Representatives of the Studierendenwerk Thüringen and the university as well as parents and companions thanked Karin Fuchs, the longtime director of the daycare center "Studentenflöhe" on the campus of the TU Ilmenau, in a small ceremony for her many years of service.
To study or work successfully - for students and employees with small children this is a special challenge, not only during the Corona pandemic. The fact that this task can nevertheless succeed so well on the Ilmenau campus and that the little ones are always lovingly cared for has been ensured for 44 years by the daycare center "Studentenflöhe" of the Studierendenwerk Thüringen - forty of them with Karin Fuchs at the helm. On June 1, 2021, the long-time daycare director was bid farewell into retirement by the parents of the children, her colleagues, and representatives of the Studierendenwerk Thüringen, the university, and the city of Ilmenau.
Numerous generations of "student fleas" accompanied
Karin Fuchs began her work in 1982, still in the days of the TU Ilmenau, as head of the "Krippe auf dem Ehrenberg", where she initially only helped out for four weeks. Since then she has experienced many developments at today's TU Ilmenau and has lovingly accompanied and looked after numerous generations of "student fleas". "The name Karin Fuchs is probably synonymous for students and university employees with the dedicated and caring care of children up to the age of three on the TU campus," said Dr. Ralf Schmidt-Röh, Managing Director of the Studierendenwerk Thüringen, in appreciation of her work on the occasion of her farewell.
At the same time, Karin Fuchs also provided valuable conceptual and pedagogical work and advised and supported students and employees with family responsibilities in a professional and empathetic manner. In doing so, she was always open to new ideas and measures and actively supported the implementation of family-friendly framework conditions. Under her leadership, the daycare center was modernized and the number of places doubled, so that today a total of 60 children between the ages of 0 and 3 are cared for. In contrast to the usual practice, the daycare center does not accept "student fleas" at the age of one year, but rather from the age of ten weeks, which enables them to quickly return to their studies and careers.
Great commitment to family-friendly study and working conditions
During her time as director, Karin Fuchs also advocated for the establishment of the Campus Family Office, which she herself headed for many years, in order to improve the compatibility of study/work and family and to create family-friendly study and working conditions for students and university employees. Karin Fuchs always sought and found constructive solutions, even in difficult situations, and was therefore highly respected as a long-standing colleague in the association of day-care centres in Ilmenau. Through her commitment and close cooperation with the facilities in the network, the care of children over the age of three could always be guaranteed for the university staff. This personal commitment and the trusting cooperation were highly appreciated, especially by the parents of the children entrusted to her care.
"Vision of the cosmopolitan campus family lived out"
The President of TU Ilmenau, Prof. Kai-Uwe Sattler, therefore also took the farewell as an opportunity to thank Karin Fuchs for her dedicated service to the university and its members: "During your many years of service, you have been a link to parents and have made a significant contribution to TU Ilmenau in the context of family friendliness." An important point had always been the intercultural work: "You have constantly worked to ensure that all children entrusted to you were allowed to get to know and live the different cultures and that existing differences are an enrichment for all. With your work, you have lived the vision of the cosmopolitan campus family."
In 2018, Karin Fuchs was awarded the Salzmann Prize of the Free State of Thuringia for her special commitment and especially for her tireless and special work for attachment-oriented familiarization and her many years of service to the Thuringian educational landscape.
Karin Fuchs' successor is the previous deputy director of the daycare center, Diana Mock. The university and the Studierendenwerk are pleased that they will additionally be able to continue to rely on Karin Fuchs' expertise in the future and thank Karin Fuchs from the bottom of their hearts: "Personally and on behalf of the university management, I wish you above all the best of health, all the best and many eventful days in the company of your family and friends for the new phase of your life," said Prof. Sattler.
