Since summer 2016, the university has had its own student body for students on cooperative degree programmes. After all, studying at two universities at the same time brings its own challenges.
Studying French or Spanish to become a teacher? Not really possible in Oldenburg. But you can in Bremen. For almost 20 years, a co-operation between the two universities has made it possible for students to study subjects that their home university does not offer at the partner university. This is a great opportunity for trainee teachers - they benefit from the programmes and expertise of both universities. Students from Oldenburg can study Geography, French and Spanish in Bremen, while those from Bremen can study Slavic Studies, Material Culture: Textiles and Dutch Studies in Oldenburg.
However, this also means coordinating two timetables, planning commuting times and keeping an eye on the different study and examination regulations - a real challenge, especially at the beginning of the degree programme. To make the start easier and to further improve conditions in the future, students of the cooperating subjects founded their own student body in June 2016.
Sharing experiences
"Everyone who studies a cooperative subject is automatically a member of the student body," explains Etienne Légat. He himself is studying Art and Media and French to become a secondary school teacher and is currently one of seven members of the Student council. The latter can be elected by all students of the collaborative subjects at the beginning of each winter semester. The members represent the interests of their fellow students in committees such as the Institute and Faculty Councils or the study commissions of the respective subjects and are the point of contact for questions and problems relating to their studies.
For example, it often happens that students don't even realise that they have to travel to Bremen for some courses, says student council member Dennis Janßen, who is studying English and Spanish to become a secondary school teacher. However, these and other initial problems and questions were resolved during the orientation week. The student body has its own stand at the information market for the official welcome ceremony, is present during the introductory course of the cooperative degree programmes and offers its own timetable help afterwards. The joint campus rally from Oldenburg to Bremen is also a good opportunity to exchange ideas and share experiences, adds Janßen.
Plans for the future
The student body at least reaches out to Oldenburg students via the orientation week. "What is much more difficult for us to keep track of are the cooperation students who come here from Bremen. So Dutch Studies, Slavic Studies and Material Culture: Textiles," says Alina Hinrichs. She is also a member of the Student Council and is studying music and Spanish to become a secondary school teacher. Many of them didn't even realise that they could also take part in the orientation week at the other university.
A total of 236 people are studying a cooperative subject in a two-subject Bachelor's or Master's of Education programme at the universities of Oldenburg and Bremen. Oldenburg is the home university for 182 of them. Before the student body existed, the degree programme committees there - the equivalent of the local student body - were the point of contact for questions relating to the subjects in Bremen. This still applies to students in Bremen: If they have any questions, they should primarily contact the corresponding student bodies in Oldenburg. "Our long-term goal is to establish a joint, cross-location co-operation student body," says Etienne Légat. It is also conceivable to expand the student body for other co-operations - for example for the joint Bachelor's and Master's degree programme in Comparative and European Law.
But first, the student representatives want to clarify a few basic things and get them off the ground: A dedicated room with fixed office hours for the student body, student body jumpers and an online channel through which they can reach all cooperation students. Above all, however, they want to become better known: "Many people don't even know that we exist," says Dennis Janßen. That's why they will also be present at typical student council events in future - such as the Mensa party or the University Night of Clubs.
