Welcome to the Faculty II

Faculties are fundamental units of the administration of universities and can be found in most such institutions. Since the introduction of faculties at the Europa-Universität Flensburg in March 2023, it is now true that all universities in Germany have faculties. The terms Fakultät and Fachbereich generally mean the same thing.

Paragraph 28 of the Schleswig-Holstein Law governing universities defines the function of faculties, namely to carry out all relevant tasks at the universities which affect the faculty´s thematic range and which cannot be carried out by either the university board, the senate or the central administration. More concretely this relates to:

•               Ensuring that teaching offered corresponds to the requirements
•               Ensuring that all degree programmes are offered in the correct manner
•               Supporting academic research, knowledge- and technology transfer and further training
•               Compliance of activities with quality assurance, in accordance to paragraph 5 of the SH Law governing universities
•               Carrying out the recruitment procedures for appointing full professors
•               Supporting postgraduates and early-career researchers in academic disciplines and performative arts
•               The cooperation and support of student advisory services (study-related specialist advice as a supplement to the central student advisory service)

The faculty is chaired by the Dean, the legislative power lies with the faculty´s convent (cf. paragraph 30 and 29 of the SH Law governing universities). The Dean chairs the meetings of convent, prepares decision making-processes of the convent and ensures that decisions are carried out. S/he is support by the Vice-Dean of Education. The Dean, the Vice-Dean of Education and the members of convent are elected for a period of  two years. Their work is honorary.

There are thirteen seats in convent. Seven are filled by members from the professoriate and two each are filled by the group of non-professorial academic staff, technical- and administrative staff, and students. The Equal Opportunities Officer of the Faculty and the University´s Diversity Officer, as well as the representatives of the staff councils have the right to attend and speak at convent as well as submit resolutions.

The Dean and VC Dean for Education are elected by convent. Any professor at the faculty can stand for election as Dean; only professorial members of convent can be elected as Vice Dean for Education.

The faculty´s formal employees are the Faculty Manager, the central coordinator of degree programme´s and the faculty´s secretary.

Click here for the faculty convents, held in February/March 2023