Most German colleges and universities have one. If you walk through your university with your eyes open, you will see its logo every now and then. It is emblazoned on buildings, doors, posters, etc.: AStA. But what actually lies behind the four letters?
The General Student Committee - AStA for short - is the elected student representative of a university and is an integral part of the university organization in most federal states. As a rule, the AStA is elected by the student parliament - StuPa for short - which in turn is elected annually by the entire student body of a university. It is, so to speak, the government of the students and their representation in university politics. Both AStA and StuPa usually consist of students from the respective university.
In terms of content, the individual AStA departments deal with all the interests of the different students. There are usually presentations for women, lesbians and gays, foreign students, students with disabilities, students with children, etc., but also general presentations that deal with finances, university policy, etc. How exactly the AStA is organized depends on the university's statutes and therefore differs from university to university.
In addition to representing students, the AStA offers a variety of services for their students at many universities, from legal and social advice to housing and job placements to cheap photocopying options.
Most German colleges and universities have one. If you walk through your university with your eyes open, you will see its logo every now and then. It is emblazoned on buildings, doors, posters, etc.: AStA. But what actually lies behind the four letters?
