Tasks and Legal Foundations
As Student representation, we are part of Universität Würzburg with legally defined tasks. Here you will find all the rules according to which we work and shape our social coexistence: laws, university regulations and our own standing orders.
The Bavarian Higher Education Innovation Act (BayHIG) states in Art. 27 para. 2 five tasks of Student representation, which we fulfil with voluntary commitment. Click on a task, then you will see how we implement it at the Universität Würzburg.
We represent your interests to the university, the student services organisation, the city and politicians. If you hit a snag in your studies – with exams, money or your employment contract as Student Staff – we'll tell you which office can help, and we'll accompany you if you'd like, as far as we can. In addition, we run campaigns on accommodation, mobility and study conditions.
This is how we implement it: Advice · Student Staff Department · Mobility Department · Student Health Department · Artificial Intelligence in Studies and Teaching Department · Ecology and Sustainability Department.
Our representatives sit on the Senate, on the University Council, on the Extended University Board, on the Faculty Councils and on the commissions of the university. What comes up there and affects multiple faculties, we bring together in the Student Parliament and Student Faculty Council. An example is teacher training: it is studied across faculty boundaries.
This is how we implement it: Bodies · Representatives · Student Subject Initiatives.
Theatre, newspaper, podcast, reading stage and amateur radio are run by students here. In addition, there are major events throughout the year and political education work on campus.
This is how we implement it: Studi(o)bühne · Sprachrohr · Studipodcast 970.wav · Department of Literature · Amateur Radio DLØJMU · Department of Democracy and Anti-Fascism · Campuslichter · Unicup · Running Dinner · Mensa-Party · Student Fair.
The Würzburg International Network (WIN) brings together international and German students. Through the Bavarian State Student Council, the fzs and the European Students' Union, we are networked with other student representations in Bavaria, nationwide and in Europe. A person from Würzburg also sits on the Student Council of the European higher education alliance CHARM-EU.
This is how we implement it: Department WIN · Delegation in BayStuRa · fzs and ESU · CHARM-EU Student Council.
We are committed to ensuring that everyone can study equally well – regardless of gender, origin, disability, chronic illness or financial situation. For gender equality, the Student Parliament elects its own officers.
This is how we implement it: Officer for Gender Equality · Department of Awareness · Department of Queer:feminism.
The Departments Barrier-Free Access and PoC Community are currently inactive. Their pages continue to collect contact points, and anyone who wants to take one on should contact the Speaker Council / Student Government (SSR).
The BayHIG stipulates that there must be at least one decision-making body and one executive body as well as Faculty Student Representation at faculty level. The specific details are regulated in our university's constitution in sections 30 to 35.
A Faculty Student Representation for each faculty, elected by all students of that faculty. It consists of seven members; for every commenced additional 1,000 students in the faculty above 2,000 students, one more person is added. The Faculty Student Representative is whoever received the most votes in the election to the Faculty Council; the second-placed person represents them.
The student members of the Faculty Councils together form the Student Faculty Council (FSR), two per faculty — with ten faculties, that makes 20 people. In the Medical Faculty and the Faculty of Human Sciences, four students sit on the Faculty Council; of them, the two with the most votes join the FSR. Anyone elected may waive their seat, in which case the next person from their own Faculty Student Representation moves up.
Our decision-making body with 42 voting members: the two student senate members, the 20 members of the Student Faculty Council and 20 directly elected members of student political lists. The members of the Speaker Council / Student Government (SSR) attend the meetings but do not vote.
Our executive body with nine members: the two student Senate members and seven persons elected by the StuPa. The SSR conducts ongoing business independently and is bound by the resolutions of the StuPa insofar as they contain work assignments; the Senate members are exempt from this in their Senate work. At the end of the term of office, the SSR reports to the StuPa.
The members of the SSR as well as the chairs and deputy chairs of the StuPa and Student Faculty Council receive a monthly allowance. The Student Parliament may reduce or eliminate it by a two-thirds majority.
In addition, there are three structures that the Student Parliament has created itself through its standing orders:
A Department establishes the Student Parliament with a two-thirds majority and thereby defines its tasks; it is dissolved in the same manner. The term of office for Department heads begins in the summer semester and lasts one year. The heads are advertised in the first week of November and elected at the first meeting of the new calendar year. If no one is found, the Speaker Council / Student Government (SSR) takes on the task.
Each Department has a member of the SSR as a mentor, who attends at least one Department meeting per semester. Once a year, the Department heads submit a written accountability report to the Student Parliament.
The StuPa elects once a year who represents our interests at state level. The State Student Council is regulated in Art. 28 BayHIG.
Two FINTA* people, elected by the StuPa at its constituent meeting, plus any number of deputies, at least half of whom must be FINTA* people. They work for equal opportunities for all genders and represent students at the university's women's conference.
You should know these rules; they apply to all our bodies:
As a member of the University of Würzburg you may attend any meeting of an FSV, the FSR, the StuPa and the SSR. The only exceptions are elections, personnel matters and, on request in individual cases, single agenda items.
Elected student representatives in university bodies are not bound by resolutions or directives from StuPa and SSR. They decide according to their own conviction. The Speaker Council / Student Government (SSR) itself, however, is bound by work assignments from StuPa.
All members of student bodies are elected for one year, with the term of office running from 1 October to 30 September. Only students enrolled at our university may be elected.
The Chair of the StuPa invites all students once per semester to a public information event. There, the Speaker Council / Student Government (SSR) reports on its work, and you can ask questions.
In Bavaria there is no constituted student body, as exists in all other federal states. We are part of Universität Würzburg and therefore not an independent legal entity. This gives rise to three framework conditions that often cause confusion:
There is no student body fee; the semester fee we all pay consists of the semester ticket and the contribution to the student services organisation. The Free State of Bavaria provides funds for student representation through the university. Within our remit we decide what they are spent on and submit a budget every year. The university administration checks the payments and authorises them.
That is why stuv e. V. was founded. The support association is a separate legal entity and takes on everything that requires legal capacity. The association and Student representation are legally distinct, but work closely together.
Within the legal framework, we decide for ourselves what we do and what positions we represent. However, in the case of unlawful measures, the university management can intervene and also withdraw funding.
In addition to decisions made in our bodies, all students can vote directly. A student referendum takes place together with the university elections. The question must be answerable with yes or no and must fall within the remit of student representation. Votes cannot be held on the university budget or against applicable law.
How it comes about
From the student body: At least five per cent of students sign a proposal with the question and justification and name at least three people to represent them. The proposal must be submitted to the Electoral Office whilst proposals for the next university election can still be submitted.
From Parliament: The Student Parliament requests it with a majority of at least two thirds of its voting members.
The Electoral Committee decides on formal admissibility, the University Management on substantive admissibility. Once admissibility is established, student representation may not pass any resolution that contradicts the proposal until the vote takes place.
How the decision is made
The question is decided as the majority of valid votes answers it – but only if this majority constitutes at least ten per cent of all voting students. In the event of a tie, the question is deemed answered with no. The result has the effect of a Student Parliament resolution and can only be changed after one year, unless the factual or legal situation changes substantially.
The Electoral Office of the University publishes the results Electoral Office of the University. The procedure in detail is set out in § 35 of the Basic Regulations.
In practice
In 2026, two student referendums on extending the scope of the semester ticket appeared on the ballot. More information on this can be found on the page University elections.
Laws of the Free State of Bavaria
Bavarian Higher Education Innovation Act (BayHIG), version of 5 August 2022, text valid from 16 May 2026
- Art. 19 – Members of the university. Regulates group membership; student staff belong to the group of students.
- Art. 27 – Participation of students, student representation. Tasks, bodies, legal supervision, financing.
- Art. 28 – State Student Council. Our state-wide representation.
Regulations of Uni Würzburg
Basic Regulations of Julius-Maximilians-Universität Würzburg of 29 December 2022, last amended on 24 March 2026
Seventh Part, §§ 30 to 35: Student bodies, Student Parliament, Student Faculty Council, Speaker Council / Student Government (SSR), Faculty Student Representation, student referendum. Also §§ 54 to 56 on the election of chairs and the SSR as well as § 41 on cumulative voting in university elections.
Regulations for conducting elections at Uni Würzburg (Election Regulations)
Regulates university elections: voting eligibility, nomination proposals, deadlines, counting, election disputes. Anyone who wants to stand for election will find the binding rules here. University elections take place annually, usually in the summer semester; the term of office begins on 1 October.
- Election Regulations as PDF
- University elections at the university Electoral Office
- See also our page on the University elections
Own regulations of student representation
We set these regulations ourselves. The Basic Regulations explicitly allow our bodies to regulate their procedures in standing orders.
- Standing Orders of the Student Parliament, version of 27 November 2018, last amended on 23 November 2023 · PDF
- Standing Orders of the Student Faculty Council, version of 10 January 2019 · PDF
- Portfolio allocation of the Speaker Council / Student Government (SSR), decided by StuPa pursuant to § 33 para. 3 of the Basic Regulations, version of 5 October 2021 · PDF. Since 2 October 2025 the department Political Management is called Events · Resolution in the resolution collection
- Regulations of stuv e. V., version of 17 July 2025 · PDF
For the Speaker Council / Student Government (SSR) there is currently no separate standing order, and there is no finance or fund allocation regulation. The use of funds is decided by StuPa and SSR within the framework of the budget plan.
Our standing orders are currently being revised and are to be consolidated into a joint regulation of student representation. Until then, the versions linked here apply. This is planned to be completed by the end of the year. (As of: September 2026)
Changes to these regulations are decided by the respective bodies themselves, with an absolute majority of their members and two-thirds of the votes cast. All students can submit proposals for this; how to do so is explained on the Student Parliament page.
Invitations, proposals and minutes
Our standing orders specify what you can view before and after each StuPa and FSR meeting: the invitation with agenda at least one week in advance, all proposals received after the deadline for proposals has passed, and the minutes once they have been approved at the following meeting. You will find the documents of the current term of office under Minutes and documents. We archive older documents; if you are looking for something specific, send an email to our Secretariat.
Regulations for Download
- Standing Orders of the Student Parliament — Version of 27 November 2018, last amended on 23 November 2023.
- Standing Orders of the Student Faculty Council — Version of 10 January 2019.
- Portfolio Allocation of the Speaker Council — Adopted by the Student Parliament on 5 October 2021.
- Constitution of stuv e. V. — Version of 17 July 2025.
Questions? 💬
If you want to know whether something is permissible, how to submit a proposal or where a particular regulation is located: write to the current chairs of the relevant body or to our secretariat. We are not legal advisors, but we know our own rules and are happy to help with clarification.