Closure of the mensa and cafeteria Straße der Nationen in the summer semester 2022

Dear Students,
Dear university staff

we are very sorry that it is not possible for us to reopen the Mensa and Cafeteria Straße der Nationen at this time. The reasons are as follows:

• Since April 2020, i.e. for more than two years now, our University Catering Department has been continuously on short-time work. This situation has meant that we have unfortunately lost many employees in this area because they have changed careers in the meantime and/or temporary employment contracts could not be extended from our side. Under the conditions of short-time work, job placements or new hires are only permitted in absolutely exceptional cases and only with the approval of the employment agency on a case-by-case basis.
   
• Due to the necessary new hirings, we need a time lead of about 3-4 months for the reopening of the Mensa/Cafeteria Straße der Nationen. Therefore, with a view to the summer semester at the beginning of the year, we endeavored to obtain information from the university on the planned attendance events and their expected numbers of participants, which would be sufficiently binding to apply to the employment agency for the hiring of personnel despite short-time work on the basis of this information. Unfortunately, at that time, the further development of the pandemic situation was not foreseeable for anyone, so that we could not obtain sufficiently binding information. At the end of March, based on the submitted plans of the faculties, it was estimated that there will be a mixture of face-to-face, hybrid presence and digital events in the summer semester 2022, which does not differ significantly from the previous winter semester.
   
• We welcome any evolution back to a campus life that allows for fully inclusive offerings at all campuses once again. At this point, however, we have not seen any significant increase in the use of our open cafeteria on Reichenhainer Straße for the period since the start of the summer semester. The number of guests is still at the level of the previous winter semester and thus far below what would be required to operate our cafeterias economically. However, in order to fill currently vacant positions, we need a significant increase in meal sales or at least a clear perspective of what increased student attendance can be expected in the near future. Once this is in place, we can initiate appropriate hiring in the coming months. Our goal is to be there for all students and university employees again in the winter semester, hopefully with a significantly increased presence, offering the most comprehensive range of services possible.

Until then, we would like to invite you to make use of our university catering services on the Reichenhainer Straße campus as far as possible. Here you will find the current opening hours of the mensa⁵⁵ and cafete⁵⁵.

We ask for your understanding and hope to welcome you again in the coming winter semester in the Mensa and Cafeteria Straße der Nationen.

Your Student Service Organisation