Studienpräses

Establishment, appointment, deputy

§ 1. (1) Pursuant to section 19, para. 2, sub-para. 2 of the 2002 Universities Act, an officer with the title Studienpräses is appointed to administrate matters concerning the enforcement of study law.

(2) As Studienpräses, the Rectorate appoints, after hearing the Senate, an academic who has expertise in study matters and the international higher education sector, is appropriately qualified in research and teaching and has appropriate knowledge of study law.

(3) The Rectorate appoints a suitable deputy on a proposal of the Studienpräses and after hearing the Senate.

(4) If the appointment pursuant to para. 2 or para. 3 is not made in good time, the Rectorate may provisionally appoint a suitable member of the academic university staff with his/her consent as a Studienpräses for a maximum period of six months. The provisional function terminates with the appointment of a Studienpräses pursuant to para. 2 or of a deputy pursuant to para. 3.

(5) After hearing the Senate, the Rectorate may adopt guidelines for the activities of the Studienpräses.

(6) The term of office of the Studienpräses and of the deputy are two years. Re-appointments are admissible.

Dismissal

§ 2. The Rectorate may dismiss the Studienpräses ex officio or at the request of the Senate for a serious breach of duty, for a criminal conviction, for mental incapacity or health impairment or for justified loss of trust.

Responsibilities of the Studienpräses

§ 3. The Studienpräses has the following responsibilities in particular:

1. award of academic degrees to graduates of individual studies, degree programmes and university continuing education and training programmes;

2. revocation of domestic academic degrees and nostrifications;

3. approval of taking examinations for a programme of study at a university other than the university to which a student has been admitted;

4. declaring examinations null and void if they were registered for under false pretences;

5. issuing of graduation certificates;

6. appointment of academically qualified examiners for admission examinations and supplementary examinations; determination of the mode of assessment and of whether the examination is to be heard by a single examiner or an examination committee;

7. formation of examination committees;

8. recognition of examinations of degree programme students at other recognised domestic or foreign post-secondary educational institutions, higher vocational schools, schools for the training of teachers and non-teaching supervisory staff, recognised domestic educational institutions for which an admission requirement is the general university entrance qualification, or university-level courses, provided that such examinations are equivalent to those specified in the curriculum;

9. recognition of academic activities at companies or non-university research institutions capable of providing academic pre-professional education as equivalent to examinations, provided this is permissible according to the curriculum;

10. determination of equivalence of parts of a programme of study or of examinations which are to be taken abroad (‘advance official notice’);

11. annulment of examinations resulting in a negative assessment if a serious irregularity has taken place in the conduct of the assessment,

12. safekeeping of the assessment documents not handed out to students for at least six months after announcement of the assessment result;

13. approval of restricting access to academic theses deposited at the University Library pursuant to section 86, para. 1 of the 2002 Universities Act for no longer than five years from the time of delivery;

14. recognition of foreign degrees as domestic ones (‘nostrification’).

Delegation of tasks

§ 4. (1) The Studienpräses may delegate his/her tasks with the exception of those specified in section 3, sub-paras. 2, 4 and 11 to the director of studies or the head of non-degree programmes. The director of studies or the head of the non-degree programme decides on behalf of the Studienpräses.

(2) The Studienpräses may revoke the mandate granted under para. 1 at any time.

Procedures related to study law

§ 5. (1) In procedures related to study law, the Studienpräses applies the 1991 General Administrative Procedure Act (Allgemeines Verwaltungsverfahrensgesetz 1991, AVG) (section 46, para. 1 of the 2002 Universities Act).

(2) Appeals against decisions of the Studienpräses to the Federal Administrative Court are admissible (article 130, para. 1 of the Federal Constitutional Law).

(3) In study-related matters, the official student representatives are also entitled to take legal action unless the students concerned expressively do not give their consent thereto (section 46, para. 3 of the 2002 Universities Act).

Provisions regarding entry into force

§ 6. (1) The “Studienpräses” part of the Statutes as amended by the University Gazette of 3 December 2014, 6th edition, no. 30 enters into force on 1 March 2015.

(2) With the entry into force of these regulations, the “Studienpräses” part of the Statutes, published on 21 June 2004 in the University Gazette of the University of Vienna, 36th edition, no. 234, amendment published on 28 November 2013 in the University Gazette of the University of Vienna, 7th edition, no. 38, ceases to be effective.

As of: 1 March 2015

The only legally binding version is the German version published in the University Gazette.