800th Meeting of the Academic Senate
The university’s most important governing body: On November 9, 2022, the Academic Senate of Freie Universität met for the 800th time
Nov 14, 2022
Meeting by candlelight: Horst W. Hartwich, Paul Schäfer, and Edwin Redslob took part in one of the first meetings of the Academic Senate (from left to right / 1948 to 1949).
Image Credit: Fritz Eschen / Saxon State Library
The Academic Senate of Freie Universität Berlin met for the first time three days before the university was officially founded on December 4, 1948. One topic on the agenda: complaints about a professor’s National Socialist past – as noted in the minutes of the meeting. In its second meeting, on December 15, 1948, the Academic Senate dealt with, among other things, printing a course catalog, establishing a main library, and a proposal for appointing a lecturer for physical education.
Meeting of the Academic Senate on January 16, 1974: Smoking was still allowed at that time. Stains from paint bags testify to a student protest.
Image Credit: Reinhard Friedrich
On November 9, 2022, the Academic Senate met for its 800th session. Generally, it meets ten times per year. Extraordinary sessions, which were called frequently during the 1970s, caused the total number of meetings to skyrocket. In 1972, 1973, and 1974 alone, the Academic Senate held 44 extraordinary sessions. The topics then as now: the budget, student education, and teacher training.
There always was and continues to be a need for discussion at meetings of the Academic Senate. After all, it is the most important body of the university and is in charge of its organization. The Academic Senate decides whether degree programs are to be newly established or cancelled. It issues statutes and sets out principles for the areas of teaching, studying, and examinations. It passes resolutions on university development and equipment plans or sets admission numbers for courses. The Academic Senate takes a position on Freie Universität’s budget, sets up organizational units, changes them, or abolishes them.
The Academic Senate is a democratically elected body. It can take on legislative, advisory, strategic, and controlling tasks.
The documented history of the Academic Senate reveals which topics it has dealt with: In 1961, for example, the “Student Working Group for Authentic Jazz Music at Freie Universität Berlin (SAAJ)” was approved. From 1967 to 1969, it was often necessary to deal with demonstrating and protesting students, for example, when it came to regulating damage to property.
This information can all be found in the University Archives of Freie Universität. Shelves containing 374 files extend over 2.9 meters. The files contain the invitations and minutes of the meetings of the Academic Senate from 1949 to 1969.
This article originally appeared in German on November 9, 2022, in campus.leben, the online magazine of Freie Universität Berlin.