University crisis in Göttingen: President Tolan is faced with voting!

University crisis in Göttingen: President Tolan is faced with voting!

Göttingen/Hanover. The discussion about the future of the Georg August University Göttingen has clearly gained intensity in recent weeks. With an overwhelming majority of eleven to two votes, the university's senate has now voted for the election of the incumbent president Metin Tolan. This step comes in the middle of persistent rumors about challenges within the university and specific problems that occurred during his term.

Lower Saxony's Minister of Science Falko Mohrs (SPD) expressed his regret about the decision of the Senate and emphasized: "I did not want this escalation." The minister emphasized that the interests of the university and not personal interests should be in the foreground. "It cannot be about sensitivities, egoisms or other personal matters," continued Mohrs. The focus, according to his appeal, must now be on the well -being of the university.

deselection and possible interim solutions

The deselection of Tolan is now confirmed by the University of the Foundation Committee before the Senate can submit suggestions for an interim occupation. Should there be disagreement between the two bodies, the Senate could even decide next time itself and alone. A specific date for the meeting of the foundation committee is still pending.

The University of Göttingen, which had over 26,000 students last summer semester, is the largest university of Lower Saxony. This dimension makes the relevance of the decisions of the Senate particularly clear. The management team faces the challenge of developing a clear course for the university in order to protect both the academic reputation and financial stability.

Minister Mohrs has described Tolan, who has been in office since 2021, as a willingness to make decisions in essential affairs. Although he does not exclude the possibility of a president named by the state government from the Ultima Ratio series, he emphasizes that such measures should only be considered as the last way out.

The decisions of the Senate and the associated uncertainty have not been unnoticed in the university community. Criticism of Tolan has gained weight for weeks in the form of documents written by Senate members. One of the main reasons for funding was the failure of funding applications within the framework of the excellence initiative, which met with great concerns in February. Despite these challenges, numerous professors found support for Tolan and his visions for the university.

In the announcement of the Senate, it was noted that the financial restrictions, which are due to extreme savings constraints, have certainly reduced the scope for maneuver. Nevertheless, the decision to vote is the best way to reorganize the university. At the same time, the Senate put its vice president in the foreground and expressed his trust, which indicates potential stability in the transition phase.

Development at the University of Göttingen is not only important for the academic community, but also raises questions about general university policy in Lower Saxony. Both students and teachers will carefully pursue the further steps of both the Senate and the state government. For interested readers there are detailed information and analyzes on the current situation on www.abendblatt.de .