FAQ: Elections
Accordion Sample DescriptionThe StuPa is the highest decision-making body of the student body at TU Dortmund University. It functions as the students' parliamentary committee.
The StuPa sets the guidelines for the student body, decides on fundamental issues and the budget, and issues statutes and regulations for the student body. It elects the AStA representatives and appoints students to other committees.
Every enrolled student has passive voting rights and can run for the StuPa. Students join lists or create new lists for this purpose. A list is like a party, but without formal membership.
Every enrolled student at TU Dortmund University has active voting rights and can vote for the members of the StuPa.
The AStA is the executive body of the student body and its political representative. It consists of elected representatives (e.g., for finance, social affairs, culture) and implements the StuPa's decisions.
The AStA takes care of the everyday concerns of students (e.g., student financing, social counseling, semester ticket) and represents the student body externally. It is reconstituted annually by the StuPa and implements its guidelines.
Any enrolled student can run for a position as an AStA representative (passive voting rights).
The AStA representatives are elected by the StuPa (i.e., by the StuPa representatives). Students do not elect them directly.
Autonomous departments are specialized interest groups within the student body for certain marginalized groups. They are established by the StuPa as permanent committees. At TU Dortmund University, there is the Autonomous Foreigners' Department (AAR), the Autonomous Disabled Persons' Department (ABeR), the Autonomous Queer Department (AQR), and the Autonomous Queer Feminist Department (QFR). Each autonomous department employs elected representatives.
Each autonomous department represents the interests of its target group. The departments hold regular plenary meetings and have their own budgets and statutes.
Only members of the relevant group can run for office in an autonomous department (passive voting rights). For example, only students with disabilities or chronic illnesses can run for office in the Autonomous Disability Department. The same applies to the other departments. The specific conditions can be found in the statutes of the individual autonomous departments.
The departments are elected by the respective group concerned at a previously announced general meeting. The statutes of the individual autonomous departments specify which students are eligible to vote.
In accordance with §46a of the Higher Education Act of North Rhine-Westphalia, there is a representation for the interests of student assistants at TU Dortmund University. This consists of two elected representatives (and four deputies) and is the point of contact for all student assistants (SHKs/SHBs).
The representation advocates for compliance with labor law provisions for SHK positions and promotes appropriate working conditions. It accepts complaints from student assistants and can help with problems.
All enrolled students are eligible to run. Any student can apply, even if they are not a student assistant themselves.
All students enrolled at TU Dortmund University vote for the members of this SHK representative council. The elected representatives are elected for two years.
The Senate is the central participatory body of the entire university. It consists of representatives of the university teachers, research assistants, technical/administrative staff, and students.
The Senate participates in the election of the Rectorate, makes recommendations on planning documents and decisions on the allocation of funds, and enacts and amends the university's constitution and regulations. It is particularly responsible for university-wide issues relating to research, teaching, and studies.
All students can run for the student seats in the Senate (passive voting rights).
These seats are elected by all students enrolled at TU Dortmund University (active voting
rights). The term of office for student members of the Senate is one year.
A student council is the representative body for students in a faculty or field of study. It advises students in the subject and acts as an interface between lecturers and students.
The student council represents the subject-related interests of students, e.g., in matters relating to exams and studies. It comments on higher education policy issues, maintains subject-specific networks, and organizes subject-related events such as orientation week.
All students who belong to the respective student council (usually students of the same degree program or department; in teacher training, the student council must be selected upon enrollment but can be changed later upon request) have passive voting rights and can be elected to the student council.
All students belonging to the same student council can vote for the members of their student council during the general assembly (active voting rights). The general assembly must be announced publicly in advance. The specific modalities are regulated by the student council framework regulations.
The Faculty Council is the central decision-making body of a faculty. It consists of elected representatives from all status groups (professors, academic staff, administration, students) of the respective faculty.
The faculty council is responsible for deciding on all matters of the faculty that do not fall under the responsibility of the dean's office. In particular, it decides on research and teaching as well as interdisciplinary study matters of the faculty.
All students of the respective faculty can run for the student seats on the faculty council (passive voting rights).
All students of the respective faculty (whose degree program belongs to the faculty) vote for the student representatives on the faculty council (active voting rights). The number of student seats varies between two and three.
Each faculty has an examination board that acts as the authority for examination matters. Among other things, it makes decisions on admissions, credit transfers, and special cases relating to examination regulations.
The board acts in accordance with subject-specific examination regulations and decides on exam registrations, recognition of achievements, missed exams, etc. It ensures the smooth running of studies in the examination area and is the point of contact for students with questions about exams.
Students are represented by at least one member on each examination board. All students of the faculty can run for office (passive voting rights).
The faculty council of the respective faculty elects the members of the examination board.
The QVM Commissions exist in every faculty. Student members make up the majority. The
members come from various student councils within the faculty.
The commission decides on the use of certain funds.
All students in the faculty can run for office (passive voting rights).
The faculty council of the respective faculty elects the members of the QVM commission.
At university level, there are other committees with student participation, such as the SK QSL (Standing Committee for Quality Improvement in Studies and Teaching) or the SK QVM (Standing Committee for Quality Improvement in Teaching and Studies). These are elected by the Senate.
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