German university administrator visits UNCP

Kurt Walter, Director of Administration and Finance at Ludwigsburg University of Education in Germany, said he has gained new understanding of the meaning of Southern hospitality.

Walter spent a week in October at The University of North Carolina at Pembroke as part of a higher education administrative exchange program.

When asked what impressed him most about UNC Pembroke, Walter said the "friendliness" and "customer service skills" of the University's staff.

"Your administrative staff is very friendly to visitors, and students are treated as customers," Walter said. "I miss that in Germany."

Walter, who is part of a four-person "rectorate" than oversees Ludwigsburg University, explained that German universities do not recruit students, and tuition is paid by the state.

"We do not have to attract students, and we do not have an admissions department like yours," Walter said.

There are many similarities between higher education in the U.S. and Germany. One area of increasing importance in both nations is accountability.

"We work very hard to prepare teachers, and we are strictly evaluated," Walter said. "We are benchmarked against other schools like us, and our budget is based on this."

Like Ludwigsburg Education University, UNCP's School of Education is thoroughly evaluated by the state Department of Public Instruction and is one of only two North Carolina universities that train teachers to be ranked "exemplary" in all three years of the survey.

Ludwigsburg, which has student, faculty and administrative exchange programs with UNCP, has also fared very well in evaluations.

"We are at the top, and we got nearly $2 million Euros for research," he said. "This is a lot for this type of university. I think we are a very good university, but we can do more."

The need to do more in higher education is what drives programs like this administrative exchange. Walter spent time with UNCP's offices of Enrollment Management, Student Affairs and Business Affairs with is UNCP counterpart Neil Hawk, Vice Chancellor for Business Affairs.

"Exchanges like this are very important for both universities," Mr. Hawk said. "It gives us a fresh perspective on how we go about our jobs. We have had a very productive week."

Walter has extended an invitation for additional administrative exchanges.

"I have met a lot of very open minded and service oriented people here, and I am impressed," he said. "You are very welcome to come to Ludwigsburg. I think it would be good."

Ludwigsburg University is located is located in Stuttgart in southwestern Germany, a region known for its 18th century palaces and automobile manufacturing. The university has an enrollment of 3,500.

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