Universities - State parliament passes stricter higher education law
Berlin will receive a strengthened university law. This means that students can be deregistered from the university for certain disciplinary offenses, but high fees will apply. The Berlin House of Representatives passed the corresponding amendment at the last plenary session before the summer break. Deregistration is only intended as a last resort and only in the case of a legally binding conviction. If deregistration occurs, students cannot re-enroll at the university for two years.
A disciplinary offense exists when a student, in relation to the university, "significantly impairs the rights and duties of a member of the university through the application of physical force, through an invitation to use physical force, or through a threat of physical force."
Deregistration is just one of several measures planned
Infractions also include sexual harassment and "premeditated crimes" in university facilities that cause significant damage to the university. In addition to deregistration, possible measures include the issuance of a reprimand, exclusion from the use of certain university facilities, exclusion from participation in individual teaching events for up to a semester, and the threat of deregistration. A strengthening also applies to university regulations. So, a house ban can now be imposed "in extreme cases" for nine months, compared to three before.
The education policy spokesperson for the SPD faction, Marcel Hopp, said in parliament that it was an effective and proportionate regulatory law and not a paper tiger. At the same time, it was not a regulatory law that posed the risk of limiting critical discourse at universities. Deregistrations were the "ultimate solution."
The Greens criticize the legislative amendment as a hasty measure
Black-Red could not convince the opposition: Green deputy Laura Neugebauer described the change as a hasty measure that did not solve the problem. Left deputy Tobias Schulze criticized it as Law-and-Order symbol politics. The revised university law was not practical with regard to victim protection. It would not contribute to improving anything at the universities. Greens, Left, and AfD voted against the legislative amendment.
The trigger for the legislative amendment was an alleged antisemitically motivated act of violence at the beginning of February: The Jewish FU student Lahav Shapira was taken to the hospital with facial bone fractures. A Palestinian student is suspected of having beaten and kicked him on a street in Berlin-Mitte. The public prosecutor's office assumed a targeted attack and an antisemitic motive. They took up investigations for dangerous bodily harm and assigned the case to the hate crime unit.
- The proposed university law strengthening in Berlin could potentially affect students from local universities, as they may face deregistration for serious disciplinary offenses, such as physical force or threats, in accordance with the new regulations passed by the Berlin State Parliament's House of Representatives.
- In addition to deregistration, students accused of sexual harassment or premeditated crimes causing significant damage to the university could also face various sanctions, including reprimands, temporary exclusion from university facilities or events, and a house ban for extreme cases.
- Critics from the Greens and Left parties argue that the legislative amendment is a hasty measure that does not effectively address the problem and may potentially limit critical discourse at universities, leaving the revised university law open to potential challenges from these political factions.
