Turn of the year: university closes briefly but completely

The university management had made it clear early on: There will be no extended winter break because of the energy shortage. The students should not be expected to make further cuts after the Corona semesters; the university wants to offer them face-to-face teaching and rooms to stay and study. As in previous years, the university and its central facilities, including the library, dining hall and cafeterias, will be closed from Dec. 24, 2022, to Jan. 1, 2023, inclusive. Security will still be on site to monitor the locations. The university and its central facilities will open on Jan. 2, and classes will start on Jan. 9.

"The fact that no power pause is necessary is a credit to the employees and the students themselves," Chancellor Dr. Oliver Fromm explained. "Our measures are working: We are implementing the specifications on room temperatures, bundling events in certain rooms at certain times and informing with a campaign how everyone can help to save. We are confident that we can achieve our goal of saving 20 percent energy if everyone continues to cooperate so well." As a result, employees are being asked in an email to turn down heaters and unplug appliances before the winter break.

Libraries and facilities will also be closed between years. The individual closing times are as follows:

Libraries

University Library locations will be closed for the Christmas holiday and New Year. Last day open this year is Friday, Dec. 23. At the Kunsthochschule, Wilhelmshöher Allee, Oberzwehren and Witzenhausen locations, the libraries will close as early as 4 p.m. on December 23. Regular opening hours apply at the Campus Library and the Brüder-Grimm-Platz location. The first day of opening in the new year is Monday, January 2, 2023.

The libraries at the Wilhelmshöher Allee, Kunsthochschule and Oberzwehren locations have shortened opening hours in the first week of January : 10 am to 4 pm. The library at the Witzenhausen location will be open Monday through Friday from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. (4 - 6 p.m. open library use).

For more information, visit: https://www.uni-kassel.de/ub/aktuelles/alle-meldungen/detail/2022/12/12/jahreswechsel-schliessung-der-universitaetsbibliothek-ab-24-dezember-1?cHash=1ef5156ec15cd89e25701afe5bcab3d1

Student Services

Cafeterias and dining halls in Kassel and Witzenhausen open for the last time in the old year on Thursday, December 22. Daycare centers, counseling areas and the information desk in the Campus Center will remain open until December 23.

All Studierendenwerk facilities will be closed until January 1. During the first week of 2023, which is free of classes, the Cafeteria Pavillon on the Holländischer Platz campus will be open Monday through Friday, 7:30 a.m. to 6 p.m., with an expanded range of services for its guests. On the Heinrich-Plett-Strasse campus, the cafeteria opens Monday through Friday, 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. All other dining halls and cafeterias start the new year on January 9.

From January 2 to 6, the usual opening hours will apply in the daycare centers and counseling areas; only the open BAföG counseling hours will not be available again until January 9.

Press contact:

Sebastian Mense
University of Kassel
Communications, Press and Public Relations
Phone: +49 561 804-1961
E-mail: presse[at]uni-kassel[dot]de
www.uni-kassel.de