Inhaltsverzeichnis
ToggleThe StuRa is the central legislative body of the VS. Its members consist of both specialist representatives sent by student associations and list candidates directly elected by students.
The RefKonf, formerly known as “AStA” (General Student Committee), is elected by StuRa and is divided into 2 chairpersons, departments working on behalf of the StuRa (Referate) and autonomous units representing disadvantaged students.
The law passed for the introduction of the VS provides a secure basis for some aspects of student advocacy, but at many points falls short of the demands of the regional student representative. For example, it restricts competencies in areas that are also perceived by the student unions, political statements and the business capacity of the VS. It also provides for three times as many financial controls as in any other federal state.
In addition to a general explanation of the current and previous situation in Baden-Württemberg, the bodies, the impact on legal capacity, self-organisation, tuition fees, financial management and the mandate of students are briefly discussed. Below you will also find information on the history of the VS until 1977 and the Independent Models 1977-2012.
Further information on the VS can be found on the website of the Student Council, among others. You can find the text of the law of the VerfStudG on the page of the Ministry of Science, Research and the Arts. A very detailed commentary of the law can be found on the nationwide page on the VS.
If you have questions about the meaning of the law, turn to fachschaft@mathphys.stura.uni-heidelberg.de.
Reintroduction 2012/13
In Baden-Württemberg there was already a VS, but it was abolished in 1977 in order to save the students from political stupidity. Instead, a purely consultative Senate committee was set up under the legal supervision of the rector, who was simply referred to as “AStA” just like the previous student representation. He was not allowed to take action on questions of study, or on problems of individual departments or political issues (e.g. BAföG or semester ticket).
As a result, in parallel with the “AStA,” the students created their own representation, which were designated as independent bodies. In order to promote the interests of the students of a department on site, independent disciplines and institute groups, among others, legitimized themselves through public meetings and formed a university-wide association with the “Fachschaftskonferenz” (FSK).
In mathematics, physics and computer science, this task has been taking on MathPhy’s expertise since 1983. In the course of the introduction of the VS, the MathPhys merger has formally redivided into the three sub-disciplines of mathematics, physics and computer science.
Following the reintroduction of the VS, students voted on the structure of the VS by original vote on 13 to 15 May 2013. There were two models to choose from:
• The Student Council (StuRa) – a model with only one chamber
• The bicameral model: Student Parliament (StuPa) and “Fachschaftskonferenz” (FSK)
While our students association had found consensus on the bicameral model, in the primal vote the majority of students came out in favor of the StuRa model at 58.87%.
All students are qua enrolments automatically members of the written student society. Because it is the only way to participate in legitimate student representation and its achievements must be open to all students, it is not possible to leave.
The bodies of the VS
The Heidelberg VS is divided into so-called study fields. This includes all students in a subject – in our case mathematics, physics or computer science. At the level of the study disciplines there are two organs:
• The General Assembly
• Elected “Fachschaftsrat”
In the fields of mathematics, physics and computer science, we have decided to design the Fachschaftsrat as a merely executive body – the decision-making powers lie with the regularly held General Assembly, the “Fachschaftssitzung”. So, without having to be selected extra, you can always participate and co-decide at the level of a professional level.
One or more study subjects are formally counted as faculty subjects (e.g. the fields of mathematics and computer science for the faculty of mathematics and computer science).
At the central (cross-disciplinary) level, there will be only one legislative body of student science: The StuRa.
It decides on all the central concerns of the student passion (amount of contributions, finances, choice of lectures, etc.) and consists of representatives of all academic sciences, who are sent by them (64 people) as well as from directly elected by the students. Members.
The number of directly elected members scales with voter turnout and is between 0 people (with 0% participation) and also 64 people (50% or higher).
The executive organ of the VS will be the so-called “Referate Conference” (RefKonf) in Heidelberg. It consists of speakers elected by StuRa for certain tasks (e.g. municipals, ecology, higher education policy, social affairs, …), which implement decisions of the StuRa and – if the StuRa is not able to decide – independently in the name of the student passion to decide.
Legal
The previous “AStA” is a committee in the university as a whole. Through the VS, student representation (but only as a whole – not its organs) becomes an independent, legally capable subbody within the university. This allows it to conclude contracts itself and thus, for example, negotiate directly with the transport companies for the semester ticket.
Articles of statute
The VS has given itself its own organisational charter in which it holds the institutions and responsibilities. In principle, a wide variety of elements, from general assemblies to elected expert councils, sent specialist conferences, to the elected student parliament or even a combination of them are possible.
However, the law sets some guidelines for this.
Unfortunately, the provisions of the law provide for only three possible/combinations at the university level: Either a general meeting of all students, centrally elected representatives (parliamentary model), or posted representatives from decentralized elected Organs (StuRa model). This means that the previous Heidelberg independent model of student representation cannot be incorporated into the VS 1:1. For open specialists who send representatives to the university-wide level contradict the representative democratic premises of the law.
The experts must also be constituted. The statutes of the VS provide for a standard model if the experts do not submit their own statutes, which must then be decided in the StuRa. The statutes of the fields of study physics, mathematics and computer science voted on the statutes of the fields of physics, mathematics and computer science in January 2014. All statutes have been accepted and are available for download here:
- Computer Science
- Mathematics
- Physics
Contribution
The VS may collect contributions from all Studis collected together with the other semester contribution. Unfortunately, with the introduction of the VS, it was not stipulated that the previous budget of the “AStA,” managed by the university, which the student representation relies on, will remain in place. That’s why the VS charges a contribution of €7.50 per semester at the moment. This not only continues the work done so far, but also enables the establishment and promotion of new student projects, better campaigns to represent student interests and more service.
Financial autonomy
Until now, the FSK has been dependent on the goodwill of the university administration for all financial decisions, since the financial sovereignty has been in the university and not with the student community. This is finally changing! The VS decides on its own money itself.
- Economic plans
Mandate
So far, the official, so-called “AStA” has a sporting, cultural, artistic and limited social mandate. The law gives the new VS a university and social mandate in addition to the old competences; It may also comment on the work of the university in society, for example through the assessment of technology, as well as the political education of students.
to support. In that sense, it has a political mandate. It is bound by the usual neutrality requirement for state bodies with compulsory membership, so it must not, for example, advertise religious or party political structures.