Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin - Student Governments Assembly

The Student Governments Assembly, in German Fachschaftsräte- und -initiativenversammlung (FRIV), comes together during term on a monthly base. The FRIV consists of representatives of the departmental student governments of the Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin. Topics at the assemblies are current university politics and issues related to the work of the departmental student governments, also various student groups can present their work. The FRIV works independent of other political groups at the university.

Legal basis: § 15 Statute of the Student Body of the Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin

Responsibilities of the FRIV
The FRIV is responsible for the representation of the departmental student bodies in the RefRat. The FRIV also elects the two members of the Board for Student Governments Coordination in the RefRat (after the election they have to be confirmed by the student parliament).

Administration of the FRIV
The Board for Student Governments Coordination, which is elected by the FRIV, is according to § 7 FRIV's Rules of Order responsible for the external representation of the FRIV, for the summoning, preparation and lead of the sessions, for the administration of the mailing list, address list and website, and also for regular reports about the RefRat, provided that they are relevant to departmental student governments. Further information are available on the website of the Board for Student Governments Coordination.

What is a "Fachschaft"?
Fachschaft is the German term for a departmental student body, i.e. all students matriculated in a department or faculty. A Fachschaft also can be formed in relation to one location or department-spanning. Most departmental student bodies formed a departmental student government, which represents the interests of the students. In Germany we differentiate between two kinds of a departmental student governments: Fachschaftrat and Fachschaftsinitiative.
 

• A Fachschaftsrat or departmental student council is either elected on a plenary assembly or chosen by a regular vote. Fachschaftsräte represent the interests of the departmental student bodies with a so called representative mandate.
• A Fachschaftsinitiative represents the interests of a departmental student body direct democratic in their own initiative. These open student governments don't represent only one project or factional interests.
  

 
All departmental student governments get a certain budget per year, which is administered by the RefRat. The money for the departmental student governments makes a third of the whole budget of the student parliament.