Welcome to the homepage of the Students' union at KIT

The General Students' Committee (in German Allgemeiner Studierendenausschuss or AStA) is the executive board of the constituted student body at Karlsruhe Institute of Technology.

To keep our contents up to date, some information is only available in German. If you have any questions concerning our commitment, counselling or service, please feel free to contact us: info@asta-kit.de

elections

From 7th to 11th July 2014 the elections of the students‘ union at KIT took place. Once a year the students‘ parliament (Studierendenparlament or shorter StuPa) and the student council of the faculties (Fachschaftsvorstand) are to be elected. Every registered student is eligible to vote and may do so on almost any of the ballot boxes spread around the campus. At least one ballot box is open on lunch time in the canteen (Mensa) and several other ballot boxes are to be found in the AKK students‘ café, the faculty buildings and as mobile ballot boxes in front of some large lecture halls. For the students‘ parliament eclection every student has one vote for a party (Listenstimme) which determines how many seats are allocated to the party and five votes for candidates (Kandidierendenstimmen). Those votes for the candidates determine the order of the candidates within the party: the candidate with the most votes takes the first seat of the party, the candidate with the second most votes takes the second seat and so on until all seats are filled. The remaining candidates serve as follow-ups if a candidate with more votes ceases to be a member of the parliament. You can accumulate up to five votes on the same candidate and spread them among all parties as you like. You don‘t have to cast all your votes.

For the election of the student council of the faculty the number of votes you have depends on the faculty. You may give up to two votes to the same candidate. You don‘t have to cast all your votes.

The new students‘ parliament that you elect will in turn task and elect the General Students' Committee (AStA) which represents the interests of the students before the KIT, government and society. It supports student organisations and student councils of the faculties in their work. The General Students' Committee also provides services to all students such as advice, counselling, German language courses, van-rental, a repair shop, a photographic laboratory and many more.

counseling

The General Student's Committe (AStA) offers the following counseling services free of charge. All questions discussed in the counseling are treated as confidential and will not be shared with any other people, especially not with officials of KIT. We offer:

• legal advice (by an professional attorney)
• Social Counseling (especially for living expenses and any private matters)
• Counseling for forgein Students
• Counseling on Questions of Gender, Queer and matters of equal opportunity (especially for all matters of discrimination on and off campus, sexual harassment, being parent as student, studying while pregnant or studying with mental or physical disabilities)
• General Counseling for all matters of student life ( Just show up in the office or give us a call.) 

legal advice

An attorney of "Ehehalt & Kollegen" answers every wednesday every day legal questions especially around tenancy law and financial and liability issues. Please be aware, that for the complex matters of many legal questions the legal advice can only be offered in german language. If your german skills are not sufficient please bring somebody along for translation. 

Legal advice is offered every wednesday from 14:30 on. Please register for the legal advice until 14:00 the day before at our service desk in the canteen (Mensa) Adenauerring. The service desk is open every day in the lecture-term from 11:30 to 14:00. In the semester break we are open on Monday, Wednesday and Friday from 11:30 to 14:00.

social counseling

The social counseling helps you in all living situation. For students who can not afford their living expenses a smal financial support is possible, which consists of free meals in the canteen (Mensa).

The counseling is open three times a week, with changing times every semester. For the opening times of this semester please refer to: Sozialberatung. Registration is not necessary, you may just show up.

If you have any questions about the counseling offer or need an appointment besides the regular opening hours please contact: sozial@asta-kit.de.

Counseling for foreign Students

Please refer to the Außländerreferat. All information around our counseling for foreign students are provided there in german and english language. 

Queer Counseling

For any assistance in matters around LGBT please contact: queer@usta.de. Besides a weekly counseling appointsments are offered as needed. Please wrtie an e-mail to make an appointment or refer to http://www.asta-kit.de/service/beratung/queerberatung for the weekly opening hours, when you may show up without an appointment.

Advice on matters of equal opportunity 

Historically this counseling was primarily for women and women related gender issues. By now it is open for everybody in need around matters on discrimination on and off campus, sexual harassment, being parent as student, studying while pregnant or studying with mental or physical disabilities. Please contact chancengleichheit@usta.de to make an appointment or refer to http://www.asta-kit.de/usta/referate/gleichstellung for the weekly openung hours, when you may show up without an appointment. 

German language courses

As a preparoty courses for the students, inorder to get the chance to study at the university we are offering a German language courses starting from level B1.

The courses are taking a place 3 times a year.

Find further infrormation at the following link (German versoin):

http://www.asta-kit.de/service/deutschkurs

The authored student body

In June 2012, the parliament of Baden-Württemberg has decided to reintroduce the authored student body. Wrote The student body means that there is a legally established student representation. In January 2013, the ballot vote took place for the constitution of the authored student body. From the 10th-14th June were elected the Student Council Executive Board members and the student parliament (StuPa) for the first time in the VS. Since 10.29.2013 the first authored student council is in office.

The General Student Committee (AStA) is the executive of the student body. Its members are elected by the student parliament. They represent the students politically opinion in accordance with the StuPa decisions.

The AStA is composed of the Chair and different units (Finance Unit, Department of Culture, ...), each responsible for a particular subject area.