Student representation bodies are an essential part of university life; without them, many offerings and events for students would probably be lacking. But what exactly do members of a student representation body do?
A higher education institution without engaged students would probably be a higher education institution which is only half as good. They make education institutions like FHWS a place of creativity, exchange and learning. The members of a student representation body put a lot of time and passion into helping to shape everyday life for students at FHWS. Sometimes in ways that many students don’t notice at all – but every one of them has probably already benefited from this voluntary commitment.
In the 2019/20 winter semester, there were 9,159 students enrolled at FHWS. 2,497 of them were in their first semester and needed to start by familiarising themselves with the structures and processes of such a large institution. One of these 2,497 freshers was Tobias Herrmann, who was studying business administration at FHWS. “I definitely wanted to get involved in a student representation body because I wanted to ensure good communication and to give every student who came to the uni after me a good start,” says the member of the Economics (WIWI) student representation body leadership. Whether it’s passing on information, preferences and idiosyncrasies of individual professors or handing out old exam sheets, the student representation bodies at FHWS always have all the information to hand.
Good transition to digital teaching at FHWS
But since the start of the Covid-19 pandemic, both students and employees at FHWS have had to adjust. The student representation bodies’ introductory events which are otherwise usual had to be organised as digital events, and even the lectures were all temporarily transmitted digitally. Of course, it’s not possible for such a transition to be carried out seamlessly in all respects. But, from the students’ perspective, FHWS has done good work here. “To sum it up: I am very happy with how FHWS has handled it. Some things still need to be discussed, of course, and we have to seek communication. Because we as students also want to be heard, and in most cases we get that,” Veit Sauer, Chair of the Architecture and Civil Engineering student representation body and student representative on the FHWS coronavirus crisis committee, summarises the current situation.
In principle, it is very important to welcome the new students and to give them a good feeling of arriving in a new city. He also experienced that, says Sauer, who will soon be completing his civil engineering studies and wants to lay a good foundation for future members of student representation bodies. Where before there was just one member of a student representation body per semester, he started to “interpret the whole thing a bit more broadly and motivate other people to engage with the student representation body”.
Exchange between the semesters
And his work is bearing fruit, because exchange between the various semesters has noticeably improved, he says. However, he cannot precisely say whether that is due to the current pandemic situation or whether the younger semesters are simply more communicative. But he is certain that the various options for getting in touch by digital means of exchange make things easier in any case. The WIWI student representation body has even seen an increase in membership since the beginning of the Covid-19 pandemic. “We have always had a small group of dedicated students and have always struggled with problems bringing in new blood. But since coronavirus, the number of members has almost doubled,” Ann-Kathrin Jacobs, who is not only involved in the WIWI student representation body but at the same time is also one of two student representatives on the FHWS faculty council, is delighted.
Connection between students and FHWS
Eliana Virgilio and Hubertus Knobling also highlight the great importance of the student representation bodies. “We are the connection between FHWS and the students and we address their concerns,” say the two student representation body leaders in the Faculty of Computer Science and Business Information Systems. Just recently, they started the project of establishing a so-called “Hacker Space” upon request by students. What may initially sound like computer science students experimenting with criminal energy is actually nothing more than a workshop for creative brainstorming. “Anyone who wants to use this space can. The projects always remain in this space and can therefore be further developed. 3D printers, lasers, cutters, soldering stations and many other devices serve as tools,” explain Hubertus, who is studying computer science.
Such a project could not be brought to life without the support of FHWS because, in addition to the necessary spaces, money is also needed to finance the corresponding acquisitions. For successful collaboration, therefore, it is not enough to just have a sympathetic ear for students. It also takes interest on the part of FHWS. “Our faculty management gives us a lot of support. We almost always find a solution together and are taken seriously,” Virgilio praises the Faculty of Computer Science and Business Information Systems’ work and commitment.
Eliana Virgilio, Hubertus Knobling, Tobias Herrmann and Veit Sauer – they are all members of different student representation bodies, have different focuses and interests. The thing that unites them is the goal of preserving and continuing to develop FHWS as a place for creativity, commitment, dedication and equality. In the future too, that will only be possible through close exchange between students, student representation bodies and FHWS employees. The Covid-19 pandemic has made many things harder and temporarily impossible. But such crises can also be overcome through team spirit and solidarity.
