Committees of Academic Self-Administration

The Board of Trustees of Technische Universität Berlin is a committee dedicated to the promotion of cooperation between the University, government, and society.

The Board of Trustees has eleven members:

• The senator with responsibility for Berlin's universities
• Six public figures
• Four members of TU Berlin (1 member per status group)

Nominations are proposed on the basis of a two thirds majority of the members of the Academic Senate and approved by Berlin’s senator for universities. Nominations must be based on gender parity.

The Board of Trustees is then elected by the members of Technische Universität Berlin. The term of office is two years.

The members of the Board of Trustees elect a chair from among their numbers. Members of the Academic Senate or Extended Academic Senate are not permitted to be a member of the Board of Trustees.

The Board’s responsibilities include decisions on fundamental, particularly important administrative, business, budget, and finance affairs. This particularly pertains to approving the budget and establishing, amending, or dissolving faculties and other organizational units (exceptions to this are changes made to subdivisions of the faculties). The Board of Trustees elects the vice president for administration and enacts administrative provisions in personnel and staff resource affairs.

The Extended Academic Senate has 61 members: 31 professors, ten academic staff, ten office and technical staff, and ten students.

The representatives in the Extended Academic Senate are elected by their entire respective member group. This means that 31 professors are elected by the group of professors, ten academic staff by the group of academic staff, ten office and technical staff members by the group of office and technical staff, and ten students by the group of students. The term of office is two years. The Extended Academic Senate elects a board. The board is composed of two representatives from each respective member group.

The Extended Academic Senate elects

• The president
• The vice presidents

Additionally, it is responsible for voting the president out of office.

Further responsibilities include decisions regarding the University's constitution, consideration and comment on the president’s bi-yearly statement of accounts, and commenting on issues of fundamental importance.

The Academic Senate is composed of the president serving as chair without voting rights, 13 professors, four academic staff members, four office and technical staff members, and four students.

The representatives of the member groups in the Academic Senate are elected by their entire member group respectively. This means that 13 professors are elected by the group of professors, four academic staff by the group of academic staff, four office and technical staff members by the group of office and technical staff, and four students by the group of students. The term of office is two years.

The Academic Senate puts forward recommendations for the establishment, amendment, and dissolution of organizational units and comments on the establishment, amendment, and dissolution of subdivisions of the faculties. It establishes degree programs and enacts bylaws for academic affairs where no other body is responsible. It is responsible for the establishment of principles for teaching, studying, examinations, doctoral studies, and Habilitations. It delivers an opinion on study and examination regulations, appointment proposals, and resolves University development and staffing plans and gender equality guidelines.

The Structural Committee is a standing committee of the Academic Senate. It advises the Academic Senate and the  president.

It includes six professors, two academic staff, two office and technical staff, and two students. These are appointed by the representatives of their member groups in the Academic Senate. The chair is elected by the Academic Senate on the recommendation of the Structural Committee.

The responsibilities of the structural committee include contributions to the University’s mid- and long-term planning and developing the University structure and staffing plan.

The Structural Committee delivers an opinion on

• Allocation proposals
• Development plans of the faculties
• Utilization concepts for large equipment
• Establishment, amendment, and dissolution of organizational units
• TU-internal research funding proposals
• External funding proposals such as Collaborative Research Centers and Research Training Groups that are funded by the German Research Foundation
• Cooperations
• Concepts or proposals for the advancement of junior scholars
• Demands arising from appointment and retention negotiations

The Teaching Committee is a standing committee of the Academic Senate. It advises the Academic Senate and the president  on issues related to teaching and studies.

Two professors, two academic staff members, two office and technical staff members, and six students make up the Teaching Committee. Members are appointed by the Academic Senate. The chair is elected and

members are appointed by the members of their respective group in the Academic Senate. Example: The four students in the Academic Senate name six students for the committee. Accordingly, the 13 professors, four academic staff members, and the four office and technical staff members of the Academic Senate appoint their representatives in the Teaching Committee. The term of office is two years.

Together with the Structural Committee, the Teaching Committee advises on the establishment and discontinuation of degree programs. It evaluates the study and examination regulations submitted by the faculties/joint committees while considering existing framework guidelines and accreditation requirements. The Teaching Committee delivers an opinion on support for academic reform projects, project workshops, and innovation tutorials. It actively contributes to academic reform and advises on the preparation of guidelines for the development of degree programs.

The Council for Sustainable Development is a standing committee of the Academic Senate. It supports and advises the Academic Senate and the president of the University on topics related to sustainability in the areas of education, research, operations, and transfer to society. The council is made up of two people each from the groups professors, academic staff, office and technical staff, and students, as well as three external members. Members are appointed by the Academic Senate.

The council’s responsibilities include contributing to sustainable development within the University and promoting exchange with key players in society. It drafts proposals for strategic measures (including their implementation) for a sustainable development of the University, receives suggestions from TU members for sustainable development, and evaluates and forwards these as a template to the Academic Senate and/or president.

The Council for Sustainable Development is open to all University employees interested in this issue.

The Budget Committee is appointed by the Academic Senate for each new legislative period. It is composed of two members each from the groups professors, academic staff, office and technical staff, and students. It is tasked with advising the Academic Senate on budget matters.

At the recommendation of the president or the faculties, Technische Universität Berlin awards various honors. The Honors Committee delivers an opinion on the president’s or faculties’ proposals for awarding an honorary doctorate, honorary membership, or the title of honorary senator. The Honors Committee submits this opinion to the Academic Senate for approval. Honorary doctorates, honorary membership, and the title of honorary senator  are exclusively awarded to individuals who are not members of Technische Universität Berlin.

The Honors Committee is appointed by the Academic Senate for each new legislative period. It is composed of the respective list leaders or a representative appointed by them. The current president of the University serves as  chair of the Honors Committee.

Further information about honors at Technische Universität Berlin

The faculty boards issue bylaws and budget estimates, and determine how funds are to be allocated within the respective faculty. They contribute to the establishment of organizational units; conclude appointment recommendations; and approve Habilitations, study and examination regulations, and structural and development plans, including gender equality plans. A board’s members include seven professors, two academic staff members, two office and technical staff members, and two students. The faculty boards are elected by their respective member groups.

Further non-centralized committees include the institute councils of the faculties; the institute councils for teacher education at the Central Institutes El Gouna and School of Education (SETUB); the councils of the Center for Electron Microscopy (ZELMI), University Sports Center (ZEH), Center for Scientific Continuing Education and Cooperation (ZEWK); and the advisory council of the Center for Modern Languages (ZEMS).