Miscellaneous

Publication of the 2022 performance report of Studierendenwerke NRW

Cologne, 15 December 2023: The Student Services NRW performance report 2022 (LB 22) offers an exciting insight into the important work of the student unions.

The twelve student unions in North Rhine-Westphalia are today publishing their performance report for 2022, which provides an overview of the wide range of services provided by the student unions. 2022 was a turbulent year for the student unions, initially characterized by a return to "normality" after two years of the coronavirus pandemic, but quickly followed by further drastic crises.

Transition from the coronavirus pandemic to the "new normal"
Students gradually returned to face-to-face teaching, the dining halls slowly filled up and with them the social encounters on campus as a whole. In the midst of this slowly returning normality, Russia's war against Ukraine began, an unimaginable event for many that continues to this day. The effects of this brutal war of aggression were once again reflected in multiple crises - energy crisis, "price crisis" (inflation), supply crisis, supply chain crisis. And the climate crisis appears on the horizon as a "permanent crisis".

Dramatic cost increases for students
It's not just food prices that have exploded: Costs rose massively in all sectors, for example maintenance. During the summer, previously unknown bottlenecks were identified in the supply of urgently needed products - cooking oil, for example, was something of a "black market product" for many months. At the same time, the number of guests has slowly risen again and the need for staff has increased. But here, too, the next crisis has already manifested itself: it is becoming increasingly difficult to fill vacant positions with qualified staff "after Corona".

At the side of students in challenging times
Jörg J. Schmitz, spokesperson for Studierendenwerke NRW working group and Managing Director of Kölner Studierendenwerk: "I would like to emphasize that even in these challenging times, the student unions continue to be a reliable pillar of the social infrastructure for students, especially for those who are particularly affected by inflation. With their daily work, the approximately 4,500 employees support students in social and economic areas. The student unions, with their support services in the areas of university dining, housing, student financing, counseling and childcare, have long contributed to the success of the universities' own mission."

Ongoing support from the state government still necessary
Thanks to financial support from the state of NRW, some of the effects of the crisis on students have been significantly mitigated. Funds from the special Corona fund and the NRW crisis management fund will have a dampening effect on increases in dining hall prices and social contributions, among other things, until the end of 2023. We would like to take this opportunity to thank both the old and, since June 2022, the new state government. It is also pleasing that the state subsidies to the student unions have been increased by three percent for 2023.

"However, these thanks also go hand in hand with an urgent appeal to Science Minister Ina Brandes: please do not cut back on student support and adequate funding for the student unions. Without support from the state, however, the student unions will not be able to implement necessary internal reforms, modernizations and strategic decisions, which have become clear due to the effects of the pandemic on studies (including hybrid teaching formats) and on the universities themselves (including home office in administration), or at best much too slowly. The state government must meet the demands it has set itself in the NRW Coalition Agreement Future Contract for North Rhine-Westphalia and ensure that the student unions are strengthened," emphasizes Jörg J. Schmitz.


The current account is published annually on behalf of Arbeitsgemeinschaft Studierendenwerke NRW, c/o Kölner Studierendenwerk AöR.

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