University Council of the University of Siegen

University Councils were established at universities through the state of North Rhine-Westphalia (NRW) as a new statutory body when the Higher Education Autonomy Act (HFG) went into effect on 1 January 2007. This body was granted key responsibilities and competencies (e.g. electing the Rectorate, approving business and development plans) which are integral for structuring and managing each respective university.

The members of the University Council are appointed to a term of five years in accordance with § 21 para. 3 HG.

Who makes up the Council?

The University Council consists of up to 10 people, of which at least five must be non-members of the University (§ 21 para. 3 HG i.c.w. § 17 para. 1 Grundordnung).

When does the Council meet?

The University Council meets approximately four times per year (see table below). The members of University Rectorate and the Equal Opportunity Officer are invited to participate a these meetings.

Note: Meetings of the University Council are not open to the public.

What are the business of the University Council?

At every meeting the chair reports on current developments which have relevance to University's Council activities. This is followed by a discussion of the statements, written by the members of University's Rectorate, from their areas of responsibility, respectively.

The business of University Council are given by law (§ 21 para. 1 HG). Most commonly discussed issues are:

• budget and finance plans,
• higher education development plan(s),
• strategic positioning of the University in national and international competition,
• quality of teaching and teacher training,
• internationalisation and
• research strategy.

Annual reports about University Council activities can be found at the publications website.