Mission

In teaching

Students

The Language Centre orients its programme to students’ expectations and needs through course evaluations and ongoing reflection. Flexibility in programme design as well as openness to requests for tailor-made courses and their institutionalisation further strengthen the acquisition of key and core competences. Students receive the quality teaching to which they are entitled. The focus is always on qualified preparation (e.g. certificates) and continuous guidance (current and applied in academic, professional, and everyday life). Knowledge of cultures and countries is conveyed across languages in a pleasant learning atmosphere. The development of communicative competences is increasingly promoted.

Collaboration

Projects with, amongst others, University departments and institutions are striven for (e.g. Welcome Center / International Office / external institutions). This also applies to collaboration with other institutions of higher education. It is of extreme importance and desirable to establish and foster communication with contact persons in University structures. Potential need, possibilities, and shared goals are ascertained comprehensively and expanded. 

Administration

The administration team responds to the needs of the users and interested parties in the Language Centre and assists them in developing their own initiative. The team intensively exercises its facilitating role (incoming students / staff) and works on a welcoming culture for all. The team supports lecturers to realise high quality standards in teaching.

The Language Centre of the University of Basel promotes the use of unbiased language and interaction.

 

Vision

From the Language Centre’s perspective

The Language Centre provides students and staff with attractive and varied offerings of languages as well as courses, training events, and workshops. It supports learners in the development of their own initiative and autonomy, and it promotes their interest and pleasure in languages and communication.

From the lecturers’ perspective

As competent and highly motivated experts, all lecturers are aware of the significance of languages within institutions of higher education, also with regard to mobility and professional life. Quality control and development is an ongoing concern for lecturers. Exchange across languages, also when collaborating with lecturers from other language centres (joint further education), is intensively pursued. Lecturers participate in additional external training beyond this, as far as resources allow (in consultation with the director).

From the administration team’s perspective

A smooth internal exchange and flow of information is a high priority. All involved parties are aware of the administrative processes. The administration team offers competent consultation and guidance to persons interested in courses and supports the lecturers in conducting their courses. In addition, the team promotes exchange amongst the lecturers.

The planning of courses and organisation of venues is conducted efficiently and in continuous consultation with the responsible parties in the disciplines and/or the university administration. Action in all respects is resource-preserving and of a high quality. The future (new) website is viewed as an opportunity: it will contain extended current references to and information on activities, publications, events, etc. Topics of internal focus (e.g. projects) are stipulated, documented, and communicated.

From the director’s perspective

Support and the development of the knowledge and individual competences of all Language Centre employees is a constant concern and goal for the director. Reciprocal appreciation amongst the director, employees, and lecturers at the Language Centre is the sine qua non for goal-oriented and successful collaboration as well as for further development in the interest of all students and staff at the University of Basel. Open to innovative changes, the director assesses and realizes them with consideration for the means and mandate by the University. The provision of service is the Language Centre’s ultimate task and is accordingly also that of the director. This requires ongoing quality control, adaptability, but also flexibility provided by the director and conveyed to all employees. Continued training of all the lecturers and staff is a constant focus and is realised as much as possible.