Office for Education and Politics

About us

One of the main responsibilities of the Office of Education and Policy ("Bipol") is student legal advising. We are available to you in our journal services in person, via digital conferencing tool and by phone or can be reached by email. For example, if you think you have not been treated correctly in an exam or course, or you are waiting too long for an evaluation (these are two of the most common concerns students come to us with), you can contact us. We will then inform you of your legal options. In more complicated cases, we will contact the respective university offices directly in order to solve your problem.

In addition, we are also the ÖH's internal contact point for matters concerning study law. We are in contact with student representatives and faculty and center representatives in order to support them in individual matters or to explain study law to them through workshops.

Committee work and representation of interests

In addition to our function as a mediating and advisory body, another central area of work is the representation of students' interests in various committees of the university. Since the introduction of the University Act in 2002, however, student co-determination has been reduced, which is why it is especially important for us to actively participate in the remaining co-determination bodies and to make the best possible use of the available leeway. We attach great importance to the cooperation with the respective student representatives in order to be able to support their points of view also towards the senate and the rectorate. In addition, we do not shy away from 'informal' ways (i.e. outside the committees) to make the framework conditions for students more bearable. For example, regular talks with the Vice Rectorate for Students and Teaching and with the Studienpräses of the University of Vienna are part of our regular tasks.

The official bodies in which we and our colleagues advocate for the concerns of students - or are in regular contact with the students there - are the following:

• Senate of the University of Vienna
• Curriculum Commission of the University of Vienna
• Appeals Commission of the University of Vienna
• Working Group on the Statutes of the University of Vienna
• Working Group on the Curriculum Development of the New Teacher Training Programs at the University of Vienna

Educational policy issues

The Education Policy Unit also takes a position on new draft legislation in the field of education policy. Even if there is a strong suspicion that the National Council is primarily perceived as a producer of waste paper, we still try to discuss educational policy seriously instead of just affirmatively following stupid arguments of necessity.

We, the Bipol, are:

• Anabel Maria Bautz
• Isabella Schraml
• Magdalena Taxenbacher
• Patrick Kretschmer
• Alexandra Nagel
• Alma Kirnbauer

Current consulting hours

During the semester break we are available at the following times:

On Monday 11:00 - 15:00 you can reach us for telephone consultation at the following number: +43 (0)1 4277-19560.

During the Easter vacations, we do not offer counseling via Zoom/telephone or in person. From Monday 8.4.24 the regular consultation hours will be in effect again.

Additionally we have our weekly counselling on Wednesday 16:00 - 18:00 live in our office, or via telephone +43 (0)14277-19540 or via Zoom: https://univienna.zoom.us/j/67471070946?pwd=dDRWTGpvUVV0aFp3eW5kVzNvUDBtZz09(Code: 987111).

Committee work

Curriculum Commission of the University of Vienna

The sub-commission of the Senate decides on all new curricula to be introduced at the University of Vienna. These are Bachelor, Master and PhD studies as well as university courses and extension curricula. The approval of changes in already existing curricula is also within the scope of the Curriculum Commission. The decisions of the Curriculum Commission must be approved by the Senate and are then published in the University of Vienna's bulletins.

The composition of the commission is a 4:2:2 split. This means that four professors, two mid-level faculty members and two students make up the commission.

Senate of the University of Vienna

The Senate is the highest governing body of the university, along with the Rectorate and the University Council. It has the most important decision-making powers for study and examination matters. At the University of Vienna, it consists of 18 members (4 students, 4 representatives of the Mittelbau, 9 professors and one member of the general university staff).

The Senate has the following central tasks:

• Issuing the curricula for regular studies and courses of study
• Decisions in second instance in study matters
• Approval of the draft development plan prepared by the rectorate within two months; if the senate does not give its approval within the time limit, the development plan shall nevertheless be forwarded to the university council
• Approval of the draft organizational plan adopted by the rectorate within two months; if the senate does not approve it within the time limit, the organizational plan shall nevertheless be forwarded to the university council
• Participation in habilitation procedures
• Participation in appointment procedures
• Enactment and amendment of the statutes

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