What actually happens if you are expecting a child whilst studying, or if you are already a parent when you start your degree? At Otto von Guericke University Magdeburg, there are various support services available for students with family responsibilities. These are managed by the Family Service, which is part of the Equality, Diversity and Family Unit. “The Family Service at the University of Magdeburg is committed to helping students balance family life with work and their studies, and supports parents in successfully combining these two aspects of their lives,” explains Marie Bierstedt. She is the Family Officer at the Office for Equality, Diversity and Family.
Generally speaking, the Maternity Protection Act applies in the event of pregnancy. “This also applies to female students,” she reports. “In such cases, protection, safety and individual support are the top priorities. Generally, expectant mothers decide for themselves whether and when to announce their pregnancy. To ensure protection, it is important – particularly for study programs with a higher risk of accidents or hazards – to inform the Examinations Office of the relevant faculty about the pregnancy. In addition, the Family Service offers comprehensive, personalised advice in the event of a pregnancy and provides important contact details.”
Parents who wish to take up a degree programme at the University of Magdeburg also have access to a wide range of support options. “The Family Pass plays a key role here,” explains Marie Bierstedt. “It enables mothers and fathers to receive assistance with academic requirements, registration for courses, or when applying for a semester’s leave of absence or part-time study. A parking permit and a child’s meal in the canteen for one euro can also be obtained with the Family Pass,” says the Family Officer.
Students can find a brochure on this subject – which also includes the necessary declaration of consent – at the Family Service or the Campus Welcome Centre, amongst other places. “To obtain the Family Pass, the completed declaration must be handed in at the Campus Welcome Centre and a birth certificate or maternity record must be presented,” explains Marie Bierstedt. “A special note will then appear on the student ID card. The information will also be stored in the digital student file, so that examination offices and lecturers are also aware of it.”
There are also opportunities to better balance studies and family life as your degree progresses. For example, under certain conditions, a compulsory full-time work placement can be completed on a part-time basis. Anyone wishing to go abroad with a child can seek advice from both the Family Service and the International Office. Furthermore, an individual part-time study curriculum is generally possible within the respective study programs. “In such cases, an individual curriculum is drawn up, the number of credit points required is reduced and the duration of study is extended accordingly,” explains Marie Bierstedt.
In addition, students with family responsibilities are granted flexibility when it comes to obtaining examination results. “In consultation with the Examinations Office, for example, assessment requirements can be met in alternative ways,” reports the family affairs officer. “Even if a child is verifiably ill or there are other important reasons, an application can be made to the board of examiners to sit an examination result on an alternative date. It is always important to communicate with the lecturers and the relevant Examination Office,” emphasises Marie Bierstedt.
In addition to these organisational arrangements, student parents are also eligible for various forms of financial support. “Firstly, BAföG payments increase upon the birth of a child, and the duration of funding may be extended. Parents living in a household with children under the age of 14 receive a monthly supplement of €160 per child. This grant does not have to be repaid,” explains the spokesperson.
In addition, the Family Service offers the Family Scholarship to students with precarious income situations who are in the final stages of their degree. “The grant amounts to €450 per month and is awarded for a period of six months,” says Marie Bierstedt. “The scholarship can only be awarded once per family. An extension is therefore not possible. An independent committee decides on the award, taking into account, amongst other things, income and family circumstances. However, the full amount of the scholarship is deducted from BAföG payments.”
The Family Service also advises students on internal and external support options for other forms of financial assistance, such as housing benefit, child benefit, parental allowance or the child supplement. “If necessary, we also refer people to other advice centres in Magdeburg, such as the Pregnancy and Maternity Advice Centre or Pro Familia,” explains Marie Bierstedt.
Not only students, but also OVGU staff can contact the Family Service to receive support. “The Maternity Protection Act also applies to pregnant staff members, albeit in accordance with the standard provisions of their employment contract,” explains Marie Bierstedt. These include, amongst other things, protection of health in the workplace, special protection against dismissal, maternity leave before and after the birth, and income security. Breaks for breastfeeding are also regulated by law. Female staff members decide for themselves when to inform their employer of their pregnancy. However, the sooner the employer is informed of the pregnancy, the better protective measures can be put in place,” emphasises the family affairs officer.
In addition, the University of Magdeburg offers options for more flexible working hours. “On the one hand, the university offers arrangements for part-time employment. On the other hand, there is the option of remote working,” explains Marie Bierstedt. “Staff who have been employed at the university for at least six months can, upon application, generally work remotely for up to two days a week (exceptions are possible). This can be a significant relief in everyday life, particularly for staff with care responsibilities.” Both an increase and a reduction in working hours, as well as the remote working arrangement, require specific discussion with supervisors.
There are also various childcare support options available to students and staff at OVGU. “On the OVGU campus, there is the CampusKids nursery run by the Studentenwerk, where the children of students and staff can be looked after,” reports the Family Affairs Officer. “The costs are based on the guidelines set by the City of Magdeburg and depend, amongst other things, on the child’s age and the level of care required. In addition, the Studentenwerk offers the CampusKinderzimmer. Here, students have the opportunity to have their children, up to the age of seven, looked after for six hours a week free of charge.”
As a family-friendly university, children of students and staff are welcome on campus. “The university provides parent-and-child study rooms as quiet spaces for this purpose. In addition to a parent-and-child study room on the Medicine and Human Sciences campus, there are four further study rooms on the main campus, as well as one each in the University Library and at the Wissenschaftshafen,” says Marie Bierstedt. “In addition, the OVGU, together with the Family Service and the Studentenwerk, organises various family-related activities, including meet-ups for student parents, holiday programmes for children, a family brunch and the Children’s University.”
“It makes sense to enquire about support services at the University of Magdeburg before you start your studies,” advises Marie Bierstedt. “Students can access advice through the Family Service, the decentralised Families Officers in the faculties, as well as via the Campus Welcome Centre or the Studentenwerk,” says the Family Officer. These services across the various areas are designed to make everyday life noticeably easier for students and staff with family responsibilities.
