§ 14. (1) With a view to continuous monitoring and optimising the organisation of the degree programmes or of the areas attended to by the director of studies, a studies conference is established as an advisory body, which consists of students and teaching staff in equal parts.
(2) The studies conference has the following responsibilities: 1. giving recommendations and opinion regarding the demand-oriented planning of the courses offered; 2. giving recommendations and opinion regarding the implementation and quality assurance of courses offered; 3. giving recommendations and opinion regarding the proposal by the director of studies for the range of courses offered; 4. consultancy regarding matters of organisation of studies; 5. making suggestions addressed to the director of studies with a view to improving the study conditions.
(3) The studies conference consists of 8, 12, 16 or 20 members. Its size is specified by the director of studies.
(4) The student representatives are unanimously appointed by the respective students' representatives pursuant to the stipulations of the union of students act (Hochschülerinnen- und Hochschülerschaftsgesetz, HSG 1998). The representatives of the academic university staff in the respective faculty conferences (section 12, para. 1) appoint the teaching staff's representatives; hereby, a representation oriented towards the actual teaching performance of the different groups of persons has to be taken into consideration. Unless otherwise agreed between the representatives of the university professors on the one hand and the representatives of the associate professors and of the other academic university staff working in research or teaching on the other hand, the appointment is made separately and in equal parts.
(5) The studies conference's term of office is two years.
(6) The director of studies as well as the deputies are members of the studies conference as permanent persons providing information without exercising the right to vote.
(7) The director of studies or, if he or she is unable to attend, his or her deputy chairs the studies conference.
(8) The member of the faculty's or centre's management team in charge of teaching affairs is entitled to attend the meetings of the studies conference, but does not have a right to vote.
(9) If the director of studies' decision differs from the studies conference's opinion, he or she notifies the studies conference of this fact and, upon request, provides reasons for deviating from the studies conference's opinion.