Die Hochschulverfassung nach dem nordrhein-westfälischen Hochschulfreiheitsgesetz unter besonderer Berücksichtigung des Vizepräsidenten für den Bereich der Wirtschafts- und Personalverwaltung

1. The university laws of independence (HFG = Hochschulfreiheitsgesetz) which came into power on January 1st, 2007 have introduced a new form of constitution to the legally independent universities. The new constitution is no longer the old form with a rector as chief executive but consists of a constitution with an elected president. The governing bodies of the universities now consist of a presiding committee, the president, the university council and the senate.The presiding committee is the central executive body of the university. To this belong not only the president and the vice-presidents concerned with economic and personnel administration but also, in provision with the constitution , further full- or part-time vice-presidents. Individual members of the committee can be assigned permanent executive areas in which they independently carry out the business of the current administration (departmental principle).The president is the chairman of the committee, he appoints the academic personnel and is their official superior. As well as this, he represents the university in public. The constitution grants him both the right of veto and instructional competence.The university council which consists partly of external members meets at least four times a year and selects the members of the presiding committee. Furthermore, the council has an advisory and supervisory function. Of importance to the university is the fact that business of importance can only take place with the councils consent.The senate remains a body of the university. How it is composed is up to the individual universities. It is conceived as a legislative body with standardized jurisdiction. Its central task is the promulgation of fundamental order.2. The HGF has not only fundamentally changed university constitution but has also abolished the post of chancellor. The vice-president functions in his place. The vice-president is a full-time member of the committee, deputy of the president, head of the university administration , chief supervisor of the non-academic personnel and responsible for the managing of budgetary means.As head of university administration the viced-president is basically responsible for the fulfilling of all administrative affairs. The entrepreneurial work on the university does not count as one of these. Restrictions could be put in place if the departmental principle is introduced. The preservation of the unity of university administration could, under the leadership of the vice-president, give rise to demarcation difficulties. The committee can make decisions instead of the vice-president in administrative af- fairs of fundamental importance.In observance of his responsibility for the managing of the budgetary means the VWP is not bound by the guidelines set by the president. Moreover, he can contradict and postpone decisions made by the committee. If, after that, no settlement is reached, then the university board must reach a decision. These solutions to internal conflicts within the university are, on the one hand, expressions of university autonomy but on the other hand when compared to the previous legal situation which granted the ministry jurisdiction, can bring a loss of efficiency.