Restart at the University of Bayreuth

For Laura Hufnagel, deputy chairperson of Bayreuth's Student Parliament, planning for the winter term has not always been easy. "We really wanted to be able to welcome the freshmen in a dignified way," says Hufnagel, who is also active in the engineering student council. "We are pretty happy now that a few restrictions have been relaxed and that we have been able to plan accordingly."

Following the first semester welcome address by the president and other members of the University Governing Board on Monday evening, the Student Parliament invited students to attend campus event presenting around 100 student initiatives to the students.

Networking plattform

Digital activities are also on the agenda. For example, a networking platform is being planned. The idea behind it is simple. Students can register there, get to know new people, and then, for example, have lunch together in the cafeteria, create study groups, or participate together in the University's sports programme.

In addition to the central events, the various student councils and university groups have organized first-year weekend events, barbecues, and other get-together events, just as they have in previous years. However, there is one innovation in Winter Semester 2021/22. Following three terms that were predominantly held online due to the pandemic, not only the first-year students will have to settle in this winter semester - the second and third semester students will also have to get used to day-to-day life on campus.

The University of Bayreuth is supporting these re-entry and settling-in processes with various measures. The State of Bavaria has provided financial support for these "restart activities" in the form of a grant towards the costs of implementation.

A range of activities

"What the money is used for varies greatly," said Laura Hufnagel. The University of Bayreuth received a total of €10,000 for the project idea "Restart - welcome back" from the budget of the State of Bavaria. This money is intended to help first-semester activities switch from online to in-person formats. The money will be used, for example, for support staff, to help the student councils, and for Covid-compliant events.

The student councils have come up with a range of activities to get the new students talking to one another and to make sure their first impressions of university life are exciting ones, even outside the lecture halls. More information on the events is available from the student councils is available at their websites.