Study-related diversity: a new paradigm for higher education institution diversity management.

The student body is becoming more heterogeneous, and this diversity creates new challenges, for teaching and support staff as well as for the students themselves. However, it also creates potential for successful teaching - provided that diversity is seen and used as a chance and an opportunity. In order for this to become possible at all, it is necessary not only to acknowledge, but also to manage diversity. And to manage diversity in the context of a university means to identify the aspects that are relevant for the institution and, that is, relate these to the students' being successful in university.In order to improve both the analytical and descriptive capacities for study-related diversity, CHE has developed a new kind of student questionnaire that is innovative for Germany: 'CHE-QUEST'. This paper describes the method of this instrument, the results and some of the consequences seen by the participating institutions, and how such an approach might help to develop a truly student-centred teaching environment, leading to individualised learning in universities. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

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