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Falk Matthes
The consul has the task of ensuring the flow of information between the university and the student body. To this end, he informs himself about current topics and contents at all meetings of the student body, the university (insofar as there is student participation) and the presidential service advisory board and passes on the information in an advisory capacity to these very bodies - in particular to newly elected student representatives - and the student body. In addition, he conveys inquiries to the student body to the responsible office and moderates discussions within the student body.
Furthermore, he chairs the meeting of all elected student representatives - the Gewähltenkonvent, which meets monthly, as well as several other meetings that meet less frequently; is responsible for the mailing lists of the stud. committee representatives; issues committee certificates; maintains the committee wiki and participates in the public relations department as well as in the IT department. The Consul position is equivalent to a 40-hour work week and is so extensive that it cannot be combined with a course of study. Therefore, during his term of office, the consul is granted a leave of absence from his studies and receives a salary, which is paid in equal parts by the university and the student body.
What is the effect of the student consul?
The results of this work are well-informed and networked - especially student - committee representatives, a student body that is informed about the work and positions of its representatives, and a university in which the group representatives are also aware of the needs of the other groups. Concrete, tangible results for the student body and the university are, however, very rare in an almost exclusively advisory role, since the consul does not have voting rights but ultimately depends on the majorities in the committees. The student consul has existed at Ilmenau University of Technology since 2008.
How do I become a consul?
Prerequisite for the activity as a consul is the student status at the Ilmenau University of Technology. The consul is proposed by the Elected Convention to the Student Council and elected by the Student Council. The student council is not bound to the vote of the elected council. The election usually takes place in January, so if you are interested it is best to contact the Student Council in December at the latest. The term of office is one year, a single re-election is possible.
What qualifications should a consul have?
You should have detailed knowledge of the committees of the university and the student body and already have sufficient committee experience. Furthermore, you should be good with people, since your job is exclusively advisory, organizational and managerial. It is also very helpful to be able to read and answer large amounts of e-mails quickly and to have sufficient information technology skills to be able to perform many tasks automatically. In addition, the ability to work in a team and independently is required.