Procedure

For a permanent position or a position with a fixed term of more than three years, the subject designation of the professorship must be set out in the university's development plan.
 

The position of university professor shall be publicly advertised by the Rectorate. The announcement must not be tailored to specific persons and must contain clear specific employment requirements and additional desired qualifications. The announcement period shall be at least three weeks, taking into consideration the time required by the Senate in establishing the Appointments Commission.
Publication in the University Bulletin and an international – or at least EU-wide – publication (current practice: Internet - job portal of the European Commission EURAXESS) are mandatory. In addition, the institute to which the position is assigned must publish the announcement in at least one authoritative international medium (online platform, online journal, specialist publication, reputable quality newspaper). The vacancies for university professorships can be found in the digital application portal “mdwBewerbungsportal”.
 

The application for the position of university professor, including all necessary documentation, must be submitted electronically via the digital application portal “mdwBewerbungsportal". After the application has been successfully uploaded, applicants will receive a confirmation e-mail.
Both the Rector and the Appointments Commission are entitled to nominate candidates for the appointment procedure, whether artistic or scientific, who, themselves, have not applied. In such cases, it is important that these persons agree to be admitted to the procedure. They must then upload their application documents to the digital application portal “mdwBewerbungsportal” and follow the same procedures as all other applicants.
If, by the end of the application period, fewer than three applications have been received from qualified women who both fulfil the legal and admission requirements and who meet the requirements of the vacancy announcement, the Commission shall provide written evidence to the Working Group on Equal Opportunities of its efforts to encourage applications from suitably qualified women in seeking to achieve the required number of at least three applications. If these measures are deemed to have been insufficient, the announcement must be renewed.
 

The Senate of the mdw decides on the composition of the Appointments Commission after obtaining recommendations from the faculty and, in particular, from the institute advertising the vacancy.
In accordance with legal requirements, at least half of the Appointments Commission shall be made up of university professors, while at least one member shall be drawn from the student body (to be delegated by the students' union). The current Appointments Commission, therefore, with its five professors, two representatives of the group of university lecturers and scientific and artistic staff, and two students, meets the necessary criteria. It is possible for an external person from another university or post-secondary educational institution (national or international) to serve as a member of the Appointments Commission. It is legally required that the Appointments Commission - together with all other commissions and committees - must seek to ensure that women account for at least 50% of all Commission members.
The Appointments Commission must, in accordance with pre-defined procedures, draw up a nomination proposal including the three most suitable candidates. All members of the Commission are sworn to confidentiality ("official secrecy") both during and after the procedure. The Commission's actions are, throughout the entire process, underpinned by principles of anti-discrimination and equal treatment.
 

For the purpose of reviewing the applicants nominated by the Appointments Commission, at least two evaluators (including at least one external evaluator) are to be appointed by the Senate upon the recommendation of the professors of the respective department. The appointment of at least three evaluators has so far proven to be effective.
The evaluators are required to assess suitability for the advertised position. Evaluations must be free of any discriminatory or biased remarks or any comments relating to the private circumstances of the applicants.
 

The Commission decides who is to be invited to a hearing on the basis of expert evaluations. Any deviation from these recommendations must be well-justified. The respective faculty, as well as the department most closely related to the subject designation, must be informed of any and all respective hearings.
Following the hearings, the Appointments Commission shall prepare a substantiated appointment proposal based on expert opinions and respective judgements. This must be submitted no later than seven months following the end of the application period and must include the three candidates best suited to fill the position. In this context, it is essential to ensure transparent and detailed justification.
 

Each professorial appointment procedure is subject to a detailed legal and substantive review. If the nomination proposal does not present the most suitable candidates, the Rector must refer it back to the Appointments Commission (Section 98 Paragraph 8 UG).
After reviewing the appointments procedure, the Rector shall select the successful candidate from among those nominated by the Appointments Commission and shall inform the Works Council and the Working Group on Equal Opportunities accordingly. If the appointment is approved, the Rector enters into an employment contract with the selected candidate.
 

Should you have any questions, contact the Department of Human Resources.