The New Structure of the HCU

In its legally specified foundation phase, which ended on September 30, 2008, the HCU developed, in a close dialogue and co-ordination procedure with its University Council and the Hamburg Ministry for Science And Research (BWF), a new unique and innovative organisational structure (download "The Future Structure of the HCU"). For this purpose, new basic regulations (download "Basic Regulations of the HCU") were developed, as a result of intensive discussion in the HCU committees, which form the foundation for the structure and development planning of the HCU and came into force on October 1, 2008. On the one hand, the basic regulations implement the specifications of the Hamburg Higher Education Law, on the other hand, they form the basis for the subjects of HCU's interdisciplinary co-operation.

Two important aspects are to the fore in relation to the future organisational structure and academic orientation of the university:
A lean and transparent decision-making structure as well as an organisational structure, which provides leeway for the use of interdisciplinary potentials in study and research and which at the same time ensures the representation of the existing faculty cultures to the outside world.

In the future, the "Schools" will take up the central role in the new organisational structure as oriented organisational units for all subjects at the university level.
In the future at the HCU, there will be a Bachelor School, Master School and Research School. These Schools represent the operational core of the university, the decision-making power and are responsible for the assignment of administration services.

The professional expertise – as a representation towards the outside world and as quality assurance for the university – is ensured by the degree programmes. The Schools are, in each case, assigned a management function in the form of a Dean. They also take over the representative functions. The Schools are managed by the Vice Presidents. These are supported, in each case, by a committee made up of the Deans and the representatives of the other status groups from the University Senate.

The Research School is managed by a committee, which consists of the management of the Master School and selected research group speakers.

The transdisciplinary studies is not organised as an independent course, rather it is realised as an interface function across all degree programmes. It is nevertheless – similar to every other degree programme – under the management of a Dean selected by the University Senate.

The research groups are flexible topic-related teams of scientists put together on the basis of goals and performance agreements. The assignment of personnel appropriations and material expenses takes place on the one hand via appellate proceedings, on the other hand via an additional job pool, which is used to fill the scientific employee positions to be found in the research groups and to which the jobs return when the research projects have ended.

At the same time as the foundation, the HCU was also given the task of establishing a common administration service centre for Hamburg's smaller universities, namely the Hamburg University for Fine Arts (HfBK), the Hamburg University of Music and Theatre (HfMT) and the HCU: Administrative Services of the HfBk, HfMt and HCU Universities (AdHoch). This administration unit is set up as a back office. The aim is the bundling of competencies in a core administration, which can be used by all three universities.
The entire range of special administration expertise must thus no longer be made available at each of the universities. The AdHoch central administration unit has proven itself to be successful through integrated organisation for the completion of numerous administration tasks of the different university types.

Weiterhin sind bei AdHOCH organsiatorisch die Verwaltung des Magazins - Lernmittelausgabestelle für Studierende - und die Arbeitssicherheit für HCU, HfBK, HfMT und das Hochschulamt angeschlossen.

The front office of the HCU is responsible for the on campus administration activities and has developed into a stable organisational unit both as a service for students and as an administrative support in the role of a contact partner for research and education. In this connection, the front office takes over the direct communication with persons with inquiries. The front office passes on the processes to the back office in order to further process the content within a business process.