Rector Sarah Springman visits the Staff Commission
Rector Sarah Springman recently met with the Staff Commission (PeKo). She discussed the challenges of being responsible for teaching at ETH Zurich.
The ETH Zurich Staff Commission (PeKo) meets once a month to discuss human resources issues, such as references, overtime pay, management of experienced employees, job suitability or communication with employees regarding laboratory closures.
Sarah Springman, Professor of Geotechnical Engineering (D-BAUG), was a guest at the meeting on 11 June 2015. Springman has been Rector and responsible for teaching at ETH Zurich since January of this year. “ETH Zurich is a fantastic university with a special place in the European higher education landscape,” said Springman. “Its employees are a major reason why it is Europe's best technical university. It is thanks to them that ETH Zurich functions as it does.”
ETH’s annual staff appraisals are a key management tool for the Rector: “They are also an opportunity for both sides to address difficult topics in an appropriate manner. This is important as it means that staff can be properly involved.” She enjoys her work for the Executive Board: “We set priorities together and make decisions as a team – and we learn from each other.” One learning goal that Springman has set herself concerns the Swiss school system as a whole.
She notes that challenges in relation to teaching at ETH Zurich include:
- implementation of the Critical Thinking Initiative;
- the first year of studies, including the transition from Gymnasium to ETH Zurich;
- modern working environments for students; and
- interaction between students and professors.