The “Teaching and learning at the ZHAW during and after COVID-19” report compiled by Higher Education Development (HSE) at the suggestion of the representative body was the subject of intensive discussion in the plenum of staff and students. The HSV rejected the idea of a hybrid teaching approach offered across the board and advocated the targeted development of a mix comprising digital and face-to-face formats. It also recommended that the measures proposed in the area of leadership and expertise in the report be pursued as a priority. The HSV also participated in the shaping of and decision-making process for individual measures required at any one time to manage the pandemic (requests and opinions, for example with regard to air filters, the requirement to wear a mask, semester examinations and test centres). At the request of the HSV, a student representative has now been added to the ZHAW COVID-19 Task Force.

In parallel to this, work commenced on the implementation of the new personnel ordinance (PVF) of the Canton or Zurich. At the invitation of the Executive Board, representatives of the HSV participated in various working groups as part of the “crossover” project, which will present its results in the following year. As part of its quality assurance endeavours, the HSV underwent a self-evaluation. This revealed, for example, that cooperation with School participation bodies should be improved. This self-evaluation is to be supplemented in the following year through an external peer review. At the start of the year, the plenum had confirmed the existing Board members in their roles (Peter Stücheli-Herlach, President, Beatrice Dätwyler, lecturers, Thomas Roth, staff, Martin Jaeckel, research associates and assistants, Timur Erhan, students). From the middle of the year, responsibility for the representation of students was assumed by the new Co-Presidents of the ZHAW Students’ Union (also called Alias) Serafin Curti and David Götz. ZHAW lecturer Claudio Cometta was elected for a second time to serve as a representative on the Council of the Zurich Universities of Applied Sciences and Arts. In this role, she will advocate the concerns and interest of lecturers from all universities of applied sciences and arts and work alongside Susanne Schuhmacher from the Zurich University of the Arts, who will represent research associates and assistants and staff members.