How the Senate fulfills its legal role in the reappointment procedure for the rector.
The reappointment of a rector is one of the most sensitive and, at the same time, most consequential decisions in university self-administration. The Senate fulfills its central role in this context with great care, transparency, and a special sense of responsibility in accordance with the University Act (UG).
Legal responsibilities and decision-making powers of the Senate
If an incumbent rector seeks another term of office after the first term, the UG provides for a simplified reappointment procedure. This procedure is clearly regulated by law: the application for reappointment is first voted on in the Senate and then in the University Council. A simple majority is required in both bodies for a first reappointment.
Why is the decision required now
Due to the deadlines specified in the UG and in the election regulations of TU Wien, the decision on a reappointment application must be made well before the start of the next term of office. The vote in the Senate is therefore expected to take place at the 142nd meeting on March 16. This decision will determine who will take over the operational management of TU Wien for the 2027 to 2031 term of office.
A structured exchange process prior to the vote
The members of the Senate are aware that the early timing of the decision and the simplified procedure may raise questions, spark discussion, and even provoke criticism among the university community. For this very reason, great importance was attached to making the decision-making process transparent and enabling a broad internal opinion-forming process.
Against this background, a structured exchange process was initiated between Senate Chair Bernhard Hofko and Rector Jens Schneider. The aim is to provide Senate members with a well-founded, comprehensible and diverse basis for decision-making. A meeting between the spokespersons of all groups represented in the Senate, the Senate Chair team and the Rector is planned for the end of February.
Role of the groups represented in the Senate in internal opinion-forming
In the run-up to this debate, the spokespersons for the groups represented in the Senate are collecting feedback, questions, expectations and critical assessments from their respective groups. These contributions are currently being compiled together with the Senate Chair team and forwarded to the Rector. The results of the discussion will then be fed back to the groups and will serve as an essential basis for all Senate members to make their individual decisions in the run-up to the vote.
Transparency and responsibility as guiding principles of the process
With this approach, the Senate combines compliance with legal requirements with a high degree of internal transparency, dialogue, and collective responsibility. The aim is to do justice to the significance of the decision and at the same time create space for different perspectives within the university.
