Flexcellence

The Flexcellence project – Enhancing the flexibility of degree programs and of teaching and learning structures – is one of two subprojects contributing to the goal of “new approaches to study and teaching” within the overall TExAS project.

The goal is to modernize degree programs and teaching/learning structures at Osnabrück University of Applied Sciences through scalable pilot projects in order to create more freedom for students and make the academic experience more attractive and future-oriented overall.

Through innovative approaches, students will not only be better prepared for the job market, but research talent will also be identified and nurtured early on, and degree programs will be more closely linked to the university’s research and knowledge transfer themes.

This increased flexibility applies to both curricular content and learning formats in terms of time and location. In the future, students should have greater autonomy to decide what, how, when, and where they learn. This new flexibility will enhance the appeal of the degree program and foster a culture in which students can learn independently.

This creates a university education that views transformation as a learning principle – practical, individualized, and seamlessly connected to research, knowledge transfer, and society.

The Flexcellence subproject – Enhancing the flexibility of degree programs and of teaching and learning structures – is implementing measures to ensure the long-term quality of teaching and the innovative strength of Osnabrück University of Applied Sciences. The focus is on scalable pilot projects that test changes in degree programs and in teaching and learning structures and develop transferable models for the entire university. These include:

• an internal competition for the best ideas on how to enhance the flexibility of degree programs and of teaching and learning structures.
• Implementation of scalable pilot projects.
• Evaluation and documentation of the projects.

17 Proposals Competing for Funding from Flexcellence

As of the deadline for the university-wide selection process for innovative teaching projects in December 2025, a total of 17 proposals had been received from the four faculties and the Institute of Music.

In the spring, a selection jury will decide which projects will receive funding and be implemented starting in October 2026. The jury consists of ten members. Each faculty or institute appoints one student and one Academic Dean. The jury members now have until early March to review and evaluate the applications. The key factor is the criteria catalog, which assesses the extent to which the projects are aligned with student needs, offer pedagogical value, and are realistically implementable. In addition, the jury assesses whether the innovative teaching and learning formats are scalable—that is, whether they can also be applied in other faculties or degree programs. The funded projects are also expected to evaluate their teaching and learning methods and make the results available to other faculty members to strengthen university-wide exchange and knowledge transfer.

Further details on the project can be found in the Official Gazette under the guidelines.