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The university election takes place at TU Clausthal every January. All students entitled to vote can cast their votes online during the so-called election period.
The next university elections: January 2026
Every year, students elect their representatives to the Student Parliament (StuPa), the Student Council (AuRa) and the Student Representative Councils (FSR). The student members of the Senate and the Faculty Councils are also elected annually.
In this article, I have compiled a few general facts about the university elections at Clausthal University of Technology.
First things first - why should you vote?
As a registered student, you are automatically part of the student body - and therefore have the right to determine your own representation on university committees.
Student representatives are involved in important decision-making processes within the university in the StuPa, the student councils and the Senate. If you want your interests to be represented or you want something to change at Clausthal University of Technology, you have the opportunity to do so with your vote in the university elections.
Who can vote and what do they vote for?
All members of the student body, i.e. all enrolled students at Clausthal University of Technology, are entitled to vote. Student representatives in the StuPa, the FSRs and the AuRa as well as student members of the Senate and the faculty councils are elected annually in the university elections. You will usually find out which committees are being elected at the beginning of the winter semester by email. You will also receive an overview of the candidates and university groups standing for election by email and you can find this in the election announcement on the AStA website.
The StuPa (or SP) is the elected representation of the student body and represents its interests. The StuPa meets once a month during the lecture period and as required during the lecture-free period.
Tip: Even if you are not on the StuPa yourself, it is worth keeping up to date with current developments. You can receive the latest resolutions and information on current topics via the StuPa's email distribution list, for example. You can register for this by sending an email to the StuPa presidium: stupa@tu-clausthal.de
The FSRs are your student representatives. They represent the five student councils to the university and are your contacts for all subject-specific questions. There are five FSRs in total, each with seven members who are elected annually.
You can elect your representatives to the following student councils:
- Earth, Energy and Resource Sciences
- Physics, Materials Science and Chemistry
- Mechanical, Process and Chemical Engineering
- Mathematics and Computer Science
- Business and Economics
The AuRa is the representative body for international students at Clausthal University of Technology. The committee deals specifically with the interests of international students and solving problems that affect the international community at Clausthal University of Technology. Like the StuPa, the AuRa meets once a month and consists of seven members.
The student body is also represented in the Senate and the faculty councils. There are two seats available on each committee.
The Senate is one of the central bodies of Clausthal University of Technology. Among other things, its 13 members decide on the university's regulations and development plan.
The three faculty councils deal with matters of research and teaching in the respective faculty, elect the dean's office and decide, for example, on the examination regulations for the degree programs.
Online and postal voting: What do you need to consider?
The university election takes place online via an election portal. You will receive information about voting access from the Student Election Committee in the run-up to the election. You fill in your electronic ballot paper according to the instructions in the election portal.
The StuPa and AuRa elections are held as list elections. This means that you support a list (or university group) with your vote. Which candidates then join the committee is determined by their place on the list. The FSRs are filled in a majority election. Here you can distribute up to seven votes on the ballot paper according to the number of seats. But please note: Votes may not be accumulated for one or more persons.
Another option for voting is postal voting. This must be applied for some time before the university election. Pay attention to the deadlines that you will be notified of by email. Anyone who has applied for postal voting is excluded from electronic voting and must return the election documents to the election management by the end of the election period at the latest.
The Student Election Committee will then inform you of the results of the university election by email, on the AStA website or on the notice board in the AStA foyer.
Your commitment counts
The same applies to student university politics as to elections: nothing works without your participation!
If you would like to find out more about university politics and the election process, then take a look at the AStA. Here you will find an overview of all the committees of the student body and TU Clausthal in the section on university politics.
And if you feel like getting actively involved yourself, you can of course stand as a candidate in the next university elections. An honorary position in university politics offers you many opportunities to help shape your studies. From my own experience, I can also tell you that it's a lot of fun!
Do you have any questions, suggestions or a topic proposal? Then write me an e-mail: blog@tu-clausthal.de