ÖH Uni Salzburg ad Polaschek/Brunner: Universities now need additional funds to survive the crisis!
The government must act now to ensure the quality of the courses on offer! The students are the first to feel the negative consequences.
Salzburg/Vienna (OTS) – As a result of the massive rise in prices and rising inflation, the universities in Austria are facing major challenges. Demands for additional funding have already been made to the Ministry of Science. The University of Salzburg alone has an additional requirement of 20 million euros for the next 2 years. “It is a scandal that the federal government is leaving the universities out in the rain three weeks before the start of the semester and is thus also playing with the quality of the universities in teaching and research in the winter semester! It must not happen that universities go back to distance teaching over the winter semester and shoot whenever, because the universities cannot afford to open the lecture halls. We call on the federal government and in particular the Minister of Science Polaschek and the Minister of Finance Brunner to act now,” says Laura Reppmann, Chairwoman of the ÖH Uni Salzburg.
there is a threat of a massive loss of quality in studies and research, because even without the current massive price increases, university financing is based on competition and performance and allows little additional leeway. “The current crisis is putting additional pressure on the universities. Everyone should now see this crisis as an opportunity to rethink the financing of the universities and to create a financing system that is not purely performance-related, but creates scope for good, inclusive and socially acceptable framework conditions for study and research,” emphasizes Lara Simonitsch , 1st deputy chairman of the ÖH Uni Salzburg.
In recent years, students at the University of Salzburg have experienced the effects that negative financial problems can have. “In 2020 and 2021, many of the student assistantships, which not only provide great support for teachers but also offer students good employment opportunities directly at the university, had to be canceled due to financial problems at the University of Salzburg. If the government does not provide additional funds now, then the savings will probably start again with the students, to what extent positions for student employees will be cut, libraries will reduce opening hours & fewer courses will be offered to students,” warns Manuel Gruber, 2 .deputy chairman of the ÖH Uni Salzburg.
Questions & contact:
Laura Reppmann, Chairwoman of the ÖH Uni Salzburg
presidency@oeh-salzburg.at
0662-8044-6042