Chancellor Honored with the 'Studentenwerk' (student union) Medal of Merit

"Ms. Karin Hollstein, Chancellor of the Zittau/Görlitz University of Applied Sciences, has been an active member of the Dresden Studentenwerk’s Board of Directors without interruption since 2006. She is deeply committed to her work there and supports the Dresden Studentenwerk on a wide range of issues, as well as in its collaboration with its Zittau/Görlitz branch campus. This collaboration has led to many good and pragmatic solutions, such as the use of a shared chip card, investments in the cafeteria facilities, and the shared use of resources. Particularly noteworthy in this context is her support during the catastrophic flooding at the Zittau/Görlitz campus in 2010. Since 2008, Ms. Hollstein, a lawyer, has also served on the Administrative Board’s standing “Regulations” committee, which is responsible for preparing all essential foundational documents of the Dresden ‘Studentenwerk’ (student union) in terms of both content and wording. These include the basic order, the Rules of Procedure for the Board of Directors, the various usage regulations, the tax bylaws for non-profit commercial enterprises, and the election regulations for Board of Directors representatives. There, she distinguishes herself through her legal expertise and meticulous attention to wording, which is universally recognized as invaluable support and gratefully received. In addition, she served on the Administrative Board’s “University Food Services” committee, which was formed in 2014 in response to the difficult economic situation and was tasked with finding ways to optimally fulfill the organization’s social mission given the very poor financial resources at the time. Within this committee, there were intensive discussions and very detailed work on the transparency of financial management, Controlling, ways to influence costs in the dining facilities, and potential measures for management improvements. In light of all this described dedication, it must also be taken into account that Ms. Hollstein’s place of work is in Zittau, which means a 2-hour trip each way for every appointment in Dresden—a considerable time commitment. In light of her many years of dedication beyond the call of duty and her service to the 'Studentenwerk' in Dresden, it was high time to appropriately recognize Karin Hollstein’s work. This will take place today with the presentation of the DSW Medal of Merit.” Laudatory address by Prof. Rudolf Pörtner, former executive director of the Dresden 'Studentenwerk' (student union)