Results

In total, around 60 measures and projects were initiated and realised or their implementation initiated as part of rETHink. In the various phases, over 600 people were involved in interviews, working groups, workstreams, sounding boards and rETHink meetings, including over 100 professors.

The broad involvement of ETH members from all levels and disciplines in the in-depth analysis of the organisation and functioning of the university resulted in a fundamental willingness to change. This is due not least to increased trust, which favours genuine dialogue. The increased trust and willingness to change not only led to the successful development of projects within rETHink. They also laid the fertile ground for change projects that were implemented or initiated in individual organisational units.

The following results were achieved across departmental and functional boundaries. Some require adjustments to the Organisational Ordinance and will be submitted to an ETH-wide consultation in 2024.

Cooperation and values

A set of six values was developed with the broad participation of ETH members as part of the cultural development programme.
The values were integrated into an overall model that also includes the university's vision and mission as well as competences that guide action. The competencies will make it possible to anchor the values in the ETH culture, not least by integrating them into the annual employee appraisals and future dialogues.

Structures

Two new school management areas were created at institutional level: a Vice-Presidency for Personnel Development and Leadership (VPPL) and a Vice-Presidency for Knowledge Transfer and Business Relations (VPWW). This enabled these two areas to be strengthened in a targeted manner.
At the same time, staff managers were appointed in all school management areas to relieve the school management members of operational tasks.
A new management model was developed and proposed, which should help to further promote cooperation and understanding between school management and departments, but also among the departments.
At departmental level, additional bodies are proposed to strengthen self-administration and personal responsibility. These proposals include a departmental strategy and resources committee as well as a departmental management, which should include the head of department (DP), at least their deputy and the director of studies, as well as the departmental coordinator.
As the introduction of the proposed new management model will result in major changes to the Organisation Ordinance, a broad ETH-wide consultation is planned for 2024.

Strategic management of ETH Zurich

A new committee is proposed for strategy development, which should include members of the school management as well as heads of department (strategy board) with the aim of coordinating strategy development more broadly and increasing the binding nature of the strategy.
In this setup, the proposed departmental strategy commissions would incorporate their contributions to the overall strategy via the strategy board.
Implementing a digitisation strategy for the administration will help the university to manage growth with digital technologies.

General management tasks

Many rETHink sub-projects have been and are being implemented in the new Vice President's Office for Staff Development and Leadership (VPPL), such as leadership support for assistant professors and the inclusion of VPPL in the promotion process for associate professors to full professors.
The VPPL department massively expanded its Downloadsupport services (PDF, 118 KB) not only for professors, but for all managers.
The onboarding process for professors has also been completely revised, including a customised range of leadership courses. The retirement process is currently being scrutinised. The aim is to create a new welcome culture as well as a farewell culture.

Personal responsibility

The extensive discussions on the autonomy and personal responsibility of professorships, academic self-administration and commitment to the university, for example in the area of outreach, have been reflected in numerous smaller projects.
The discussions surrounding the introduction of a teaching load are an example of this. This is to be abandoned in favour of strengthening "good citizenship": Responsibility instead of new rules.
A key contribution to this is the newly introduced self-evaluation of full professors. In future, they will undergo a leadership feedback process every five years, which will also serve to reflect on their leadership role.
An already established toolbox on the tasks of a professorship with over 100 "good practices" from experienced professors helps young professors in particular to fulfil their diverse tasks.

Even though the rETHink project phase came to an official conclusion at the end of 2023, various projects/initiatives launched by rETHink are continuing and further change projects have already been initiated.

The rETHink project has laid the foundation for the further development of ETH Zurich by revising structures and processes and expanding trust and dialogue between university members at all levels and departments, and has contributed to strengthening the university in an increasingly demanding and complex social environment.