Faculties

The faculties form the basic organisational units in charge of research, teaching and learning. The Faculty Councils take internal faculty decisions. The Deans’ Offices are responsible for management of the faculties.

Each Dean presides over their own Dean’s Office, represents the faculty within the University, and sets the guidelines for that Dean’s Office; other members of the Dean’s Office responsible for the area of Student and Academic Services in particular are the Deans of Studies, who independently undertake duties in their department.

The Faculty Council decides on faculty matters of fundamental importance in the field of research, teaching and learning, such as the study regulations for degree programmes, the development of new degree programmes or the closure of existing ones. Decisions on the faculty development plan are taken on the basis of the University development plan and within its framework.

The University establishes standing committees for teaching and learning (faculty study committees). The Presidential Board sets the number and size of the faculty study committees, their responsibilities for individual degree programmes and their assignment to one or more faculties. On interfaculty study committees, the member of the Presidential Board with responsibility for Teaching decides the president.

The faculty behind the degree programme forms an Examination Board to organise the examinations and carry out all the duties it is assigned under the relevant exam regulations. The Examination Office organises the examination process in accordance with the standards of the Examination Board.

A special position is held at the University of Göttingen by the Study Quality Committee, half of which is made up of student members. Students have an equal say on the use of additional income from the Study Quality Funds. The Presidential Board decides on the implementation of central measures from Study Quality Funds (SQM) under Section 9 SQM Guideline in agreement with the Study Quality Committee (SQK) following advice from the Senate. Where Study Quality Funds are allocated across the board to faculties and similar organisational units (decentralised study quality funds), the Study Quality Committee is replaced by the faculty study committee. The Presidential Board decides analogously on the implementation of decentralised measures from Study Quality Funds under Section 12 SQM Guideline in agreement with the study committee following advice from the Faculty Council. The Representative for Academic Quality is funded from Study Quality Funds. She is the contact for suggestions and ideas on improving study conditions. Once a year, an Ideas Competition awards prizes for the best ideas.