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The culture of academic freedom and polycentricism makes the university a breeding ground for “unique strange attractors” (see Chapter 1 Annex A for definition). Therefore, unique instances are described within the relevant section and factors influencing the general condition/climate of the FU are listed herein.
3.2.10.1. Tutoring Communities
A unique educational practice in Germany the Tutorial Model was initiated and successfully piloted at the FU [i] in 1951. Following the critical stance towards system politics, the students at the FU were eager to ensure autonomy from propaganda and the authoritarian ‘ scientific control apparatus’ (Adorno, 1964), hence they developed and proposed a community based tutoring practice in which senior students coached the younger ones. The original goal was not exclusively the transfusion of specialized knowledge but encouraged instead competencies like active learning, collaboration, as well as the “fomentation of independent, critical thinking through scientific work” (Büchner, Hansmann, Lecher, & Stumpögger, 1986). The membership to the Tutorial Groups was limited to 10 and the idea was to foster communities that stayed together throughout their studies. As such, the model was meant to supersede the traditional German fraternities, which had participated with the nationalistic agitation. The tutor model was officially formulated in 1962 by the student association and then ratified by the scientific council in 1969.
According to Büchner et. al. (ibid) the tutor model was an educational and institutional success and has subsequently been adopted by other universities in West-Germany. However, nowhere did the tutors manage to install themselves so well as in the FU, where they setup a special workers council for themselves. This report is disputed by reviews of the FU AStA (web) which cites hostile lobbying by traditionalists, who launched public media campaigns against the tutorials, so that the model could never really flower. Whatever the exact conditions, with the rapid growth of the FU[ii] in the sixties, the innovative pedagogy of the tutorials were increasingly absorbed by the massification of university education. Since the 1970 tutorials became “the most effective and cheapest way to guarantee education for all” (ibid)
3.2.10.2. Heinzelmaenchen
The FU facilitates the financial independence of its students through the Heinzelmaennchen institution since 1949. Heinzelmaenchen is a student job broker, matching local enterprises and private households’ demands for short term jobs to students. With fluctuation, the Heinzelmaenchen provide jobs for between 20% of the students in the early years, to up to 50% after the construction of the Berlin wall and back to 40% and less in the last years. While the job market in Berlin has become tougher after the reunification there are still 15,000 jobs for students procured (2002) and for many of the students, these jobs are their only source of income (FU web).
The success of the Heinzelmaennchen is a good illustration of the ‘status’ or the ‘way of life’ of German university students. Most students earn money in part time jobs, and most live in their own, or shared flat (especially in Berlin). This allows the students to learn to ‘stand on their own two feet’ and subsequently develop an internal locus of control.
3.2.10.3. Crisis as Catharsis
The FU has been in an organizational recession caused by the regression of the German state in general and the local Berlin government in particular. Next to the general trend of de-constructing the welfare state, Berlin felt particular financial hardship by the reunification of the divided city. As universities situated in the former west suffered additional financial challenges as the universities of the former east and (especially Humboldt University) needed immense funds for renovation whilst providing little beyond duplicative educational capacities. What is worse, Berlin was thrown into a full-blown budgetary crisis when misspending (speculation) and embezzlement emptied the city’s treasury and caused high instability. The restless political fluctuations caused the fourfold replacement of the senator for Culture and Education in the years between 1998 – 2001 (FU, 2001). Hence it is assessed that the FU was in a constant state of crisis since the early 1990’s This crisis caused a manic-depression amongst a large part of its staff, but it was also expedient and used productively by deflating the bureaucratic apparatus (through the new governance structure) and boosting efficiency e.g. through the reallocation of mansion based mini-departments in more cost-effective offices. Furthermore, the crisis made the FU attend to its institutional raison d'ètre in depth and put them ahead of other institutions in dealing with the shrinking of their funding base. FU faculty was already accustomed to a reality without much state support and the leadership is (at least recently) pushing hard to put an (neo [iii]-) liberal educational vision in action (Lenzen, 2003). It is the very crisis that serves the FU as a catharsis (Ciborra, 2002), clearing the organizational culture of the tendency to ‘do things because they have always been that way’ and give preference to entrepreneurs who come with new visions.
Another good example for entrepreneurial practices born out of ‘poverty’ is the Society for the Promotion of the German philology library (FU FBG web). Following the announcement of heavy financial cutbacks for the library’s budget, two entrepreneurial students founded FBG (in 1996), which sells second hand books received as donations (and engages in lobbying through author readings etc.), with the objective to improve the conditions at the library.
3.2.10.4. Generational Change
Because of the high growth in its early decades, the FU has a distorted age structure in its faculty. In the years between 2000 and 2005 [iv] 50% of the professorships are to be replaced. This has and will bring new energy into the ranks of ambitious academics to the university and the expectation for positive effects are palpable.(FU chancellor and management 51.) Transition takes time ,and new professors are usually granted 3 years to settle in the new environment before they have their routine and start to generate income.
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The initiative for the interests of student workers mentions that the idea was facilitated by the American administrators involved in the foundation of the FU (Tarifini, 2006).
And the universities in general
In the view of the students (Andy, 2005)
The process is actually still in full swing
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