Patrizia Grenz aims to play an active role in shaping the study situation at the university and has set herself clear focus areas. She is particularly keen to improve the support of first-gen students. “My priority is to establish support and advisory offers for first-gen students,” explains Ms. Grenz. Her plans include a cooperation with the initiative ArbeiterKind.de.
The law student also aims to improve the compensation for disadvantages. Although corresponding regulations already exist, in practice there are still deficits that she would like to address. Ms. Grenz also names student housing, high-quality teaching and fair study conditions as central issues of her term of office. She is convinced that greater attention should be paid to student interests, particularly when studies are being reformed.
Patrizia Grenz describes her first weeks in her new role as intensive and informative. She is still getting to know many of the processes and responsibilities, but in so doing is already gathering ideas for new projects. She is particularly looking forward to collaborating with committed colleagues, receiving the opportunity to realise her own ideas and “initiating tangible change”.
Her predecessor Lukas Voigt played a key role in shaping the position over the past years, further developing its structure. His term of office focused for example on the improvement of the study-entry phase, as well as initiatives in the field of student housing. Voigt stresses that many of the initiated projects are planned for the long term: “I would say that we are on the right path to a sustainable improvement of the study-entry phase.” He has also succeeded in “raising awareness and initiating specific projects” in the field of housing.
When asked about the role of students, Voigt underlines the importance of student involvement in university politics: “especially in times of crisis, it is important that students get involved and help shape the University.”
Patrizia Grenz is now the third person to hold the role of Student Pro-Rector since it was introduced in 2022 – and she is the first woman in this position.
Further information
The role of Student Pro-Rector was established in 2022 and serves as the central point of contact for student issues in the Rectorate. The position is elected annually by the Academic Senate.
Contact at the University of Greifswald
Patrizia Grenz
Student Pro-Rector
Domstraße 11, Entrance 2, 17489 Greifswald
Tel.: +49 3834 420 1194
prorektor-studierendeuni-greifswaldde