Press release on the JLU presidential election
The General Student Committee of Justus Liebig University Giessen and the student status group in the Senate congratulate Prof Dr Katharina Lorenz on her election as President of JLU. She is the first woman to hold this office in the history of the university.
“Mrs Lorenz has already proven her fighting spirit as Vice President for Studies and Teaching and since October as Interim President. We are sure that she will now maintain this as President and wish her every success,” says Michelle Dickopf, Senator and AStA Officer. In the press release from December, the AStA made it clear that it was finally time for a historic turning point and that the AStA would welcome the first woman in this office. Dickopf says: “This election is not just a symbolic step, but a decisive one in terms of diversity and equal rights at universities. As the largest status group, we will of course continue to fight for more student co-determination at the university!”
The AStA and the student members of the Senate would judge the presidency on the fulfilment of its election programme. In particular, we will critically monitor how the “target horizons of self-direction, quality and infrastructure” in the areas of study and teaching are to be filled with life. We will demand the promised “detailed communication with the faculties” and the “active participation of students”, as well as the commitment at state level to “values […] that make high-quality teaching possible”. We will also pay particular attention to the “innovative teaching-related infrastructure projects” currently being planned and continue to pursue our demand for a student house.
Fabian Josten, AStA officer: “The new incumbent has a lot to do, especially with regard to the equality of the various degree programmes at JLU. In financial terms, the humanities, cultural and social sciences are completely disproportionate to the natural sciences. But the many different barriers, especially for some students in everyday university life, also need to be addressed. The campus should be a place where everyone experiences appropriate and accessible teaching, a place where it doesn’t matter who is studying and what they are studying!”
Henning Tauche, Senator, insists that the future leadership of Justus Liebig University should engage in dialogue with the student bodies and that they should be more involved in decision-making in future. “We are delighted with the election of Ms Lorenz and would like to congratulate her and thank all the other candidates,” concluded Mr Tauche.
