The SFU Senate Commission on Studies and Teaching (SEKO-SL) is a cross-faculty commission with decision-making powers in matters relating to the SFU Statutes governing university studies. The commission is subject to the supervision of the Senate. SEKO-SL consists of six full members, four representing the academic staff of the four faculties and two representing the student body of the SFU.
The SEKO-SL works together with the Vice Rector for Academic Affairs, the Vice Deans for Academic Affairs and the Working Group for Equal Opportunities (AKGl).

Tasks

  1. recognition and crediting of previous studies;
  2. restricted access decision for theses;
  3. assessment of claims of plagiarism;
  4. decisions regarding complaints;
  5. opinions and decisions on other study matters
  1. Recognition and crediting of previous studies
    The recognition and crediting of previous studies is delegated by the Study Commission to the responsible faculties. Students may appeal to the Study Commission against decisions at faculty level that directly affect their studies.

  2. Restricted access decisions for theses
    Academic theses are written in order to be communicated to others. Excluding academic theses from academic communication should therefore only be considered in well-founded exceptional cases (data protection, protection of personal rights, etc.). The maximum duration of the embargo is five years.
    A request to exclude a thesis from public access must be submitted to the Study Commission by the student using the appropriate form with a detailed justification and requires an additional supporting statement from the supervisor. The application must be submitted to the Study Service Centre (SSC) of the relevant faculty, including the form and the relevant thesis in digital form; after checking for completeness, the application will be forwarded to the Study Commission.
    Confirmation by the author to third parties that the thesis will not be published for a certain period of time is not in itself a sufficient reason. If it is only possible to write the thesis under this specific condition, a request for restricted access must be submitted in advance, stating the reasons. If such a request is granted, the dissertation must be submitted to the Study Commission upon completion, whereupon it will be examined as to whether it corresponds to the information relevant to the previous decision on restricted access.

  3. Assessment of claims of plagiarism
    The evaluation of claims of plagiarism is governed by the examination regulations of each faculty. Students may appeal against assessments at faculty level. Students can raise an objection against decisions at faculty level to the Study Commission.

  4. Decisions regarding complaints
    Students can raise an objection against decisions at faculty level, which are directly related to study matters, to the Study Commission.

  5. Opinions and decisions in other study matters
    The Study Commission may also be asked by the Senate for advice and an opinion on other study matters or may submit these to the Senate on its own initiative.

Rules of procedure

Only available in German:
Geschäftsordnung der Senatskommission zu Studium und Lehre (SEKO-SL)
Resolution of the Senate 26.04.2024

Members

Faculty of Law
Assistant Professor Ralph Janik
Prof. Dr Sonja Bydlinski (Deputy Member)

Faculty of Medicine
Prof Dr Harald Rosen (Chair)
Dr Julia Kurtaran (Deputy Member)

Faculty of Psychotherapy Science
Herbert Geyer (Deputy Chair)
Prof Dr Thomas Stephenson (Deputy Member)

Faculty of Psychology
Prof Dr Peter Walla
Dr Felicitas Auersperg (Deputy Member)

Student representatives:
Jakob Thebe (MED)
Laura Murath (PSY) (Deputy member)
Özlem Güner (PT)
David Mittelbach (JUS) (Deputy member)

Contact

Enquiries can be sent by email to Seko-SL@sfu.ac.at.
Please use the appropriate form for your request.

Downloads

Only available in German:
SFU-Formular Sperre einer wissenschaftlichen Abschlussarbeit (pdf)