Controversy over elected Rector of HTWK Leipzig

Saxon Minister of Science and elected Rector discuss possible solutions

05/05/2011

The dispute over the occupation of the Rector's Office at the Leipzig University of Applied Sciences (HTWK) continues. The non-party Saxon Science Minister Sabine von Schorlemer refuses the elected Rector Renate Lieckfeldt after a cancer survived the office, as the risk of relapse is incompatible with an appointment as election officials.

After the rector-in-chief had publicized the case for non-appointment, it hit both the students and the media. The students reproached the Minister of Science with immoral behavior, therefore occupied the rooms of the Rectorate for 24 hours last week and demanded the immediate appointment of Renate Lieckfeldt. Actually, the designated Rector should begin her post on the first of May. As already announced, the Minister of Science and the elected Rector have now assembled on Tuesday evening for an interview in order to reach a mutually agreed solution.

Survived cancer prevents appointment as an election official
In the conversation between Renate Lieckfeldt and the Saxon Minister of Science, options should be examined that make it possible for the elected Rector to appeal to her post. Although Schloss Sabine von Schorlemer was able to work as a clerk in the run-up to the interview, she did consider promising employment in an employment relationship. Also, Lieckfeldt signaled that she was ready to think about a corresponding offer. However, the designated Rector questioned the rationale that denied her appointment as a voting official. Because the risk of relapse after her cancer as a reason for not naming, Lieckfeldt appeared extremely questionable. After the professor had argued for the nomination for the Rector's election at the HTWK and in January against the - according to media reports favored by the Ministry of Science - candidate Hubertus Milke won, it was announced that Lieckfeldt had survived cancer in 2010. Anyone who thought this had nothing to do with the choice of the rector was wrong. For the Ministry of Science referred to the civil service law and explained that with such health risks a Verbeamtung was impossible. Should Lieckfeldt fall ill again during her five-year term as an election official, the country would have to pay for treatment and care costs. Therefore, the Saxon science minister has refused to appoint the elected rector of Leipzig's largest university of applied sciences as such.

Students suspect political motives behind the non-occupation of the Rector post
The contentious professor then turned to the media and received massive support from the student body and the public. Their non-appointment was regarded as a moral scandal and quickly made the first conspiracy theories in the round, in which the students assume that the state government, the rector post of HTWK for good reason not to occupy with Lieckfeldt. Because of the austerity measures in the higher education sector, the capacities of the HTWK are already at their limits. The largest university of applied sciences in Leipzig will be able to record around 300 fewer students than in the previous year for the winter semester 2011/2012, even though the number of applicants is increasing significantly. As of 2013, the country's budget planning also includes extensive job cuts at the HTWK. A leaderless organization can hardly defend against such austerity measures, the students said. In addition, the state government in the appointment of the controversial Renate Lieckfeldt expect considerable resistance, as they had made clear in their application speech to fight every employee of the HTWK. In addition, there are rumors among the students that Hubertus Milke, a CDU-affiliated former rector and opposing candidate, might have used his influence on the party friends to prevent Lieckfeldt's appeal. Milke is a member of the Future Commission of the Saxon CDU.

Talk between Minister of Science and elected Rector
After the case for the non-appointment of the elected HTWK Rector in the public waves and the allegations in the direction of the Saxon Science Minister grew louder, Sabine von Schorlemer agreed to talk to each other and on Tuesday evening, the two professors, but still to to come to an amicable solution. While originally was rather to assume that the acquisition would be in an employee relationship result of the discussion, said Lieckfeldt and Schorlemer following the conversation that one „more precise“ medical report should be presented in order then again to decide on the honor of the elected Rector. Thus, the Saxon Minister of Science has moved away from her original position, in which she simply excluded an appointment as an election official due to the incompatibility with civil service law. Now, apparently, the actual health risks are weighed for the time being, instead of imposing a lump-sum risk of recurrence and thus refusing to take the post. In the end, the agreement that has now been made provides a good basis for arriving at a fair assessment of the actual risk of recidivism and thus avoiding a possible claim by the elected Rector. For if Lieckfeldt should choose the legal system, the Rector's Office at the HTWK could be blocked for years. Suffering in this case would be the college and the students.

Medical report could have been called earlier
On „precise“ Expert opinions on the health situation of the elected Rector of the HTWK can help to bring the focus of the dispute to an objective level and thus serve to objectify the emotionally charged discussion. However, it seems questionable why this idea did not come to the Ministry of Science a little earlier. Immediately after it became known that Lieckfeldt had survived a cancerous disease last year, it would have been possible to obtain a medical report without any delays in appointments. Why this did not happen remains unclear. So there is still the suspicion in the room, that originally only a reason was sought in order not to appoint Renate Lieckfeldt. However, the Minister of Science has paved the way with her recent appeal, in order to come to a consensual solution in the end and regain the lost trust among the students and the public. (Fp)

Also read:
Rektorin denied cancer after position
University of Leipzig elects new Rector
Students support Leipzig Rector

Picture credits: Andreas Hermsdorf