Annual Report 2022

Dear readers,

The consequences of the coronavirus pandemic and the war in Ukraine have accompanied us through 2022. However, the sustainable structures created in the previous year helped us to overcome the associated challenges in addition to our normal tasks. As you can see from this annual report, many things were once again successful in 2022 and many things are still under construction. In particular, the strategy process, which became more concrete in 2022 and which – in addition to climate neutrality – names improving service and increasing efficiency as strategic goals that must now be brought to life from 2023.

Despite all the necessary changes and improvements, the basic mission of the Studierendenwerk – to serve students – remains relevant. This became particularly clear in 2022, the year in which Studierendenwerk Münster celebrated its 100th anniversary. The details of our organization’s impressive history can be found in the anniversary brochure, which is well worth reading. In the anniversary year, we expressed our self-image with the motto “We for you”. In addition to the successful official anniversary celebrations, this was given concrete form through various activities aimed at both students and employees.

From the students’ point of view, the topics of Accomodation, Food and Social Affairs are particularly relevant, as they are reflected in the organizational chart of the Studierendenwerk as departments to which all other areas contribute organizationally, professionally or financially. Because Accomodation, Food and Social Affairs are loss-making areas, if their services are to be attractive to students, they must be financially supported even if the Studierendenwerk is optimally organized. The fact that state funding for this has been decreasing for many years and that students’ social contributions are constantly increasing at the same time is a grievance. Even if there are currently signs of slight improvements on the part of the state of North Rhine-Westphalia, the social contribution must therefore be increased significantly for the winter semester 2023/24 – also because the Studierendenwerk’s financial prospects for the current year have become more difficult, as can be seen from the planning with a deficit.

As far as Accomodation is concerned, Münster remains highly expensive despite the recent uncertainties on the real estate market; in view of the limited rent levels, the Studierendenwerk can hardly compete with private investors in the development of new hall of residence locations without external support. The focus will therefore initially remain on redensification projects at existing locations in order to achieve a student housing supply rate of 10% in the coming years. The plans for a major redensification project on Gescherweg were finalized in 2022. At the same time, the refurbishments that have already been carried out intensively over the past decade must be extended to all locations, with a particular focus on Wilhelmskamp.