Work report of the Administrative Board

"You can master even the most difficult tasks when you know who has your back!"
Andreas Schülke
Managing Director

The Administrative Board advises and supervises the Executive Management. It decides - insofar as the decision is not entrusted to the Executive Management - on fundamental matters. Among other things, it adopts the budget and decides on the use of the annual financial results. The extension or restriction of the tasks of the Studierendenwerk, the taking out of loans, the acquisition or sale of real estate, the setting of student fees or the founding of companies also fall within its area of responsibility.

The composition of the Board of Directors changed during the fiscal year along the Higher Education Act (HochSchG) of September 23, 2020, as follows.

Until September 2020, the Administrative Board had 9 voting members, namely:

three votes for professors or academic staff of the universities
four votes for students of the affiliated universities
one vote for a public figure
one vote for the chancellor appointed by the presidium of the universities in the area of responsibility.
The chairperson of the staff council of the student union had only an advisory vote without the right to vote.

As of October 2020, the Administrative Board has 11 voting members, as follows:

three votes for professors or academic staff of the universities, whereby the voting right rotates between the University of Worms and the Department of Translation, Linguistics and Cultural Studies of the University of Mainz in Germersheim.
five votes for students of the affiliated universities
one vote for a public figure
one vote for a chancellor* appointed by the presidium of the universities in the area of responsibility
one vote for the chairperson of the staff council of the student union.

The term of office of the professorial members, the chancellor and the public figure is three years, that of the students one year.

The current members of the Administrative Board (as of December 2020) are:
Chair

Prof. Dr. phil. habil. Jendrik Petersen, University of Koblenz-Landau.

Vice-Chairperson

Ms Anke Simon, Member of the State Parliament, Ludwigshafen am Rhein

Members

Ms Carolin Nöhrbaß, Chancellor of the University of Applied Sciences, Ludwigshafen am Rhein
Ms Dr. phil. Doris Kinne; Johanes Gutenberg - University of Mainz, Department of Translation, Language and Cultural Studies Germersheim
Prof. Dr. Rudolf Mohr; University of Applied Sciences for Economics and Society in Ludwigshafen am Rhein, Human Resource Management, Business Administration, especially Finance and Accounting
Ms Laura Zillgen; University of Koblenz - Landau, Campus Landau, student member
Ms Ayleen Ohly; University of Koblenz - Landau, Campus Landau, student member
Mr Lukas Philipp; University of Worms, student member
Mr Jonas Zimmermann; Johanes Gutenberg - University of Mainz, Department of Translation, Language and Cultural Studies Germersheim, student member from 10.07.2019 to 02.02.2020
Mr Jeremy Maier; Johanes Gutenberg - University of Mainz, Department of Translation, Linguistics and Cultural Studies Germersheim, student member from 04.03.2020
Ms Svitlana Fedko; University of Applied Sciences Ludwigshafen am Rhein, student member from 04.03.2020.
Christine Fischer; Chairwoman of the Staff Council of the Studierendenwerk Vorderpfalz, with an advisory vote until October 2020 and voting rights thereafter.

5 Administrative Board meetings were convened in the financial year and one circular resolution was obtained. The Administrative Board had a quorum at all meetings. Here is a brief overview of the topics and resolutions of the meetings:

Extraordinary meeting on 20.01.2020 in Ludwigshafen.

Special meeting to decide whether to continue the search for a suitable site for a new hall of residence at the Ludwigshafen site or to move forward with the Landau site. A suitable plot of land is already available for development or acquisition.
Due to the increased number of students at the Landau location, the associated demand for affordable student housing remains high. In order to be able to maintain the statutory fulfilment of tasks, the Studierendenwerk is planning the construction of a new housing complex in Paul-von-Denis Straße. The Administrative Board decides to instruct the Executive Management to go ahead with the project and makes the necessary funds available for this purpose.
Mensa Ludwigshafen experiences a high increase in external guests around student lunchtime. In order to alleviate the already tight seating situation on site, guests are asked to avoid the student lunch rush hours.
Free lunch top-ups in the canteens have been abolished because guests were fetching dishes previously used by other guests from the return trolley in order to demand free top-ups from the serving staff. The Studierendenwerk therefore offers its guests a "pre-top-up (more food on your plate when you order)" when they ask for it at the time of serving.

19.03.2020 - Circular resolution

For the refurbishment of the residential complex in Germersheim, the original budget for the conversion and refurbishment measures was increased via circular resolution. Among other things, the additional costs were required for asbestos abatement on piping, fire protection, final shell work and furnishings.

18.05.2020 Meeting via video conference

The level of insurance coverage for performing the duties as a member of the Board of Directors is verified by an independent insurance broker and assessed as sufficient.
Before the purchase of the building site for the new Landau dormitory, it is decided that soil investigations must be carried out, as there could still be explosive ordnance and bombs on the building site from the Second World War; the soil could be contaminated from the previous operation of a bus depot; weirs have been built by the military in the area, these could endanger a planned underground car park.
On the recommendation of the State Financial Audit Office, the Administrative Board decides to re-tender the auditing services for the preparation of the annual financial statements for the next five years.
Due to the constant increase in external guests in the Ludwigshafen canteen and the resulting seating problems, the purchase of a food truck was considered. The concept of the Karlsruhe Studierendenwerk "koeri[werk]" was found to be suitable for this purpose. The Administrative Board commissioned the Executive Management to purchase a food truck.
At the Winecampus Neustadt - affiliated to the Ludwigshafen University of Applied Sciences - the tenant terminated his lease agreement with the Studierendenwerk. In order to ensure that students continue to be supplied with food, the Studierendenwerk would like to take over this supply contract itself. The Administrative Board decides that the Canteen in Neustadt should be run by the Studierendenwerk with its own staff.
In order to counteract vacancies in the halls of residence due to the Corona Pandemic, the Executive Management proposes a temporary amendment to the Studierendenwerk's statutes so that it is possible to rent out the halls of residence, a maximum of ten percent per halls of residence, to non-students during the summer semester. The Administrative Board supports this approach in order to avoid the threat of vacancies and decides to rewrite the Studierendenwerk's statutes.
The Federal Ministry of Education and Research (BMBF) provides emergency funds for students throughout Germany in the amount of 100 million EUR. The umbrella organisation of the German Student Unions has conducted negotiations on this and set up an IT tool for processing applications within a very short time. The Studierendenwerk Vorderpfalz initially has 750,000 EUR in funding available for the applications submitted by students.
The Studierendenwerk Vorderpfalz has created and implemented a comprehensive pandemic and hygiene plan for all employees, canteens, dormitories and day-care centres within a very short time.
An employment agreement was concluded with the staff council to secure short-time working benefits for employees. The short-time work affects the majority of employees from university catering. The seasonal workers who previously supported the catering operations during the lecture period cannot continue to be employed due to the announced digital teaching at the universities and colleges and the resulting significantly reduced demand in the catering operations. A loss in turnover of 80-90 per cent compared to the winter semester in the previous year is to be expected. In order to secure the future of the Studierendenwerk and safeguard existing jobs, the contracts of the 65 seasonal employees will end at the end of the summer semester.
The business interruption insurance does not apply at the moment. Since the instructions to close the canteens were not given by the local health authorities, but were ordered by the state of Rhineland-Palatinate in general, the insurance company does not recognise this as an insured event.

Meeting 02.07.2020 in Germersheim

The Administrative Board instructs the Executive Management to carry out the necessary exploratory work prior to the purchase of land for the new dormitory construction project at the Landau location and approves the necessary funding and the condition that the City of Landau (land owner) refrains from marketing the land until the Administrative Board has decided on a possible purchase.
Based on statements by the responsible minister and the universities served by the Studierendenwerk Vorderpfalz, it is expected that digital teaching will remain in place for the 2020/2021 winter semester. In order to use the online services, students will not rent a place in a hall of residence, which will lead to further rent losses. For this reason, the Administrative Board resolves to allow the use of the halls of residence by third parties also for the winter semester 2020/2021 in order to partially mitigate the financial loss.
The Administrative Board resolves and approves the financing of investment items and the use of the annual result and allocations to withdrawals from reserves. The annual financial statements as at 31.12.2019 and the management report for the year 2019 are approved and adopted.
A new employment agreement was negotiated with the Staff Council from 01.06.2020.
On 16.06.2020, the bridging aid for students set up by the Federal Ministry of Education and Research was launched. This amounts to a maximum of 500 EUR per application and month.

Meeting 28.09.2020 in Ludwigshafen

The Studierendenwerk has written to various auditors and auditing companies for the audit of the annual financial statements and obtained offers. After evaluating the offers, the Administrative Board decides to appoint the auditing company Alltreu Revision & Treuhand GmbH as auditor.
The bridging aid for students was extended by the BMBF until September 2020.
The accommodation handover date for the winter semester 2020/2021 above the ALDI store in Maximilianstraße could not be met on the part of ALDI. Of 65 flats, 21 are ready for occupancy.
After a successful advertising campaign by the Studierendenwerk and the opening up of renting to third parties, all rentable flats are let for the winter semester 2020/2021.
The canteen in Landau offers a reduced cafeteria service with sandwiches and warm snacks in order to continue to fulfil the supply mandate during the pandemic.
In the Bürgerstraße canteen, investments were made in a new counter system and cold storage cell.
The administration of the Studierendenwerk is planning to move within Landau during the renovation of the Mensa Landau. A suitable property was offered to the Studierendenwerk by the LBB.
Cooperation between the Studierendenwerk and the new dean's office in Germersheim was intensified. Various events and workshops are planned.

Meeting 01.12.2020 in Landau

With the amendment of the Higher Education Law, there are changes in the composition of the Administrative Board. The Staff Council will now have voting rights. A second student member, Ms Ayleen Ohly, will be appointed to the Administrative Board for the Landau location. The previous distribution of seats between Ludwigshafen University of Applied Sciences and Worms University of Applied Sciences has been abolished. Each location now has its own seat or representative. The appointment of the academic representative by the Worms University of Applied Sciences is still pending. The voting rights between the Worms University of Applied Sciences and the FTSK of the University of Mainz in Germersheim rotate. The Administrative Board decides that the academic representative of the FTSK of the University of Mainz in Germersheim will retain his current voting rights until the next legislative period and that the representative of the University of Worms will then receive the voting rights.
The Administrative Board adopts the Economic Plan 2021 and the Medium-Term Financial Planning 2022 to 2024 in the version presented.
In order to improve the supply of student housing in Ludwigshafen and to create a further housing offer in addition to the existing residential complex with 174 places in the halls of residence, the Executive Management has intensified contact with the investor GeRo Real Estate AG. Due to persistent renegotiations by the management, the cold rent was negotiated to € 325 per dormitory place. This results in a warm rent of € 450.
Due to the very high basic rent and the resulting warm rent for the students of approx. 450 € per place, the Administrative Board decides to refrain from the rental project. The Administrative Board decides on an upper limit of 400 € warm rent. The Executive Management is commissioned to look into alternative offers for student housing in Ludwigshafen.
The Studierendenwerk has invested in the preliminary soil investigations of the building plot in Landau. The purchase of the land continues to entail unforeseen costs. The Administrative Board decides to instruct the Executive Management to inform the city of Landau that the land in Paul-von-Denis-Straße will not be purchased.
The BMBF suspended the bridging aid for students in October. It was reinstated in November due to the new lockdown. Students have the opportunity to submit applications until March 2021.
The Executive Management is in contact with the owner of the Ludwigshafen residence hall to extend the expiring lease.
The operation of the refectory at the DLR in Neustadt has started well despite the pandemic. The food is produced in the Landau canteen and delivered to the site in suitable heat containers.
Above the ALDI market - Maximilianstraße, the handover of 21 dormitory places will take place in March, with a further 44 place handovers planned for early summer.
The Studierendenwerk is looking into the purchase option of the residential complex above the ALDI Markt Annweilerstraße.
The LBB will let the Studierendenwerk use the administration building at Xylanderstraße 17 from 01.01.2021 for the duration of the rebuilding work on the refectory at Fortstraße 7.

We would like to thank the Administrative Board for its excellent cooperation. Especially in this very difficult year for everyone, the support of this body was very important for our work.

Your contact person for this matter
Pinar Stehr
Management Secretariat
Xylanderstraße 17
76829 Landau
Phone: +49 6341 9179 102
gf@stw-vp.de
stw-vp.de