Student Service Centre officially opened

(16 May 2012) In a small ceremony, the new Student Service Centre building has been inaugurated on Adolf Reichwein-Straße Campus. Chancellor Dr. Johann Peter Schäfer welcomed SSC employees, students, neighbours and interested parties who seized the opportunity to visit the new centre.

For the last few weeks, the central student advisory centre, student office, international office, examination offices, centre for teacher training and educational research, career service, dual career service and the family service have been accommodated in the new building.

"About twelve years ago, we started thinking about concentrating all the services provided by the University of Siegen under one common roof," recalls Chancellor Dr. Schäfer. However he also remembers some setbacks, including finding an appropriate location, which was not an easy task. The building permit was granted in December 2010 and excavation work started in July 2011. Construction of the building, featuring a modular design, started in December 2011. The total net floor space now covers 2,246 square metres. The costs amount to some 4 million Euros, part of which is financed using student fees and quality improvement funds.

In his speech, Dr. Johann Schäfer welcomed students, SSC employees and neighbours, and expressed his hope that students will make frequent use of this new service centre. Barbara Schürrle, Head of International Office and thus one of the persons working at SSC, also spoke. According to her, the networking of service facilities in the new SSC building is a clear plus for efforts to integrate foreign students quickly into the Siegen community.

The chairman of the student representative body (AStA), Bastian Hirsch, approved the concentration of service facilities at the campus. This makes it easier to explain to students where to find, for example, the international office. "You can show them the way right through the window," he said. However he was not happy that the grant office did not move here. What is more, AStA criticises the use of student fees for funding the building.

Musical accompaniment for the ceremony was provided by Krysztof Stanik (piano) and Altug Taskiran (guitar).

Completion of the outside facilities without plants is scheduled for early June, plants will come in November.