University student representative

The Fachhochschule study representations are the legal representatives of the interests of students at Austrian universities of applied sciences and other providers of technical college courses . In addition to the university of applied sciences student representatives, there are also class and degree program representatives . In contrast to the student unions at the universities , the Fachhochschule study representatives do not have their own legal personality , but are assigned to the Austrian student body . The term of office lasts one year, the elections take place in the last two months of each academic year.

Despite the lack of corporate status, the University of Applied Sciences study council has to issue its own statutes , in which departments and, if necessary, other representative bodies such as site or departmental representatives can be set up. In contrast to the universities, at the universities of applied sciences the direct choice of persons applies to all levels of representation . The University of Applied Sciences study representation is composed of the chairpersons of the study representation. If there are fewer than five degree programs, all of the chairpersons of the year representatives are also members of the University of Applied Sciences study representatives. The University of Applied Sciences study representatives elect a chairperson and four deputy chairpersons within one month of the election of the degree program representatives. They do not have to be the chairperson of a degree program representative; all students at the University of Applied Sciences are passively entitled to vote.

University of Applied Sciences student representatives at institutions with at least 1000 students send mandataries directly to the ÖH federal representation . University of Applied Sciences student representatives at smaller universities are part of the so-called electoral community. The chairmen of the University of Applied Sciences study representatives and the federal representation together form the chairperson conference of the University of Applied Sciences study representatives .

Degree program representative

The students of each established course directly and personally elect a course representative . The University of Applied Sciences study representatives can, however, decide by a two-thirds majority to merge several study programs into one representation. The number of members of the degree program representation is stipulated in the statutes of the University of Applied Sciences study representation. The degree program representatives elect the chairperson from among their number. The chairmen of the degree program representatives together form the university of applied sciences student representatives (in the case of fewer than five degree programs, this also includes the chairpersons of the year class representatives).

Year representation

At the end of the academic year, the students of each year elect their class representatives (students in the first year elect their class representatives within the first month of the winter semester). The principle of choosing a person also applies to class representatives. The number of members of the class representatives is specified in the statutes of the Fachhochschule study representatives. The class representatives elect the chairperson from among their number. If there are fewer than five degree programs, the chairpersons of the year representatives are part of the university of applied sciences student representatives.

history

Even in 1999 was a revision of the National Union of Students Act 1998 membership in the student union to the students at teacher training colleges , at the Danube University Krems and the private universities expanded. The inclusion of students at the universities of applied sciences was also provided for in the amendment application, but the corresponding legal provisions were not put into force because the university operators and some student representatives were reluctant to do so.

The representation of the technical college students remained completely unregulated. Some colleges and institutions of applied sciences degree programs had their own teams of students to other carriers from the dependent subdivisions unincorporated, but partly also no representation. By the end of 2005 there were three nationwide meetings of student representatives (at which, however, not all universities of applied sciences were represented). In 2006, these meetings resulted in the association for the establishment and promotion of a nationwide student representation of universities of applied sciences and university courses (VFFH).

At the instigation of the VFFH, the National Council changed the University of Applied Sciences Studies Act (FHStG) in 2007, which meant that students at Austrian universities of applied sciences still became ÖH members. The HSG 1998 itself was not changed, however, the provisions there on the universities of applied sciences remained dead right. Like the pedagogical university representatives (formerly academy representatives), the university of applied sciences study representatives did not receive the status of a corporation under public law .

literature

• Stefan Huber: ÖH law . Student Union Act with ancillary provisions. 3rd revised edition. New Scientific Publishing House, Vienna / Graz 2009, ISBN 978-3-7083-0608-7 .

Individual evidence

1. ↑ Alexander Egger and Thomas Frad: Student Union Act and Student Dormitory Act . Introduction, texts, materials, decisions, comments. WUV-Universitätsverlag, Vienna 2000, ISBN 978-3-85114-444-4 , p. 34 .
2. ↑ http://www.vffh.at/homepage/main/historie/historie_index.html (link not available)
3. ↑ http://www.oeh.ac.at/fileadmin/user_upload/pdf/PROGRESS/PROGRESS-2007-05.pdf (link not available)
4. ↑ § 4a University of Applied Sciences Studies Act