As an entity under public law, the university has the right to self-administration.

Along with the Rectorate, the President, the University Council and the University Elective Assembly, the Senate is one of the university’s central organs and is primarily responsible for the following:

• Participation in the university’s electoral assembly when electing and dismissing members of the Rectorate
• Issuing a statement on the Rectorate's annual report
• Composing and modifying the constitution, guidelines and regulations of the University of Wuppertal
• Approving planning guidelines
• Making recommendations and statements on drafts of the university development plan, higher education contract, evaluation reports, business plan, and the guidelines for allocating posts and funds to the schools, central academic institutions and central operational units
• Making recommendations and statements on research, teaching and study affairs that relate to or are fundamentally important to the entire university or its central services

The Senate of the University of Wuppertal consists of twenty-four voting members:

• twelve university teachers,
• four academic staff,
• four technical and admin staff, and
• four students.

The status groups are in principle equal; this means that the votes of the academic staff, technical and admin staff and students are all multiplied by 3 when passing resolutions.

However, in some cases regulated by law, a professorial majority may be created by multiplying the votes of the university teachers by 3.1 while those of the other groups are still multiplied by 3. These cases include:

• Electing members of the Senate to the selection committee
• Approving planning guidelines
• Rules that regulate research content
• Compiling general examination regulations
• All matters directly relating to research, art and teaching.

Members of the Senate remain in office for two years.

The following are non-voting members of the Senate: the members of the Rectorate, the Deans, the chairpersons of the IfB council and the Joint Research Committee (GSA), the person of trust representing the severely disabled, the commissioner for students with disabilities and chronic illnesses, the chairpersons of both staff councils, the directors of the central services, one board member from the Student Council and one board member from the Conference of Student Faculty Representatives (FRSK). The gender equality commissioner is an advisory member who is entitled to speak and make proposals at meetings.

The Senate is chaired by the President, who has no voting rights.