election program LHG 2022/23

1. Finances & Student Assistants
   1. Studying is often associated with individual financial constraints. Because of this, we make sure that the financial resources of the General Students Committee (AStA) are spent responsibly. There will be no ill-considered increases in semester fees with us. We will make sure that your money is spent responsibly!
   1. We want to use our voice at RWTHTH to promote parent-independent BAföG in Germany. Our university has to take a clear position on this!
   1. Since the work of student assistants is essential for university operations and deserves to be valued accordingly, the increase in the statutory minimum wage must be accompanied by better remuneration for assistants. We are committed to ensuring that this adjustment takes place promptly.
   1. Due to the structure of the model course of study in medicine, student assistants from this course of study are never promoted to the status of „scientific assistant with bachelor’s degree“ (WHB). We oppose this injustice, as we believe that equal performance should be fairly remunerated. Upon passing the „basic medical examination“ (1st state examination), medical students should receive the same pay as research assistants (WHB).    
      
      
2. International
   1. The RWTH is a globally renowned university and consequently attracts many students from other countries. Naturally, the university’s offer must adapt to this. Therefore, we support an expansion of English-language cultural and political events on campus. In particular, the cultural department of the General Students‘ Committee (AStA) must be held responsible for this.
   1. As a multicultural list, we also promote stronger cultural coexistence. We see an annual English-language ceremony for cultural exchange as a first step in this direction.
   1. For a better start to their studies, we believe that the RWTH has a duty to simplify and expand English-language communication channels for international students. The examination regulations for English-language degree programmes must always be published in two languages!
   1. In order to make it easier for international students to arrive in Aachen and to break down language barriers, RWTH Aachen University must expand its range of German courses or make them available to all free of charge.
   1. Furthermore, international students are also dependent on secure sources of income. RWTH should therefore expand its offer of English-speaking jobs and student assistant positions.
      
      
3. Teaching
   1. We demand a critical examination of the previous digital semesters, an improvement and continuation of online teaching where it makes sense, and a quick return to face-to-face formats wherever possible. Only through this hybrid conception of teaching will students be granted sufficient academic freedom.
   1. In order to be able to understand whether face-to-face teaching has successfully restarted in the summer semester of 2022, we want RWTH to conduct a public evaluation of the resumption of face-to-face teaching at the end of the semester in the student parliament.
   1. To ensure that at-risk groups and students in quarantine are not excluded from teaching or that the university makes it easier to look after ones child at home while teaching, we advocate for the retention and expansion of hybrid teaching.
   1. Corona has forced RWTH into digital teaching. In order to reward the teachers who have mastered this task particularly well, we aim to award a special teaching prize „Digital Teaching“ in 2022.
   1. The task of good student representation must always be to limit the study load. For many students, however, this takes on considerable proportions. For this reason, the LHG is firmly opposed to further university-wide requirement modules without credits. For us, it is unacceptable to perform work without appropriate recognition!
   1. It can always happen that you are not sufficiently prepared for an exam. Corona in particular has shown how well a late withdrawal from an exam can be managed and how it affects the students. The great cancellation and postponement of exams did not take place. That is why we demand the continuation of flexible periods for registering and withdrawing (later than three days before) from exams.
   1. People with a wide range of interests also want to continue their education outside their own examination regulations. That is why we advocate the expansion of interdisciplinary modules such as Project „Leonardo“. In addition, there is a need for simplified registration procedures and better creditability for courses outside the subject area.
   1. In order to be able to study hard, time off is of great importance. The LHG would therefore like to establish fully-fledged semester breaks without exams at RWTH.
   1. Writing a thesis is often exhausting enough without having to deal intensively with the formalities of handing it in. Therefore, we advocate that the ZPA sends out an overview of all the documents required and formalities to be observed from the corresponding examination regulations when applying for the thesis. In addition, there should only be one „affidavit“ at RWTH Aachen University, which is accepted equally by all institutions.
   1. The central submission deadline for term papers causes great inflexibility in examination planning at some faculties. We therefore call for its abolition and its replacement by a regulation that allows students to use their lecture-free time entirely for writing term papers.
   1. In order to reduce the financial burden of studying and at the same time enable RWTH to make a positive contribution to ecology, we are in favour of abolishing the submission of term papers in paper form.  
      
      
4. Digitisation
   1. In recent semesters, many digital recordings of events have been made. We think it is wrong not to make these recordings available to students in the future. RWTH should create a (central) video platform with the recordings from the lectures of previous semesters and use it in the long term!
   1. The online semesters revealed the weak points of the digital infrastructure. We see a need for evaluation and improvement in this regard. For this reason, the LHG is in favour of the necessary expansion of the technical infrastructure.
   1. Digital teaching is not possible without digital skills. On this basis, we are striving for additional training opportunities for lecturers and students.
   1. In the first semesters, the use of RWTHonline in particular may overwhelm new students. Consequently, we support the creation of introductory guides and tutorials that can be accessed via RWTHonline and the RWTHApp. Furthermore, the IT Centre should offer an annual introductory event for first-semester students to teach them the basic functions.
   1. The RWTHApp offers a wide range of possibilities and ensures that important information can be accessed centrally. This is one of the reasons why we are campaigning for an expansion of the functions of the RWTHApp.
   1. We call on RWTH to clearly mark outdated ordinances as archive documents so that there is no confusion when searching the web for the latest versions.          
      
      
5. Social Affairs & Residences
   1. In the corona pandemic, the need for psychological counselling has been directly illustrated. Social isolation and financial hardship under the same pressure to perform has affected the mental health of many students during the pandemic. Under the slogan „Mental Health Matters“, we demand an expansion of psychological counselling at RWTH and the creation of new places for initial counselling.Furthermore, we oppose the stigmatisation of mental impairment. The faculties should be made more responsible in this regard and design their own mentoring programmes for their employees or promote them accordingly.
   1. In our view, an evaluation of the capacities of the childcare offer at RWTH is necessary in order to create an adequate offer for students with children.  
   1. We advocate for a fair and transparent dormitory policy. Affordable housing close to the university is a major problem for first-year students, especially in times of housing shortage. For this reason, the LHG supports the maintenance, expansion and new planning of halls of residence.
   1. We therefore welcome the necessary renovation of halls of residence and take care to protect your interests. Renovations should therefore always be implemented in close communication with the hall of residence councils!
   1. The LHG explicitly supports the freedom of self-administration of the halls of residence. Essential areas of responsibility such as financing or occupancy of the hall of residence are largely left to the councils and other active residents. Voluntary work on this scale requires appropriate recognition, also in financial terms. Therefore, we believe it is time for a fair expense allowance on the part of the Studierendenwerk.   
      
      
6. University sports
   1. So that students no longer have to permanently press the „Update“ button during the lecture period in order to obtain a slot in university sports, we are striving to introduce a lottery procedure for the allocation of places. The time inflexibility of the current procedure is no longer acceptable!
   1. The planned reconstruction of the Königshügel will lead to restrictions in university sports. We are committed to creating temporary alternative sports facilities so that the inconvenience of the reconstruction remains within reasonable limits.
   1. The University Sports Centre (HSZ) must expand its cooperation with the local sports clubs in Aachen. This can help to attract new and especially qualified coaches to RWTH. In addition, the capacities of university sports can be expanded in this way.
   1. The LHG is committed to launching a university-wide demand survey to determine which additional sports courses and types are desired by you at RWTH. Furthermore, it must be examined in which sports the capacities are to be expanded.
   1. To ensure that university sports can be used equally by everyone, we call for the expansion of inclusive sports such as wheelchair basketball.
   1. We want to advocate for the expansion of eSports at RWTH.      
      
      
7. Mensa & Campus
   1. To make it possible to enjoy dinner on campus in the future, we support an extension of the opening hours of the Mensa Academica.
   1. The Mensa offer should be attractive for everyone. Therefore, we continue to advocate for a wide range of options that must also take vegetarians, vegans and allergy sufferers into account. The best way to do this would be to move away from the menu and offer the possibility of individual selection from the range of food on offer.
   1. It must finally come to an end that students have to bring their own beer to the refectory! The LHG calls for beer to be sold in the refectory.
   1. In addition, the Mensa should allow the consumption of food brought in.
   1. After the Corona pandemic significantly reduced the possibility of cultural events on campus, we consistently advocate for a re-establishment of all event formats that existed at RWTH before the pandemic. Our goal is always to promote a lively campus that is worth living on.
   1. To enable more flexible learning on campus, the LHG wants the opening hours of the libraries and the central learning rooms to be extended. To this end, the service hours of the library must also be extended. A good learning atmosphere requires the permanent availability of borrowable literature!
   1. In the RWTH branch system, self-determined learning at any time is further blocked by the existence of reference libraries without the possibility to borrow books. That is why we want the possibility to borrow books in every branch library.
   1. Learning space booking at the RWTH is also not yet done by lottery. Similar to the context of university sports, we consider this circumstance no longer acceptable. We demand the abolition of the current allocation procedure and its replacement by a lottery system!
   1. A university like RWTH needs a variety of offers for the personal development of its students. A Makerspace – a form of modern craft room – which is equipped with a 3D printer and tools, among other things, creates the right basis for this. In order for interested students and student initiatives to be able to better implement their ideas, a corresponding concept should be promoted and realised by the General Students‘ Committee (AStA).         
      
      
8. Nachhaltigkeit & Mobilität
   1. To improve cycling, we demand an expansion of bicycle parking spaces at the university buildings. To increase comfort and safety, these should be covered and monitored!
   1. Mobility options must be guaranteed for all students, regardless of their chosen means of transport! Therefore, accessibility by car must be ensured and existing parking spaces must be offered at reasonable prices.
   1. The most important component of student mobility remains local public transport. In order to ensure that the semester ticket remains affordable, the LHG is campaigning for the abolition of special routes. This could save students around three million euros a year.
   1. In order for all students to be able to use the RWTH’s facilities autonomously, the LHG considers the comprehensive barrier-free accessibility of the university buildings to be an absolute necessity. In addition, the most important feeder roads in the city of Aachen must also be designed and usable in an inclusive manner. There is a particular need for improvement in this regard at Aachen West station.
   1. In order to upgrade in the area of climate and environmental protection, we demand from RWTH that energy efficiency in particular be increased during renovations. In addition, solar panels must be installed on suitable new and existing buildings. Furthermore, it must be determined which university premises are heated or air-conditioned outside of operating hours. With us, there is no such thing as wasting energy!
   1. A campus worth living on needs many green spaces for recreation! That is why we welcome campus greening projects. Greening concepts should be developed for further university open spaces with the involvement of students.
   1. The LHG advocates a consistent and intelligent system of waste separation at all RWTH institutions. In addition, unnecessary paper consumption is to be avoided through a comprehensive digitalisation strategy.
   1. We are open to the introduction of a voluntary sustainability module. However, a university-wide establishment requires a well thought-out concept. We would be happy to participate in this. We will reject another mandatory module without credits as an additional study burden.