Structures and Organization

What Is a Dean?

The term “dean” comes from the Latin word decanus and translates roughly as “leader of a group of ten” (or leader of a community). A dean is the senior academic leader of a faculty, college, or school within a university or higher education institution.

A dean serves as a central point of coordination within the institution, overseeing teaching, research, and personnel resources. They work closely with the rector (or university president), faculty councils, and other governing bodies. Deans also represent their faculty both internally and externally.

At the University of Applied Sciences Upper Austria (FH OÖ), there is not just one dean for the entire institution. Instead, each campus or faculty has its own representative leadership.

What Are the Responsibilities of a Dean?

• Teaching and Academic Programs: The dean is responsible for ensuring the quality of academic programs, overseeing examination and admission procedures, and supporting students in successfully completing their studies.
• Research and Resources: They promote research projects, manage budgets and infrastructure, and establish collaborations with other universities and external partners.
• Personnel and Organization: The dean handles personnel matters, organizes faculty operations, and coordinates important committees and decision-making processes.
• Strategy and Representation: They represent the faculty externally and help shape its strategic direction, for example in areas such as internationalization and diversity.
• Quality Assurance: Through evaluations and accreditation processes, the dean ensures the continuous improvement and quality of teaching and academic programs.

The current dean is appointed by the faculty council, which consists of various members of the faculty staff.

As a student, you generally have little direct contact with the dean. However, their decisions and work have a noticeable impact on everyday academic life.

Fun Fact: The title dean is not limited to universities. It also exists in religious contexts. Although both roles are leadership positions, their responsibilities and areas of focus differ significantly.

What does the Head of Studies do?

Head of Studies or Program directors ("Studiengangsleiter*innen") are responsible for designing and managing degree programs. They are usually professors who, in addition to teaching, take on important organizational responsibilities. Program directors are not necessarily the people who originally created or introduced a degree program.

They oversee the planning, development, and implementation of teaching and learning programs. Their responsibilities also include monitoring student well-being within the program, ensuring that learning content is effectively delivered, and addressing any issues that may arise between students and lecturers.

What Program Directors Are Not

Program directors should not be the first point of contact for every problem students encounter. Many students—especially those who have recently left secondary school—mistakenly view program directors as equivalent to homeroom or class teachers. However, unlike school teachers who are responsible for a single class, program directors are responsible for all cohorts within their degree program at the same time. As a result, they are not responsible for resolving every problem, disagreement, or concern among students.

That said, students should not hesitate to contact their program director regarding significant issues, whether personal matters or concerns related to the degree program itself.

If you have a problem and would prefer to approach another body first, you can contact the GDM-K.

What do Program Assistants Do?

For many students, the program assistant ("Studiengangsassistent*in") is the first person they interact with at the university. They inform applicants about interview schedules and admission decisions.

Program assistants play a key organizational and administrative role within the university. They act as the primary link between program directors, lecturers, and students. Their responsibilities include helping to create timetables, managing registrations, processing timetable changes, answering questions about academic procedures, and much more. 

For students, program assistants are often the first point of contact for questions or requests. This is why maintaining a positive relationship between assistants and students is so important.

What Are Year Representatives?

Year representatives ("Jahrgangssprecher*innen") are usually the first point of contact for students within their degree program. They are students who act as intermediaries between lecturers and fellow students. Each degree program and each cohort generally has its own representative. The selection process varies. In many cases, an informal agreement among students is enough.