Germany's first university social worker

In yesterday’s episode of “Campus and Career,” Deutschlandfunk reported on our new counseling service for students facing challenging and difficult situations in their studies and personal lives. You can listen to the interview with Sandro Hänseoth here.

Background of the Service

Students are increasingly confronted with various sources of stress and strain. This is the conclusion reached by a number of different studies. For example, the research project “Psychosocial Situation of Students,” conducted at the University of Applied Sciences Zittau/Görlitz under the direction of Prof. Dr. Jutta Blin and Prof. Dr. Andreas Markert traced a wide range of interactions between personal problems and stressors related to academic studies. Zittau/Görlitz University of Applied Sciences has responded to this trend and, as the first university in Germany, established a position in the field of university social work. With this position—held by Sandro Hänseroth, a certified social worker and social educator (FH), and funded by the Higher Education Pact—the university is creating an independent, extracurricular, and professional service for all students and other members of the university community. In particular, this program complements the university’s existing professional psychosocial counseling services provided by the 'Studentenwerk' (student union), as well as the very low-threshold “Students Counsel Students” project, thereby systematically rounding out the support system available at HSZG.

Goals of University Social Work

University social work aims, in particular, to enhance the quality of the academic experience and improve the academic situation of all students. This is to be achieved through a nuanced mix of proven social-pedagogical methods that are closely aligned with students’ lives and experiences. In addition to approaches involving case-specific assistance and outreach social work (e.g., in student canteens, student clubs, etc.), established methods of group work, networking, and extracurricular educational activities should also be mentioned in this context. In addition to providing direct psychosocial support to students, university social work also helps relieve the burden on professors and staff when dealing with social problems or mental health issues among their students.

The service is directly affiliated with the Student Advisory Service within the academic administration. Counseling sessions are primarily available during the lecture period on Tuesdays through Thursdays between 8:00 a.m. and 4:00 p.m., as well as upon request and by appointment for all students and members of the Zittau/Görlitz university community. Upon request, the following channels and service formats can be used:

• Outreach activities on campus, in university buildings, student canteens, and student gathering places
• Personal/individual counseling and case-specific assistance, guidance, and support
• Online counseling (via email, chat (anonymous), Facebook, WhatsApp, etc.)
• Telephone counseling, group counseling, and group programs