Demonstration & Online-Petition  [29.11.19]

"Highly educated - broken by austerity": The budget negotiations are entering the crucial final phase. It remains to be seen whether the nationwide protests against the financial difficulties of the universities have had any effect. "The pressure must not let up now! We must continue to mobilize and fight for projects such as Humboldt reloaded and better conditions for studying and working at the universities," said StuPa President Hauke Delfs. Therefore, on Tuesday, 26 November, the Constituted Student Body is calling on all members of the university to take part in a second major demonstration on campus. The President then invites the students to an information event in front of the TMS. In order to emphasize the demands of the universities, the State AStA Conference has also launched an online petition.

"Humboldt reloaded's future is at stake. The digitalization of teaching, research, and administration is not progressing, there is a lack of learning space, modern scientific equipment, the mid-level faculty is facing difficult employment conditions, students are worried about tutorials," said StuPa President Hauke Delfs, describing the consequences of the structural underfunding at the University of Hohenheim.

Demo in Hohenheim

On the nationwide action day at the end of October, Hohenheim students therefore symbolically buried education with a silent march. The protest action next Tuesday, on the other hand, will be very loud. The students also invited members of other universities to the Hohenheim campus.

Programm Tuesday, 26 November

• 10 a.m.: Meeting point in front of the Palace, followed by a demonstration march across the campus via Garbenstraße, Adornostraße, Fruwirthstraße to the TMS.
• 12 noon: Demonstration in front of the TMS. 12 noon is considered to be the President's information meeting and employees may attend during their working hours.

 

"As long as the negotiations continue, we can make a difference! We therefore call on all students and employees to send a strong signal to politicians once again," stated Stupa President Hauke Delfs.

Online petition

In order to emphasize the demand for a fully financed higher education system, the state student representatives have launched an online petition with the title "hochgeschult - kaputtgespartet" ("highly educated - broken by austerity"):

"The results of the negotiations to date on university financing and the financial resources provided so far are cementing the structural underfunding of universities that has been arisen over the last 20 years," a current press release stated. The students fear that the current tasks of the universities will therefore remain unfulfilled in the future.

The State Rectors' Conference supports the online petition.

Background: "Education gap"

The number of students at Baden-Württemberg universities and colleges has risen rapidly in the last 20 years. The state's expenditures have not kept pace with this development. Despite good economic development, universities today receive 33 percent or 3,540 euros less per student (adjusted for inflation) than in 1998.

The universities are demanding that the state close this "education gap." The core demands of the universities are as follows:

- Increase the subsidy per student by at least 1,000 euros

- Real growth of the budget by 3 percent annually

- Sufficient financing for special tasks

Text: Leonhardmair / Translation: Neudorfer