Thuringia Student Union

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Logo since 2016
Logo until July 12, 2016

The Studierendenwerk (STW) Thuringia (until July 12, 2016 Studentenwerk Thuringia ) is responsible for a total of around 50,500 students at the ten universities in Thuringia. It was created in 2006 through the legally required merger of the two student unions Erfurt-Ilmenau and Jena-Weimar.

history

The first attempts at student self-help in Thuringia came in 1921 with the establishment of the “Jena Student Aid” association. During the GDR era, the university was responsible for social issues for students. It was not until 1990 that the Thuringia Student Union was founded. This was split up in 1991 into the Erfurt Student Union (also responsible for the Mühlhausen study site until its closure in 1992 ), Ilmenau (also responsible for the Schmalkalden study site), Jena and Weimar. In 1997 the four student unions were replaced by the Erfurt-Ilmenau student unions (Erfurt, Ilmenau, Schmalkalden, Nordhausen and Eisenach) and Jena-Weimar (Jena, Weimar and Gera).

The Studentenwerk Thuringia was founded on December 31, 2006 through the incorporation of the Studentenwerk Jena-Weimar and the renaming of the Studentenwerk Erfurt-Ilmenau on the basis of the Household Supplementary Act 2006/2007. With 50,000 students, it is now one of the student unions in Germany with the largest number of students.

The 2014 coalition agreement promised to replace “Studentenwerk” with “Studierendenwerk”. When the amendment to the Thuringian Student Union Act came into force on July 12, 2016, the renaming was regulated by law. According to information from the state government, the renaming has cost around € 32,000 so far.

Services

The Thuringian Student Union provides typical student union services for renting accommodation in student dormitories , university catering ( canteens ) and implementation of the Federal Training Assistance Act to ensure that both academic and everyday practical needs of students are met at universities. It rents more than 7,500 places in 67 residential complexes, including the Jakobsplan student residence hall in Weimar, and operates eight day-care centers in five different university locations. It also offers advisory services, provides support in cases of financial hardship and promotes student culture (including student clubs ).

Another important task of the Studierendenwerk are agreements on the Thuringian semester tickets , which are part of the semester fee. While the share for the SPNV ticket has to be paid at all university locations, local public transport tickets are not offered in Schmalkalden, Ilmenau and Eisenach. At some locations there is an additional, third offer for the use of the VMT . For historical reasons, this model differs from the usual model, in which semester tickets are negotiated and issued by the student bodies. However, the Board of Directors is bound by the corresponding votes of the student bodies prior to the conclusion of such agreements.

It also provides other services for university staff, especially in the areas of catering and childcare.

Organization and financing

The Studierendenwerk is an institution under public law ; it is therefore an independent, organizationally independent institution. The headquarters are in Jena, where large parts of the administration, which is divided into six departments, can also be found. The tasks of the Thuringian Student Union are regulated in the Thuringian Student Union Act (until July 12, 2016 Thuringian Student Union Act ). Further tasks and the reimbursement of costs from the implementation of the BAföG result from the Thuringian Implementation Act for BAföG. According to the Thuringian coalition agreement, the current legislature was to be renamed the Studierendenwerk.

In addition to the managing director Ralf Schmidt-Röh, the organs of the student union are the administrative board, which is composed equally of students and other persons, which currently includes four students elected by the state student representative KTS , four rectors elected by the Thuringian LRK and one or two representatives from areas outside the universities. In addition to the external members, the KTS elects further students so that parity is restored. The managing director of the Studierendenwerk is accountable to the board of directors. In contrast to z. B. Saxon regulation in Thuringia due to § 8 Abs. 3 ThürStudWG only a rector can be elected as chairman of the administrative board.

The Thuringia Student Union is responsible for the state's universities in Ilmenau , Jena , Erfurt and Weimar ; responsible for the universities of applied sciences in Jena , Erfurt , Nordhausen and Schmalkalden as well as for the music academy in Weimar . In addition, it offers a reduced number of offers at the locations of the Dual University Gera-Eisenach and maintains a conference center in Siegmundsburg am Rennsteig.

As an institution under public law, it currently receives an annual subsidy of around five million euros from tax revenues due to a statutory regulation and a target and performance agreement from 2016. An adjustment of this financial aid to the increased costs is currently being discussed. Additional funds of 1.7 million euros have been committed by the Free State for 2016 and 2017. Another part of the student union financing comes from a compulsory contribution ("social contribution") of the students, which amounts to 55 euros per semester at all universities and the vocational academy and 58 euros from the summer semester 2017 and above all to support food prices and in the area of ​​social issues Culture is used. The Studierendenwerk generates the largest share of its income from income from the catering establishments or from rents itself. In 2015, revenues of around 52 million euros were planned and, according to the position plan, 541 people were employed.

The Thuringia Student Union is a member of the German Student Union (DSW) and has had a partnership with the CROUS Amiens-Picardie, a French student union, since May 2008.

literature

  • Hannes Berger, Lukas C. Gundling: University policy and university law. Using the example of the state of Thuringia . Dr. Kovac, Hamburg 2015, ISBN 978-3-8300-8622-2 , p. 120 ff .

Web links

Individual evidence

  1. ↑ StuWe website for the chronicle
  2. ↑ Budget Accompanying Act 2006/2007, Article 12 No. 12 Paragraph 7, GVBl. 18/2005
  3. ↑ Frank Schauka: gender debate: 100,000 euros for a new name. Thüringer Allgemeine, February 12, 2016, accessed on September 1, 2016 .
  4. ↑ Now also Studierendenwerk. Thuringia Student Union, accessed on September 1, 2016 .
  5. ↑ Minutes of the Thuringian State Parliament - 6th electoral period - 111th session - February 23, 2018, page 143
  6. ↑ StuWe website on dormitories
  7. ↑ StuWe website for childcare
  8. ↑ List of articles
  9. ↑ Thuringian Implementation Act for the Federal Training Assistance Act (ThürAGBAföG)
  10. ↑ § 8 Thuringian Student Union Act
  11. ↑ Composition and duties of the Board of Directors
  12. ↑ Partnership agreement between the CROUS Amiens-Picardie and the Thuringia Student Union

Coordinates: 50 ° 55 ′ 58.5 "  N , 11 ° 35 ′ 3.7"  E