University of Siegen defends itself against false claims in the press!

University of Siegen defends itself against false claims in the press!

On May 3, 2025, the University of Siegen clearly rejected a false claim in the Siegener Zeitung. This reported that the incumbent rector had excluded the public from the university election meeting by changing the rules of procedure. The university, however, notes that the relevant rules of procedure were decided on February 14, 2025 by the university election meeting itself. The rector had no influence on this decision as she has no voting rights in this committee. In its statement, the university emphasizes that the newspaper's claim is not true and reserves the right to take legal action to address this false reporting.

The timing of this correction comes at a critical moment for the university, which is already facing governance challenges. The last rector election on January 24, 2023 ended without the election of a new rector. Chancellor Ulf Richter was bitter about the committees' repeated failures and emphasized that this was not only an administrative fiasco, but also a sign of unstable conditions and weak trust in the university leadership.

Background information on the difficulties of electing a rector

The first rector election in 2018 had already ended in a similar breakdown. Despite adjustments to the electoral process aimed at making majorities easier, failure occurred again. Prof. Stephan Habscheid saw the development as “unfavorable” for stability and trust at the university. Richter warned of the concrete consequences of such a failure: The image of the institution is at stake, especially in view of the upcoming extensions of two special research centers.

The incumbent rector Holger Burckhart also expressed his disappointment with the election and announced that he would remain in office until a successor was elected. He extended his civil service contract to ensure continuity in leadership. The discussions during the election meeting were heated and even uncivilized, which was reinforced by the different opinions of the University Council and the Senate. A student senator sharply criticized the university council for a lack of transparency and democratic procedures.

The context of higher education policy in Germany

These problems are not isolated, but rather part of a larger context of higher education policy in Germany. Numerous actors play a role here, and politics at universities is shaped by a complex network of procedures and interests. The vertical differentiation of higher education policy extends across different political levels - from the EU to state authorities. This creates tensions due to the distributed competences, which leads to control problems that have to be addressed by intermediary actors.

Overarching trends such as the Bologna process, quality assurance systems and an increased competitive orientation have a decisive influence on the university. Despite these challenges, it remains a core political task to create stable and functional structures that can support effective teaching and research. In this context, particular importance is attached to the timely resolution of the crisis situation at the University of Siegen.

It will be crucial for the University of Siegen and its committees to address the current problems in order to ensure institutional stability in the long term.

Further information on current developments at the University of Siegen can be found at University of Siegen, while background information on the failed rector elections and the associated reactions from Chancellor Richter and other committees on the side of Westfalenpost can be read. For a deeper analysis of higher education policy in Germany and the structures and processes underlying it, see University policy in Germany.