Karlsruhe Institute of Technology (KIT) will be granted moreautonomy and far more freedom of discretion. Today, the Baden-Württemberg state parliament adopted the KIT Further DevelopmentAct, as a result of which KIT will be principal of itscivil servants and employer of its employees in the future. Inaddition, KIT will have the right to make appointments in itsown responsibility. It will be granted considerable autonomy toadopt own statutes and become the owner of its movable properties.
"This is a consistent next step for the further development of KIT.Our thanks go to the state and federation for their committed andcourageous implementation of the basic elements agreed upon inthe KIT Further Development Act," emphasize KIT Presidents ProfessorEberhard Umbach and Professor Horst Hippler. "These newlarger scopes of action perfectly support KIT's way towards an internationallyvisible top institution in research, education, and innovation.They will also strengthen our position in the competition for the best experts worldwide."
"KIT is the first example of a real merger of a university and a researchinstitution in Germany. We want to continue this successstory by the KIT Further Development Act adopted today," says theBaden-Württemberg Minister of Science, Research, and the Arts,Theresia Bauer.
KIT Further Development Act was adopted by Baden-Württemberg Parliament today.
(Photo Credit: Photo: KIT, Jana Mayer)
The state's supervisory control of the university sector will be abolishedlargely. KIT will continue to be a public corporation, but ceasesto be a state institution. The funds from the state and federal budgetswill be allocated to KIT and can be disposed of autonomously byKIT to fulfill its missions. At the same time, KIT will become theowner of its assets to a large extent. Apart from the special largescaleresearch fund, the movable properties of the university sectorwill be transferred to KIT. For a test phase of five years, KIT will beallowed to execute construction projects on its Campus for Mobilityand Innovation in its own responsibility.
With the entry into force of the Further Development Act, KIT willbecome the principal of its civil servants and employer of its employees.Transfer of the staff from the state to KIT is envisaged totake place on January 01, 2013. Rights of staff already employedwill be preserved fully. Moreover, KIT will be free to set up and adoptstatutes relating to equal opportunities and gender equality.
Participation of Employees and StudentsIn the future, the Staff Council will participate in the appointment ofsupervisory board members and have the right to propose a candidateto the finding commission. The Staff Council will be representedin the senate by one member having voting power.
The new KIT Act will also strengthen the influence of students in theelection of the Vice President for Teaching. The majority of the representativesof the students in the KIT Senate will have to confirmthe election of this vice president. Three students are members ofthe senate.
A convention of academic and scientific employees will be establishedto discuss matters and aspects relating to KIT and make recommendationsto the KIT bodies.