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