Commissions and committees

The Working Group for Memory Culture was founded as a working group for all faculties in March 2019. It advises the Executive Board on questions regarding the history of the University and its responsibility for its actions in research, teaching and administration. Its members are appointed by the President and come from all of FAU’s faculties and schools.

The Work Safety Board of FAU advises on matters of occupational safety, workplace safety, accident prevention, and health protection. It promotes information exchange and coordination in occupational safety and thus contributes to a safe working environment at the University.

Since the Department of Islamic-Religious Studies (DIRS) was founded in October 2012, a specially established advisory board has accompanied the development of the Department from degree program design to the appointment of professorships. The committee includes representatives of Muslim associations in Bavaria, public figures from the Muslim community, and scholars of Islamic theology. Appointed by the Executive Board for three-year terms, they contribute their expertise and constructively support DIRS on its path in the academic landscape.

The Library Commission advises the Executive Board and the University Library on fundamental matters of university-wide significance from the perspective of research and teaching. It provides input on fundamental questions of library infrastructure and the digitalization of library processes and supports the further development of FAU’s Open Access Policy.

The CIO Committee develops the ICT strategy of FAU on behalf of the Executive Board, based on the University’s higher education policy objectives. The CIO Committee supports the Executive Board in all strategic decisions related to ICT matters.

The CIO/IO Committee supports the CIO Committee, which is responsible for the university-wide, strategic coordination of efficient, reliable, and secure information and communication technology (ICT) at FAU and develops the ICT strategy of FAU on behalf of the Executive Board. In addition, the task of the CIO/IO Committee is to formulate the requirements of the faculties and students for ICT development at FAU; in this context, the members of the CIO/IO Committee have the right to initiate resolutions of the CIO Committee.

At the Faculty of Medicine of FAU, a commission has been established to assess ethical and legal aspects of medical research involving human subjects. The commission bases its work on legal provisions, in particular the German Medicinal Products Act and the Medical Devices Implementation Act, the regulations and guidelines issued thereunder, professional regulations, and the fundamental principles of the revised Declaration of Helsinki of the World Medical Association.

The Commission for Equal Opportunities, chaired by the Vice President People responsible for equality issues, develops concepts and proposals for action for the Executive Board to advance and implement equal opportunity, diversity, and work-life balance measures at FAU, and provides a forum for exchanging information on the status of these measures at the faculties and other institutions.

The Ethics Committee for Security-Relevant Research provides recommendations on how to handle research conducted at FAU under the constitutionally protected freedom of research and scientific responsibility, particularly with regard to the dual-use potential of research findings. It supports FAU researchers by offering advice and assessing ethical and legal aspects of security-relevant research and also contributes to raising awareness of security-related aspects of research.

The Commission for Research and Early Career Researchers, chaired by the Vice President People, advises the Executive Board on matters relating to research and early career researchers and provides a forum for exchange on these topics between the faculties, central institutions and committees, and students. In addition, the commission nominates academic staff for promotion to A 15 / A 16 and develops guidelines and promotion criteria for this purpose. The commission also decides on the awarding of scholarships under the “Promotion of Equal Opportunities for Women in Research and Teaching” program of the Free State of Bavaria.

The Commission for Internationalization, chaired by the Vice President Research responsible for international aspects of research, advises the Executive Board on matters relating to the internationalization of FAU and provides a forum for exchange on these topics between the faculties, central institutions and committees, and students. The commission contributes to the development and implementation of FAU’s internationalization strategy and promotes cooperation concerning the internationalization efforts of the faculties and central institutions.

The Commission for Teaching and Studying (Uni-LuSt), chaired by the Vice President Education, advises the Executive Board on matters relating to teaching and studying and provides a forum for exchange on these topics between the faculties, central institutions and committees, and students. The Commission for Teaching and Studying reviews the proposals submitted by the faculties for the establishment, discontinuation, and significant modifications of degree programs prior to their submission to the Senate and develops cross-faculty guidelines for teaching and studying design. The tasks of the Commission for Teaching and Studying also include the development and monitoring of quality management in teaching and studying.

The Sustainability Committee, chaired by the FAU’s Sustainability Officer, advises the Executive Board, develops proposals for guidelines on handling the topic of sustainability, and supports the coordination of projects and initiatives. The Commission ensures that a sustainability culture is anchored in all areas of FAU.

The FAU Commission for Research Conflict Management supports employees in the academic and artistic fields in resolving workplace conflicts at an early stage and through low-threshold means. The body consists of conflict management officers from all faculties, who act confidentially, neutrally, and independently. Conflict management aims to reach an amicable, mutually agreed resolution without proceeding directly to labor or employment law procedures.

The FAU Commission for the Investigation of Scientific Misconduct (KUVWF) investigates suspected cases of research misconduct in a confidential, two-stage procedure including hearings of the parties concerned and, if necessary, involving external experts. It consists of three experienced researchers from different faculties and is appointed by the Senate. Based on its recommendations, the President decides on further action and possible sanctions.

The Accreditation Review Committee, chaired by the Vice President for Education, helps the Executive Board decide whether a degree program at FAU should keep its official seal of approval through an internal accreditation process. It evaluates the formal legal reviews conducted by the responsible body as well as the monitoring of the further development of degree programs carried out by the faculties and verifies comprehensibility and transparency. In addition, it advises the quality-generating bodies of FAU on structural questions of quality management (QM) and on the further development of the QM system.

The Central Committee for the Allocation of Tuition Fee Compensation advises the Executive Board on the use of tuition fee compensation available for central measures, which are provided by the Free State of Bavaria to improve study conditions. The committee is composed of an equal number of students and non-students.

The Academic Advisory Board of FAU University Press supports the further development of the university’s own publishing house and ensures the academic quality of the series “FAU Forschungen.” It consists of representatives from all faculties and the University Library and is appointed by the Executive Board for two-year terms. Submitted manuscripts are reviewed by the Advisory Board, which decides on their inclusion in the series.