Affordable bus and train tickets for everyone – including students from 27 years!

🗓 17. February 2023

From March, the new BW Youth Ticket will be available for €365. That’s great and, in our view, a small and long overdue step toward a climate- and socially just mobility turnaround.

The problem: The ticket is only valid up to and including the age of 26. In addition, the current Studiticket is expected to expire at the end of August 2023. Students aged 27 and over will therefore be without a suitable Studiticket from September. This threatens to significantly increase their costs for bus and rail, because the next “cheapest” option would then be the Deutschlandticket for €49 per month.

From our view this is – above all – a discrimination of older fellow students because of their age!

Since attempts by student representatives to remove the age limit unfortunately remained unsuccessful until the end, we are now taking matters into our own hands: Together with Stuttgart branches and political youth groups, we have formulated an open letter. In it, we call on the city of Stuttgart and the city council to create an opportunity for students over the age of 27 to use public transportation for a maximum of €1 per day. You can find the whole letter under this link. You can also find more info in our Instapost (English details in the description).

In the letter we emphasize that this can only be the beginning: In perspective, a climate and socially just mobility transition can only succeed if students, pupils, trainees, volunteers and people with low or no income can ride buses and trains for free.

We will continue to put pressure on this matter!

Plenary meeting WS 2022/23

🗓 31. October 2022

Your elected council members introduce themselves!

The General Assembly is the event where you can learn everything about the student body and get to know the most important contact persons.

Women on stage answering questions from the spectators.
picture by pch.vector from Freepik

At this event we will give you a deeper insight into the work of the VS and explain in detail what the VS is, how you can participate, which services we provide for you and which current topics we are currently dealing with. The whole event will take place as a hybrid event and will also be streamed live.

When: 8th November 2022
Time: 11.45pm – 1:15am
Where: i003 (Audimax), live stream (vs-hdm.de/vollversammlung)

We look forward to hearing from you and answering your questions!

Kückennacht 2022

🗓 6. October 2022
People in front of a stage

Foyer of the Media University, 06.10.2022, 19:00: The turbulent first week started for our chickens with first mass, introductory events and chick cinema. The crowning finale was our Kückennacht, which was put together by numerous helpers.

Continue reading “Kückennacht 2022”

VS-retreat of the term 22/23

🗓 3. October 2022

Last week, from Sept. 28 – Sept. 30, 2022, the VS retreat was held. This brought together members of the past and future VS Council to prepare for the upcoming term.

Group picture of the participants
Group picture of the participants

The retreat was used to prepare prospective VS members for their future work, with the outgoing board under board chair Franziska Roth in particular explaining their duties and positions and sharing valuable experiences.

In addition, the meeting dealt with the development of relevant university-political topics for the upcoming period – in particular, the university’s handling of the current energy crisis, as well as digital accessibility on the university websites were addressed and intensively discussed.

Of course, the retreat also served to get to know each other – entertainment and fun were not neglected. Whether it was cooking or playing games together, none of the participants left the conference without having had a good time and making friends.

LAK at HdM

🗓 25. September 2022

On 04.09.2022 the meeting of the Landes-Asten-Konferenz (LAK) took place at the Hochschule der Medien. Among the 22 attendees were also our networking officer Julian Schmoll and Svea Brun from the networking team. We would like to summarize the most important topics in this article.

Members of the State Asten Conference in the Senate Hall of the HdM
Members of the State Asten Conference in the Senate Hall of the HdM

Positioning: State-wide semester ticket

The State Asten Conference has decided to support the positioning paper on the statewide semester ticket. This can be found here.

The starting point for the decision is the inter-transportation youth ticket presented at the end of November 2021 at a price of 365€, which is to be available from 01.03.2023. Entitled all under 21-jähirgen, as well as Schüler:innen, apprentices, Freiwilligendienstleistende and students up to 27 years.

The Working Group Statewide Semester Ticket welcomes the introduction of the youth ticket, but the currently planned implementation is considered insufficient for reasons of age discrimination, price increase of existing semester tickets and with regard to the successor solution of the 9 € ticket.

Networking Representative Julian Schmoll
Networking Representative Julian Schmoll (left)

Campaign “Improvement of Study Conditions in BaWü

The state student representation would like to initiate a campaign, the implementation should be carried out by the executive board and the speakers as well as the universities themselves.

The first draft of this campaign will be presented at the next meeting.

The background to this will be topics such as second tuition fees, tuition fees for non-EU citizens, and the financial situation of students.

Pandemic-related learning delays

The representatives:inside of the University of Ulm have reacted to the concept from the MWK earlier this year. This concept includes 28 million euros to be used by colleges and universities to alleviate pandemic-related learning backlogs.

The statement criticizes the basic principle as well as the practical implementation. On the one hand, there is a lack of specifications for which expenditures the funds can be explicitly used, and on the other hand, the funds cannot be used meaningfully across years. There is an explicit wish for improvement here.

Equality issues

Amendment of the LHG with regard to mental illnesses

The Equality Unit has submitted a motion to recognize any mental illness in the State Higher Education Act.

Through this motion, the Department for Equality and the Executive Board of the State Student Council are tasked with bringing about an amendment to the State Higher Education Act. The background is that mental illnesses are not sufficiently recognized in the LHG. This includes, for example, the anchoring of psychogenic reactions to the examination process as well as anxiety disorders. Affected persons should receive adequate compensation possibilities and also be able to withdraw from examinations in an orderly manner.

Modification of structures for compensation for disadvantages

Furthermore, the Department for Equal Opportunity and the Executive Board of the State Student Representative Council are charged with creating structures (at the state and university level) that ensure that disadvantage compensation for students is complete, adequate and sustainable, and that application procedures are standardized.

These disadvantage compensations concern students with disabilities, chronic illnesses or other mental/physical limitations. The goal is for the state government to provide legal security for those affected and to communicate guidelines to any higher education institutions to support students.

Gustav in new plumage

🗓 25. September 2022

To celebrate the successful term, to thank for the good cooperation and to welcome parts of the new council, the VS council organized a semester closing event for all new members and initiatives on 20.07.2022. In the courtyard of the HdM, everyone had the opportunity to exchange ideas outside of the council meetings and enjoy pizza and soft drinks in a cozy atmosphere. Despite rain showers, the event was a success and resulted in a karaoke party with surprise guests.

With the party was also our “new” mascot Gustav. This presented itself proudly to the former and new council members and said goodbye to his old feather dress.

Old and new Gustav arm in arm at VS semester closing event.
Old and new Gustav arm in arm at VS semester closing event.

Start of the voting for WS 2022/23

🗓 25. September 2022

Now it is time to vote for your student represenatives!

The nomination period is over, the nominees have been determined. You can find out this year’s candidates for Faculty Councils & Co. on our overview page.

Now your vote is needed! From Wednesday, June 15, 2022 (9 a.m.), until Wednesday, June 22, 2022 (3 p.m.), you can vote online on the election portal. Login to the portal using your normal HdM abbreviation and password. Good to know: You have as many votes as there are electoral members to be elected and one vote can be cast per candidate (no accumulation of votes). You don’t have to cast all votes.

And as always: make the VS YOUR student representation.