About ALe

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The Academy for Teaching Development

Imagefilm der ALe - Kurzvorstellung der Akademie

Preview image: Friedrich-Schiller Universität Jena · Video: Avocadofilm de

The Academy for Teaching Development (ALe) was officially established on 16 November 2017 as part of the DIES LEGENDI – Teaching Day, following a decision by the Senate.
After a three-year pilot phase, the Executive Board made the decision in the 2020 summer semester to make the ALe permanent. The University Senate adopted the Regulations for the Academy for Teaching Development de on 15 September 2020.

The task of the Academy for Teaching Development (ALe) is to contribute to the further development of teaching and the promotion of teaching quality. In cooperation with the faculties and the Center for Teacher Education and Educational Research, it aims to create

- Develop strategies and quality criteria for the organisation of studies and teaching,
- provide innovative impetus for didactic and curricular optimisation and
- exchange information on successful and forward-looking teaching approaches.

The ALe supports initiatives for the further development of teaching within the framework of competitive application procedures: The university's Teaching Award is presented once a year. Teaching staff and students also have the opportunity to design, test or implement innovative ideas for the further development of teaching and learning at the university in internal university funding programmes. The ALe supports teaching staff in participating in external calls for proposals in the area of innovative concepts for university teaching.

Struktur der Akademie für Lehrentwicklung
Graphic: Academy for Teaching Development

In terms of structure, the ALe consists of a panel of experts and the ALe office. The panel of experts, which is made up of the Vice President for Teaching and Learning and representatives from the faculties, represents the broad spectrum of subjects at the university as well as all status groups involved in university teaching. An advisory function is performed by the Service Centre for Higher Education Didactics and, if applicable, external experts.

Members of the panel of experts

Members from the winter semester 2024/25

Vice-President

apl. Prof. Dr. Karina Weichold (Vice-President for Learning and Teaching, Director of the ALe)
From among the university lecturers

Members:
Prof. Dr. Mirka Dickel (Centre for Teacher Training and Educational Research)
Prof. Dr. Nicolas Zacharias (Faculty of Economics and Business Administration)
Prof. Dr. Iris Winkler (Faculty of Arts)
Prof. Dr. Martin Ammon (Faculty of Physics and Astronomy, deputy Director of the ALe)
Prof. Dr. Nele Kuhlmann (Faculty of Social and Behavioural Sciences)
Prof. Dr. Cord Spreckelsen (Faculty of Medicine)

Deputy members:
Prof. Dr. Ulrike Kaiser (Faculty of Theology)
Prof. Dr. Christian Fischer (Faculty of Law)
Prof. Dr. Christian Komusiewicz (Faculty of Mathematics and Computer Science)
Prof. Dr.-Ing. Lothar Wondraczek (Faculty of Chemistry and Earth Sciences)
Prof. Dr. Andriy Khobta (Faculty of Biological Sciences)
From among the teaching associates

Members:
Dr. Maren Godmann (Faculty of Biological Sciences)
Dr. Marion Schmidt-Wenzel (Faculty of Law)
Dr. Jens Schumacher (Faculty of Mathematics and Computer Science, deputy Director of the ALe)

Deputy members:
Dr. Stefan Schwerdfeger (Faculty of Economics and Business Administration)
Dorit Wber-Liel (Faculty of Social and Behavioural Sciences)
Dr. Kilian Pollok (Faculty of Chemistry and Earth Sciences)
From the student body

Members:
Jesko Zagatowski (Faculty of Law)
Adrian Minnich (Faculty of Physics and Astronomy)
Anna Bundt (Faculty of Arts)

Deputy members:
Chantalle Arsand (Faculty of Economics and Business Administration)
Max Krischeu (Faculty of Mathematics and Computer Science)
Verena Menhofer (Faculty of Physics and Astronomy)
From among the non-scientific employees

Member:
Tommy Drexel (Faculty of Theology)

Deputy member:
Christian Seidler (Faculty of Medicine)

Members until the winter semester 2020/21

From among the university lecturers

Members:

Prof. Dr. Kim Siebenhüner (Vice-President for Learning and Teaching)
Prof. Dr. Miriam Rose (Faculty of Theology)
Prof. Dr. Andrea Esser (Faculty of Arts)
Prof. Dr. Martin Mundhenk (Faculty of Mathematics and Computer Science)
Prof. Dr. Sebastian Henn (Faculty of Chemistry and Earth Sciences)
Prof. Dr. Orlando Guntinas-Lichius (Faculty of Medicine)
Prof. Dr. Michael May (Centre for Teacher Training and Educational Research)
Prof. Dr. Miriam Rose (Faculty of Theology)
Prof. Dr. Orlando Guntinas-Lichius (Faculty of Medicine)
Prof. Dr. Jan Schirawski (Faculty of Biological Sciences)

Deputy members:

Prof. Dr. Käthe Schneider (Faculty of Social and Behavioural Sciences)
Prof. Dr. Joachim v. Puttkamer (Faculty of Arts)
Prof. Dr. Gerhard G. Paulus (Faculty of Physics and Astronomy)
Prof. Dr. Stefan Halle (Faculty of Biological Sciences)
Prof. Dr. Gianfranco Walsh (Faculty of Economics and Business Administration)
Prof. Dr. Michael Fothe (Centre for Teacher Training and Educational Research)
Prof. Dr. Petra Frehe-Haliwell (Centre for Teacher Training and Educational Research)
Prof. Dr. Alexander Gröschner (Faculty of Social and Behavioural Sciences)
Prof. Dr. Ilya Pavlyukevich (Faculty of Mathematics and Computer Science)
Prof. Dr. Felix Schacher (Faculty of Chemistry and Earth Sciences)
From among the teaching associates

Members:

Dr. Stefan Fedtke (Faculty of Economics and Business Administration)
Dr. Stephan Gräf (Faculty of Physics and Astronomy)
Dr. René Thierbach (Faculty of Biological Sciences)
Dr. Clemence Dubois (Faculty of Chemistry and Earth Sciences)
Dr. Stefan Fedtke (Faculty of Economics and Business Administration)

Deputy members:

Dr. Dana Schneider (Faculty of Social and Behavioural Sciences)
Dr. Caroline Klingner (Faculty of Medicine)
Dr. Christina Kuhn (Faculty of Arts)
Dr. Sandra Stuwe (Faculty of Arts)
From the student body

Members:

Jonas Krüger (Faculty of Law) - until 10/2019
Leonie Kuhn (Faculty of Social and Behavioural Sciences)
Michelle Dembinski (Faculty of Arts)
Benita Gesele (Faculty of Social and Behavioural Sciences)
Richard Dahlke (Faculty of Arts)

Deputy members:

Michel Pannier (Faculty of Physics and Astronomy) - until 09/2020
Florian Hickl (Faculty of Medicine)
Vanessa Huth (Faculty of Physics and Astronomy) - until 09/2020
Sophia Bier (Faculty of Economics and Business Administration)
Manuel Allwang (Faculty of Medicine)
From among the non-scientific employees

Deputy member:

Claudia Ehlers (Faculty of Medicine)

Reports on the work of the panel of experts can be viewed and downloaded in HANFried.de de (Office of the Vice-President for Learning and Teaching / Academy for Teaching Development) (only with login).

Event calendar of the ALe

Date	Time	Location	Type of event
26/02/2026	10.00 - 17.00	Large Hall International Centrum Jena, Johannisplatz 26	Closed meeting ALe
22/04/2026	14.00 - 17.00	Thulb lecture room, Bibliotheksplatz 2	Funding program allocation meeting; (application deadline March 15)
17.06.2026	14.00 - 17.00	Small meeting room, Rosensäle, Fürstengraben 27	Award meeting Teaching Award
30.09.2026	10.00 - 16.00	seminar room IBZ (International Meeting Center), Charlottenstraße 23	Closed meeting ALe
29.10.2026	14.00 - 16.00	senate chamber (UHG), Fürstengraben 1	Funding program allocation meeting (Application deadline: September 15)
17.11.2026	12 - 17 Uhr	Rosensäle, Fürstengraben 27	DIES LEGENDI – Teaching Day (12 noon to 5 p.m. Dies Academicus)

Contact

Academy for Teaching Development - Office

Fürstengraben 27
07743 Jena

Hüfner, Katja, Dr
Managing Director Vice-President for Learning and Teaching
+49 3641 9-401210Phone

vCard

Rosensäle
Fürstengraben 27
07743 Jena
Image: Anne Günther (University of Jena)
Möhrstädt, Nora, Dr
Project consulting and coordination Vice-President for Learning and Teaching
+49 3641 9-401211Phone

vCard

Universitätshauptgebäude
Fürstengraben 1
07743 Jena