Hessian universities in danger: savings threaten education and personnel!

Hessian universities in danger: savings threaten education and personnel!

In a recent meeting, the University Council of the Goethe University Frankfurt expressed its concerns about the Hessian state government's planned savings as part of the university pact. These savings could lead to a dramatic deficit of around one billion euros at the 14 universities in Hesse. The University Council is aware of the country's difficult financial situation, but sees the need to take into account the impact on universities and democratic education.

The University Council, the university's supervisory body, is made up of external members from science, business, professional practice and culture. During the meeting it became clear that the planned savings not only endanger the financial stability of the universities, but could also result in a permanent reduction of up to ten percent of staff in science, art and administration. In addition, the draft for 2026 and 2027 already includes reductions that will take effect despite necessary tariff increases.

Consequences for universities

The financial challenges arising from the state government's plans could mean that some universities can no longer maintain their liquidity. The universities have already made construction reserves amounting to 475 million euros available for budget consolidation for the 2025 financial year. This situation illustrates the urgency of Goethe University's demands for adequate funding for universities.

How science.hessen.de As described, the Hessian Ministry of Science has been negotiating the Hessian University Pact every five years since 2002 with the presidents of the state's 14 universities. The Higher Education Pact sets out the financial framework conditions for universities and is intended to ensure that high-quality education is guaranteed.

Contents of the university pact

The higher education pact includes several key components, including a basic budget based on the number of students and a performance budget that takes into account various parameters such as the number of graduates and research quality. This system is intended to ensure that the funds are linked to the actual performance of the universities.

The modernization of the university pact also provides for a new base budget, which is expected to increase by four percent annually. Over the term of the pact, this covers a total volume of almost 8.2 billion euros, including various funds such as QSL funds and state funds from the “Future Contract to Strengthen Study and Teaching”. Such developments are of great importance for the long-term planning of universities.

The University Council is therefore calling for significant improvements in the planning of the university pact in order to ensure the quality of higher education in Hesse and to avert the negative effects of the planned savings. Loud nachrichten-heute.net It is crucial that universities receive sufficient support, especially in times of financial uncertainty, in order to be able to master the challenges of the future.

At a time when the importance of higher education is clearer than ever, it is to be hoped that those responsible will recognize the concerns of universities and act accordingly.