What is this student representation actually?

Are you bothered by the fact that canteen food isn't cheaper? That bus connections are insufficiently developed? Or would you like to plan a party for your degree programme? Then why not become part of the student representation (short: stuv)! At our university there are numerous opportunities to participate in decision-making processes. It doesn't matter whether you're in your first semester or doing a Master's – everyone is welcome! I'll explain how you can do this in the following.

One of the easiest ways to get started is to get involved with the Faculty Student Representation. They represent the interests of students to their respective faculty (e.g. Faculty of Human Sciences, Faculty of Philosophy, etc.). You come into contact with them right at the beginning of your studies, as they often organise and run events for first-year students (e.g. first-year rallies and information days). The Student Faculty Council is situated one level higher and represents all these individual student subject groups with two members per faculty each. Here you encounter classic student politics: proposals are passed, committees are convened, etc. In summary, everything with "faculty" is directly related to your degree programme.

Beyond that, there are of course also bodies that advocate for general, cross-disciplinary interests. In the Student Parliament (short: StuPa), central concerns of all students are discussed, proposals are passed and student representatives are elected. The members of the StuPa, who are elected annually at the university elections in the summer semester, are divided into various university groups, which are largely oriented towards the well-known democratic parties (e.g. Ring of Christian Democratic Students, Green University Group), but don't have to be. The meetings may be attended by non-members and proposals may also be submitted by all students at the university, but only members have voting rights. To get a better picture of everyday student politics, it is advisable to simply attend the next StuPa meeting.

The proposals passed by the Student Parliament are implemented by another body: the Speaker Council / Student Government (SSR). Seven of the nine members are elected by the StuPa and meet monthly with the university management. The Council acts as the "voice of students" and represents us all in local politics, which is why it is one of the more labour-intensive bodies. The meetings are also public and can simply be attended; here too, new helpful faces are always welcome!

Furthermore, there are so-called departments and working groups. Here students meet on topics that are important to them and where they want to express themselves creatively. The Sprachrohr, that is, the group of students behind this newspaper, is an example of such a department. The Studi(o)bühne offers those passionate about acting the opportunity to participate in performances and take part in production, whilst the Department for Queer:feminism advocates for the visibility of queer people and fair treatment of all students. These are just a few of many departments with the most diverse thematic focuses. Getting involved is remarkably simple: just ask (e.g. by email) and attend the next meeting.

On the diagram showing the structure of stuv you will also find terms such as the Senate or the Faculty Council. These are not part of the student representation, as they also include representatives from the university such as professors and lecturers. Further information on these bodies can be found on the respective websites of the university.

Now you have an insight into all the participation opportunities available. But how do you actually get into student politics, what projects are there, and is this voluntary work actually fun? I asked Zuri Klaschka and Yannik Bauer, who have both been active in Student representation for several semesters.

Zuri (they/them or sie/ihr) is 24 years old and is currently studying Computer Science. Among other things, she is a member of the Speaker Council / Student Government (SSR), heads the Department for Anti-Discrimination within the SSR, and sits on the Student Parliament for the Green University Group (short: GHG). As a trans* person, she has experienced discrimination in the past, which at the beginning of her student politics career motivated her to advocate for queer students in the Department for Queer:feminism. Later, she had herself put on the GHG list for the university elections and was elected to the Student Parliament. Through her active participation, she was subsequently elected to the Speaker Council / Student Government (SSR) and will be Deputy Chair there from 1 October.

What she particularly likes about her work is that through regular contact with the appropriate departments, she can achieve a lot in the interests of all students – even though this of course comes with great responsibility. "The opportunity for students' concerns to be heard is, I think, essential and at the same time also an incredibly interesting experience," says Zuri. She and the other members of the SSR meet regularly, for example, with the Chancellor of the university, various members of the Bavarian State Parliament and representatives of the city of Würzburg. Furthermore, for Zuri, the mix of many opportunities to implement things, combined with the simultaneous freedom to decide what and how to implement these projects, is particularly fulfilling: "Seeing what people can accomplish on a voluntary basis when they're motivated is absolutely incredible."

Yannik (he/him) is 23 years old and is currently studying Digital Business. He has been in the Speaker Council / Student Government (SSR) since last year and will share the Chair with Zuri from 1 October. His student politics career began when he was a Student Staff member (short: Student Staff) at the Computing Centre. He enjoyed the work there, but learned from a colleague that the work for Student Staff at other places in the university was less good, which motivated him to advocate for his colleagues in the Department for Student Staff. He was active there for two years until a friend asked him if he could imagine working in the SSR, which Yannik gratefully accepted. "He asked me on the day I was actually elected," he adds with a laugh.

Like Zuri, Yannik is fascinated by the solidarity of students with one another and what can be achieved through voluntary work (for example, Campuslichter, the Student Fair, etc.). Through the work of committed students over recent years, Student representation has built up an important status within university structures, which also means that they are often approached by the press or high-ranking city officials. An example is the recently published reports by Bavarian Broadcasting about the Mensa Hubland South, which has been under construction for years, in which members of stuv were featured (for example, in this online article: Unendliche Geschichte – Mensa in Würzburg bleibt Dauerbaustelle | BR24). Another achievement that Yannik is very proud of is the mobility partnership with the WVV, which is responsible for public transport in Würzburg and the surrounding area. Through the efforts of stuv, it was achieved, for example, that the Deutschland-Ticket costs us only €13.85 instead of €58, without having to significantly increase the semester contribution. Furthermore, it was achieved that contracts for Student Staff are no longer limited to half a year but to a full year, which gives the affected Student Staff significantly more planning security.

Zuri and Yannik also have a very personal concern: "Every student at Uni Würzburg is represented by us, which means conversely and quite logically that all students are always warmly welcome with us!" The meetings of the Student Parliament and the Speaker Council / Student Government (SSR) are always public; you can simply join in, participate in discussions and put forward your own proposals, even as a non-member.

But the working groups, departments and other bodies that are less political also do great work. They are particularly suitable for getting started, as they have low or no barriers to entry and you can engage flexibly with as much time and energy as you wish to invest.

This was a brief insight into all the opportunities available to you to express yourself creatively and influence university structures. You can find detailed information on the Student representation website (https://www.uni–wuerzburg.de/stuv/) as well as on the social media channels of stuv and the individual bodies.