Law and Order in Teaching

Legal framework for teaching at the University

The framework for university teaching is provided by a number of laws and regulations. These legal provisions are binding for all employees of Technische Universität Berlin. Some are enacted by the University itself while others are issued by the state of Berlin, the federal government, or at European level. In addition, there are a number of guidelines and directives at Technische Universität Berlin, which provide important information and a foundation for joint work at the University, such as the Mission Statement for Teaching.

Legal framework at University level

Constitution of Technische Universität Berlin

Pursuant to the Berlin State Higher Education Act, every institution of higher education is required to adopt a constitution regulating and managing its affairs according to the principles of academic self-governance. In addition to the provisions laid out in the Berlin State Higher Education Act, the constitution lays out the corporative rights and obligations of an institution’s members as well as regulations regarding committee procedures.

Constitution of Technische Universität Berlin

General Study and Examination Regulations

The Regulations Governing General Study and Examination Regulations (Ordnung zur Regelung des allgemeinen Studien- und Prüfungsverfahrens - AllgStuPO) at Technische Universität Berlin apply to all degree programs at the University and contain information about general study objectives, modules, class formats, and the organization of exams among several other topics.

Quality Management Regulations

Technische Universität Berlin’s Quality Management Regulations (Ordnung zum Qualitätsmanagement - QMO) set out rules and requirements regarding quality assurance processes in the University’s academics and teaching. They provide details, for instance, about degree program evaluations as well as information about the responsibilities of the University administration and committees in quality management.

Evaluation Regulations

These regulations provide the framework for all forms of evaluation at Technische Universität Berlin, such as student surveys in course evaluations, as well as information about other important issues such as data protection and security.

TU Berlin Evaluation Regulations

Statute on the Safeguarding of Good Academic Practice at TU Berlin

This document provides guidelines for the safeguarding of good academic practice and academic integrity as well as for fair procedures in the event of suspected violation. The statutes are based on the recommendations of the German Research Foundation and apply to the entire University.

Statute on the Safeguarding of Good Academic Practice at TU Berlin

Legal framework at state level

Berlin State Higher Education Act

Higher education in Germany is the jurisdiction of the individual federal states and is regulated by each state’s respective higher education legislation. In Berlin, this is the Berlin State Higher Education Act (Gesetz über die Hochschulen im Land Berlin - BerlHG). This act contains general regulations regarding an institution’s internal organization and duties as well as how academics such as admissions and degrees, teaching, and research are to be managed and regulated.

Berlin Teacher Training Act

The Berlin Teacher Training Act (Lehrkräftebildungsgesetz - LBiG) is an important supplement to the rules for teacher training in the Berlin State Higher Education Act.

Act on the Admission to Higher Education Institutions in the State of Berlin to Degree Programs with Restricted Admission

This act regulates admission to degree programs with restricted admission at higher education institutions in the state of Berlin.

Act on the Admission to Higher Education Institutions in the State of Berlin to Degree Programs with Restricted Admission

Ordinance on Higher Education Admissions for the State of Berlin

This ordinance supplements the Act on the Admission to Higher Education Institutions and further details the rules for admission to degree programs with restricted admission in the state of Berlin.

Ordinance on Higher Education Admissions for the State of Berlin

Berlin Ordinance on Teaching Obligations at Institutions of Higher Education

These regulations apply to academic and artistic teaching personnel teaching over a certain number of hours at Berlin’s public universities and define the scope of their teaching obligations.

Berlin Ordinance on Teaching Obligations at Institutions of Higher Education

Berlin Study Accreditation Ordinance

The requirements and procedures for the accreditation of studies in the state of Berlin are regulated in the Study Accreditation Ordinance (Studienakkreditierungsverordnung Berlin - BlnStudAkkV).

Capacity Regulations

The Capacity Regulations (Kapazitätsverordnung - KapVO) detail the rights and obligations of universities and universities of applied sciences for determining student capacity in degree programs. These include provisions for calculating curricular standard values, which quantify the teaching workload for a degree program and are determined, among other things, on the basis of the necessary personnel resources. The regulations also contain the current curricular standard values for degree programs as well as the requirements for determining admission quotas for restricted admission degree programs.

Legal framework at federal and European level

Framework Act for Higher Education

The Framework Act for Higher Education (Hochschulrahmengesetz - HRG) regulates higher education in the Federal Republic of Germany. Decisions regarding culture and science are under the jurisdiction of the federal states and are regulated by the states’ laws on higher education. The federal government is authorized to pass legislation on these issues in exceptional cases only.

Act on Academic Fixed-Term Contracts of the Federal Ministry of Education and Research

The Act on Academic Fixed-Term Contracts (Wissenschaftszeitvertragsgesetz - WissZeitVG) provides a framework for the conclusion of fixed-term contracts with academic and artistic staff (excluding university professors), allowing for fixed-term contracts at universities apart from the restrictions in the Act on Part-Time Work and Fixed-Term Employment (Teilzeit- und Befristungsgesetz - TzBfG).

Interstate Treaty on the Organization of a Joint Accreditation System

The interstate treaty adopted by the Standing Conference of the Ministers of Education and Cultural Affairs (Kultusministerkonferenz, KMK) lays out the provisions for the organization of a joint accreditation system for quality assurance in teaching and learning at German universities.

Interstate Treaty on the Organization of a Joint Accreditation System

Standards for Teacher Training: Educational Science

The Standards for Teacher Training adopted by the Standing Conference of the Ministers of Education and Cultural Affairs identify competences in educational science prospective teachers are to acquire during training and which are of particular significance in their everyday professional work.

Joint State-Level Requirements for Specialist Disciplines and Specialist Didactics in Teacher Training

This document supplements the Standards for Teacher Training and describes the professional profile of prospective teachers on the basis of the skills to be attained and required subject focus. The standards are limited to those subjects that appear in the examination regulations of nearly all of Germany’s federal states.

Joint State-Level Requirements for Specialist Disciplines and Specialist Didactics in Teacher Training

European Standards and Guidelines

The European Standards and Guidelines (ESGs) provide a reference framework for internal and external quality assurance systems in higher education.

Legal framework for data protection

Data Protection at Technische Universität Berlin

General Data Protection Regulation

The General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) was adopted by the European Union and provides a framework for how personal data of EU residents can be collected and processed by companies, government authorities, and associations. The regulation aims to ensure the protection of personal data as well as unified and open data transfer within the EU.

Berlin Data Protection Act

The Berlin Data Protection Act (Berliner Datenschutzgesetz - BlnDSG) stipulates the conditions under which Berlin government offices are permitted to process personal data.

TU Berlin Address Transfer Regulations

The University is authorized to transfer the private addresses of students and work addresses of other University members for specific purposes, such as preparing and holding events for teaching and researching or conducting scientific research projects. The Address Transfer Regulations (Adressweitergabeordnung - AWO) contain the rules for these procedures.