Legal Foundations

The Senate is one of the foundation university's four most important bodies. Its current members can be found under Members of the Senate.

Senate members are elected in free, equal, secret, and direct elections based on the applicable election regulations.

The Extended Senate, which includes both the main members and their deputies, plays a particularly important role: It is responsible for electing and dismissing the president and vice presidents of Goethe University.

The Senate's fundamental responsibilities are:

• The Senate provides guidance on matters of research, teaching, and studies that affect the entire university or are of fundamental importance. It supervises the management of the Executive Board (§ 42 (1) HessHG).
• The Senate is primarily responsible for
• Approving the basic statutes in agreement with the Executive Board and the election regulations (§ 42 (2) No. 1 HessHG)
• Deciding on priorities in teaching and research in agreement with the Executive Board (§ 42 (2) No. 3 HessHG)
• Issuing statements on the budget plan in accordance with § 48 (3) and the target agreements in accordance with § 9 (2) (§ 42 (2) No. 8 HessHG).
• Approving the university's economic plan, including investment planning, and fundamental decisions on personnel planning (§ 3 Basic Statutes of the Johann Wolfgang Goethe University Frankfurt am Main Foundation under Public Law (GO)).
• Participating in the appointment of the university's Chief Administrative and Financial Officer (§ 47 (2) HessHG).
• Approving detailed regulations for interdisciplinary departments, organizational units, and facilities (§ 53 HessHG in conjunction with § 10 GO).
• Having a representative of the Senate attend the University Council meetings in an advisory capacity (§ 93 (1) sentence 9 HessHG).
• Approving statutes that govern interdisciplinary facilities (§ 10 GO).
• Collaborating with the Executive Board to establish the organization of the joint facility for teacher education (§ 11 GO).
• Additional responsibilities can be found in § 42 (2) HessHG and in §§ 3, 8 GO.

The Senate holds the following rights:

• The right to propose five members of the University Council, which has a total of eleven members (Section 93 (1) HessHG in conjunction with Section 4 GO).
• The Senate may adopt other statutes, provided it holds the competence to do so (Section 36 (3) HessHG).
• The Senate may establish principles for the criteria used to grant performance-based pay to professors in salary group W for exceptional achievements in research, teaching, art, continuing education, and advancement of junior scholars, as well as for evaluating these achievements (§ 42 (4) HessHG).
• The right to propose candidates for the positions of women’s and equal opportunities officers (§ 6 (3) HessHG).

Key responsibilities of others toward the Senate:

• Section 42 (2) No. 15 HessHG: The Executive Board is accountable to the Senate.
• Section 21 (4) HessHG: The Animal Welfare Officer is required to report and submit information regarding the use of animals.
• According to § 38 (1) HessHG, members of the university who belong to the Staff Council cannot be members of the Faculty Council or the Senate.

The Senate typically convenes once a month. The President invites participants to the meetings, providing the agenda. Meetings are open to the university community. The meeting procedures and resolutions are outlined in detail in the bylaws of the committees.

The state legislature envisions cross-committee cooperation and interconnection, including rights for approval, consultation, and opinions. Key provisions include: 

• Section 43 (1) HessHG: The Executive Board leads the university, advancing its timely internal and external development with the participation of the University Council, other governing bodies, faculties, members, and affiliates. 
• Section 42 (2) No. 1 and No. 3 HessHG: The Senate adopts the bylaws in agreement with the Executive Board and decides on priorities in teaching and research in agreement with the Executive Board.
• § 93 (2) HessHG, § 5 GO: The University Council participates in the appointment Executive Board members. For the election of the president, it forms a joint search committee with the Senate, composed equally of representatives from both bodies.
• § 93 (1) sentence 9 HessHG: A representative of the Senate attends University Council meetings in an advisory capacity.
• Section 16 (1) Bylaws for the Committees of Johann Wolfgang Goethe University Frankfurt am Main: The Senate may establish committees to prepare Senate decisions. These committees advise the Senate on their assigned matters and fulfill the Senate’s right to information in this capacity.

Additionally, informal collaboration takes place, for example, through various exchange platforms:

• Deans' Committee: Deans and the Executive Board exchange information, provide joint advice, and discuss shared matters, particularly in the areas of budget, staff, organization, and administration.
• Deans of Research Committee - Deans of Studies’ Committee - Preliminary Senate meeting with list representatives.
• AStA Monthly Meeting: Monthly dialogue between the Executive Board and AStA. 
• Student Council Executive Board Roundtable: Exchange on current student matters between student council representatives and the Executive Board.