Convent meeting from 12.09.2019

Electronic proxy voting / Election of SSR members / Election of Department heads

It is a lukewarm evening in September when the Convention meets in its new composition for the third time in this legislative period in the assembly hall of the Burse. Outside the door that evening, alongside those entitled to vote, there are also some guests. Together they enter the hall. Chairs are moved, tables arranged into a large U, the projector switched on. It reveals the topics of this evening. A total of six agenda items are to be addressed today. One by one, everyone finds their seats. It is 20:22 when Chair Michael Kreuzer asks for quiet and opens the meeting. Minutes are recorded via an interactive Etherpad. Two volunteers step forward. Via a link, each person present can contribute to it in parallel. After initial uncertainties, it is confirmed: the Convention is quorate with 27 votes present. Not all 27 votes are physically present. Some have transferred their voting rights in advance to another person – in person, not electronically. 

That will change from today. The minutes of the previous meeting are approved and TOP 1: Organisational matters thus declared concluded. It flows seamlessly into TOP 2: Reports. A report is given from the last meeting of the Internationalisation Commission. It was about how to advance the internationalisation of universities and make English-language degree programmes more visible on homepages. It is reported that the new Speaker Council / Student Government (SSR) has begun its work. A few members are still missing from the nine-person team. Their election is also on today's agenda. Anyone wondering at this point how exactly the student politics thing works again can be pleased! The diagram of the Student representation (stuv) will now be found in every issue in the University & Politics section. After the election comes before the election, and so that no one gets lost in student politics over the year, you can and should keep checking there. At this point, an appeal to all Still-studying-a-bit-longer students and newcomers: Eyes open and pay attention! 

On the election of the SSR: Anyone can nominate themselves or be nominated for election at the corresponding Convention meeting at the beginning of the legislative period. The SSR is not elected within the university elections! From now on, you have a year to think about whether this office would be something for you and to follow the work of the SSR with interest. 

In TOP 3: Proposals it is unanimously decided to introduce electronic proxy voting from now on. Then things get heated. With an initiative proposal to introduce the Department for Public Relations of stuv, unanimity ends. There is debate about the extent to which it is the task of the SSR to bring the work of stuv closer to students and how sensible another department would be in the jungle of the 14 already existing departments, most of which are as well staffed as some secretariats during the lecture-free period. Proposal? – rejected. The proposer leaves the room, which is quite understandable in his role as a guest. This means that mediation remains the task of the SSR. 

This is followed by the highlight of the evening – the reason why some guests have also turned their backs on the pub to attend this evening: The elections. TOP 4: Election of remaining SSR members. Occasionally guests have to leave the room. Whenever personal inquiries are requested by more than five people entitled to vote. In the end, a total of six of the seven members are confirmed. In their personal profiles, they will tell us more about themselves in the coming issue. Stay tuned! This is followed by TOP 5: Election of Department heads. That democratic processes are lengthy is no secret, and so elections are brought forward and happy new department heads are thus released from the Burse earlier. 

There are a total of 14 departments, which we will introduce in more detail in the following issues. One thing in advance: the Department Against Racism and Xenophobia has been newly staffed with a motivated dual leadership that wants to revive the department. Workshops and lectures are to be organised and networking with GSIK, the Young Africa Centre and other institutions is planned. If you are interested in getting involved there and becoming part of the new team, contact: referat_gegen_rassismus@uni-wuerzburg.de. But perhaps one of the other departments appeals to you: Department for Press, Department for Action, Department for Accessibility, Department for Data Protection, Department for Democracy and Civil Courage, Department for Student Staff Matters, Department for Equality, Department for Culture, Department for Ecology, Department for Student's House, Studi(o)bühne – The University Theatre, Würzburg International Network, Department for German-Polish Friendship. 

As the university newspaper, we are currently representing the Department for Press. We, as well as all other departments, are always pleased to welcome new members! TOP 6: Any other business. You will soon find the date of the next meeting in November on the homepage. Remember, the meetings are public and student politics is pretty cool! At the end, the Chair closes the meeting at 22:37. 

Sarah Schmittinger