New president of the Lecturers’ Conference elected

In early May 2020, the General Conference of the Faculty Members elected the professor of experimental atmospheric physics as President of the Lecturers’ Conference (KdL) for a two-year term. The decision was passed unanimously at a meeting of 107 attendees, which took place via Zoom due to the coronavirus situation. Ulrike Lohmann will succeed Edoardo Mazza, who has headed the KdL since 2016. Mazza is a professor of mechanics at the Institute for Mechanical Systems at D-MAVT and a member of the management team for the external pageZurich Heartcall_made and Skintegrity medical projects.

Important and challenging projects realised

Looking back, Mazza views his tenure as a “hugely enriching experience” that has allowed him to see ETH from new angles. He describes the KdL analysis of the first year of studies, which was based on interviews with lecturers, as a highlight. “Numerous colleagues became involved spontaneously and contributed useful ideas,” he says. Equally important – but also challenging for the committee – were the discussions surrounding shortcomings in the mentorship of doctoral candidates and the reforms that this made necessary.

“It was a great pleasure to organise the KITE Award, which was an opportunity to experience the ETH lecturers’ enthusiasm and capacity for innovation first-hand,” says Mazza. “I’m particularly proud that the KdL has become a go-to place for open, critical discussion about fundamental questions and core issues affecting our university, and that this always takes place in a friendly and professional atmosphere.”

Lecturers learn from each other

For the new KdL president, the ETH-wide rETHink reorganisation presents the ideal opportunity to address the perspectives and concerns of lecturers. According to Lohmann, the fundamental question is: “How can we best live up to ETH’s values and thus attain excellence in teaching and research?” Due to the coronavirus crisis, another clear focus is of course digital and hybrid teaching formats: “I want the KdL to work towards developing solutions that allow our students to learn in the most effective way possible.”

To achieve this goal, Lohmann would like, among other things, to build on a voluntary pilot project started during her predecessor’s term in office: peer review in teaching. “It may be unusual for some to have their teaching evaluated by colleagues. But everyone who participated in this pilot project was very grateful for this opportunity,” says the new KdL president. “I’m convinced that as teachers, we can learn a lot more from each other than we think.”

Last but not least, she will begin organising the nomination for the successor to the Rector, who is responsible for teaching activities – one of the main tasks of the KdL. “It’s really important that we design this process well,” explains Lohmann, “because this role is the only position on the Executive Board that professors can help fill."