Development Planning since 2005

The University of Vienna published its first Development Plan in 2005. This was the first time, in its 650-year history, that the University of Vienna presented a university-wide strategy paper.

On the basis of the Development Plan and the target agreements, the Rectorate of the University of Vienna prepares a draft for the performance agreement. This draft is approved by the University Board. The performance agreement concluded with the Federal Ministry, in turn, ensures planning certainty with regard to the financial means available to the University for the following three years.

Steps in the Development Planning Process from 2004 to 2023

2004:

• July: Announcing the principles of the development planning process
  After discussions with the deans, the Austrian National Union of Students, the employment committees, the Senate as well as the University Board, the Rectorate announces the “principles of development planning”. 
• Second half of 2004: Preparing questions and data for the faculties' development planning process.
  The faculties and centres are requested to prepare proposals for the development planning process under the supervision of the deans and heads of the centres and with the participation of staff members and students' representatives. The proposals should take into account the range of opinions within the faculty or centre. 

2005:

• January: The Rectorate collects all the results of the papers that were prepared by the faculties and centres and incorporates them into the university-wide Development Plan that is submitted to the Senate that has to provide its opinion.
• The key purpose of the Development Plan is the definition of guiding principles in research and teaching: further improvements in teaching, specification of key research areas and subject dedication of professorships. 
• 1 July: Following unanimous consent by the Senate, the University Board unanimously approves the Development Plan of the University of Vienna. The Development Plan is the benchmark for monitoring the realisation of the goals that have been defined for the upcoming years.

2006-2020:

The development planning is carried out on a rolling basis. A planning horizon of several years also makes it possible to systematically pursue long-terms goals. At least every three years, there is a review and, if necessary, an adjustment of the development planning process at the faculty/centre level as well as at the university level and, in particular, the subject dedication of professorships that will be advertised, whereas "minor" and "major" revisions have occurred on an alternating basis. The revisions were approved by the University Board on 28 April 2006, 14 March 2008, 29 April 2009, 4 March 2011, 27 January 2012, 8 November 2013, 23 January 2015, 28 October 2016, 15 December 2017, 26 January 2018 und 18 December 2020. The approval of 2020 was an integral part of the preparations for the target agreements for the years 2022 to 2024.

2023:

Development planning was an important topic in the target agreements in spring 2023 between the rectorate and the heads of the faculties and centres. The faculty conferences were involved as well. After further consultations between the rector and the heads of the faculties and centres, the rectorate presented the proposal of the development plan "University of Vienna 2031" to the Senate in October 2023. Following approval by the senate on 30 November 2023, the university board unanimously granted approval on 15 December 2023.

The development plan "University of Vienna 2031" is an important basis for the performance agreement for the years 2025 to 2027, concluded in 2024 with the Federal Ministry of Science.