Neuruppin, 27 November 2024

Students of the Brandenburg Medical School Theodor Fontane (MHB) founded a General Students’ Committee (AStA) this year to pool their interests, have a say in university politics and improve study conditions. Members of the committee are Jan Auswitz (chair), Ruth Rehfeld (vice chair), Jonas Hoffmann and Sebastian Bayer (financial officers), Madeleine Hanley and David Lenz (assessors). The MHB is no typical university, so the process was challenging. But in consultation with the responsible Ministry and the MHB executive board, students found ways to organize their self-administration. The AStA, so its members in the interview below, plans among other things to advocate continued state funding for the MHB and to represent the student body to the outside.

What motivated you to found an AStA, i.e. a General Students’ Committee, and become involved?

Jan Auswitz: Our motivation was that previously, student self-administration only existed at department level in the form of student councils. This meant: no joint projects across programs, and no effective pooling of political forces among all MHB students. We wanted to make better use of these energies, and to improve contacts across programs. The MHB is no directly state-financed university and therefore no corporation under public law, which made the situation difficult for us. Student representations at public universities are judicable entities of their mother universities and as such can conclude business dealings and contracts etc. The MHB is a limited liability company; so we founded a non-profit association with the student-elected AStA as its board, in agreement with the Ministry and the MHB executive board, and on the basis of the university constitution.     

David Lenz: The student councils at departmental level will remain with budgets of their own under self-administration. They are in charge of program-specific issues and represent the students of their respective programs. They are also the contacts for program-associated working groups, such as the MedSI as the student body for the student working group “Emergency Medicine”. The AStA represents the interests of all MHB students and is the contact partner for working groups across programs like “Theodora stellt gleich” (working group for equal opportunities). After my first semesters at the MHB I decided to stand for the AStA and become more involved in university affairs where it counts.

Jan Auswitz: As a medical student of the third cohort, I accompanied the entire constituent process and wanted to make sure that the AStA has a good and well-ordered start for the first term in office. Our young university still has many aspects that need attention from the students’ point of view and where I plan to get involved: culinary supply, accommodation and so on.

And your most important objectives for the oncoming year?

Ruth Rehfeld: The first priority was to ensure a good start of the board activities. This required the formal registry of association, changes in account structures, finding an office for the AStA, agreement on rules of procedure, and setting up financial regulations. In view of the Brandenburg state elections and scheduled expiration of funding for the MHB from the regional government by the end of this year, we started an initiative and in numerous meetings with representatives of the democratic parties advocated a long-term continuation of funding from the Brandenburg budget. We met with much encouragement in these conversations and trust that the promises will be kept. In the long run, the AStA will hopefully become established as the executive body of MHB students and an integral part of the MHB community and its everyday affairs. We would be pleased to support long-term improvements in study conditions and efficiently represent MHB students in the political and social realm. We would also like to help ensuring public funding for the MHB of permanent duration and thus its safe and long-lasting existence.      

Which challenges do you expect for your activities?

Sebastian Bayer: One challenge is the decentralized structure of our university which makes it impossible to bring all students from Bernau and Brandenburg, Neuruppin and Lauchhammer together in one place, for a general meeting for example. Another point is the more complex financial structure with an annual 6-digit budget that has to be split up between several student councils and the AStA and requires meticulous bookkeeping and financial records. In addition, we must establish ways to define and distribute responsibilities for specific topics between student councils and the AStA. And of course we wish to keep an eye on fellow students’ needs and expectations, and personal contacts will be increasingly difficult in the context of a growing university.      

How can students contact you and become proactive themselves?

Madeleine Hanley: Input is welcome from everybody, ideally to our email account asta@mhb-fontane.de or you can talk to us in person. Prior to applications for funding, please consult asta-finanzen@mhb-fontane.de. Applications are accepted from all students and working groups, also doctoral students. We welcome all kinds of (well-meaning) student commitment and initiative! Elections for AStA positions will be organized every year around April. The AStA is currently setting up thematic subsections where interested newcomers are welcome, such as educational work.

David Lenz: At present we have not yet introduced regular office hours. But we can make an appointment always and everywhere as required. You find regular updates on our activities at Instagram @asta_mhb. Likes and Input are welcome.

AStA information and contact: here at Instagram (@asta_mhb).