For student initiatives

You are thinking about starting your own initiative or you are already involved in an initiative and want to know what kind of support is available?

We have summarized the answers to the most common questions and general information for you here. If you still have questions or want to learn more, you can always contact us at eigenini@asta.rwth-aachen.de.

Consultation for student initiatives

We offer consultation in the area of student initiatives! Whether you just have a quick question about your next application to the student parliament, problems with accreditation or want to start a completely new student initiative, we are happy to advise you. Just send us an email to eigenini@asta.rwth-aachen.de to arrange an individual consultation meeting.

Frequently asked questions

How can I stay informed about ongoing opportunities for initiatives?

The best tool for staying up to date on what’s happening in the student engagement landscape is the AcHsO mailing list. There, we and other parties distribute relevant information about events or developments and solicit feedback on specific issues. Initiatives can also use the mailing list to contact each other and draw attention to their causes. To be added to or removed from the mailing list, please contact eigenini@asta.rwth-aachen.de. We recommend that you register your association with a functional address “IniXYZ@provider.net”, a non-personal mail address, so that your Ini receives all relevant information in the long term. So that no registration deadlines are missed, mails from the Eigenini team in particular should receive special attention.

What is accreditation and what do I need it for?

Under certain conditions, student initiatives can be accredited by RWTH. This gives them access to internal services that may also be available to your association. These include, for example, the possibility to occupy university rooms, to use IT services, to request the soial media channels of the RWTH. You can also advertise on the info screens in the cafeteria, submit applications to the StuPa or perhaps take a leave of absence for your commitment. Even without accreditation you are a student initiative, the term is not protected and not bound to an accreditation status!

How do I found an association?

To found an association, you need at least six more fellow members for a non-profit purpose. In writing you are invited to a foundation meeting and among other things your already prepared and here proposed statutes are decided. With the minutes and the confirmed statutes you go to the notary and let him explain everything else for a standard administrative fee as well as register your association and enter it in the register of associations. There are different notaries in Aachen, but they all offer the same services at similar prices. Therefore, it should not make any difference to whom you turn to. However, you can check with other associations to see if they have found a particularly “association-friendly” notary.

For more information, take a look at the website of the Landessportbund. This also offers further advice for associations.

How do I file a tax return for my association?

Unfortunately, we are not experts in this field. We can only report and help from personal experience. We recommend in any case to contact the tax office for specific questions or, if necessary, to consult a tax advisor. There are also certain tax software that have a tool for associations. A tax return should be quite self-explanatory. Nevertheless, it is important to keep proper records, which simplifies and helps you, your association and the subsequent financial officers.

Who can I contact for legal advice on an association matter?

We cannot give legally binding advice on association matters, however we can only report from experience and possibly similar events in other associations. If you want to contact a lawyer, you are welcome to make an appointment with the general legal advice of the AStA. The lawyers are not specialized in association law, but may be able to give a first assessment.

What is the best way to attract new members to my association?

The easiest way to start an initiative is to look for interested people in your own group of friends. Furthermore, advertising for your association is extremely important. Via the various social media channels of the AStA and, if applicable, of the RWTH, you have the option to also start an appeal for new members.

At the Day of Student Initiatives (TdsI) you can present your association to attract new members. The TdsI is organized every semester by the AStA and enables student associations to present themselves to the students at RWTH. You can find more information about the TdsI at: asta.ac/tdsi

What is the best way to advertise my initiatives?

This probably depends on your purpose and target group. If you want to reach committed students for a purpose relevant to other initiatives, it is best to contact the moderated AcHsO mailing list (see question 1); if you want to attract participants for an event, it is best to use social media channels, where the broad mass of students usually finds information. We have compiled an overview of the various options in a How-To Public Relations, which you can find in the download area.

What do I have to do to distribute flyers for my initiative?

In principle, this is possible, but it is best to contact the person responsible for the building directly. These are usually janitors or, for example, representatives of the STW. The same applies to outdoor areas, as long as it belongs to the building. Theoretically, flyer activities as well as other events in and on RWTH buildings and areas can be handled via room booking requests.

How can I place advertisements on the info screens in the cafeteria?

If your initiative is accredited by the RWTH, an advertisement can run for up to two weeks at a time on the screens of the Mensa. This must have the pixel format 1920 x 1080, at best be a JPEG file and no company logos may be visible. In times of many requests it can happen that there is no more space for your contribution in the “editorial plan”. Just send the correctly formatted advertising image to infobildschirm@asta.rwth-aachen.de and mention a desired time period. We will do our best to make it happen, but we can’t promise anything.

What do I have to do to promote my association in a lecture?

Look for lectures and other courses that fit your association and simply write to the professor or the person responsible for the course. Many lecturers allow advertising before classes if the request is made with a certain lead time.

How can my initiative participate in the Student Initiatives Day?

The Day of Student Initiatives is open to all forms of student engagement. Register your initiative with a functional address on the AcHsO mailing list (see question 1). This way you will receive all information about ongoing and upcoming projects as well as AStA events for initiatives. The Eigenini team invites you to the TdSI every six months with some reminders, just follow this mail traffic carefully.

Is it possible to specify the address of the AStA for the postal address of my association?

Yes, this offer is free of charge. As a representative of the association, you only have to make an agreement with the AStA. Thereby the AStA accepts your letter mail. You commit yourself to pick it up regularly without being asked. If you are interested in this offer, please send us an email to eigenini@asta.rwth-aachen.de.

How can I submit motions for the Student Parliament?

The Student Parliament (StuPa) is the highest decision-making body of the student body and is elected annually in the summer by all students. In the StuPa, an accredited initiative can apply for a grant or a deficiency guarantee. For which purposes this can be done and what exactly the conditions are, you can find in the document “Applications to the Student Parliament” in the download area of this page.

How can I take a leave of absence as part of my association activities?

For time-intensive jobs in an accredited student initiative, you can apply for a semester off. For this purpose, the AStA sends out a survey every semester via the AcHsO mailing list (see question 1). After the AStA has evaluated this survey, a list of initiatives and positions is sent to the Student Secretariat (and the AcHsO mailing list). If your post is on this list, you can apply for a leave of absence in the Student Secretariat. In the document “Leitfaden zur Beurlaubung” in the download section of this page, you will find how to fill out this application.

How can I book rooms at the RWTH for my association?

Accredited initiatives are given the opportunity by RWTH to book and occupy rooms for association purposes. In doing so, the initiative commits to certain rules of conduct. These and special conditions arise in the booking and occupancy process. In the download area you will find a short info with the relevant information about room booking and the references to the corresponding forms.

Downloads

Accreditation

If you have your association accredited at the RWTH, you will receive some advantages. What these are and how the accreditation works, you can find here.
How-To Accreditation

Lending

The AStA has a wealth of materials for its student events. What is available and how to borrow it can be found here in this document.
How-To Lend material

Leave of absence

Under certain conditions, those who are particularly committed to accredited initiatives can take a leave of absence. You can find out what these conditions are and how to fulfill them here.
How-to Leave of absence

Public Relations

In the following document we have summarized many tips & tricks on how to improve public relations. Contact persons for increasing outreach are also referenced
How-To Public Relations

Room booking

Accredited initiatives can book RWTH premises. You can find out how this works here.
How-To Room Reservations

Requests to the student parliament

The student body supports commitment, which is why accredited Inis of the RWTH can have their projects financially supported.
See financial ordinance

How this works is described in this application guide.
Requests to the student parliament

Sample statutes for associations

For the foundation of an association you need a statute. Here you can find a sample for orientation.
Sample statues

The Department for Sustainability and Student Engagement is responsible for the content of this page.
If you have any questions or comments, please contact eigenini@asta.rwth-aachen.de.