What is Frank Zühlke actually doing?

In our ‘What are you actually doing…?’ section, members of the university community talk about their work.

Department 5 brings together the two divisions of Controlling and IT at the University of the Arts Bremen (HfK). Frank Zühlke has headed the department since 2002 and now almost considers himself part of the university’s fixtures and fittings. He first got to know and grow to love the HfK whilst working as a temporary ‘IT firefighter’ during his studies in Business Informatics. When a post in the Controlling and IT department was advertised in 2002, Frank Zühlke seized the opportunity and soon afterwards began working in Department 5, which now consists of a team of six. 

Controlling or IT? Both!

“In the morning, I wake up wondering whether I’ll be a controller or an IT specialist that day,” says Zühlke jokingly. “But then I get up with both feet on the ground and decide: both!” As a controller, I’m responsible for matters relating to accounts, budgeting, financial plans and statistics of all kinds – a job that can be rather dry at times. Things are quite different in the IT department: this ensures internet access and Wi-Fi for all university staff and students, sets up user accounts and guest access, and guarantees the smooth operation of the underlying infrastructure on which, for example, the email system or the telephone system runs. Department 5 is purely an administrative unit; there is no traditional data centre for teaching, as is common at larger universities and colleges. It also sees itself as a service centre for all university departments. Thanks in part to the Bremen State Science Network, Department 5 is well connected and, within the framework of this network, engages in regular exchanges with other higher education institutions.

Development of an IT strategy for the entire university

When Frank Zühlke joined the HfK in 2002, he faced the major challenge of developing an IT concept and strategy for the university. His team oversaw the move to Speicher XI in Überseestadt and developed the IT infrastructure there. As part of the Bologna Process, the interactive web platform and the university management system ARTIST were launched in 2006. According to Zühlke, ARTIST can be regarded as a genuine milestone, as it brings together the entire ‘lifecycle’ of a student – from application through to their studies and beyond, as an alumnus – within a single software package. Zühlke explains that ARTIST is process-oriented and significantly streamlines administrative work.

And then Corona happened…

At the start of this year, the tried-and-tested software was due to be updated to the latest version. But then the coronavirus pandemic intervened. The pandemic disrupted our plans and new priorities had to be set at short notice. To prevent the cancellation of teaching during the summer term, a digital learning environment for the courses on offer had to be set up in a very short space of time. Fortunately, the groundwork had already been laid in autumn 2019 as part of the preparations for a new version of ARTIST, meaning that numerous summer semester courses were able to take place online.

Development of multi-stage online selection processes

The multi-stage selection process for the 2020/21 winter semester presented another major challenge. Normally, these processes take place on site at the university, where, amongst other things, portfolios are submitted in person or an audition is held. This was not possible under the exceptional circumstances. Frank Zühlke describes the project as one of the greatest challenges since the department was established; there had been no preparation whatsoever, and it was carried out under considerable time pressure. The entire multi-stage selection process – in both the Department of Music and the Department of Art and Design – had to take place virtually. Department 5 worked flat out on this project. After countless hours of work, various night shifts and numerous rounds of coordination with those involved in the selection process, the project was a success. “A huge thank you goes to my team – without this fantastic collaboration and the tremendous commitment of everyone, this would not have been possible!” says Zühlke.

Thanks to the tireless efforts of the entire team in Department 5, first-year students will once again be able to commence their studies at the HfK this winter term. “The digital application documents and files submitted by prospective students are now taking up a huge amount of storage space,” says Zühlke with a smile. However, once enrolment is complete, these can be deleted or moved to a permanent backup.

Central point of contact during the online term

Naturally, dealing with the many new forms of media that were still unfamiliar also presented Department 5 with challenges. During the online term, the team became the central point of contact for technical problems of all kinds. “We received countless calls and emails during the term asking for help and technical support,” said Zühlke. Overall, the coronavirus pandemic has required a certain willingness to compromise; concessions have had to be made, including with regard to the immediacy of teaching, and alternatives have had to be found. Nevertheless, Frank Zühlke has seen a high level of commitment from all members of the university community, as everyone’s primary goal is, of course, to ensure high-quality teaching despite the circumstances.

Consequently, the team in Department 5 decided to prepare for a worst-case scenario despite the planned ‘hybrid term’: should the hybrid term have to take place entirely online, the team is well prepared. They are now meeting in person at the university again on three out of five days. Zühlke enjoys meeting his colleagues in person, whilst of course observing hygiene regulations to ensure the whole team does not end up off work. However, he does miss chatting to other university staff in the corridors; this must now be carried out in accordance with the guidelines, maintaining social distancing or, for the most part, by telephone or email.