Representative Bodies and Representative Body Associations
The Four Representative Bodies at UZH
Members of the four representative bodies can play an active role in shaping the University of Zurich.
Representative Body of Students
Students include students enrolled at UZH on the following degree programs
- Bachelor’s programs
- Master’s programs
- Teaching Diploma for Upper Secondary Education
University of Zurich Student Association (VSUZH)
Representative Body of Junior Researchers
Junior researchers include
- Enrolled PhD candidates at UZH (whether employed by the university or not)
- Researchers in junior academic positions (student assistants, teaching and research assistants, senior teaching and research assistants, post-docs)
Association of Academic Mid-Level Faculty Staff of UZH (VAUZ)
Representative Body of Senior Researchers and Teaching Staff
Senior researchers and teaching staff include
- Academic associates
- Attending physicians
- Teaching staff with a private-law employment contract
- Teaching staff who are remunerated according to a posting agreement
Association of Senior Researchers and Teaching Staff (VFFL)
Representative Body of Administrative and Technical Staff (ATP).
- Includes people who are employed at UZH and who are generally not involved in research and teaching.
Association of the Administrative and Technical Staff at UZH
University Organs with Delegates from the Representative Bodies
Election of Delegates
Members of the representative bodies have the right to take part in decision-making at UZH. To this end they may appoint delegates to university and faculty committees and commissions and to departmental committees (§ 19 Abs. 1 University Act, § 26 University Statutes).
The right to co-determination is associated with membership of the representative bodies and is independent of any voluntary membership of a representative body association.
Delegates (with the exception of those representing the students) are elected in accordance with the “Regulation on the Election of Delegates of the Bodies Represented in the Extended Executive Board of the University to Serve on Governing Bodies of the University” (Electoral Regulations) (§ 26 para. 5 University Statutes). The elections of the student representatives are regulated by the VSUZH. The electoral regulations have been approved by the Extended Executive Board of the University (§ 23 para. 4 University Statutes).
The elections are organized by the representative body associations; the General Secretariat is responsible for overseeing them.
Allocation to a Representative Body
University Act § 19 para. 2 stipulates that the co-determination rights may only be exercised via a single representative body. Persons who could potentially be members of more than one representative body due to concurrent employment or other reasons will be automatically allocated to one representative body. Allocation to a representative body is based on the following principles:
- Students (Bachelor’s, Master’s, Teaching Diploma for Upper Secondary Education) are members of the Students Representative Body, even if they are employed at the UZH.
- Junior Researcher membership takes precedence over Senior Researcher and Teaching Staff and ATP membership.
- Senior Researcher and Teaching Staff membership takes precedence over ATP membership.
A change of membership may be requested in cases with well-founded grounds.