Commissions of the Faculty of Business and Economics

Do you want to get involved in university politics and academic self-administration alongside your studies and actively participate in decisions on study and examination matters, financial issues or in the area of research, for example, in the faculty's commissions?

We will explain to you in which commissions of the faculty you can become active as a student representative.

What does "academic self-administration" mean?

Academic self-administration means that the university organises itself and its members. Accordingly, important decisions on research, teaching and studying are made in the university's central and decentralised commissions.

Representatives of all status groups can get involved in the commissions of the faculty. In the following, we will focus in particular on the group of students.

Students are always entitled to vote and can actively participate in decision-making in the various commissions.

What commissions exist at the faculty and how can students get involved?

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  Faculty Council and Dean's Office

  
  

  The Dean's Office (Dean; Dean of Studies; Dean of Research) leads the faculty. It is elected by the Faculty Council at regular intervals. The dean represents the faculty e.g. in the committees of the university and is the chairman of the Faculty Council and the finance commission.

  
  

  The Dean of Studies and the Dean of Research are responsible for the areas of study and teaching and research at the faculty.

  
  

  The Faculty Council is the highest body of the faculty and decides on faculty matters of fundamental importance and strategic scope with the participation of all status groups.

  
  

  The other commissions of the faculty, such as the Study Commission or the Finance Commission, prepare draft resolutions on which the members of the Faculty Council decide. For example, the Faculty Council regularly adopts all examination, study and admission regulations for the faculty's degree programmes.

  
  

  In addition, the members decide on financial and personnel matters. Personnel matters can be, for example, so-called appointment lists with the selected candidates for professorships that are to be newly filled at the faculty.

  
  

  In addition to seven professors, two research assistants and two non-scientific employees two student representatives are also part of the Faculty Council. All status groups are entitled to vote.

  
  

  The Faculty Council meets three to four times a semester on site in Göttingen. Special meetings can also be called in certain cases. Each meeting has a public and a non-public part. All members of the faculty, i.e. also students, can participate in the public part.

  
  
  
  
  • You can find the current members of the Faculty Council here.

  
  


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  Study Commission

  
  

  The Study Commission deals with issues relating to teaching, studies and examinations. Relevant topics are, for example, ensuring the quality of studies, the further development of study programmes, adjustments to the courses offered or the allocation of decentralised funds for studies and teaching.

  
  

  The students have four of the eight votes in this commission, so that students have an equal say in decision-making. Two professors and two research assistants are also entitled to vote.

  
  

  The Study Commission must be consulted before decisions are made by the Faculty Council in all matters concerning teaching, studies and examinations.

  
  
  
  
  • You can find the current members of the Study Commission here.

  
  


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  Examination Commission

  
  

  The tasks of the Examination Commission are regulated in the general examination regulations of the University of Göttingen. Among other things, the members deal with applications and objections from students in examination procedures and ensure that these are resolved to the satisfaction of all parties involved as far as possible.

  
  

  The members include two student representatives with voting rights who decide on these procedures together with the other members of the commission: four professors and one academic staff member.

  
  

  In addition, the Examination Commission gives suggestions to the Dean of Studies on the design of the examination and study regulations of the degree programmes.

  
  

  The decisions made by the commission are implemented by the faculty's Examination Office.

  
  
  
  
  • You can find the current members of the Examination Commission here.

  
  


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  Finance Commission

  
  

  Within the framework of financial autonomy, the faculty manages its financial resources on its own responsibility and has formed the Finance Commission for this task.

  
  

  For example, the commission makes proposals for the allocation of financial budgets to the professorships of the faculty. It also prepares draft resolutions for the financial decisions for the Faculty Council.

  
  

  In addition to five professors, the commission members include one research assistant and up to two students.

  
  
  
  
  • You can find the current members of the Finance Commission here.

  
  


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  Research Commission

  
  

  The Research Commission makes decisions concerning research at the faculty and deals, for example, with the assessment of scientific publications by professors and research assistants within the framework of the performance-oriented allocation of funds.

  
  

  Two student representatives participate in these decisions. In addition, five professors, up to two research assistants and one non-academic employee are members of the commission.

  
  
  
  
  • You can find the current members of the Research Commission here.

  
  

How can students become members of these commissions?

The students who are members of the faculty's committees and commissions are all members of the ”Fachschaftsrat Wirtschaftswissenschaften” (student council of the faculty).

The student council is the elected student representation of the faculty and thus a part of the student self-administration.

Only students are represented in the student self-administration. It is responsible for the special affairs of the students towards the university, the student union, the city of Göttingen, the state of Lower Saxony and between the students of the University of Göttingen and other universities.

How do students elect their representatives to the commissions?

University elections take place every year in January at the University of Göttingen, in which students elect their political representatives and vote on the train, bus and cultural semester ticket.

Various political student groups are active at the university and their representatives run for election - including representatives of the groups that will later form the members of the student council of our faculty.

You can find detailed information about the university elections and student self-administration on the website of the General Students' Committee (“Allgemeiner Studierendenausschuss” - AStA). The AStA is the highest body of student self-administration.

International Student Council (ISC)

The ISC is elected every year by the International Student Parliament (ISP) and is therefore the representation of all international students at the University of Göttingen. It attends to all their concerns and is the first point of contact for problems and queries: More information

How can students additionally influence decisions in the area of study and teaching?

The “Fachschaftsrat Wirtschaftswissenschaften” also sends student representatives to appointment committees for professorships.

These committees are always set up when new professorships are filled at the faculty. In the appointment procedures, the applicants must, among other things, explain which courses they would offer at the faculty if they were appointed to the professorship and usually also give a short lecture on a topic previously determined by the committee.

The student representatives are voting members and therefore have a say in the selection of new professors.