Announcement of vacancies in the AStA

The student parliament at Darmstadt University of Applied Sciences is looking for speakers or working group leaders for the General Student Committee (AStA).

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General information

The AStA of the Darmstadt University of Applied Sciences represents the student body of the h_da as a corporation under public law. The tasks of the student body are defined in accordance with Section 84 of the Hessian University Act. In particular, it is our task to take care of the university policy, economic and social interests of the students and to provide them with political education.

To deal with these areas of responsibility, the AStA has departments and working groups working on various topics. The departments and working groups are opened by the student parliament and given core tasks; the heads are elected by the student parliament. The topics are reorganized every year and arise from the political orientation.

We see ourselves as feminist, anti-racist and consistently oppose any form of discrimination.

In order to increase the proportion of women and diverse people in the AStA, we expressly encourage these groups of people to apply.

Information about an application and the further process

All students at Darmstadt University of Applied Sciences who are interested in volunteering are welcome to apply.

You can apply for a maximum of two open positions simultaneously with two separate applications. However, you cannot be active in multiple departments/working groups at the same time, so you will have to choose one.

The application must include:

On page 1:

  • Personal information such as name and contact details (student email address, telephone number)
  • Please also include your enrollment certificate for the current semester

On page 2:

  • A letter of motivation (max. 1 A4 page) for the department/working group you are interested in, preferably without personal data. We are particularly interested in your previous experience in committees or volunteer work, your ideas about the work in the department/working group, and any projects and goals you may have.

The application must not include:

  • CV, photo, certificates, or similar documents

Please send your application as a PDF to the Student Parliament (StuPa) Presidium (praesidium.stupa@asta.h-da.de) via your student email address!

The application deadline is April 29, 2026, at 11:59 p.m.!

Each department (with the exception of the Finance Department) can also be filled by two people.

The StuPa Presidium will review all applications received, removing those that do not meet the above criteria. Parliamentarians will only receive the letter of motivation and information explaining why some applications were not considered for the meeting. Applicants will be notified of any formal errors in their application and given the opportunity to correct them.

The Presidium will invite all applicants to the second StuPa meeting on May 5, 2026.

The term of office begins the following month if elected and accepted.

(The procedure is based on § 30 of the Student Parliament's Rules of Procedure.)

Basic requirements for working in a department/working group

In addition to the core tasks of a department or working group, there are some general requirements for working in the AStA (General Student Committee):

  • Active participation in student and academic committees relevant to the department's or working group's area of ​​responsibility
  • Regional and supra-regional networking within the department and active alliance building
  • Mandatory attendance at Student Parliament (StuPa) and AStA meetings and the writing of accountability reports
  • Offering two hours of in-person office hours per month
  • Promoting and organizing events, and disseminating information about relevant events
  • Contributing your own ideas and initiatives
  • Making accessible public information/committee materials available in German and English, and documenting projects
  • Collaborating and supporting events/projects of other departments

Furthermore, as the head of a department or working group, you can implement your own projects within the department/working group, contact the relevant university offices regarding problems, or collaborate with them on projects.

You don't have to implement your ideas alone – you can also develop ideas with people outside the AStA.

Volunteers receive an allowance, which is paid per department or working group. According to the student body's financial regulations, the allowance is currently €453 per month per department/working group. If a department/working group is staffed by two people, each person receives two-thirds of the allowance.

Each department (with the exception of the finance department) can also be staffed by two people.

 

University Democracy Department

Main Responsibilities:

  • Strengthening broad student participation and democratic involvement in the university as a whole
  • Developing a position on current university policy processes and events
  • Close collaboration and coordination with the Student Councils and University Policy Departments
  • Active and barrier-free promotion of elections
  • Organization of the Student General Assembly
  • Providing barrier-free information and events, especially for newcomers to committees

Finance Department

Core tasks:

  • Developing a budget for the student body of Darmstadt University of Applied Sciences
  • Providing transparent financial information to the student body, particularly regarding actual and planned expenditures
  • Close collaboration with other AStA departments, the finance officers of the student councils, and the audit committee
  • Supporting and advising potential applicants
  • Developing concepts for improved funding of student councils

Department of University Policy

Core tasks:

  • Representing student interests and public relations
  • Representing student interests in the academic bodies of h_da (Darmstadt University of Applied Sciences)
  • Networking with other student representatives and organizations representing pupils, trainees, and students, as well as other educational institutions/organizations
  • Organizing and conducting university policy actions
  • Close cooperation and coordination with the departments of University Democracy and Student Councils

Student Council Department

Core tasks:

  • Active collaboration with the student councils
  • Creation of a lending catalog for all student councils
  • Organization of an interdisciplinary orientation week for first-year students
  • Support for and initiation of interdisciplinary events
  • Coordination and promotion of the institutionalization of student council conferences (FSK)

Social Affairs Department

Core tasks:

  • Contact point, mediation, and support for students in all social matters (including studying with children, financing, and emergencies)
  • Developing ideas for improving studies for disadvantaged students
  • Organizing and conducting social and socio-political events
  • Actively representing the student body to the student services organization
  • Actively addressing the issue of student housing

Difference between Department and Working Group

What is the difference between a department in the AStA and a working group (AG)?

The departments usually meet weekly for the AStA meetings, at which each department can bring up, discuss and vote on topics. The speakers have an advisory vote in the StuPa. In general, one can say that the departments have more of a political dimension and task.

In the working groups, individual consultations usually take place or they serve to maintain the infrastructure of the AStA or to carry out the tasks of the AStA. Working groups can and may contribute to AStA meetings, but have no vote in votes. They are responsible to the AStA departments, work according to its instructions and report regularly to the Student Parliament and the AStA.

Other open positions in student self-government

In addition to filling positions in departments and working groups, there are other committees that need to be filled.

These currently include:

  • the student election committee for the university elections in the winter semester 2026/2027 (6 people)
  • the student audit committee for the 2026/2027 fiscal year (6 people)

For these positions, simply contact the Student Parliament (StuPa) presidium (praesidium.stupa@asta.h-da.de) shortly beforehand or attend a StuPa meeting and introduce yourself. No formal application is required, unlike for departments/working groups.