Faculty
A faculty combines related sciences and disciplines into one teaching and administrative unit. This includes professors, scientific staff, students as well as technical and administrative staff. A dean manages the faculty and represents its interests both externally and internally. The entire structure is based on the provisions of the Faculty Regulations and the Regulations for Amending the Faculty Regulations.
The committee structure of the Faculty comprises the Dean's Office and the Faculty Council as well as numerous advisory committees (Extended Faculty Council, Expert Committees, Working Groups etc.).
Dean
The Dean is elected by the Faculty Council and acts as chairperson of the Faculty Council and all Faculty Committees. He/she represents the faculty within the university and externally and is responsible for the management of the faculty's operations. He or she is supported by several Vice-Deans and the staff of the Dean's Office.
Faculty Council
The Faculty Council is the central decision-making body of the Faculty for all questions that are not in the Dean's responsibility. It is in charge of passing resolutions on the Faculty Regulations as well as regulations concerning research and teaching. The work of the Faculty Council is based on § 28 of the Higher Education Act NRW, § 8 of the Basic Regulations of the University of Cologne, the Faculty Regulations and the Regulations for Amending the Faculty Regulations.
Deans and Vice Deans are always members but do not have the right to vote. The Dean acts as chairperson.
Elected members are:
Nine representatives of the group of university teachers
Two representatives of the group of scientific staff
Three representatives of the group of students
One representative of the group of technical and administrative employees
If the number of representatives of technical and administrative employees is increased to two (in accordance with §14 paragraph 1 third indent of the Basic Rules of the University of Cologne), the group of university teachers shall only consist of eight members. Permanent advisors may attend the meetings.
Except for the representatives of the students members are appointed in elections every two years, student's representatives are elected annually. Elections are held in the winter semester, and the elected candidates commence at the beginning of the following summer semester.