adds value to Klagenfurt und Villach. Therewith, Austrian-wide unique competence centers are created, leading to national and international recognition in the future.
For the existing schools of Management (Villach) and Civil Engineering & Architecture (Spittal), the strategy process foresees a further development in the respective locations.
Schedule 2012-2015
The lease contract for the FH-building in Feldkirchen remains in effect until 2015. The FH will fulfill the contract up to this time and will also co-operate actively on the elaboration of an alternative concept for the utilization. At the same time, a request was directed to the federal state government of Carinthia, to make sure that a quick solution for the follow up use of the free building is found.
The preparations for the new curricula start from now on. After the approval of the Fachhochschulrat, first changes of the curricula should follow in 2012. In 2015, the strategy process should be finished. “With this process the long-term conditions for the further development of Carinthia as a location for education are assured, in order that FH Kärnten can also guarantee the education of a top-workforce for the economy of Carinthia in the future”, says the chairman of the supervisory board Jörg Freunschlag.
Further questions:
Mag. (FH) Petra Bergauer
presse(at)fh-kaernten.at
