Important student representation bodies
Fachschaftskonferenz (FSK, a university-wide association representing all Student Councils)
The Fachschaftskonferenz, FSK for short, is comprised of one representative each from every Student Council and the FSK coordinator. It represents the university’s students in all matters pertaining to teaching and research. This also includes making statements on examination regulations, deciding how to spend income from tuition fees, submitting nominations for university bodies and making requests to divisional heads on teaching and research-related topics. Another important task of the FSK is coordinating efforts and liaising with the other Student Councils.
Departmental Council
The Departmental Council looks after the department’s concerns: This includes the curriculum, appointments, financial affairs and issues of fundamental importance to the department. As such, the Departmental Council is the most important departmental body, with two students representing our interests.
The representatives in the Departmental Council are elected in the general university elections; their term of office is one year.
Study Commission
The Study Commission deals above all with questions directly related to studies, i.e. with examination regulations, the appropriation of income from tuition fees, etc. This is also why we dispatch four students to this body to represent our interests.
The Study Commission representatives are nominated by the Student Council and approved by the Faculty Council. Their term of office is one year each.
Examination Board (StPA)
The Examination Board (StPA) is responsible for organising the examinations and makes sure that the provisions set out in the examination regulations are observed.
The members of a department's Examination Board (StPA) are appointed by the Study Commission of the respective department.
Faculty Council
The university is divided into three faculties which are responsible for carrying out the university’s responsibilities in their respective fields. The faculty coordinates its constituent departments’ tasks in the areas of study, teaching and research.
The Faculty Council approves structure and development plans as well as the faculty-wide study and examination regulations, amongst other things. It appoints Study Commissions to perform any tasks related to study and teaching. It approves the recommendations made by the appointments committees and submits them to the Senate.
The faculty is headed by the dean’s office, which also oversees the faculty's research and teaching activities.
The Departments of Literature and Linguistics, together with the Departments of Philosophy and History and Sociology (with Empirical Educational Research and Sport Science), belong to the Faculty of Humanities (Faculty 2). In the Faculty Council, both departments are represented by one student each who is elected for a term of one year in the university elections.
The University of Konstanz thrives on the participation of its members in its academic self-administration structures. There are various opportunities to serve in a number of university bodies and committees.
Here, you can find out more about the work our bodies and committees do.
To demonstrate their structure, the University of Konstanz has created a presentation explaining some of the details. It guides you through the various bodies and committees, their responsibilities and how they are constituted.