Darmstadt University of Applied Sciences is divided into twelve faculties and the central service and administration area. The faculties are made up of professors and academic and administrative-technical staff whose most important task is teaching in the degree programmes. They are supported by the administrative-technical staff in the central service and administration area. Here you will find, for example, contact persons for student counselling and social counselling, the organisation of a stay abroad, for questions about starting a career or the promotion of research and development at the h_da.
Due to the constitutionally guaranteed freedom of teaching and research, scientific universities such as the h_da are entitled to self-administration. The university members, which include all students, professors and all scientific and administrative-technical employees, participate in internal decision-making processes through a representative system.
The central university body for this is the Senate. As an elected assembly of delegates of professors, students and academic and administrative-technical staff, it participates in matters of research, teaching and study that affect the entire university or are of fundamental importance. It also elects the governing body of the University of Applied Sciences Darmstadt, the Presidential Board, whose management it supervises. The University Council, as an advisory body, accompanies the development of the university.
A similar structure is found in the faculties. Here, the faculty council discusses matters of fundamental importance. Its members include professors, students and academic and administrative staff. The faculty council also elects the dean's office, which manages the faculties.
Student participation takes place on the one hand through their elected representatives in the Senate and the Faculty Council. At the same time, students get involved in self-administration through the student representation bodies. The student parliament is the highest decision-making body of the student body. It decides, for example, on fundamental matters, the fees and their use in the budget. The AStA (General Students' Committee) acts as the executive representative of the student parliament. In the faculties, students organise themselves in the Fachschaftsvertretungen (student representatives).