The department assembly is the highest governing body of the department. It convenes at least once per semester. Head of the department, Prof. Dr. Cédric Scheidegger Lämmle, conducts departmental business on behalf of the department assembly. He is assisted by the department management.

The department assembly is in particular responsible for the following tasks:

• It issues departmental regulations subject to review by the faculty and to approval by the President's Board.
• It elects the head of the department and deputy head of the department by secret ballot with an absolute majority.
• It adopts a position on the establishment and abolishment of degree programs and subjects within the departmental sphere.
• It passes the department's general priorities for the faculty strategic development plan to be submitted to the Faculty Committee.
• It annually prioritizes requests for amendments to the departmental budget to be submitted to the Faculty Committee.
• It determines the use of funds from the departmental budget pool.
• It approves the necessities to be reported to the Planning Commission within the framework of the investment planning.
• Taking into account the guidelines of university administration, it decrees any changes to the investment budget.
• It reviews requests for leave, research and continuing education semesters to be submitted to the faculty with respect to the implications for academic operations and ensures proper continuity.

Currently vacant

One shared vote.

The subject area representative for Historical-Comparative Linguistics Dr. Michiel de Vaan attends the meetings ex officio, but has no vote.

The department management attends the meetings ex officio, but has no vote.