The so-called Academic Scorecard (ASC) is used as a strategic management tool in the development and implementation of the university strategy. It is variant of the Balanced Scorecard adapted for educational institutions which includes the three perspectives education, research and resources. To better concretize and operationalize the internationalization strategy of the university, a “sub-ASC”-internationalization strategy was developed, which includes the following perspectives: “Internationalization @ home”, “student mobility” and “researcher mobility and business development”
In order to ensure better coordination of the individual plans as well as the faculty development goals with the university strategy of the presidium, the FH Münster has chosen the the ASC which the three perspectives: education, research and resources. This was decided after consulting with the presidium, the deans, the quality management officer (QM representative) of each department as well as the QM team and the employees. In doing so, the university-wide ASC focuses on the formulation of those specific goals, which can be directly influenced by the central actions; whereas the scores of the departments exemplify all the goals that the unit intends to implement over the next five-year-period. A careful coordination process (top-down and bottom-up) ensured, on the one hand, that the strategic and concrete goals are in line with the mission statement of maxims of the university. On the other hand, it ensures that the objectives of the teaching units compatible are with each other and with the goals of the university management.
The university-wide ASCs and the Scorecards of the faculties also include key figures that continuously monitor the process to ensure the achievement of specific goals (once a year within the discussion between the university, QM and the department heads).
www.fh-muenster.de/hochschule/organisation/praesidium/hochschulentwicklungsplan.php
A QM system, established within the university, as well as a quality culture practiced by all members of the university are required for such a measure. During the introductory process, a preliminary period should be planned in. This introductory process was designed transparently at the FH Münster. All deans as well as the QM-representative are involved in the decision regarding the instrument and the design of all the details.
The ASC should be understood as a regulation tool and it should not be mistaken with a (centralized) control instrument. A decision has been made at the FH Münster to reveal key data only to departmental authorities and not the university administration. Other strategic goals are also adopted into the ASC, even if there is either no key data, or only some, collected by means of high effort.
Promotion:
Funding: The duration of the ASCs at FH Münster corresponds to the university’s development plan, therefore covers five years.
Human resources: At the time of the introduction of the ASC’s new instrument, one member of the QM team was solely responsible for the ASC and for advising the departments. Ideally, the department combines the development (and the later review) of the ASC with a strategy workshop that involves all professors, staff, and dedicated students.
The ASC was first utilized in the Department of Economics at the FH Münster in 2006. Later, in the fall of 2008, the university decided to introduce the ASC university-wide for the university’s strategic planning. This was further substantiated in the course of the development of the university development plan for the time period 2011-2015. The university-wide use of the ASC’s strategic instrument is now implemented for a second time as part of the 2016-2020 University Development Plan (Hochschulentwicklungsplan)